diff --git a/highlighters/main/main-highlighter.zsh b/highlighters/main/main-highlighter.zsh
index 3a8419f..29b3f71 100644
--- a/highlighters/main/main-highlighter.zsh
+++ b/highlighters/main/main-highlighter.zsh
@@ -500,26 +500,37 @@ _zsh_highlight_main_highlighter_highlight_list()
 
     if [[ $this_word == *:start:* ]] && ! (( in_redirection )); then
       # Expand aliases.
-      # TODO: this should be done iteratively, e.g., 'alias x=y y=z z=w\n x'
-      #       And then the entire 'alias' branch of the 'case' statement should
+      # TODO: the entire 'alias' branch of the 'case' statement should
       #       be done here.
       _zsh_highlight_main__type "$arg"
       local res="$REPLY"
       if [[ $res == "alias" ]]; then
-        _zsh_highlight_main__resolve_alias $arg
         () {
-          # Use a temporary array to ensure the subscript is interpreted as
-          # an array subscript, not as a scalar subscript
-          local -a reply
-          # TODO: the ${interactive_comments+set} path needs to skip comments; see test-data/alias-comment1.zsh
-          reply=( ${interactive_comments-${(z)REPLY}}
-                  ${interactive_comments+${(zZ+c+)REPLY}} )
-          arg=$reply[1]
+          local -A seen_arg
+          while [[ $REPLY == alias ]]; do
+            seen_arg[$arg]=1
+            _zsh_highlight_main__resolve_alias $arg
+            # Use a temporary array to ensure the subscript is interpreted as
+            # an array subscript, not as a scalar subscript
+            local -a reply
+            # TODO: the ${interactive_comments+set} path needs to skip comments; see test-data/alias-comment1.zsh
+            reply=( ${interactive_comments-${(z)REPLY}}
+                    ${interactive_comments+${(zZ+c+)REPLY}} )
+            # Avoid looping forever on alias a=b b=c c=b, but allow alias foo='foo bar'
+            [[ $arg == $reply[1] ]] && break
+            arg=$reply[1]
+            if (( $+seen_arg[$arg] )); then
+              res=none
+              break
+            fi
+            _zsh_highlight_main__type "$arg"
+          done
         }
-      fi
-      _zsh_highlight_main_highlighter_expand_path $arg
-      arg=$REPLY
-      if [[ $res != alias ]]; then
+        _zsh_highlight_main_highlighter_expand_path $arg
+        arg=$REPLY
+      else
+        _zsh_highlight_main_highlighter_expand_path $arg
+        arg=$REPLY
         _zsh_highlight_main__type "$arg"
         res="$REPLY"
       fi