diff --git a/mypy/meet.py b/mypy/meet.py
index 29c4d3663503..6f22925727b8 100644
--- a/mypy/meet.py
+++ b/mypy/meet.py
@@ -682,6 +682,11 @@ def visit_erased_type(self, t: ErasedType) -> ProperType:
     def visit_type_var(self, t: TypeVarType) -> ProperType:
         if isinstance(self.s, TypeVarType) and self.s.id == t.id:
             return self.s
+        # this may be alright on things other than just instances
+        elif isinstance(self.s, (Instance, NoneType, TupleType)):
+            return t.copy_modified(upper_bound=meet_types(t.upper_bound, self.s))
+        elif isinstance(self.s, UnionType):
+            return meet_types(t, self.s)
         else:
             return self.default(self.s)
 
@@ -753,13 +758,7 @@ def visit_instance(self, t: Instance) -> ProperType:
             if is_subtype(self.s.fallback, t):
                 return self.s
             return self.default(self.s)
-        elif isinstance(self.s, TypeType):
-            return meet_types(t, self.s)
-        elif isinstance(self.s, TupleType):
-            return meet_types(t, self.s)
-        elif isinstance(self.s, LiteralType):
-            return meet_types(t, self.s)
-        elif isinstance(self.s, TypedDictType):
+        elif isinstance(self.s, (TypeType, TupleType, LiteralType, TypedDictType, TypeVarType)):
             return meet_types(t, self.s)
         return self.default(self.s)
 
diff --git a/mypy/test/testtypes.py b/mypy/test/testtypes.py
index b1f21b3be79b..89afabe674d3 100644
--- a/mypy/test/testtypes.py
+++ b/mypy/test/testtypes.py
@@ -1135,7 +1135,9 @@ def test_simple_generics(self) -> None:
         self.assert_meet(self.fx.ga, self.fx.nonet, self.fx.nonet)
         self.assert_meet(self.fx.ga, self.fx.anyt, self.fx.ga)
 
-        for t in [self.fx.a, self.fx.t, self.tuple(), self.callable(self.fx.a, self.fx.b)]:
+        self.assert_meet(self.fx.t, self.fx.ga, self.fx.t)
+
+        for t in [self.fx.a, self.tuple(), self.callable(self.fx.a, self.fx.b)]:
             self.assert_meet(t, self.fx.ga, self.fx.nonet)
 
     def test_generics_with_multiple_args(self) -> None: