diff --git a/core/commands/dns.go b/core/commands/dns.go
index 2c8e31ed48e..f1f309cd848 100644
--- a/core/commands/dns.go
+++ b/core/commands/dns.go
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ The resolver can recursively resolve:
 		cmdkit.StringArg("domain-name", true, false, "The domain-name name to resolve.").EnableStdin(),
 	},
 	Options: []cmdkit.Option{
-		cmdkit.BoolOption(dnsRecursiveOptionName, "r", "Resolve until the result is not a DNS link."),
+		cmdkit.BoolOption(dnsRecursiveOptionName, "r", "Resolve until the result is not a DNS link.").WithDefault(true),
 	},
 	Run: func(req *cmds.Request, res cmds.ResponseEmitter, env cmds.Environment) error {
 		recursive, _ := req.Options[dnsRecursiveOptionName].(bool)
@@ -71,10 +71,7 @@ The resolver can recursively resolve:
 		}
 
 		output, err := resolver.Resolve(req.Context, name, ropts...)
-		if err == namesys.ErrResolveFailed {
-			return err
-		}
-		if err != nil {
+		if err != nil && (recursive || err != namesys.ErrResolveRecursion) {
 			return err
 		}
 		return cmds.EmitOnce(res, &ncmd.ResolvedPath{Path: output})
diff --git a/core/commands/name/ipns.go b/core/commands/name/ipns.go
index ed713347f43..6557ca09e8e 100644
--- a/core/commands/name/ipns.go
+++ b/core/commands/name/ipns.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	cmdenv "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/core/commands/cmdenv"
+	namesys "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/namesys"
 
 	cmdkit "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs-cmdkit"
 	cmds "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs-cmds"
@@ -73,7 +74,7 @@ Resolve the value of a dnslink:
 		cmdkit.StringArg("name", false, false, "The IPNS name to resolve. Defaults to your node's peerID."),
 	},
 	Options: []cmdkit.Option{
-		cmdkit.BoolOption(recursiveOptionName, "r", "Resolve until the result is not an IPNS name."),
+		cmdkit.BoolOption(recursiveOptionName, "r", "Resolve until the result is not an IPNS name.").WithDefault(true),
 		cmdkit.BoolOption(nocacheOptionName, "n", "Do not use cached entries."),
 		cmdkit.UintOption(dhtRecordCountOptionName, "dhtrc", "Number of records to request for DHT resolution."),
 		cmdkit.StringOption(dhtTimeoutOptionName, "dhtt", "Max time to collect values during DHT resolution eg \"30s\". Pass 0 for no timeout."),
@@ -130,7 +131,7 @@ Resolve the value of a dnslink:
 
 		if !stream {
 			output, err := api.Name().Resolve(req.Context, name, opts...)
-			if err != nil {
+			if err != nil && (recursive || err != namesys.ErrResolveRecursion) {
 				return err
 			}
 
@@ -143,8 +144,8 @@ Resolve the value of a dnslink:
 		}
 
 		for v := range output {
-			if v.Err != nil {
-				return err
+			if v.Err != nil && (recursive || v.Err != namesys.ErrResolveRecursion) {
+				return v.Err
 			}
 			if err := res.Emit(&ResolvedPath{path.FromString(v.Path.String())}); err != nil {
 				return err
diff --git a/core/commands/resolve.go b/core/commands/resolve.go
index 296deadbb6f..bc6f8850ad7 100644
--- a/core/commands/resolve.go
+++ b/core/commands/resolve.go
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ Resolve the value of an IPFS DAG path:
 		cmdkit.StringArg("name", true, false, "The name to resolve.").EnableStdin(),
 	},
 	Options: []cmdkit.Option{
-		cmdkit.BoolOption(resolveRecursiveOptionName, "r", "Resolve until the result is an IPFS name."),
+		cmdkit.BoolOption(resolveRecursiveOptionName, "r", "Resolve until the result is an IPFS name.").WithDefault(true),
 		cmdkit.IntOption(resolveDhtRecordCountOptionName, "dhtrc", "Number of records to request for DHT resolution."),
 		cmdkit.StringOption(resolveDhtTimeoutOptionName, "dhtt", "Max time to collect values during DHT resolution eg \"30s\". Pass 0 for no timeout."),
 	},
diff --git a/test/sharness/t0160-resolve.sh b/test/sharness/t0160-resolve.sh
index 77d7ac12c59..87740685644 100755
--- a/test/sharness/t0160-resolve.sh
+++ b/test/sharness/t0160-resolve.sh
@@ -21,27 +21,26 @@ test_expect_success "resolve: prepare dag" '
   dag_hash=$(ipfs dag put <<<"{\"i\": {\"j\": {\"k\": \"asdfasdfasdf\"}}}")
 '
 
