diff --git a/compiler/rustc_trait_selection/src/traits/project.rs b/compiler/rustc_trait_selection/src/traits/project.rs
index fa0526445c194..f22b5b9661699 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_trait_selection/src/traits/project.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_trait_selection/src/traits/project.rs
@@ -736,14 +736,9 @@ fn project_type<'cx, 'tcx>(
 
     if !selcx.tcx().sess.recursion_limit().value_within_limit(obligation.recursion_depth) {
         debug!("project: overflow!");
-        match selcx.query_mode() {
-            super::TraitQueryMode::Standard => {
-                selcx.infcx().report_overflow_error(&obligation, true);
-            }
-            super::TraitQueryMode::Canonical => {
-                return Err(ProjectionTyError::TraitSelectionError(SelectionError::Overflow));
-            }
-        }
+        // This should really be an immediate error, but some existing code
+        // relies on being able to recover from this.
+        return Err(ProjectionTyError::TraitSelectionError(SelectionError::Overflow));
     }
 
     let obligation_trait_ref = &obligation.predicate.trait_ref(selcx.tcx());
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_trait_selection/src/traits/select/mod.rs b/compiler/rustc_trait_selection/src/traits/select/mod.rs
index 8ca540fc8933c..7221ce811d1e8 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_trait_selection/src/traits/select/mod.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_trait_selection/src/traits/select/mod.rs
@@ -291,10 +291,6 @@ impl<'cx, 'tcx> SelectionContext<'cx, 'tcx> {
         self.infcx.tcx
     }
 
-    pub(super) fn query_mode(&self) -> TraitQueryMode {
-        self.query_mode
-    }
-
     ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
     // Selection
     //
diff --git a/src/test/ui/associated-types/project-recursion-limit-non-fatal.rs b/src/test/ui/associated-types/project-recursion-limit-non-fatal.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..3e68b1401020f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/ui/associated-types/project-recursion-limit-non-fatal.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+// Regression test for #80953. Hitting the recursion limit in projection
+// is non-fatal. The above code, minimised from wundergraph shows a case
+// where this is relied on.
+
+// check-pass
+
+struct AlternateTable {}
+struct AlternateQuery {}
+
+pub trait Query {}
+pub trait AsQuery {
+    type Query;
+}
+impl<T: Query> AsQuery for T {
+    type Query = Self;
+}
+impl AsQuery for AlternateTable {
+    type Query = AlternateQuery;
+}
+
+pub trait Table: AsQuery {
+    type PrimaryKey;
+}
+impl Table for AlternateTable {
+    type PrimaryKey = ();
+}
+
+pub trait FilterDsl<Predicate> {
+    type Output;
+}
+pub type Filter<Source, Predicate> = <Source as FilterDsl<Predicate>>::Output;
+impl<T, Predicate> FilterDsl<Predicate> for T
+where
+    T: Table,
+    T::Query: FilterDsl<Predicate>,
+{
+    type Output = Filter<T::Query, Predicate>;
+}
+impl<Predicate> FilterDsl<Predicate> for AlternateQuery {
+    type Output = &'static str;
+}
+
+pub trait HandleDelete {
+    type Filter;
+}
+impl<T> HandleDelete for T
+where
+    T: Table,
+    T::Query: FilterDsl<T::PrimaryKey>,
+    Filter<T::Query, T::PrimaryKey>: ,
+{
+    type Filter = Filter<T::Query, T::PrimaryKey>;
+}
+
+fn main() {
+    let x: <AlternateTable as HandleDelete>::Filter = "Hello, world";
+    println!("{}", x);
+}
diff --git a/src/test/ui/issues/issue-23122-2.stderr b/src/test/ui/issues/issue-23122-2.stderr
index ff7e884ea6f83..ce3bffe602ca0 100644
--- a/src/test/ui/issues/issue-23122-2.stderr
+++ b/src/test/ui/issues/issue-23122-2.stderr
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
-error[E0275]: overflow evaluating the requirement `<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<T as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next`
+error[E0275]: overflow evaluating the requirement `<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<T as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next: Sized`
   --> $DIR/issue-23122-2.rs:9:5
    |
 LL |     type Next = <GetNext<T::Next> as Next>::Next;
    |     ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
    |
    = help: consider adding a `#![recursion_limit="256"]` attribute to your crate (`issue_23122_2`)
+   = note: required because of the requirements on the impl of `Next` for `GetNext<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<T as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next as Next>::Next>`
 
 error: aborting due to previous error