diff --git a/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/validation/beanvalidation/BeanValidationBeanRegistrationAotProcessor.java b/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/validation/beanvalidation/BeanValidationBeanRegistrationAotProcessor.java
index dfc55d7c0b4d..d9680e775d86 100644
--- a/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/validation/beanvalidation/BeanValidationBeanRegistrationAotProcessor.java
+++ b/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/validation/beanvalidation/BeanValidationBeanRegistrationAotProcessor.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2023 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2024 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -103,11 +103,10 @@ public static BeanRegistrationAotContribution processAheadOfTime(RegisteredBean
 			}
 
 			Class<?> beanClass = registeredBean.getBeanClass();
-			Set<Class<?>> visitedClasses = new HashSet<>();
 			Set<Class<?>> validatedClasses = new HashSet<>();
 			Set<Class<? extends ConstraintValidator<?, ?>>> constraintValidatorClasses = new HashSet<>();
 
-			processAheadOfTime(beanClass, visitedClasses, validatedClasses, constraintValidatorClasses);
+			processAheadOfTime(beanClass, new HashSet<>(), validatedClasses, constraintValidatorClasses);
 
 			if (!validatedClasses.isEmpty() || !constraintValidatorClasses.isEmpty()) {
 				return new AotContribution(validatedClasses, constraintValidatorClasses);
@@ -118,10 +117,11 @@ public static BeanRegistrationAotContribution processAheadOfTime(RegisteredBean
 		private static void processAheadOfTime(Class<?> clazz, Set<Class<?>> visitedClasses, Set<Class<?>> validatedClasses,
 				Set<Class<? extends ConstraintValidator<?, ?>>> constraintValidatorClasses) {
 
+			Assert.notNull(validator, "Validator cannot be null");
+
 			if (!visitedClasses.add(clazz)) {
 				return;
 			}
-			Assert.notNull(validator, "Validator can't be null");
 
 			BeanDescriptor descriptor;
 			try {
diff --git a/spring-context/src/test/java/org/springframework/validation/beanvalidation/BeanValidationBeanRegistrationAotProcessorTests.java b/spring-context/src/test/java/org/springframework/validation/beanvalidation/BeanValidationBeanRegistrationAotProcessorTests.java
index bbcdf3e4b707..b3f3de83cf85 100644
--- a/spring-context/src/test/java/org/springframework/validation/beanvalidation/BeanValidationBeanRegistrationAotProcessorTests.java
+++ b/spring-context/src/test/java/org/springframework/validation/beanvalidation/BeanValidationBeanRegistrationAotProcessorTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2023 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2024 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Optional;
-import java.util.Set;
 
 import jakarta.validation.Constraint;
 import jakarta.validation.ConstraintValidator;
@@ -127,7 +126,7 @@ void shouldProcessTransitiveGenericTypeLevelConstraint() {
 	}
 
 	@ParameterizedTest  // gh-33936
-	@ValueSource(classes = {BeanWithIterable.class, BeanWithMap.class, BeanWithOptional.class})
+	@ValueSource(classes = {BeanWithRecursiveIterable.class, BeanWithRecursiveMap.class, BeanWithRecursiveOptional.class})
 	void shouldProcessRecursiveGenericsWithoutInfiniteRecursion(Class<?> beanClass) {
 		process(beanClass);
 		assertThat(this.generationContext.getRuntimeHints().reflection().typeHints()).hasSize(1);
@@ -258,16 +257,16 @@ public void setExclude(List<Exclude> exclude) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	static class BeanWithIterable {
-		private final Iterable<BeanWithIterable> beans = Set.of();
+	static class BeanWithRecursiveIterable {
+		Iterable<BeanWithRecursiveIterable> iterable;
 	}
 
-	static class BeanWithMap {
-		private final Map<String, BeanWithMap> beans = Map.of();
+	static class BeanWithRecursiveMap {
+		Map<BeanWithRecursiveMap, BeanWithRecursiveMap> map;
 	}
 
-	static class BeanWithOptional {
-		private final Optional<BeanWithOptional> beans = Optional.empty();
+	static class BeanWithRecursiveOptional {
+		Optional<BeanWithRecursiveOptional> optional;
 	}
 
 }