+test_expect_success "resolve: prepare keys" '
+    self_hash=$(ipfs id -f="<id>") &&
+    alt_hash=$(ipfs key gen -t rsa alt)
+'
+
 test_resolve_setup_name() {
-  ref=$1
-
-  test_expect_success "resolve: prepare name" '
-    id_hash=$(ipfs id -f="<id>") &&
-    ipfs name publish --allow-offline "$ref" &&
-    printf "$ref\n" >expected_nameval &&
-    ipfs name resolve >actual_nameval &&
-    test_cmp expected_nameval actual_nameval
+  local key="$1"
+  local ref="$2"
+
+  test_expect_success "resolve: prepare $key" '
+    ipfs name publish --key="$key" --allow-offline "$ref"
   '
 }
 
 test_resolve_setup_name_fail() {
-  ref=$1
-
-  test_expect_failure "resolve: prepare name" '
-    id_hash=$(ipfs id -f="<id>") &&
-    ipfs name publish --allow-offline "$ref" &&
-    printf "$ref" >expected_nameval &&
-    ipfs name resolve >actual_nameval &&
-    test_cmp expected_nameval actual_nameval
+  local key="$1"
+  local ref="$2"
+
+  test_expect_failure "resolve: prepare $key" '
+    ipfs name publish --key="$key" --allow-offline "$ref"
   '
 }
 
@@ -51,7 +50,7 @@ test_resolve() {
   extra=$3
 
   test_expect_success "resolve succeeds: $src" '
-    ipfs resolve $extra -r "$src" >actual
+    ipfs resolve $extra "$src" >actual
   '
 
   test_expect_success "resolved correctly: $src -> $dst" '
@@ -69,17 +68,31 @@ test_resolve_cmd() {
   test_resolve "/ipld/$dag_hash/i/j" "/ipld/$dag_hash/i/j"
   test_resolve "/ipld/$dag_hash/i" "/ipld/$dag_hash/i"
 
-  test_resolve_setup_name "/ipfs/$a_hash"
-  test_resolve "/ipns/$id_hash" "/ipfs/$a_hash"
-  test_resolve "/ipns/$id_hash/b" "/ipfs/$b_hash"
-  test_resolve "/ipns/$id_hash/b/c" "/ipfs/$c_hash"
+  test_resolve_setup_name "self" "/ipfs/$a_hash"
+  test_resolve "/ipns/$self_hash" "/ipfs/$a_hash"
+  test_resolve "/ipns/$self_hash/b" "/ipfs/$b_hash"
+  test_resolve "/ipns/$self_hash/b/c" "/ipfs/$c_hash"
 
-  test_resolve_setup_name "/ipfs/$b_hash"
-  test_resolve "/ipns/$id_hash" "/ipfs/$b_hash"
-  test_resolve "/ipns/$id_hash/c" "/ipfs/$c_hash"
+  test_resolve_setup_name "self" "/ipfs/$b_hash"
+  test_resolve "/ipns/$self_hash" "/ipfs/$b_hash"
+  test_resolve "/ipns/$self_hash/c" "/ipfs/$c_hash"
 
-  test_resolve_setup_name "/ipfs/$c_hash"
-  test_resolve "/ipns/$id_hash" "/ipfs/$c_hash"
+  test_resolve_setup_name "self" "/ipfs/$c_hash"
+  test_resolve "/ipns/$self_hash" "/ipfs/$c_hash"
+
+  # simple recursion succeeds
+  test_resolve_setup_name "alt" "/ipns/$self_hash"
+  test_resolve "/ipns/$alt_hash" "/ipfs/$c_hash"
+
+  # partial resolve succeeds
+  test_resolve "/ipns/$alt_hash" "/ipns/$self_hash" -r=false
+
+  # infinite recursion fails
+  test_resolve_setup_name "self" "/ipns/$self_hash"
+  test_expect_success "recursive resolve terminates" '
+    test_expect_code 1 ipfs resolve /ipns/$self_hash 2>recursion_error &&
+    grep "recursion limit exceeded" recursion_error
+  '
 }
 
