diff --git a/src/util/system.cpp b/src/util/system.cpp
--- a/src/util/system.cpp
+++ b/src/util/system.cpp
@@ -994,6 +994,15 @@
                                    includeconf_net.end());
             }
 
+            // Remove -includeconf from configuration, so we can warn about
+            // recursion later
+            {
+                LOCK(cs_args);
+                m_config_args.erase("-includeconf");
+                m_config_args.erase(std::string("-") + GetChainName() +
+                                    ".includeconf");
+            }
+
             for (const std::string &to_include : includeconf) {
                 fs::ifstream include_config(GetConfigFile(to_include));
                 if (include_config.good()) {
@@ -1008,6 +1017,21 @@
                             to_include.c_str());
                 }
             }
+
+            // Warn about recursive -includeconf
+            includeconf = GetArgs("-includeconf");
+            {
+                std::vector<std::string> includeconf_net(GetArgs(
+                    std::string("-") + GetChainName() + ".includeconf"));
+                includeconf.insert(includeconf.end(), includeconf_net.begin(),
+                                   includeconf_net.end());
+            }
+            for (const std::string &to_include : includeconf) {
+                fprintf(stderr,
+                        "warning: -includeconf cannot be used from included "
+                        "files; ignoring -includeconf=%s\n",
+                        to_include.c_str());
+            }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/test/functional/feature_includeconf.py b/test/functional/feature_includeconf.py
--- a/test/functional/feature_includeconf.py
+++ b/test/functional/feature_includeconf.py
@@ -58,11 +58,12 @@
             "-includeconf cannot be used recursively. subversion should end with 'main; relative)/'")
         with open(os.path.join(self.options.tmpdir, "node0", "relative.conf"), "a", encoding="utf8") as f:
             f.write("includeconf=relative2.conf\n")
-
         self.start_node(0)
 
         subversion = self.nodes[0].getnetworkinfo()["subversion"]
         assert subversion.endswith("main; relative)/")
+        self.stop_node(
+            0, expected_stderr="warning: -includeconf cannot be used from included files; ignoring -includeconf=relative2.conf")
 
         self.log.info(
             "multiple -includeconf args can be used from the base config file. subversion should end with 'main; relative; relative2)/'")
@@ -72,7 +73,7 @@
         with open(os.path.join(self.options.tmpdir, "node0", "bitcoin.conf"), "a", encoding='utf8') as f:
             f.write("includeconf=relative2.conf\n")
 
-        self.restart_node(0)
+        self.start_node(0)
 
         subversion = self.nodes[0].getnetworkinfo()["subversion"]
         assert subversion.endswith("main; relative; relative2)/")