diff --git a/python/grass/script/setup.py b/python/grass/script/setup.py
index fa7b205e191..2d9d0a6892f 100644
--- a/python/grass/script/setup.py
+++ b/python/grass/script/setup.py
@@ -137,12 +137,27 @@ def get_install_path(path: str | Path | None = None) -> str:
     If an existing executable is called as a subprocess is called during the search
     and it fails, the CalledProcessError exception is propagated from the subprocess
     call.
+
+    The executable is not queried when this function itself runs in a process
+    started by such a query. The *grass* command calls this function when the
+    installation path it was compiled with does not exist, so without this rule
+    the command and this function would keep starting each other.
     """
+    # Set in the environment of the queried executable to mark the process
+    # which answers the query (see the docstring).
+    query_variable = "GRASS_INSTALL_PATH_QUERY"
+    can_query_executable = query_variable not in os.environ
 
     def ask_executable(arg):
         """Query the GRASS executable for the path"""
+        env = os.environ.copy()
+        env[query_variable] = "1"
         return subprocess.run(
-            [arg, "--config", "path"], text=True, check=True, capture_output=True
+            [arg, "--config", "path"],
+            text=True,
+            check=True,
+            capture_output=True,
+            env=env,
         ).stdout.strip()
 
     # Directory was provided as a parameter.
@@ -150,7 +165,7 @@ def ask_executable(arg):
         return os.fspath(path)
 
     # Executable was provided as parameter.
-    if path and shutil.which(path):
+    if path and can_query_executable and shutil.which(path):
         # The path was provided by the user and it is an executable
         # (on path or provided with full path), so raise exception on failure.
         path_from_executable = ask_executable(path)
@@ -166,7 +181,7 @@ def ask_executable(arg):
     # The variable is supported (here), documented, but not widely promoted
     # at this point (to be re-evaluated).
     grass_bin = os.environ.get("GRASSBIN")
-    if grass_bin and shutil.which(grass_bin):
+    if grass_bin and can_query_executable and shutil.which(grass_bin):
         path_from_executable = ask_executable(grass_bin)
         if Path(path_from_executable).is_dir():
             return path_from_executable
@@ -187,7 +202,7 @@ def ask_executable(arg):
     # with multiple installations (where an explicit setup is likely required).
     # However, it allows for non-standard installations with standard command.
     grass_bin = "grass"
-    if grass_bin and shutil.which(grass_bin):
+    if can_query_executable and shutil.which(grass_bin):
         path_from_executable = ask_executable(grass_bin)
         if Path(path_from_executable).is_dir():
             return path_from_executable
diff --git a/python/grass/script/tests/grass_script_setup_test.py b/python/grass/script/tests/grass_script_setup_test.py
index 454ee04d736..a11cac06852 100644
--- a/python/grass/script/tests/grass_script_setup_test.py
+++ b/python/grass/script/tests/grass_script_setup_test.py
@@ -483,3 +483,45 @@ def test_init_removes_mapset_variables(tmp_path, variable):
     env[variable] = "value"
     with gs.setup.init(project, env=env) as session:
         assert variable not in session.env
+
+
+@pytest.mark.skipif(
+    sys.platform.startswith("win"), reason="Uses a shebang to make a fake executable"
+)
+def test_get_install_path_executable_query_does_not_recurse(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """Check that an executable which queries the path itself is asked only once
+
+    The grass command calls get_install_path() when its own path is wrong and
+    get_install_path() runs the grass command as a last resort, so the two
+    would start each other forever without a guard. The fake executable records
+    each call and refuses to go deeper than a few levels so that a broken guard
+    fails the test instead of flooding the system with processes.
+    """
+    monkeypatch.delenv("GRASSBIN", raising=False)
+    calls = tmp_path / "calls"
+    calls.mkdir()
+    executable = tmp_path / "fake_grass"
+    executable.write_text(
+        dedent(
+            f"""\
+            #!{sys.executable}
+            import os
+            import sys
+            import uuid
+            from pathlib import Path
+
+            depth = int(os.environ.get("FAKE_GRASS_DEPTH", "0"))
+            if depth > 2:
+                sys.exit("recursion not stopped")
+            os.environ["FAKE_GRASS_DEPTH"] = str(depth + 1)
+            Path({os.fspath(calls)!r}, str(uuid.uuid4())).touch()
+
+            import grass.script as gs
+
+            print(gs.setup.get_install_path(__file__))
+            """
+        )
+    )
+    executable.chmod(0o755)
+    assert gs.setup.get_install_path(executable) == gs.setup.get_install_path()
+    assert len(list(calls.iterdir())) == 1