diff --git a/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/util/ClosureCleaner.scala b/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/util/ClosureCleaner.scala
index 916ec25b9deab..6a9300cd8960b 100644
--- a/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/util/ClosureCleaner.scala
+++ b/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/util/ClosureCleaner.scala
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@ private[spark] object ClosureCleaner extends Logging {
       // all of its inner closures. If transitive cleaning is enabled, this may recursively
       // visits methods that belong to other classes in search of transitively referenced fields.
       for (cls <- func.getClass :: innerClasses) {
-        getClassReader(cls).accept(new FieldAccessFinder(accessedFields), 0)
+        getClassReader(cls).accept(new FieldAccessFinder(accessedFields, cleanTransitively), 0)
       }
     }
 
@@ -358,6 +358,9 @@ private class ReturnStatementFinder extends ClassVisitor(ASM4) {
   }
 }
 
+/** Helper class to identify a method. */
+private case class MethodIdentifier(cls: Class[_], name: String, desc: String)
+
 /**
  * Find the fields accessed by a given class.
  *
@@ -365,13 +368,15 @@ private class ReturnStatementFinder extends ClassVisitor(ASM4) {
  * This map is assumed to have its keys already populated with the classes of interest.
  *
  * @param fields the mutable map that stores the fields to return
- * @param specificMethodNames if not empty, only visit methods whose names are in this set
  * @param findTransitively if true, find fields indirectly referenced in other classes
+ * @param specificMethod if not empty, visit only this method
+ * @param visitedMethods a list of visited methods to avoid cycles
  */
 private class FieldAccessFinder(
     fields: Map[Class[_], Set[String]],
-    specificMethodNames: Set[String] = Set.empty,
-    findTransitively: Boolean = true)
+    findTransitively: Boolean,
+    specificMethod: Option[MethodIdentifier] = None,
+    visitedMethods: Set[MethodIdentifier] = Set.empty)
   extends ClassVisitor(ASM4) {
 
   override def visitMethod(
@@ -381,9 +386,10 @@ private class FieldAccessFinder(
       sig: String,
       exceptions: Array[String]): MethodVisitor = {
 
-    // Ignore this method if we don't want to visit it
-    if (specificMethodNames.nonEmpty && !specificMethodNames.contains(name)) {
-      return new MethodVisitor(ASM4) { }
+    // Ignore this method unless we are told to visit it
+    if (specificMethod.nonEmpty &&
+        specificMethod.get.name != name || specificMethod.get.desc != desc) {
+      return null
     }
 
     new MethodVisitor(ASM4) {
@@ -396,30 +402,24 @@ private class FieldAccessFinder(
       }
 
       override def visitMethodInsn(op: Int, owner: String, name: String, desc: String) {
-        if (isInvoke(op)) {
-          for (cl <- fields.keys if cl.getName == owner.replace('/', '.')) {
-            // Check for calls a getter method for a variable in an interpreter wrapper object.
-            // This means that the corresponding field will be accessed, so we should save it.
-            if (op == INVOKEVIRTUAL && owner.endsWith("$iwC") && !name.endsWith("$outer")) {
-              fields(cl) += name
-            }
-            // Visit other methods to find fields that are transitively referenced
-            // FIXME: This could lead to infinite cycles!!
-            if (findTransitively) {
-              ClosureCleaner.getClassReader(cl)
-                .accept(new FieldAccessFinder(fields, Set(name), findTransitively), 0)
+        for (cl <- fields.keys if cl.getName == owner.replace('/', '.')) {
+          // Check for calls a getter method for a variable in an interpreter wrapper object.
+          // This means that the corresponding field will be accessed, so we should save it.
+          if (op == INVOKEVIRTUAL && owner.endsWith("$iwC") && !name.endsWith("$outer")) {
+            fields(cl) += name
+          }
+          // Visit other methods to find fields that are transitively referenced
+          if (findTransitively) {
+            val m = MethodIdentifier(cl, name, desc)
+            if (!visitedMethods.contains(m)) {
+              // Keep track of visited methods to avoid potential infinite cycles
+              visitedMethods += m
+              ClosureCleaner.getClassReader(cl).accept(
+                new FieldAccessFinder(fields, findTransitively, Some(m), visitedMethods), 0)
             }
           }
         }
       }
-
-      private def isInvoke(op: Int): Boolean = {
-        op == INVOKEVIRTUAL ||
-          op == INVOKESPECIAL ||
-          op == INVOKEDYNAMIC ||
-          op == INVOKEINTERFACE ||
-          op == INVOKESTATIC
-      }
     }
   }
 }