diff --git a/src/dmd/access.d b/src/dmd/access.d
index daeb87d3bf52..be55ae56aa94 100644
--- a/src/dmd/access.d
+++ b/src/dmd/access.d
@@ -547,8 +547,8 @@ public Dsymbol mostVisibleOverload(Dsymbol s)
 {
     if (!s.isOverloadable())
         return s;
-    Dsymbol next, fstart = s, mostVisible = s, previous = null;
-    AliasDeclaration adOrig = null;
+
+    Dsymbol next, fstart = s, mostVisible = s;
     for (; s; s = next)
     {
         // void func() {}
@@ -571,7 +571,8 @@ public Dsymbol mostVisibleOverload(Dsymbol s)
         // private void name(int) {}
         else if (auto ad = s.isAliasDeclaration())
         {
-            assert(ad.isOverloadable, "Non overloadable Aliasee in overload list");
+            assert(ad.isOverloadable || ad.type && ad.type.ty == Terror,
+                "Non overloadable Aliasee in overload list");
             // Yet unresolved aliases store overloads in overnext.
             if (ad.semanticRun < PASS.semanticdone)
                 next = ad.overnext;
@@ -593,13 +594,7 @@ public Dsymbol mostVisibleOverload(Dsymbol s)
                  */
                 auto aliasee = ad.toAlias();
                 if (aliasee.isFuncAliasDeclaration || aliasee.isOverDeclaration)
-                {
-                    if(ad.toChars() == aliasee.toChars())
-                    {
-                        adOrig = ad;
-                    }
                     next = aliasee;
-                }
                 else
                 {
                     /* A simple alias can be at the end of a function or template overload chain.
@@ -619,15 +614,6 @@ public Dsymbol mostVisibleOverload(Dsymbol s)
 
         if (next && mostVisible.prot().isMoreRestrictiveThan(next.prot()))
             mostVisible = next;
-
-        // fixes https://issues.dlang.org/show_bug.cgi?id=18480
-        if(next && next == previous)
-        {
-            assert(adOrig);
-            error(adOrig.loc, "`alias X = X` not allowed (with `X = %s`)", adOrig.toChars());
-            return next;
-        }
-        previous = s;
     }
     return mostVisible;
 }
diff --git a/src/dmd/dsymbolsem.d b/src/dmd/dsymbolsem.d
index 56801119b83a..b0102bb2334c 100644
--- a/src/dmd/dsymbolsem.d
+++ b/src/dmd/dsymbolsem.d
@@ -5492,6 +5492,19 @@ void aliasSemantic(AliasDeclaration ds, Scope* sc)
         global.gag = 0;
     }
 
+    // https://issues.dlang.org/show_bug.cgi?id=18480
+    // Detect `alias sym = sym;` to prevent creating loops in overload overnext lists.
+    // Selective imports are allowed to alias to the same name `import mod : sym=sym`.
+    if (ds.type.ty == Tident && !ds._import)
+    {
+        auto tident = cast(TypeIdentifier)ds.type;
+        if (tident.ident is ds.ident && !tident.idents.dim)
+        {
+            error(ds.loc, "`alias %s = %s;` cannot alias itself, use a qualified name to create an overload set",
+                ds.ident.toChars(), tident.ident.toChars());
+            ds.type = Type.terror;
+        }
+    }
     /* This section is needed because Type.resolve() will:
      *   const x = 3;
      *   alias y = x;
diff --git a/test/fail_compilation/test18480.d b/test/fail_compilation/test18480.d
index 45ab8b397624..49f306ba9884 100644
--- a/test/fail_compilation/test18480.d
+++ b/test/fail_compilation/test18480.d
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 /*
 TEST_OUTPUT:
 ---
-fail_compilation/imports/test18480a.d(2): Error: `alias X = X` not allowed (with `X = TestTemplate`)
+fail_compilation/imports/test18480a.d(2): Error: `alias TestTemplate = TestTemplate;` cannot alias itself, use a qualified name to create an overload set
 ---
 https://issues.dlang.org/show_bug.cgi?id=18480
 */