diff --git a/core/variant/variant.cpp b/core/variant/variant.cpp
index 10a267e5a99..8a0289898de 100644
--- a/core/variant/variant.cpp
+++ b/core/variant/variant.cpp
@@ -1754,11 +1754,10 @@ String Variant::stringify(int recursion_count) const {
 		case COLOR:
 			return operator Color();
 		case DICTIONARY: {
+			ERR_FAIL_COND_V_MSG(recursion_count > MAX_RECURSION, "{ ... }", "Maximum dictionary recursion reached!");
+			recursion_count++;
+
 			const Dictionary &d = *reinterpret_cast<const Dictionary *>(_data._mem);
-			if (recursion_count > MAX_RECURSION) {
-				ERR_PRINT("Maximum dictionary recursion reached!");
-				return "{ ... }";
-			}
 
 			// Add leading and trailing space to Dictionary printing. This distinguishes it
 			// from array printing on fonts that have similar-looking {} and [] characters.
@@ -1768,7 +1767,6 @@ String Variant::stringify(int recursion_count) const {
 
 			Vector<_VariantStrPair> pairs;
 
-			recursion_count++;
 			for (List<Variant>::Element *E = keys.front(); E; E = E->next()) {
 				_VariantStrPair sp;
 				sp.key = stringify_variant_clean(E->get(), recursion_count);
@@ -1787,6 +1785,7 @@ String Variant::stringify(int recursion_count) const {
 
 			return str;
 		}
+		// Packed arrays cannot contain recursive structures, the recursion_count increment is not needed.
 		case PACKED_VECTOR2_ARRAY: {
 			return stringify_vector(operator Vector<Vector2>(), recursion_count);
 		}
@@ -1815,13 +1814,10 @@ String Variant::stringify(int recursion_count) const {
 			return stringify_vector(operator Vector<double>(), recursion_count);
 		}
 		case ARRAY: {
-			Array arr = operator Array();
-			if (recursion_count > MAX_RECURSION) {
-				ERR_PRINT("Maximum array recursion reached!");
-				return "[...]";
-			}
+			ERR_FAIL_COND_V_MSG(recursion_count > MAX_RECURSION, "[...]", "Maximum array recursion reached!");
+			recursion_count++;
 
-			return stringify_vector(arr, recursion_count);
+			return stringify_vector(operator Array(), recursion_count);
 		}
 		case OBJECT: {
 			if (_get_obj().obj) {