diff --git a/src/gf.c b/src/gf.c
index 8861144e92e38..cf22c9b0095a3 100644
--- a/src/gf.c
+++ b/src/gf.c
@@ -1592,6 +1592,9 @@ static int jl_type_intersection2(jl_value_t *t1, jl_value_t *t2, jl_value_t **is
         return 0;
     if (is_subty)
         return 1;
+    // TODO: sometimes type intersection returns types with free variables
+    if (jl_has_free_typevars(t1) || jl_has_free_typevars(t2))
+        return 1;
     // determine if type-intersection can be convinced to give a better, non-bad answer
     // if the intersection was imprecise, see if we can do better by switching the types
     *isect2 = jl_type_intersection(t2, t1);
diff --git a/test/subtype.jl b/test/subtype.jl
index 57d49bc13fa8c..031a1815b2930 100644
--- a/test/subtype.jl
+++ b/test/subtype.jl
@@ -1878,3 +1878,10 @@ let A = Tuple{Type{<:Union{Number, T}}, Ref{T}} where T,
     @test A == B
     @test A <: B
 end
+
+# issue #39948
+let A = Tuple{Array{Pair{T, JT} where JT<:Ref{T}, 1} where T, Vector},
+    I = typeintersect(A, Tuple{Vararg{Vector{T}}} where T)
+    @test_broken I <: A
+    @test_broken !Base.has_free_typevars(I)
+end