diff --git a/src/compiler/compile/Component.ts b/src/compiler/compile/Component.ts
index 77ab48545e88..ee8c44123fd3 100644
--- a/src/compiler/compile/Component.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/compile/Component.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import unwrap_parens from './utils/unwrap_parens';
 import Slot from './nodes/Slot';
 import { Node as ESTreeNode } from 'estree';
 import add_to_set from './utils/add_to_set';
+import checkGraphForCycles from './utils/checkGraphForCycles';
 
 interface ComponentOptions {
 	namespace?: string;
@@ -1205,14 +1206,27 @@ export default class Component {
 			});
 		});
 
-		const add_declaration = declaration => {
-			if (seen.has(declaration)) {
-				this.error(declaration.node, {
-					code: 'cyclical-reactive-declaration',
-					message: 'Cyclical dependency detected'
+		const cycle = checkGraphForCycles(unsorted_reactive_declarations.reduce((acc, declaration) => {
+			declaration.assignees.forEach(v => {
+				declaration.dependencies.forEach(w => {
+					if (!declaration.assignees.has(w)) {
+						acc.push([v, w]);
+					}
 				});
-			}
+			});
+			return acc;
+		}, []));
+
+		if (cycle && cycle.length) {
+			const declarationList = lookup.get(cycle[0]);
+			const declaration = declarationList[0];
+			this.error(declaration.node, {
+				code: 'cyclical-reactive-declaration',
+				message: `Cyclical dependency detected: ${cycle.join(' → ')}`
+			});
+		}
 
+		const add_declaration = declaration => {
 			if (this.reactive_declarations.indexOf(declaration) !== -1) {
 				return;
 			}
diff --git a/src/compiler/compile/utils/checkGraphForCycles.ts b/src/compiler/compile/utils/checkGraphForCycles.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..718d2e26659f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/compiler/compile/utils/checkGraphForCycles.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+export default function checkGraphForCycles(edges: Array<[any, any]>): any[] {
+	const graph: Map<any, any[]> = edges.reduce((g, edge) => {
+		const [u, v] = edge;
+		if (!g.has(u)) g.set(u, []);
+		if (!g.has(v)) g.set(v, []);
+		g.get(u).push(v);
+		return g;
+	}, new Map());
+
+	const visited = new Set();
+	const onStack = new Set();
+	const cycles = [];
+
+	function visit (v) {
+		visited.add(v);
+		onStack.add(v);
+
+		graph.get(v).forEach(w => {
+			if (!visited.has(w)) {
+				visit(w);
+			} else if (onStack.has(w)) {
+				cycles.push([...onStack, w]);
+			}
+		});
+
+		onStack.delete(v);
+	}
+
+	graph.forEach((_, v) => {
+		if (!visited.has(v)) {
+			visit(v);
+		}
+	});
+
+	return cycles[0];
+}
diff --git a/test/runtime/samples/reactive-values-non-cyclical-declaration-order-independent/_config.js b/test/runtime/samples/reactive-values-non-cyclical-declaration-order-independent/_config.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..989e6d458c12
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/runtime/samples/reactive-values-non-cyclical-declaration-order-independent/_config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+export default {
+	html: `
+		<p>2+2=4</p>
+	`,
+
+	test({ assert, target }) {
+		assert.htmlEqual(target.innerHTML, `
+			<p>2+2=4</p>
+		`);
+	}
+};
diff --git a/test/runtime/samples/reactive-values-non-cyclical-declaration-order-independent/main.svelte b/test/runtime/samples/reactive-values-non-cyclical-declaration-order-independent/main.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..766ca7aa86db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/runtime/samples/reactive-values-non-cyclical-declaration-order-independent/main.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+<script>
+	$: c = a + b;
+	$: a = 2;
+	$: b = a;
+</script>
+
+<p>{a}+{b}={c}</p>
diff --git a/test/validator/samples/reactive-declaration-cyclical/errors.json b/test/validator/samples/reactive-declaration-cyclical/errors.json
index 1e4169a0eec0..9a80d9fb293b 100644
--- a/test/validator/samples/reactive-declaration-cyclical/errors.json
+++ b/test/validator/samples/reactive-declaration-cyclical/errors.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 [{
-	"message": "Cyclical dependency detected",
+	"message": "Cyclical dependency detected: a → b → a",
 	"code": "cyclical-reactive-declaration",
 	"start": { "line": 5, "column": 1, "character": 35 },
 	"end": { "line": 5, "column": 14, "character": 48 },
 	"pos": 35
-}]
\ No newline at end of file
+}]