diff --git a/NAMESPACE b/NAMESPACE
index b9b6527f3..fb68041eb 100644
--- a/NAMESPACE
+++ b/NAMESPACE
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ export(install_svn)
 export(install_url)
 export(install_version)
 export(is.package)
+export(is_loading)
 export(lint)
 export(load_all)
 export(loaded_packages)
@@ -90,6 +91,7 @@ importFrom(pkgbuild,find_rtools)
 importFrom(pkgbuild,has_devel)
 importFrom(pkgbuild,with_debug)
 importFrom(pkgload,check_dep_version)
+importFrom(pkgload,is_loading)
 importFrom(pkgload,parse_deps)
 importFrom(pkgload,unload)
 importFrom(remotes,dev_package_deps)
diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 8810e8904..698c98a8d 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 # devtools (development version)
 
+* `is_loading()` is now re-exported from pkgload (#2556).
+* `load_all()` now errors if called recursively, i.e. if you accidentally include a `load_all()` call in one of your R source files (#2617).
+
 # devtools 2.4.6
 
 * Functions that use httr now explicitly check that it is installed
diff --git a/R/pkgload.R b/R/pkgload.R
index 7cf9da1e7..ac6b960e2 100644
--- a/R/pkgload.R
+++ b/R/pkgload.R
@@ -14,6 +14,13 @@ load_all <- function(
     path <- path$path
   }
 
+  if (is_loading()) {
+    cli::cli_abort(c(
+      "Recursive loading detected.",
+      i = "Did you accidentally include {.fn load_all} in an R source file?"
+    ))
+  }
+
   save_all()
 
   check_dots_used(action = getOption("devtools.ellipsis_action", rlang::warn))
@@ -29,6 +36,10 @@ load_all <- function(
   )
 }
 
+#' @importFrom pkgload is_loading
+#' @export
+pkgload::is_loading
+
 #' @importFrom pkgload unload
 #' @export
 pkgload::unload
diff --git a/man/reexports.Rd b/man/reexports.Rd
index e001a381d..8393d78bf 100644
--- a/man/reexports.Rd
+++ b/man/reexports.Rd
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 \alias{clean_dll}
 \alias{has_devel}
 \alias{find_rtools}
+\alias{is_loading}
 \alias{unload}
 \alias{github_pull}
 \alias{github_release}
@@ -29,7 +30,7 @@ below to see their documentation.
 \describe{
   \item{pkgbuild}{\code{\link[pkgbuild]{clean_dll}}, \code{\link[pkgbuild:has_rtools]{find_rtools}}, \code{\link[pkgbuild:has_compiler]{has_devel}}, \code{\link[pkgbuild]{with_debug}}}
 
-  \item{pkgload}{\code{\link[pkgload]{check_dep_version}}, \code{\link[pkgload]{parse_deps}}, \code{\link[pkgload]{unload}}}
+  \item{pkgload}{\code{\link[pkgload]{check_dep_version}}, \code{\link[pkgload:load_all]{is_loading}}, \code{\link[pkgload]{parse_deps}}, \code{\link[pkgload]{unload}}}
 
   \item{sessioninfo}{\code{\link[sessioninfo]{package_info}}, \code{\link[sessioninfo]{session_info}}}
 }}
diff --git a/man/remote-reexports.Rd b/man/remote-reexports.Rd
index 6a9bcc3fb..bef6a1c16 100644
--- a/man/remote-reexports.Rd
+++ b/man/remote-reexports.Rd
@@ -213,7 +213,9 @@ dev_package_deps(
   pkgdir = ".",
   dependencies = NA,
   repos = getOption("repos"),
-  type = getOption("pkgType")
+  type = getOption("pkgType"),
+  remote_precedence = TRUE,
+  additional_repositories = TRUE
 )
 }
 \description{
diff --git a/tests/testthat/_snaps/pkgload.md b/tests/testthat/_snaps/pkgload.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..87996a004
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testthat/_snaps/pkgload.md
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# load_all() errors if called recursively
+
+    Code
+      load_all()
+    Condition
+      Error in `load_all()`:
+      ! Recursive loading detected.
+      i Did you accidentally include `load_all()` in an R source file?
+
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-pkgload.R b/tests/testthat/test-pkgload.R
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e871848e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-pkgload.R
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+test_that("load_all() errors if called recursively", {
+  local_mocked_bindings(is_loading = function() TRUE)
+  expect_snapshot(load_all(), error = TRUE)
+})