diff --git a/util/collection/src/main/scala/sbt/Dag.scala b/util/collection/src/main/scala/sbt/Dag.scala
index ef8f9cec1..58fb397ed 100644
--- a/util/collection/src/main/scala/sbt/Dag.scala
+++ b/util/collection/src/main/scala/sbt/Dag.scala
@@ -71,4 +71,48 @@ object Dag
 			else
 				new Cyclic(value, a :: all, false)
 	}
+
+	private[sbt] trait System[A] {
+		type B
+		def dependencies(t: A): List[B]
+		def isNegated(b: B): Boolean
+		def toA(b: B): A
+	}
+	private[sbt] def findNegativeCycle[T](system: System[T])(nodes: List[system.B]): List[system.B] =
+	{
+			import scala.annotation.tailrec
+			import system._
+		val finished = new mutable.HashSet[T]
+		val visited = new mutable.HashSet[T]
+
+		def visit(nodes: List[B], stack: List[B]): List[B] = nodes match {
+			case Nil => Nil
+			case node :: tail =>
+				val atom = toA(node)
+				if(!visited(atom))
+				{
+					visited += atom
+					visit(dependencies(atom), node :: stack) match {
+						case Nil =>
+							finished += atom
+							visit(tail, stack)
+						case cycle => cycle
+					}
+				}
+				else if(!finished(atom))
+				{
+					// cycle. If negation is involved, it is an error.
+					val between = stack.takeWhile(f => toA(f) != atom)
+					if(between exists isNegated)
+						between
+					else
+						visit(tail, stack)
+				}
+				else
+					visit(tail, stack)
+		}
+
+		visit(nodes, Nil)
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/util/logic/src/main/scala/sbt/logic/Logic.scala b/util/logic/src/main/scala/sbt/logic/Logic.scala
index 8d02b2ab9..bb6731949 100644
--- a/util/logic/src/main/scala/sbt/logic/Logic.scala
+++ b/util/logic/src/main/scala/sbt/logic/Logic.scala
@@ -117,12 +117,31 @@ object Logic
 	}
 
 	def checkAcyclic(clauses: Clauses) {
-		// TODO
+		val deps = dependencyMap(clauses)
+		val cycle = Dag.findNegativeCycle(system(deps))(deps.keys.toList)
+		if(cycle.nonEmpty)
+			throw new CyclicNegation(cycle)
 	}
+	private[this] def system(deps: Map[Atom, Set[Literal]]) = new Dag.System[Atom] {
+		type B = Literal
+		def dependencies(a: Atom) = deps.getOrElse(a, Set.empty).toList
+		def isNegated(b: Literal) = b match {
+			case Negated(_) => true
+			case Atom(_) => false
+		}
+		def toA(b: Literal) = b.atom
+	}
+
+	private[this] def dependencyMap(clauses: Clauses): Map[Atom, Set[Literal]] =
+		(Map.empty[Atom, Set[Literal]] /: clauses.clauses) {
+			case (m, Clause(formula, heads)) =>
+				val deps = literals(formula)
+				(m /: heads) { (n, head) => n.updated(head, n.getOrElse(head, Set.empty) ++ deps) }
+		}
 
 	final class InitialContradictions(val literals: Set[Atom]) extends RuntimeException("Initial facts cannot be both true and false:\n\t" + literals.mkString("\n\t"))
 	final class InitialOverlap(val literals: Set[Atom]) extends RuntimeException("Initial positive facts cannot be implied by any clauses:\n\t" + literals.mkString("\n\t"))
-	final class CyclicNegation(val cycle: List[Atom]) extends RuntimeException("Negation may not be involved in a cycle:\n\t" + cycle.mkString("\n\t"))
+	final class CyclicNegation(val cycle: List[Literal]) extends RuntimeException("Negation may not be involved in a cycle:\n\t" + cycle.mkString("\n\t"))
 
 	/** Tracks proven atoms in the reverse order they were proved. */
 	final class Matched private(val provenSet: Set[Atom], reverseOrdered: List[Atom]) {
@@ -220,11 +239,15 @@ object Logic
 		}
 
 	/** Computes the `(positive, negative)` literals in `formula`. */
-	private[this] def directDeps(formula: Formula): (Seq[Atom], Seq[Atom]) = formula match {
-		case And(lits) => separate(lits.toSeq)
-		case Negated(a) => (Nil, a :: Nil)
-		case a: Atom => (a :: Nil, Nil)
-		case True => (Nil, Nil)
+	private[this] def directDeps(formula: Formula): (Seq[Atom], Seq[Atom]) =
+		Util.separate(literals(formula).toSeq) {
+			case Negated(a) => Right(a)
+			case a: Atom => Left(a)
+		}
+	private[this] def literals(formula: Formula): Set[Literal] = formula match {
+		case And(lits) => lits
+		case l: Literal => Set(l)
+		case True => Set.empty
 	}
 
 	/** Computes the atoms in the heads and bodies of the clauses in `clause`. */