diff --git a/vlib/v/ast/ast.v b/vlib/v/ast/ast.v
index ed63e8329e..eb4cbc2745 100644
--- a/vlib/v/ast/ast.v
+++ b/vlib/v/ast/ast.v
@@ -314,6 +314,7 @@ pub:
 	is_volatile      bool
 	is_deprecated    bool
 pub mut:
+	is_recursive     bool
 	default_expr     Expr
 	default_expr_typ Type
 	name             string
diff --git a/vlib/v/ast/table.v b/vlib/v/ast/table.v
index 5b80c1b183..43da13e413 100644
--- a/vlib/v/ast/table.v
+++ b/vlib/v/ast/table.v
@@ -1313,7 +1313,8 @@ pub fn (t &Table) has_deep_child_no_ref(ts &TypeSymbol, name string) bool {
 	if ts.info is Struct {
 		for field in ts.info.fields {
 			sym := t.sym(field.typ)
-			if !field.typ.is_ptr() && (sym.name == name || t.has_deep_child_no_ref(sym, name)) {
+			if !field.typ.is_ptr() && ((sym.name == name && !field.typ.has_flag(.option))
+				|| t.has_deep_child_no_ref(sym, name)) {
 				return true
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/vlib/v/checker/struct.v b/vlib/v/checker/struct.v
index aa5fe0b953..1bf8b6ec0b 100644
--- a/vlib/v/checker/struct.v
+++ b/vlib/v/checker/struct.v
@@ -56,6 +56,20 @@ fn (mut c Checker) struct_decl(mut node ast.StructDecl) {
 		util.timing_start('Checker.struct setting default_expr_typ')
 		old_expected_type := c.expected_type
 		for mut field in node.fields {
+			// when the field has the same type that the struct itself (recursive)
+			if field.typ.clear_flag(.option).set_nr_muls(0) == struct_typ_idx {
+				for mut symfield in struct_sym.info.fields {
+					if symfield.name == field.name {
+						// only ?&Struct is allowed to be recursive
+						if field.typ.is_ptr() {
+							symfield.is_recursive = true
+						} else {
+							c.error('recursive struct is only possible with optional pointer (e.g. ?&${c.table.type_to_str(field.typ.clear_flag(.option))})',
+								node.pos)
+						}
+					}
+				}
+			}
 			if field.has_default_expr {
 				c.expected_type = field.typ
 				field.default_expr_typ = c.expr(field.default_expr)
@@ -522,7 +536,7 @@ fn (mut c Checker) struct_init(mut node ast.StructInit, is_field_zero_struct_ini
 					}
 				} else {
 					if field_info.typ.is_ptr() && !expr_type.is_real_pointer()
-						&& field.expr.str() != '0' {
+						&& field.expr.str() != '0' && !field_info.typ.has_flag(.option) {
 						c.error('reference field must be initialized with reference',
 							field.pos)
 					}
@@ -598,8 +612,9 @@ fn (mut c Checker) struct_init(mut node ast.StructInit, is_field_zero_struct_ini
 					}
 					continue
 				}
-				if field.typ.is_ptr() && !field.typ.has_flag(.shared_f) && !node.has_update_expr
-					&& !c.pref.translated && !c.file.is_translated {
+				if field.typ.is_ptr() && !field.typ.has_flag(.shared_f)
+					&& !field.typ.has_flag(.option) && !node.has_update_expr && !c.pref.translated
+					&& !c.file.is_translated {
 					c.warn('reference field `${type_sym.name}.${field.name}` must be initialized',
 						node.pos)
 					continue
@@ -721,7 +736,8 @@ fn (mut c Checker) check_ref_fields_initialized(struct_sym &ast.TypeSymbol, mut
 			// an embedded struct field
 			continue
 		}
-		if field.typ.is_ptr() && !field.typ.has_flag(.shared_f) && !field.has_default_expr {
+		if field.typ.is_ptr() && !field.typ.has_flag(.shared_f) && !field.typ.has_flag(.option)
+			&& !field.has_default_expr {
 			c.warn('reference field `${linked_name}.${field.name}` must be initialized (part of struct `${struct_sym.name}`)',
 				node.pos)
 			continue
diff --git a/vlib/v/checker/tests/invalid_recursive_struct_err.out b/vlib/v/checker/tests/invalid_recursive_struct_err.out
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a70f3f3ff2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/v/checker/tests/invalid_recursive_struct_err.out
