diff --git a/mypy/typeanal.py b/mypy/typeanal.py
index a513b0716a01..a9b4576c8f42 100644
--- a/mypy/typeanal.py
+++ b/mypy/typeanal.py
@@ -93,7 +93,6 @@
     callable_with_ellipsis,
     find_unpack_in_list,
     flatten_nested_tuples,
-    flatten_nested_unions,
     get_proper_type,
     has_type_vars,
 )
@@ -2337,16 +2336,11 @@ def make_optional_type(t: Type) -> Type:
     is called during semantic analysis and simplification only works during
     type checking.
     """
-    p_t = get_proper_type(t)
-    if isinstance(p_t, NoneType):
+    if isinstance(t, ProperType) and isinstance(t, NoneType):
         return t
-    elif isinstance(p_t, UnionType):
+    elif isinstance(t, ProperType) and isinstance(t, UnionType):
         # Eagerly expanding aliases is not safe during semantic analysis.
-        items = [
-            item
-            for item in flatten_nested_unions(p_t.items, handle_type_alias_type=False)
-            if not isinstance(get_proper_type(item), NoneType)
-        ]
+        items = [item for item in t.items if not isinstance(get_proper_type(item), NoneType)]
         return UnionType(items + [NoneType()], t.line, t.column)
     else:
         return UnionType([t, NoneType()], t.line, t.column)
diff --git a/test-data/unit/check-recursive-types.test b/test-data/unit/check-recursive-types.test
index 84593933a2de..b67818e169b1 100644
--- a/test-data/unit/check-recursive-types.test
+++ b/test-data/unit/check-recursive-types.test
@@ -942,3 +942,19 @@ NotFilter = Tuple[Literal["not"], "NotFilter"]
 n: NotFilter
 reveal_type(n[1][1][0])  # N: Revealed type is "Literal['not']"
 [builtins fixtures/tuple.pyi]
+
+[case testNoCrashOnRecursiveAliasWithNone]
+# flags: --strict-optional
+from typing import Union, Generic, TypeVar, Optional
+
+T = TypeVar("T")
+class A(Generic[T]): ...
+class B(Generic[T]): ...
+
+Z = Union[A[Z], B[Optional[Z]]]
+X = Union[A[Optional[X]], B[Optional[X]]]
+
+z: Z
+x: X
+reveal_type(z)  # N: Revealed type is "Union[__main__.A[...], __main__.B[Union[..., None]]]"
+reveal_type(x)  # N: Revealed type is "Union[__main__.A[Union[..., None]], __main__.B[Union[..., None]]]"