diff --git a/pkg/loader/fileloader.go b/pkg/loader/fileloader.go
index f474f2546..454092c27 100644
--- a/pkg/loader/fileloader.go
+++ b/pkg/loader/fileloader.go
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ func (fl *fileLoader) New(path string) (ifc.Loader, error) {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 		return newLoaderAtGitClone(
-			repoSpec, fl.validator, fl.fSys, fl.referrer, fl.cloner)
+			repoSpec, fl.validator, fl.fSys, fl, fl.cloner)
 	}
 	if filepath.IsAbs(path) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("new root '%s' cannot be absolute", path)
diff --git a/pkg/loader/fileloader_test.go b/pkg/loader/fileloader_test.go
index ff08f01e0..7b829025c 100644
--- a/pkg/loader/fileloader_test.go
+++ b/pkg/loader/fileloader_test.go
@@ -530,3 +530,67 @@ func TestLocalLoaderReferencingGitBase(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("unexpected root %s", l2.Root())
 	}
 }
+
+func TestRepoDirectCycleDetection(t *testing.T) {
+	topDir := "/cycles"
+	cloneRoot := topDir + "/someClone"
+	fSys := fs.MakeFakeFS()
+	fSys.MkdirAll(topDir)
+	fSys.MkdirAll(cloneRoot)
+
+	root, err := demandDirectoryRoot(fSys, topDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected err: %v\n", err)
+	}
+	l1 := newLoaderAtConfirmedDir(
+		RestrictionRootOnly, validators.MakeFakeValidator(), root, fSys, nil,
+		git.DoNothingCloner(fs.ConfirmedDir(cloneRoot)))
+	p1 := "github.com/someOrg/someRepo/foo"
+	rs1, err := git.NewRepoSpecFromUrl(p1)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected err: %v", err)
+	}
+	l1.repoSpec = rs1
+	_, err = l1.New(p1)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("expected error")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "cycle detected") {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected err: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRepoIndirectCycleDetection(t *testing.T) {
+	topDir := "/cycles"
+	cloneRoot := topDir + "/someClone"
+	fSys := fs.MakeFakeFS()
+	fSys.MkdirAll(topDir)
+	fSys.MkdirAll(cloneRoot)
+
+	root, err := demandDirectoryRoot(fSys, topDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected err: %v", err)
+	}
+	l0 := newLoaderAtConfirmedDir(
+		RestrictionRootOnly, validators.MakeFakeValidator(), root, fSys, nil,
+		git.DoNothingCloner(fs.ConfirmedDir(cloneRoot)))
+
+	p1 := "github.com/someOrg/someRepo1"
+	p2 := "github.com/someOrg/someRepo2"
+
+	l1, err := l0.New(p1)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected err: %v", err)
+	}
+	l2, err := l1.New(p2)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected err: %v", err)
+	}
+	_, err = l2.New(p1)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("expected error")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "cycle detected") {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected err: %v", err)
+	}
+}