diff --git a/infer/src/absint/AbstractInterpreter.ml b/infer/src/absint/AbstractInterpreter.ml
index 9d1dc4c55..dc02f8b91 100644
--- a/infer/src/absint/AbstractInterpreter.ml
+++ b/infer/src/absint/AbstractInterpreter.ml
@@ -114,6 +114,9 @@ module AbstractInterpreterCommon (TransferFunctions : TransferFunctions.SIL) = s
     NodePrinter.finish_session underlying_node
 
 
+  (** reference to log errors only at the innermost recursive call *)
+  let logged_error = ref false
+
   let exec_instrs ~debug proc_data node node_id ~visit_count pre inv_map =
     let on_instrs instrs =
       if Config.write_html && debug <> DefaultNoExecInstr_UseFromLowerHilAbstractInterpreterOnly
@@ -123,9 +126,16 @@ module AbstractInterpreterCommon (TransferFunctions : TransferFunctions.SIL) = s
           (Node.underlying_node node) ;
       let astate_post =
         let compute_post pre instr =
-          try TransferFunctions.exec_instr pre proc_data node instr with exn ->
+          try
+            let post = TransferFunctions.exec_instr pre proc_data node instr in
+            (* don't forget to reset this so we output messages for future errors too *)
+            logged_error := false ;
+            post
+          with exn ->
             IExn.reraise_after exn ~f:(fun () ->
-                L.internal_error "In instruction %a@\n" (Sil.pp_instr Pp.text) instr )
+                if not !logged_error then (
+                  L.internal_error "In instruction %a@\n" (Sil.pp_instr Pp.text) instr ;
+                  logged_error := true ) )
         in
         Instrs.fold ~f:compute_post ~init:pre instrs
       in
diff --git a/infer/src/backend/ondemand.ml b/infer/src/backend/ondemand.ml
index f6c98b82b..3ed4c7da2 100644
--- a/infer/src/backend/ondemand.ml
+++ b/infer/src/backend/ondemand.ml
@@ -116,6 +116,9 @@ let restore_global_state st =
   Timeout.resume_previous_timeout ()
 
 
+(** reference to log errors only at the innermost recursive call *)
+let logged_error = ref false
+
 let run_proc_analysis analyze_proc ~caller_pdesc callee_pdesc =
   let callee_pname = Procdesc.get_proc_name callee_pdesc in
   let log_elapsed_time =
@@ -164,17 +167,23 @@ let run_proc_analysis analyze_proc ~caller_pdesc callee_pdesc =
       else initial_summary
     in
     let final_summary = postprocess summary in
-    restore_global_state old_state ; final_summary
+    restore_global_state old_state ;
+    (* don't forget to reset this so we output messages for future errors too *)
+    logged_error := false ;
+    final_summary
   with exn -> (
+    let backtrace = Printexc.get_backtrace () in
     IExn.reraise_if exn ~f:(fun () ->
-        let source_file = attributes.ProcAttributes.translation_unit in
-        let location = attributes.ProcAttributes.loc in
-        L.internal_error "While analysing function %a:%a at %a@\n" SourceFile.pp source_file
-          Typ.Procname.pp callee_pname Location.pp_file_pos location ;
+        if not !logged_error then (
+          let source_file = attributes.ProcAttributes.translation_unit in
+          let location = attributes.ProcAttributes.loc in
+          L.internal_error "While analysing function %a:%a at %a@\n" SourceFile.pp source_file
+            Typ.Procname.pp callee_pname Location.pp_file_pos location ;
+          logged_error := true ) ;
         restore_global_state old_state ;
         not Config.keep_going ) ;
     L.internal_error "@\nERROR RUNNING BACKEND: %a %s@\n@\nBACK TRACE@\n%s@?" Typ.Procname.pp
-      callee_pname (Exn.to_string exn) (Printexc.get_backtrace ()) ;
+      callee_pname (Exn.to_string exn) backtrace ;
     match exn with
     | SymOp.Analysis_failure_exe kind ->
         (* in production mode, log the timeout/crash and continue with the summary we had before