diff --git a/internal/core/export/self_test.go b/internal/core/export/self_test.go
index a42fb806208..4a230efbfd4 100644
--- a/internal/core/export/self_test.go
+++ b/internal/core/export/self_test.go
@@ -42,6 +42,10 @@ func TestSelfContained(t *testing.T) {
 
 		ToDo: map[string]string{
 			"self-v3/selfcontained/import": `wa: reference "_hidden_567475F3" not found:`,
+
+			"self/selfcontained/cyclic":            `reference not properly substituted`,
+			"self-v3/selfcontained/cyclic":         `reference not properly substituted`,
+			"self-v3-noshare/selfcontained/cyclic": `reference not properly substituted`,
 		},
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/core/export/testdata/selfcontained/cyclic.txtar b/internal/core/export/testdata/selfcontained/cyclic.txtar
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..787d980510f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/core/export/testdata/selfcontained/cyclic.txtar
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+#path: a.b.#def
+
+The trick here is that we hoist values that are both cyclic as well as a
+definition. The behavior of the definition should be retained, and the
+cyclic references should be substituted accordingly.
+-- in.cue --
+a: b: #def: {
+	opt?: #def
+
+	list: [...#def]
+}
+-- out/self/default --
+X.#def
+
+let X = {
+	#def: {
+		opt?: #def
+		list: [...#def]
+	}
+}