diff --git a/src/kernel/max_sharing.cpp b/src/kernel/max_sharing.cpp
index 7b3f8eb2f..c49d15062 100644
--- a/src/kernel/max_sharing.cpp
+++ b/src/kernel/max_sharing.cpp
@@ -25,13 +25,15 @@ class max_sharing_functor {
 public:
 
     expr apply(expr const & a) {
-        if (a.raw()->max_shared())
-            return a;
         auto r = m_cache.find(a);
         if (r != m_cache.end()) {
             lean_assert((*r).raw()->max_shared());
             return *r;
         }
+        if (a.raw()->max_shared()) {
+            m_cache.insert(a);
+            return a;
+        }
         switch (a.kind()) {
         case expr_kind::Var: case expr_kind::Constant: case expr_kind::Prop: case expr_kind::Type: case expr_kind::Numeral:
             cache(a);
diff --git a/src/tests/kernel/expr.cpp b/src/tests/kernel/expr.cpp
index c6d7a1e6e..bdfe92760 100644
--- a/src/tests/kernel/expr.cpp
+++ b/src/tests/kernel/expr.cpp
@@ -187,6 +187,16 @@ void tst6() {
     }
 }
 
+void tst7() {
+    expr f  = constant(name("f"));
+    expr v  = var(0);
+    expr a1 = max_sharing(app(f, v, v));
+    expr a2 = max_sharing(app(f, v, v));
+    lean_assert(!eqp(a1, a2));
+    expr b  = max_sharing(app(f, a1, a2));
+    lean_assert(eqp(get_arg(b, 1), get_arg(b, 2)));
+}
+
 int main() {
     continue_on_violation(true);
     std::cout << "sizeof(expr):     " << sizeof(expr) << "\n";
@@ -197,6 +207,7 @@ int main() {
     tst4();
     tst5();
     tst6();
+    tst7();
     std::cout << "done" << "\n";
     return has_violations() ? 1 : 0;
 }