diff --git a/modules/core/include/opencv2/core/types.hpp b/modules/core/include/opencv2/core/types.hpp
index 1f54d9563d..1c962dcae4 100644
--- a/modules/core/include/opencv2/core/types.hpp
+++ b/modules/core/include/opencv2/core/types.hpp
@@ -2012,6 +2012,15 @@ Rect_<_Tp>& operator &= ( Rect_<_Tp>& a, const Rect_<_Tp>& b )
         a = Rect_<_Tp>();
         return a;
     }
+
+    // If the delta between x/y coordinates exceeds the corresponding width/height,
+    // the rectangles cannot overlap and `width - delta` would underflow for unsigned types.
+    if (Rx_min.width < (Rx_max.x - Rx_min.x) ||
+        Ry_min.height < (Ry_max.y - Ry_min.y)) {
+        a = Rect_<_Tp>();
+        return a;
+    }
+
     // We now know that either Rx_min.x >= 0, or
     // Rx_min.x < 0 && Rx_min.x + Rx_min.width >= Rx_max.x and therefore
     // Rx_min.width >= (Rx_max.x - Rx_min.x) which means (Rx_max.x - Rx_min.x)
diff --git a/modules/core/test/test_misc.cpp b/modules/core/test/test_misc.cpp
index 94b4d83781..1682ff27ea 100644
--- a/modules/core/test/test_misc.cpp
+++ b/modules/core/test/test_misc.cpp
@@ -996,6 +996,17 @@ REGISTER_TYPED_TEST_CASE_P(Rect_Test, Overflows, OnTheEdge);
 typedef ::testing::Types<int, float, double> RectTypes;
 INSTANTIATE_TYPED_TEST_CASE_P(Negative_Test, Rect_Test, RectTypes);
 
+TEST(Core_Rect, test_unsigned_overflow_11988)
+{
+    typedef Rect_<unsigned> R;
+    R r1(0, 0, 1u, 1u);
+    R r2(2u, 2u, 1u, 1u);
+    auto inter = r1 & r2;
+    EXPECT_EQ(R(), inter);
+    EXPECT_EQ(0u, inter.area());
+    EXPECT_TRUE(inter.empty());
+}
+
 // Expected that SkipTestException thrown in the constructor should skip test but not fail
 struct TestFixtureSkip: public ::testing::Test {
     TestFixtureSkip(bool throwEx = true) {