diff --git a/src/babashka/impl/tasks.clj b/src/babashka/impl/tasks.clj
index 7cad019f..d4fb19bf 100644
--- a/src/babashka/impl/tasks.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/impl/tasks.clj
@@ -225,13 +225,15 @@
           prog))
 
 (defn target-order
-  ([tasks task-name] (target-order tasks task-name (volatile! #{})))
-  ([tasks task-name processed]
+  ([tasks task-name] (target-order tasks task-name (volatile! #{}) #{}))
+  ([tasks task-name processed processing]
    (let [task (tasks task-name)
          depends (:depends task)]
+     (when (contains? processing task-name)
+       (throw (Exception. (str "Cyclic task: " task-name))))
      (loop [deps (seq depends)]
        (let [deps (remove #(contains? @processed %) deps)
-             order (vec (mapcat #(target-order tasks % processed) deps))]
+             order (vec (mapcat #(target-order tasks % processed (conj processing task-name)) deps))]
          (if-not (contains? @processed task-name)
            (do (vswap! processed conj task-name)
                (conj order task-name))
diff --git a/test/babashka/bb_edn_test.clj b/test/babashka/bb_edn_test.clj
index 0f9e24c2..a57f6aa7 100644
--- a/test/babashka/bb_edn_test.clj
+++ b/test/babashka/bb_edn_test.clj
@@ -170,6 +170,18 @@
                                               :task    (+ a 4 5 6)}}}
       (is (thrown-with-msg?
             Exception #"No such task: x"
+            (bb "run" "b")))))
+  (testing "cyclic task"
+    (test-utils/with-config '{:tasks {b      {:depends [b]
+                                              :task    (+ a 4 5 6)}}}
+      (is (thrown-with-msg?
+            Exception #"Cyclic task: b"
+            (bb "run" "b"))))
+    (test-utils/with-config '{:tasks {c      {:depends [b]}
+                                      b      {:depends [c]
+                                              :task    (+ a 4 5 6)}}}
+      (is (thrown-with-msg?
+            Exception #"Cyclic task: b"
             (bb "run" "b"))))))
 
 (deftest list-tasks-test