diff --git a/src/cluster_linearize.h b/src/cluster_linearize.h
index 32cedf9f84..28dde840ef 100644
--- a/src/cluster_linearize.h
+++ b/src/cluster_linearize.h
@@ -309,6 +309,17 @@ public:
             return a < b;
         });
     }
+
+    /** Check if this graph is acyclic. */
+    bool IsAcyclic() const noexcept
+    {
+        for (auto i : Positions()) {
+            if ((Ancestors(i) & Descendants(i)) != SetType::Singleton(i)) {
+                return false;
+            }
+        }
+        return true;
+    }
 };
 
 /** A set of transactions together with their aggregate feerate. */
diff --git a/src/test/fuzz/cluster_linearize.cpp b/src/test/fuzz/cluster_linearize.cpp
index de066237b2..f5c0c897c9 100644
--- a/src/test/fuzz/cluster_linearize.cpp
+++ b/src/test/fuzz/cluster_linearize.cpp
@@ -401,13 +401,42 @@ FUZZ_TARGET(clusterlin_depgraph_serialization)
     // Construct a graph by deserializing.
     SpanReader reader(buffer);
     DepGraph<TestBitSet> depgraph;
+    ClusterIndex par_code{0}, chl_code{0};
     try {
-        reader >> Using<DepGraphFormatter>(depgraph);
+        reader >> Using<DepGraphFormatter>(depgraph) >> VARINT(par_code) >> VARINT(chl_code);
     } catch (const std::ios_base::failure&) {}
     SanityCheck(depgraph);
 
     // Verify the graph is a DAG.
-    assert(IsAcyclic(depgraph));
+    assert(depgraph.IsAcyclic());
+
+    // Introduce a cycle, and then test that IsAcyclic returns false.
+    if (depgraph.TxCount() < 2) return;
+    ClusterIndex par(0), chl(0);
+    // Pick any transaction of depgraph as parent.
+    par_code %= depgraph.TxCount();
+    for (auto i : depgraph.Positions()) {
+        if (par_code == 0) {
+            par = i;
+            break;
+        }
+        --par_code;
+    }
+    // Pick any ancestor of par (excluding itself) as child, if any.
+    auto ancestors = depgraph.Ancestors(par) - TestBitSet::Singleton(par);
+    if (ancestors.None()) return;
+    chl_code %= ancestors.Count();
+    for (auto i : ancestors) {
+        if (chl_code == 0) {
+            chl = i;
+            break;
+        }
+        --chl_code;
+    }
+    // Add the cycle-introducing dependency.
+    depgraph.AddDependencies(TestBitSet::Singleton(par), chl);
+    // Check that we now detect a cycle.
+    assert(!depgraph.IsAcyclic());
 }
 
 FUZZ_TARGET(clusterlin_components)
diff --git a/src/test/util/cluster_linearize.h b/src/test/util/cluster_linearize.h
index 7ae56232ba..3db51a6b80 100644
--- a/src/test/util/cluster_linearize.h
+++ b/src/test/util/cluster_linearize.h
@@ -23,18 +23,6 @@ using namespace cluster_linearize;
 
 using TestBitSet = BitSet<32>;
 
-/** Check if a graph is acyclic. */
-template<typename SetType>
-bool IsAcyclic(const DepGraph<SetType>& depgraph) noexcept
-{
-    for (ClusterIndex i : depgraph.Positions()) {
-        if ((depgraph.Ancestors(i) & depgraph.Descendants(i)) != SetType::Singleton(i)) {
-            return false;
-        }
-    }
-    return true;
-}
-
 /** A formatter for a bespoke serialization for acyclic DepGraph objects.
  *
  * The serialization format outputs information about transactions in a topological order (parents
@@ -337,7 +325,7 @@ void SanityCheck(const DepGraph<SetType>& depgraph)
             assert((depgraph.Descendants(child) & children).IsSubsetOf(SetType::Singleton(child)));
         }
     }
-    if (IsAcyclic(depgraph)) {
+    if (depgraph.IsAcyclic()) {
         // If DepGraph is acyclic, serialize + deserialize must roundtrip.
         std::vector<unsigned char> ser;
         VectorWriter writer(ser, 0);