 test_resolve_cmd_b32() {
@@ -92,17 +105,17 @@ test_resolve_cmd_b32() {
 
   # flags needed passed in path does not contain cid to derive base
 
-  test_resolve_setup_name "/ipfs/$a_hash_b32"
-  test_resolve "/ipns/$id_hash" "/ipfs/$a_hash_b32" --cid-base=base32
-  test_resolve "/ipns/$id_hash/b" "/ipfs/$b_hash_b32" --cid-base=base32
-  test_resolve "/ipns/$id_hash/b/c" "/ipfs/$c_hash_b32" --cid-base=base32
+  test_resolve_setup_name "self" "/ipfs/$a_hash_b32"
+  test_resolve "/ipns/$self_hash" "/ipfs/$a_hash_b32" --cid-base=base32
+  test_resolve "/ipns/$self_hash/b" "/ipfs/$b_hash_b32" --cid-base=base32
+  test_resolve "/ipns/$self_hash/b/c" "/ipfs/$c_hash_b32" --cid-base=base32
 
-  test_resolve_setup_name "/ipfs/$b_hash_b32" --cid-base=base32
-  test_resolve "/ipns/$id_hash" "/ipfs/$b_hash_b32" --cid-base=base32
-  test_resolve "/ipns/$id_hash/c" "/ipfs/$c_hash_b32" --cid-base=base32
+  test_resolve_setup_name "self" "/ipfs/$b_hash_b32" --cid-base=base32
+  test_resolve "/ipns/$self_hash" "/ipfs/$b_hash_b32" --cid-base=base32
+  test_resolve "/ipns/$self_hash/c" "/ipfs/$c_hash_b32" --cid-base=base32
 
-  test_resolve_setup_name "/ipfs/$c_hash_b32"
-  test_resolve "/ipns/$id_hash" "/ipfs/$c_hash_b32" --cid-base=base32
+  test_resolve_setup_name "self" "/ipfs/$c_hash_b32"
+  test_resolve "/ipns/$self_hash" "/ipfs/$c_hash_b32" --cid-base=base32
 }
 
 
@@ -131,17 +144,17 @@ test_resolve_cmd_fail() {
   test_resolve "/ipld/$dag_hash/i/j" "/ipld/$dag_hash/i/j"
   test_resolve "/ipld/$dag_hash/i" "/ipld/$dag_hash/i"
 
-  test_resolve_setup_name_fail "/ipfs/$a_hash"
-  test_resolve_fail "/ipns/$id_hash" "/ipfs/$a_hash"
-  test_resolve_fail "/ipns/$id_hash/b" "/ipfs/$b_hash"
-  test_resolve_fail "/ipns/$id_hash/b/c" "/ipfs/$c_hash"
+  test_resolve_setup_name_fail "self" "/ipfs/$a_hash"
+  test_resolve_fail "/ipns/$self_hash" "/ipfs/$a_hash"
+  test_resolve_fail "/ipns/$self_hash/b" "/ipfs/$b_hash"
+  test_resolve_fail "/ipns/$self_hash/b/c" "/ipfs/$c_hash"
 
-  test_resolve_setup_name_fail "/ipfs/$b_hash"
-  test_resolve_fail "/ipns/$id_hash" "/ipfs/$b_hash"
-  test_resolve_fail "/ipns/$id_hash/c" "/ipfs/$c_hash"
+  test_resolve_setup_name_fail "self" "/ipfs/$b_hash"
+  test_resolve_fail "/ipns/$self_hash" "/ipfs/$b_hash"
+  test_resolve_fail "/ipns/$self_hash/c" "/ipfs/$c_hash"
 
-  test_resolve_setup_name_fail "/ipfs/$c_hash"
-  test_resolve_fail "/ipns/$id_hash" "/ipfs/$c_hash"
+  test_resolve_setup_name_fail "self" "/ipfs/$c_hash"
+  test_resolve_fail "/ipns/$self_hash" "/ipfs/$c_hash"
 }
 
 # should work offline