diff --git a/Lib/test/test_turtle.py b/Lib/test/test_turtle.py
index a572ff4b9e91cc..a93557195fb8e4 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_turtle.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_turtle.py
@@ -490,6 +490,30 @@ def test_teleport(self):
             self.assertTrue(tpen.isdown())
 
 
+class TestTurtleScreen(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_update_is_not_reentrant(self):
+        # ondrag(goto) reenters _update() while cv.update() processes events;
+        # without a guard this recurses without bound (gh-50966).
+        s = turtle.TurtleScreen(cv=unittest.mock.MagicMock())
+        depth = max_depth = 0
+
+        def reenter():
+            nonlocal depth, max_depth
+            depth += 1
+            max_depth = max(max_depth, depth)
+            if depth < 50:
+                s._update()  # as an event handler would
+            depth -= 1
+
+        s.cv.update.reset_mock()  # ignore calls made during construction
+        s.cv.update.side_effect = reenter
+        s._update()
+        # cv.update() runs once; reentrant calls only flush idle tasks.
+        self.assertEqual(s.cv.update.call_count, 1)
+        self.assertEqual(max_depth, 1)
+        self.assertTrue(s.cv.update_idletasks.called)
+
+
 class TestTurtle(unittest.TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
         with patch_screen():
diff --git a/Lib/turtle.py b/Lib/turtle.py
index a94ec10ea7460d..173cfc50b579da 100644
--- a/Lib/turtle.py
+++ b/Lib/turtle.py
@@ -483,6 +483,7 @@ def __init__(self, cv):
         self.canvwidth = w
         self.canvheight = h
         self.xscale = self.yscale = 1.0
+        self._updating = False
 
     def _createpoly(self):
         """Create an invisible polygon item on canvas self.cv)
@@ -552,7 +553,16 @@ def _delete(self, item):
     def _update(self):
         """Redraw graphics items on canvas
         """
-        self.cv.update()
+        if self._updating:
+            # Reentrant call (e.g. a drag handler moving the turtle,
+            # gh-50966): flush drawing without reprocessing input.
+            self.cv.update_idletasks()
+            return
+        self._updating = True
+        try:
+            self.cv.update()
+        finally:
+            self._updating = False
 
     def _delay(self, delay):
         """Delay subsequent canvas actions for delay ms."""
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-06-29-22-16-57.gh-issue-50966.Tq5mLp.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-06-29-22-16-57.gh-issue-50966.Tq5mLp.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..96a0938c02d226
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-06-29-22-16-57.gh-issue-50966.Tq5mLp.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+Fix unbounded recursion in :mod:`turtle` when a mouse event handler that moves
+the turtle is reentered while the screen is being redrawn, for example with
+``screen.ondrag(turtle.goto)``.  This could previously crash the interpreter.