diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/tasty/TreeUnpickler.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/tasty/TreeUnpickler.scala
index aa1fbf371fec..54f5de520a6b 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/tasty/TreeUnpickler.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/tasty/TreeUnpickler.scala
@@ -668,6 +668,7 @@ class TreeUnpickler(reader: TastyReader,
             else
               newSymbol(ctx.owner, name, flags, completer, privateWithin, coord)
         }
+      registerSym(start, sym)
       val annotOwner =
         if sym.owner.isClass then newLocalDummy(sym.owner) else sym.owner
       sym.annotations = annotFns.map(_(annotOwner))
@@ -685,7 +686,6 @@ class TreeUnpickler(reader: TastyReader,
           cls.enter(sym)
         case _ =>
       }
-      registerSym(start, sym)
       if (isClass) {
         if sym.owner.is(Package) && withCaptureChecks then
           sym.setFlag(CaptureChecked)
@@ -768,7 +768,10 @@ class TreeUnpickler(reader: TastyReader,
             addFlag(Protected)
             privateWithin = readWithin
           case ANNOTATION =>
-            annotFns = readAnnot :: annotFns
+            val annotFn =
+              val annot = readAnnot
+              (sym: Symbol) => annot.complete(sym)
+            annotFns = annotFn :: annotFns
           case tag =>
             assert(false, s"illegal modifier tag $tag at $currentAddr, end = $end")
         }
@@ -778,21 +781,23 @@ class TreeUnpickler(reader: TastyReader,
 
     private def readWithin(using Context): Symbol = readType().typeSymbol
 
-    private def readAnnot(using Context): Symbol => Annotation =
+    private def readAnnot(using Context): Trees.Lazy[Symbol => Annotation] =
       readByte()
       val end = readEnd()
-      val tp = readType()
-      val lazyAnnotTree = readLaterWithOwner(end, _.readTree())
-      owner =>
-        new DeferredSymAndTree(tp.typeSymbol, lazyAnnotTree(owner).complete):
-          // Only force computation of symbol if it has the right name. This added
-          // amount of laziness is sometimes necessary to avid cycles. Test case pos/i15980.
-          override def hasSymbol(sym: Symbol)(using Context) = tp match
-            case tp: TypeRef =>
-              tp.designator match
-                case name: Name => name == sym.name && tp.symbol == sym
-                case _ => tp.symbol == sym
-            case _ => this.symbol == sym
+      readLater(end, reader =>
+        val tp = reader.readType()
+        val lazyAnnotTree = reader.readLaterWithOwner(end, _.readTree())
+        owner =>
+          new DeferredSymAndTree(tp.typeSymbol, lazyAnnotTree(owner).complete):
+            // Only force computation of symbol if it has the right name. This added
+            // amount of laziness is sometimes necessary to avoid cycles. Test case pos/i15980.
+            override def hasSymbol(sym: Symbol)(using Context) = tp match
+              case tp: TypeRef =>
+                tp.designator match
+                  case name: Name => name == sym.name && tp.symbol == sym
+                  case _ => tp.symbol == sym
+              case _ => this.symbol == sym
+      )
 
     /** Create symbols for the definitions in the statement sequence between
      *  current address and `end`.
diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/typer/Namer.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/typer/Namer.scala
index 02a55be9ea5a..2f8182dd7da0 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/typer/Namer.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/typer/Namer.scala
@@ -896,16 +896,12 @@ class Namer { typer: Typer =>
           original.mods.withAnnotations:
             original.mods.annotations.mapConserve: annotTree =>
               val cls = typedAheadAnnotationClass(annotTree)(using annotCtx)
-              if (cls eq sym)
-                report.error(em"An annotation class cannot be annotated with iself", annotTree.srcPos)
-                annotTree
-              else
-                val ann =
-                  if cls.is(JavaDefined) then Checking.checkNamedArgumentForJavaAnnotation(annotTree, cls.asClass)
-                  else annotTree
-                val ann1 = Annotation.deferred(cls)(typedAheadExpr(ann)(using annotCtx))
-                sym.addAnnotation(ann1)
-                ann
+              val ann =
+                if cls.is(JavaDefined) then Checking.checkNamedArgumentForJavaAnnotation(annotTree, cls.asClass)
+                else annotTree
+              val ann1 = Annotation.deferred(cls)(typedAheadExpr(ann)(using annotCtx))
+              sym.addAnnotation(ann1)
+              ann
       case _ =>
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/neg/i1212.scala b/tests/neg/i1212.scala
deleted file mode 100644
index e2c98219c390..000000000000
--- a/tests/neg/i1212.scala
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-@ann class ann extends scala.annotation.Annotation // error: An annotation class cannot be annotated with iself
diff --git a/tests/pos/i1212.scala b/tests/pos/i1212.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..b975afe37015
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/pos/i1212.scala
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+@ann class ann extends scala.annotation.Annotation