diff --git a/spec/std/json/serializable_spec.cr b/spec/std/json/serializable_spec.cr
index 4eba9cc9fde0..9d9b00725fa6 100644
--- a/spec/std/json/serializable_spec.cr
+++ b/spec/std/json/serializable_spec.cr
@@ -471,6 +471,25 @@ class JSONSomething
   property value : JSONSomething?
 end
 
+module JsonDiscriminatorBug
+  abstract class Base
+    include JSON::Serializable
+
+    use_json_discriminator("type", {"a" => A, "b" => B, "c" => C})
+  end
+
+  class A < Base
+  end
+
+  class B < Base
+    property source : Base
+    property value : Int32 = 1
+  end
+
+  class C < B
+  end
+end
+
 describe "JSON mapping" do
   it "works with record" do
     JSONAttrPoint.new(1, 2).to_json.should eq "{\"x\":1,\"y\":2}"
@@ -1104,6 +1123,14 @@ describe "JSON mapping" do
       bar.x.should be_a(JSONStrictDiscriminatorFoo)
       bar.y.should be_a(JSONStrictDiscriminatorFoo)
     end
+
+    it "deserializes with discriminator, another recursive type, fixes: #13429" do
+      c = JsonDiscriminatorBug::Base.from_json %q({"type": "c", "source": {"type": "a"}, "value": 2})
+      c.as(JsonDiscriminatorBug::C).value.should eq 2
+
+      c = JsonDiscriminatorBug::Base.from_json %q({"type": "c", "source": {"type": "a"}})
+      c.as(JsonDiscriminatorBug::C).value.should eq 1
+    end
   end
 
   describe "namespaced classes" do
diff --git a/spec/std/yaml/serializable_spec.cr b/spec/std/yaml/serializable_spec.cr
index 9050381d45f4..0ea0117eb993 100644
--- a/spec/std/yaml/serializable_spec.cr
+++ b/spec/std/yaml/serializable_spec.cr
@@ -404,6 +404,25 @@ class YAMLSomething
   property value : YAMLSomething?
 end
 
+module YAMLDiscriminatorBug
+  abstract class Base
+    include YAML::Serializable
+
+    use_yaml_discriminator("type", {"a" => A, "b" => B, "c" => C})
+  end
+
+  class A < Base
+  end
+
+  class B < Base
+    property source : Base
+    property value : Int32 = 1
+  end
+
+  class C < B
+  end
+end
+
 describe "YAML::Serializable" do
   it "works with record" do
     YAMLAttrPoint.new(1, 2).to_yaml.should eq "---\nx: 1\ny: 2\n"
@@ -1005,6 +1024,14 @@ describe "YAML::Serializable" do
       bar.x.should be_a(YAMLStrictDiscriminatorFoo)
       bar.y.should be_a(YAMLStrictDiscriminatorFoo)
     end
+
+    it "deserializes with discriminator, another recursive type, fixes: #13429" do
+      c = YAMLDiscriminatorBug::Base.from_yaml %q({"type": "c", "source": {"type": "a"}, "value": 2})
+      c.as(YAMLDiscriminatorBug::C).value.should eq 2
+
+      c = YAMLDiscriminatorBug::Base.from_yaml %q({"type": "c", "source": {"type": "a"}})
+      c.as(YAMLDiscriminatorBug::C).value.should eq 1
+    end
   end
 
   describe "namespaced classes" do
diff --git a/src/json/serialization.cr b/src/json/serialization.cr
index c45f4119a3e4..5bfe9af36f34 100644
--- a/src/json/serialization.cr
+++ b/src/json/serialization.cr
@@ -190,6 +190,7 @@ module JSON
                 has_default: ivar.has_default_value?,
                 default:     ivar.default_value,
                 nilable:     ivar.type.nilable?,
+                type:        ivar.type,
                 root:        ann && ann[:root],
                 converter:   ann && ann[:converter],
                 presence:    ann && ann[:presence],
@@ -202,9 +203,9 @@ module JSON
         # recursively defined serializable types
         {% for name, value in properties %}
           %var{name} = {% if value[:has_default] || value[:nilable] %}
-                         nil.as(::Nil | typeof(@{{name}}))
+                         nil.as(::Union(::Nil, {{value[:type]}}))
                        {% else %}
-                         uninitialized typeof(@{{name}})
+                         uninitialized ::Union({{value[:type]}})
                        {% end %}
           %found{name} = false
         {% end %}
@@ -228,7 +229,7 @@ module JSON
                       {% if value[:converter] %}
                         {{value[:converter]}}.from_json(pull)
                       {% else %}
-                        typeof(@{{name}}).new(pull)
+                        ::Union({{value[:type]}}).new(pull)
                       {% end %}
                     end
                 end
diff --git a/src/yaml/serialization.cr b/src/yaml/serialization.cr
index ebceb13529ec..446fdfde6da5 100644
--- a/src/yaml/serialization.cr
+++ b/src/yaml/serialization.cr
@@ -196,6 +196,7 @@ module YAML
                 has_default: ivar.has_default_value?,
                 default:     ivar.default_value,
                 nilable:     ivar.type.nilable?,
+                type:        ivar.type,
                 converter:   ann && ann[:converter],
                 presence:    ann && ann[:presence],
               }
@@ -207,9 +208,9 @@ module YAML
         # recursively defined serializable types
         {% for name, value in properties %}
           %var{name} = {% if value[:has_default] || value[:nilable] %}
-                         nil.as(::Nil | typeof(@{{name}}))
+                         nil.as(::Union(::Nil, {{value[:type]}}))
                        {% else %}
-                         uninitialized typeof(@{{name}})
+                         uninitialized ::Union({{value[:type]}})
                        {% end %}
           %found{name} = false
         {% end %}
@@ -232,7 +233,7 @@ module YAML
                       {% if value[:converter] %}
                         {{value[:converter]}}.from_yaml(ctx, value_node)
                       {% else %}
-                        typeof(@{{name}}).new(ctx, value_node)
+                        ::Union({{value[:type]}}).new(ctx, value_node)
                       {% end %}
                   end