diff --git a/revup/topic_stack.py b/revup/topic_stack.py
index d718eb0..7e6e0b6 100644
--- a/revup/topic_stack.py
+++ b/revup/topic_stack.py
@@ -513,13 +513,18 @@ async def populate_reviews(
 
             if relative_topic:
                 topic.relative_topic = self.topics[relative_topic]
+
+            seen_topics[name] = topic
+
+        for name, topic in list(self.topics.items()):
+            if topic.relative_topic:
                 if len(topic.tags[TAG_BRANCH]) == 0:
                     topic.tags[TAG_BRANCH].update(topic.relative_topic.tags[TAG_BRANCH])
                 elif not topic.tags[TAG_BRANCH].issubset(topic.relative_topic.tags[TAG_BRANCH]):
                     raise RevupUsageException(
                         f"Topic {name} has branches"
                         f" {topic.tags[TAG_BRANCH] - topic.relative_topic.tags[TAG_BRANCH]} not in"
-                        f" relative topic {relative_topic}"
+                        f" relative topic {topic.relative_topic.name}"
                     )
 
                 if len(topic.tags[TAG_RELATIVE_BRANCH]) == 0:
@@ -531,8 +536,8 @@ async def populate_reviews(
                     != topic.relative_topic.tags[TAG_RELATIVE_BRANCH]
                 ):
                     raise RevupUsageException(
-                        f"Topic {name} and relative topic {relative_topic} have differing relative "
-                        f"branches, {topic.tags[TAG_RELATIVE_BRANCH]} vs "
+                        f"Topic {name} and relative topic {topic.relative_topic.name} have "
+                        f"differing relative branches, {topic.tags[TAG_RELATIVE_BRANCH]} vs "
                         f"{topic.relative_topic.tags[TAG_RELATIVE_BRANCH]}"
                     )
             else:
@@ -571,7 +576,7 @@ async def populate_reviews(
             ):
                 raise RevupUsageException(
                     f"Topic {name} has uploader '{topic.tags[TAG_UPLOADER]}' while relative topic"
-                    f" {relative_topic} has uploader"
+                    f" {topic.relative_topic.name} has uploader"
                     f" {topic.relative_topic.tags[TAG_UPLOADER] or '{}'}"
                 )
             topic_uploader = min(topic.tags[TAG_UPLOADER]) if topic.tags[TAG_UPLOADER] else uploader
@@ -633,8 +638,6 @@ async def populate_reviews(
             if auto_add_users in ("a2r", "both"):
                 topic.tags[TAG_REVIEWER].update(topic.tags[TAG_ASSIGNEE])
 
-            seen_topics[name] = topic
-
         if limit_topics:
             for name in limit_topics:
                 if name not in self.topics: