diff --git a/Lib/test/test_defaultdict.py b/Lib/test/test_defaultdict.py
index fbd7354a915a0a..732e9a876ca8ad 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_defaultdict.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_defaultdict.py
@@ -204,5 +204,20 @@ def default_factory():
         self.assertEqual(test_dict[key], 2)
         self.assertEqual(count, 2)
 
+    def test_repr_recursive_factory(self):
+        # gh-145492: defaultdict.__repr__ should not cause infinite recursion
+        # when the factory's __repr__ calls repr() on the defaultdict.
+        class ProblematicFactory:
+            def __call__(self):
+                return {}
+            def __repr__(self):
+                repr(dd)
+                return "ProblematicFactory()"
+
+        dd = defaultdict(ProblematicFactory())
+        # Should not raise RecursionError
+        r = repr(dd)
+        self.assertIn('ProblematicFactory()', r)
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-03-09-00-00-00.gh-issue-145492.457Afc.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-03-09-00-00-00.gh-issue-145492.457Afc.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..297ee4099f12c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-03-09-00-00-00.gh-issue-145492.457Afc.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+Fix infinite recursion in :class:`collections.defaultdict` ``__repr__``
+when a ``defaultdict`` contains itself. Based on analysis by KowalskiThomas
+in :gh:`145492`.
diff --git a/Modules/_collectionsmodule.c b/Modules/_collectionsmodule.c
index c3d63c8aab4b47..15c9aa41911822 100644
--- a/Modules/_collectionsmodule.c
+++ b/Modules/_collectionsmodule.c
@@ -2385,9 +2385,10 @@ defdict_repr(PyObject *op)
             }
             defrepr = PyUnicode_FromString("...");
         }
-        else
+        else {
             defrepr = PyObject_Repr(dd->default_factory);
-        Py_ReprLeave(dd->default_factory);
+            Py_ReprLeave(dd->default_factory);
+        }
     }
     if (defrepr == NULL) {
         Py_DECREF(baserepr);