diff --git a/plugins/org.eclipse.n4js.xtext/src/org/eclipse/n4js/xtext/workspace/BuildOrderIterator.java b/plugins/org.eclipse.n4js.xtext/src/org/eclipse/n4js/xtext/workspace/BuildOrderIterator.java
index f66ba94174..f3f1fb1d25 100644
--- a/plugins/org.eclipse.n4js.xtext/src/org/eclipse/n4js/xtext/workspace/BuildOrderIterator.java
+++ b/plugins/org.eclipse.n4js.xtext/src/org/eclipse/n4js/xtext/workspace/BuildOrderIterator.java
@@ -52,16 +52,14 @@ public BuildOrderIterator visit(Collection<? extends ProjectConfigSnapshot> proj
 		for (ProjectConfigSnapshot pc : projectConfigs) {
 			String projectID = pc.getName();
 
-			if (!visitedAlready.contains(pc)
-					&& boi.sortedProjects.indexOf(pc) < boi.sortedProjects.indexOf(lastVisited)) {
-				String currentProjectID = current().getName();
-				throw new IllegalStateException("Dependency-inverse visit order not supported: from "
-						+ currentProjectID + " to " + projectID);
-			}
+			if (boi.sortedProjects.indexOf(pc) < boi.sortedProjects.indexOf(lastVisited)) {
+				// Dependency-inverse visit order not supported. Happens in dependency cycles
+			} else {
 
-			visitProjectIDs.add(projectID);
-			iteratorIndex = boi.sortedProjects.indexOf(lastVisited);
-			moveNext();
+				visitProjectIDs.add(projectID);
+				iteratorIndex = boi.sortedProjects.indexOf(lastVisited);
+				moveNext();
+			}
 		}
 		return this;
 	}
diff --git a/plugins/org.eclipse.n4js/src/org/eclipse/n4js/scoping/utils/ProjectImportEnablingScope.java b/plugins/org.eclipse.n4js/src/org/eclipse/n4js/scoping/utils/ProjectImportEnablingScope.java
index 36266696a0..812844271a 100644
--- a/plugins/org.eclipse.n4js/src/org/eclipse/n4js/scoping/utils/ProjectImportEnablingScope.java
+++ b/plugins/org.eclipse.n4js/src/org/eclipse/n4js/scoping/utils/ProjectImportEnablingScope.java
@@ -195,14 +195,17 @@ public IEObjectDescription getSingleElement(QualifiedName name) {
 			// main case
 			IEObjectDescription objDescr = result.get(0);
 
-			// references within a dependency cycle not suppored
+			// references within a dependency cycle not supported
 			if (workspaceConfigSnapshot.isInDependencyCycle(contextProject.getName())) {
 				URI uri = objDescr.getEObjectURI();
 				N4JSProjectConfigSnapshot n4jsdProject = workspaceConfigSnapshot.findProjectContaining(uri);
-				workspaceConfigSnapshot.isInDependencyCycle(n4jsdProject.getName());
 
 				if (workspaceConfigSnapshot.isInDependencyCycle(n4jsdProject.getName())) {
-					return null;
+					if (Objects.equals(n4jsdProject.getName(), contextProject.getName())) {
+						// allow references within the same project
+					} else {
+						return null;
+					}
 				}
 			}
 			return objDescr;