diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/nodes/flows/Flow.js b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/nodes/flows/Flow.js
index 20399f19d..7ca6afb77 100644
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/nodes/flows/Flow.js
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/nodes/flows/Flow.js
@@ -281,11 +281,13 @@ class Flow {
     /**
      * Get a node instance from this flow. If the node is not known to this
      * flow, pass the request up to the parent.
-     * @param  {[type]} id [description]
+     * @param  {String} id [description]
+     * @param  {Boolean} cancelBubble    if true, prevents the flow from passing the request to the parent
+     *                                   This stops infinite loops when the parent asked this Flow for the
+     *                                   node to begin with.
      * @return {[type]}    [description]
      */
-    getNode(id) {
-        // console.log('getNode',id,!!this.activeNodes[id])
+    getNode(id, cancelBubble) {
         if (!id) {
             return undefined;
         }
@@ -298,7 +300,10 @@ class Flow {
             // TEMP: this is a subflow internal node within this flow
             return this.activeNodes[id];
         }
-        return this.parent.getNode(id);
+        if (!cancelBubble) {
+            return this.parent.getNode(id);
+        }
+        return undefined;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/nodes/flows/index.js b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/nodes/flows/index.js
index 20c3274d1..4cce74e83 100644
--- a/packages/node_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/nodes/flows/index.js
+++ b/packages/node_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/nodes/flows/index.js
@@ -207,11 +207,11 @@ function setFlows(_config,type,muteLog,forceStart) {
 function getNode(id) {
     var node;
     if (activeNodesToFlow[id] && activeFlows[activeNodesToFlow[id]]) {
-        return activeFlows[activeNodesToFlow[id]].getNode(id);
+        return activeFlows[activeNodesToFlow[id]].getNode(id,true);
     }
     for (var flowId in activeFlows) {
         if (activeFlows.hasOwnProperty(flowId)) {
-            node = activeFlows[flowId].getNode(id);
+            node = activeFlows[flowId].getNode(id,true);
             if (node) {
                 return node;
             }
diff --git a/test/unit/@node-red/runtime/lib/nodes/flows/Flow_spec.js b/test/unit/@node-red/runtime/lib/nodes/flows/Flow_spec.js
index 14b1e58ab..feac88e22 100644
--- a/test/unit/@node-red/runtime/lib/nodes/flows/Flow_spec.js
+++ b/test/unit/@node-red/runtime/lib/nodes/flows/Flow_spec.js
@@ -413,6 +413,69 @@ describe('Flow', function() {
         });
 
     });
+    describe('#getNode',function() {
+        it("gets a node known to the flow",function(done) {
+            var config = flowUtils.parseConfig([
+                {id:"t1",type:"tab"},
+                {id:"1",x:10,y:10,z:"t1",type:"test",foo:"a",wires:["2"]},
+                {id:"2",x:10,y:10,z:"t1",type:"test",foo:"a",wires:["3"]},
+                {id:"3",x:10,y:10,z:"t1",type:"test",foo:"a",wires:[]},
+                {id:"4",z:"t1",type:"test",foo:"a"}
+            ]);
+            var flow = Flow.create({},config,config.flows["t1"]);
+            flow.start();
+
+            Object.keys(flow.getActiveNodes()).should.have.length(4);
+
+            flow.getNode('1').should.have.a.property('id','1');
+
+            flow.stop().then(() => { done() });
+        });
+
+        it("passes to parent if node not known locally",function(done) {
+            var config = flowUtils.parseConfig([
+                {id:"t1",type:"tab"},
+                {id:"1",x:10,y:10,z:"t1",type:"test",foo:"a",wires:["2"]},
+                {id:"2",x:10,y:10,z:"t1",type:"test",foo:"a",wires:["3"]},
+                {id:"3",x:10,y:10,z:"t1",type:"test",foo:"a",wires:[]},
+                {id:"4",z:"t1",type:"test",foo:"a"}
+            ]);
+            var flow = Flow.create({
+                getNode: id => { return {id:id}}
+            },config,config.flows["t1"]);
+            flow.start();
+
+            Object.keys(flow.getActiveNodes()).should.have.length(4);
+
+            flow.getNode('1').should.have.a.property('id','1');
+
+            flow.getNode('parentNode').should.have.a.property('id','parentNode');
+
+
+            flow.stop().then(() => { done() });
+        });
+
+        it("does not pass to parent if cancelBubble set",function(done) {
+            var config = flowUtils.parseConfig([
+                {id:"t1",type:"tab"},
+                {id:"1",x:10,y:10,z:"t1",type:"test",foo:"a",wires:["2"]},
+                {id:"2",x:10,y:10,z:"t1",type:"test",foo:"a",wires:["3"]},
+                {id:"3",x:10,y:10,z:"t1",type:"test",foo:"a",wires:[]},
+                {id:"4",z:"t1",type:"test",foo:"a"}
+            ]);
+            var flow = Flow.create({
+                getNode: id => { return {id:id}}
+            },config,config.flows["t1"]);
+            flow.start();
+
+            Object.keys(flow.getActiveNodes()).should.have.length(4);
+
+            flow.getNode('1').should.have.a.property('id','1');
+
+            should.not.exist(flow.getNode('parentNode',true));
+            flow.stop().then(() => { done() });
+        });
+    });
 
     describe("#handleStatus",function() {
         it("passes a status event to the adjacent status node",function(done) {