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+vlib/v/checker/tests/invalid_recursive_struct_err.vv:1:1: error: recursive struct is only possible with optional pointer (e.g. ?&Node)
+    1 | struct Node {
+      | ~~~~~~~~~~~
+    2 | mut:
+    3 |   next ?Node
diff --git a/vlib/v/checker/tests/invalid_recursive_struct_err.vv b/vlib/v/checker/tests/invalid_recursive_struct_err.vv
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9dc8408a34
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/v/checker/tests/invalid_recursive_struct_err.vv
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+struct Node {
+mut:
+  next ?Node
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/vlib/v/gen/c/dumpexpr.v b/vlib/v/gen/c/dumpexpr.v
index 8a0dd8f376..20239f5437 100644
--- a/vlib/v/gen/c/dumpexpr.v
+++ b/vlib/v/gen/c/dumpexpr.v
@@ -84,13 +84,14 @@ fn (mut g Gen) dump_expr_definitions() {
 		is_ptr := typ.is_ptr()
 		deref, _ := deref_kind(str_method_expects_ptr, is_ptr, dump_type)
 		to_string_fn_name := g.get_str_fn(typ.clear_flags(.shared_f, .result))
-		ptr_asterisk := if is_ptr { '*'.repeat(typ.nr_muls()) } else { '' }
+		mut ptr_asterisk := if is_ptr { '*'.repeat(typ.nr_muls()) } else { '' }
 		mut str_dumparg_type := ''
 		if dump_sym.kind == .none_ {
 			str_dumparg_type = 'IError' + ptr_asterisk
 		} else {
 			if typ.has_flag(.option) {
 				str_dumparg_type += '_option_'
+				ptr_asterisk = ptr_asterisk.replace('*', '_ptr')
 			}
 			str_dumparg_type += g.cc_type(dump_type, true) + ptr_asterisk
 		}
@@ -118,8 +119,13 @@ fn (mut g Gen) dump_expr_definitions() {
 		} else if dump_sym.kind == .none_ {
 			surrounder.add('\tstring value = _SLIT("none");', '\tstring_free(&value);')
 		} else if is_ptr {
-			surrounder.add('\tstring value = (dump_arg == NULL) ? _SLIT("nil") : ${to_string_fn_name}(${deref}dump_arg);',
-				'\tstring_free(&value);')
+			if typ.has_flag(.option) {
+				surrounder.add('\tstring value = isnil(&dump_arg.data) ? _SLIT("nil") : ${to_string_fn_name}(${deref}dump_arg);',
+					'\tstring_free(&value);')
+			} else {
+				surrounder.add('\tstring value = (dump_arg == NULL) ? _SLIT("nil") : ${to_string_fn_name}(${deref}dump_arg);',
+					'\tstring_free(&value);')
+			}
 		} else {
 			surrounder.add('\tstring value = ${to_string_fn_name}(${deref}dump_arg);',
 				'\tstring_free(&value);')
diff --git a/vlib/v/gen/c/struct.v b/vlib/v/gen/c/struct.v
index 7cc09431c1..d38a7e9407 100644
--- a/vlib/v/gen/c/struct.v
+++ b/vlib/v/gen/c/struct.v
@@ -324,8 +324,12 @@ fn (mut g Gen) zero_struct_field(field ast.StructField) bool {
 				}
 				g.write('.${field_name} = ')
 				if field.typ.has_flag(.option) {
-					tmp_var := g.new_tmp_var()
-					g.expr_with_tmp_var(default_init, field.typ, field.typ, tmp_var)
+					if field.is_recursive {
+						g.expr_with_opt(ast.None{}, ast.none_type, field.typ)
+					} else {
+						tmp_var := g.new_tmp_var()
+						g.expr_with_tmp_var(default_init, field.typ, field.typ, tmp_var)
+					}
 				} else {
 					g.struct_init(default_init)
 				}
@@ -421,6 +425,7 @@ fn (mut g Gen) struct_decl(s ast.Struct, name string, is_anon bool) {
 	} else {
 		g.type_definitions.writeln('struct ${name} {')
 	}
+
 	if s.fields.len > 0 || s.embeds.len > 0 {
 		for field in s.fields {
 			// Some of these structs may want to contain
diff --git a/vlib/v/tests/option_nested_struct_test.v b/vlib/v/tests/option_nested_struct_test.v
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..924594b033
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/v/tests/option_nested_struct_test.v
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+struct Node {
+mut:
+	next ?&Node
+}
+
+fn test_struct_nested_option() {
+	mut b := Node{}
+	mut a := Node{
+		next: &b
+	}
+	dump(a)
+	dump(a.next)
+	dump(a.next?.next)
+	assert a.next?.next == none
+}