diff --git a/src/subtype.c b/src/subtype.c
index 1c6d3ffb2e8de..7af4e8b28b934 100644
--- a/src/subtype.c
+++ b/src/subtype.c
@@ -477,12 +477,42 @@ static int obviously_disjoint(jl_value_t *a, jl_value_t *b, int specificity)
     return 0;
 }
 
+static int is_any_like(jl_value_t* x, jl_typeenv_t *env) JL_NOTSAFEPOINT
+{
+    if (x == (jl_value_t *)jl_any_type)
+        return 1;
+    if (jl_is_uniontype(x))
+        return is_any_like(((jl_uniontype_t*)x)->a, env) ||
+               is_any_like(((jl_uniontype_t*)x)->b, env);
+    if (jl_is_unionall(x)) {
+        jl_unionall_t *ua = (jl_unionall_t*)x;
+        jl_typeenv_t newenv = { ua->var, NULL, env };
+        return is_any_like(ua->body, &newenv);
+    }
+    if (jl_is_typevar(x) && env != NULL) {
+        jl_tvar_t *v = (jl_tvar_t *)x;
+        if (v->lb != jl_bottom_type)
+            return 0;
+        int in_env = 0;
+        jl_typeenv_t *vs = env;
+        while (vs != NULL) {
+            in_env = vs->var == v;
+            if (in_env) break;
+            vs = vs->prev;
+        }
+        return in_env && is_any_like(v->ub, env);
+    }
+    return 0;
+}
+
 // compute a least upper bound of `a` and `b`
 static jl_value_t *simple_join(jl_value_t *a, jl_value_t *b)
 {
-    if (a == jl_bottom_type || b == (jl_value_t*)jl_any_type || obviously_egal(a,b))
+    if (is_any_like(a, NULL) || is_any_like(b, NULL))
+        return (jl_value_t *)jl_any_type;
+    if (a == jl_bottom_type || obviously_egal(a,b))
         return b;
-    if (b == jl_bottom_type || a == (jl_value_t*)jl_any_type)
+    if (b == jl_bottom_type)
         return a;
     if (!(jl_is_type(a) || jl_is_typevar(a)) || !(jl_is_type(b) || jl_is_typevar(b)))
         return (jl_value_t*)jl_any_type;
diff --git a/test/subtype.jl b/test/subtype.jl
index a88ba8e3f0f76..a182bb99909ee 100644
--- a/test/subtype.jl
+++ b/test/subtype.jl
@@ -2317,6 +2317,12 @@ let S = Tuple{Int, Vararg{Val{C} where C<:Union{Complex{R}, R}}} where R
     @test_broken typeintersect(T, S) == I
 end
 
+#issue #47874:case3
+let S = Tuple{Int, Tuple{Vararg{Val{C1} where C1<:Union{Complex{R1}, R1}}} where R1<:(Union{Real, V1} where V1), Tuple{Vararg{Val{C2} where C2<:Union{Complex{R2}, Complex{R3}, R3}}} where {R2<:(Union{Real, V2} where V2), R3<:Union{Complex{R2}, Real, R2}}},
+    T = Tuple{Any, Tuple{Vararg{Val{CC1} where CC1<:Union{Complex{R}, R}}}, Tuple{Vararg{Val{CC2} where CC2<:Union{Complex{R}, R}}}} where R<:Real
+    @testintersect(S, T, !Union{})
+end
+
 let S = Tuple{T2, V2} where {T2, N2, V2<:(Array{S2, N2} where {S2 <: T2})},
     T = Tuple{V1, T1} where {T1, N1, V1<:(Array{S1, N1} where {S1 <: T1})}
     @testintersect(S, T, !Union{})