diff --git a/sources/PTYSession.m b/sources/PTYSession.m
index ad482f709f..1e60c67174 100644
--- a/sources/PTYSession.m
+++ b/sources/PTYSession.m
@@ -3872,6 +3872,19 @@ - (NSString *)badgeFormat {
 }
 
 - (void)updateBadgeLabel {
+    NSMutableArray *badRefs = [NSMutableArray array];
+    for (iTermVariableReference *ref in _badgeSwiftyString.refs) {
+        if ([self.variablesScope variableNamed:iTermVariableKeySessionBadge isReferencedBy:ref]) {
+            [badRefs addObject:ref];
+        }
+    }
+    if (badRefs.count) {
+        for (iTermVariableReference *ref in badRefs) {
+            [ref removeAllLinks];
+        }
+        [self setSessionSpecificProfileValues:@{ KEY_BADGE_FORMAT: @"[CYCLE DETECTED]" }];
+        return;
+    }
     [self updateBadgeLabel:[self badgeLabel]];
 }
 
diff --git a/sources/iTermSwiftyString.h b/sources/iTermSwiftyString.h
index 5e1a5df2b3..fca187804d 100644
--- a/sources/iTermSwiftyString.h
+++ b/sources/iTermSwiftyString.h
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 
 NS_ASSUME_NONNULL_BEGIN
 
+@class iTermVariableReference;
 @class iTermVariableScope;
 
 // Represents a string with interpolated components like:
@@ -25,6 +26,7 @@ NS_ASSUME_NONNULL_BEGIN
 @property (nonatomic, readonly, copy) id (^source)(NSString *);
 @property (nonatomic, readonly, copy) void (^observer)(NSString *);
 @property (nullable, nonatomic, readonly) NSString *evaluatedString;
+@property (nonatomic, readonly) NSArray<iTermVariableReference *> *refs;
 
 // Variables the string depends on
 @property (nonatomic, readonly) NSSet<NSString *> *dependencies;
diff --git a/sources/iTermSwiftyString.m b/sources/iTermSwiftyString.m
index 636d68dddb..46d476a390 100644
--- a/sources/iTermSwiftyString.m
+++ b/sources/iTermSwiftyString.m
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ @interface iTermSwiftyString()
 @implementation iTermSwiftyString {
     NSMutableSet<NSString *> *_missingFunctions;
     iTermVariableScope *_scope;
-    NSArray<iTermVariableReference *> *_refs;
     BOOL _observing;
 }
 
diff --git a/sources/iTermVariables.h b/sources/iTermVariables.h
index 59b01054f0..3ee92f0cf6 100644
--- a/sources/iTermVariables.h
+++ b/sources/iTermVariables.h
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ typedef NS_OPTIONS(NSUInteger, iTermVariablesSuggestionContext) {
 - (void)setValue:(nullable id)value forKey:(NSString *)key NS_UNAVAILABLE;
 - (void)setValuesForKeysWithDictionary:(NSDictionary<NSString *, id> *)keyedValues NS_UNAVAILABLE;
 - (void)addLinksToReference:(iTermVariableReference *)reference;
+- (BOOL)variableNamed:(NSString *)name isReferencedBy:(iTermVariableReference *)reference;
 
 @end
 
diff --git a/sources/iTermVariables.m b/sources/iTermVariables.m
index 9170540617..f6e5d198cc 100644
--- a/sources/iTermVariables.m
+++ b/sources/iTermVariables.m
@@ -324,6 +324,20 @@ - (void)addLinkToReference:(iTermVariableReference *)reference
     }
 }
 
+- (BOOL)hasLinkToReference:(iTermVariableReference *)reference
+                      path:(NSString *)path {
+    NSArray<NSString *> *parts = [path componentsSeparatedByString:@"."];
+    id value = _values[parts.firstObject];
+    if (!value) {
+        return NO;
+    }
+    iTermVariables *sub = [iTermVariables castFrom:value];
+    if (sub && parts.count > 1) {
+        return [sub hasLinkToReference:reference path:[[parts subarrayFromIndex:1] componentsJoinedByString:@"."]];
+    }
+    return [_resolvedLinks[path].allObjects containsObject:reference];
+}
+
 - (void)removeLinkToReference:(iTermVariableReference *)reference
                          path:(NSString *)path {
     [self removeWeakReferenceFromLinkTable:_resolvedLinks toObject:reference forKey:path];
@@ -659,6 +673,15 @@ - (iTermVariables *)ownerForKey:(NSString *)key stripped:(out NSString **)stripp
     return owner;
 }
 
+- (BOOL)variableNamed:(NSString *)name isReferencedBy:(iTermVariableReference *)reference {
+    NSString *tail;
+    iTermVariables *variables = [self ownerForKey:name stripped:&tail];
+    if (!variables) {
+        return NO;
+    }
+    return [variables hasLinkToReference:reference path:tail];
+}
+
 - (BOOL)setValuesFromDictionary:(NSDictionary<NSString *, id> *)dict {
     // Transform dict from {name: object} to {owner: {stripped_name: object}}
     NSMutableDictionary<NSValue *, NSMutableDictionary<NSString *, id> *> *valuesByOwner = [NSMutableDictionary dictionary];