diff --git a/passes/hierarchy/hierarchy.cc b/passes/hierarchy/hierarchy.cc
index ea68add18..5e0f8afd0 100644
--- a/passes/hierarchy/hierarchy.cc
+++ b/passes/hierarchy/hierarchy.cc
@@ -659,6 +659,8 @@ bool set_keep_print(std::map<RTLIL::Module*, bool> &cache, RTLIL::Module *mod)
 {
 	if (cache.count(mod) == 0)
 		for (auto c : mod->cells()) {
+			if (mod->name == c->type)
+				continue;
 			RTLIL::Module *m = mod->design->module(c->type);
 			if ((m != nullptr && set_keep_print(cache, m)) || c->type == ID($print))
 				return cache[mod] = true;
@@ -670,6 +672,8 @@ bool set_keep_assert(std::map<RTLIL::Module*, bool> &cache, RTLIL::Module *mod)
 {
 	if (cache.count(mod) == 0)
 		for (auto c : mod->cells()) {
+			if (mod->name == c->type)
+				continue;
 			RTLIL::Module *m = mod->design->module(c->type);
 			if ((m != nullptr && set_keep_assert(cache, m)) || c->type.in(ID($check), ID($assert), ID($assume), ID($live), ID($fair), ID($cover)))
 				return cache[mod] = true;