diff --git a/mypy/subtypes.py b/mypy/subtypes.py
index 971caa3991ae..63f5137ef8ae 100644
--- a/mypy/subtypes.py
+++ b/mypy/subtypes.py
@@ -794,15 +794,18 @@ def visit_tuple_type(self, left: TupleType) -> bool:
                 return False
             if any(not self._is_subtype(l, r) for l, r in zip(left.items, right.items)):
                 return False
-            rfallback = mypy.typeops.tuple_fallback(right)
-            if is_named_instance(rfallback, "builtins.tuple"):
+            if is_named_instance(right.partial_fallback, "builtins.tuple"):
                 # No need to verify fallback. This is useful since the calculated fallback
                 # may be inconsistent due to how we calculate joins between unions vs.
                 # non-unions. For example, join(int, str) == object, whereas
                 # join(Union[int, C], Union[str, C]) == Union[int, str, C].
                 return True
-            lfallback = mypy.typeops.tuple_fallback(left)
-            return self._is_subtype(lfallback, rfallback)
+            if is_named_instance(left.partial_fallback, "builtins.tuple"):
+                # Again, no need to verify. At this point we know the right fallback
+                # is a subclass of tuple, so if left is plain tuple, it cannot be a subtype.
+                return False
+            # At this point we know both fallbacks are non-tuple.
+            return self._is_subtype(left.partial_fallback, right.partial_fallback)
         else:
             return False
 
diff --git a/test-data/unit/check-recursive-types.test b/test-data/unit/check-recursive-types.test
index b67818e169b1..33cb9ccad9af 100644
--- a/test-data/unit/check-recursive-types.test
+++ b/test-data/unit/check-recursive-types.test
@@ -958,3 +958,39 @@ 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]]]"
+
+[case testRecursiveTupleFallback1]
+from typing import NewType, Tuple, Union
+
+T1 = NewType("T1", str)
+T2 = Tuple[T1, "T4", "T4"]
+T3 = Tuple[str, "T4", "T4"]
+T4 = Union[T2, T3]
+[builtins fixtures/tuple.pyi]
+
+[case testRecursiveTupleFallback2]
+from typing import NewType, Tuple, Union
+
+T1 = NewType("T1", str)
+class T2(Tuple[T1, "T4", "T4"]): ...
+T3 = Tuple[str, "T4", "T4"]
+T4 = Union[T2, T3]
+[builtins fixtures/tuple.pyi]
+
+[case testRecursiveTupleFallback3]
+from typing import NewType, Tuple, Union
+
+T1 = NewType("T1", str)
+T2 = Tuple[T1, "T4", "T4"]
+class T3(Tuple[str, "T4", "T4"]): ...
+T4 = Union[T2, T3]
+[builtins fixtures/tuple.pyi]
+
+[case testRecursiveTupleFallback4]
+from typing import NewType, Tuple, Union
+
+T1 = NewType("T1", str)
+class T2(Tuple[T1, "T4", "T4"]): ...
+class T3(Tuple[str, "T4", "T4"]): ...
+T4 = Union[T2, T3]
+[builtins fixtures/tuple.pyi]