diff --git a/cmd/ifquery.c b/cmd/ifquery.c
index 855cbb0..fb91883 100644
--- a/cmd/ifquery.c
+++ b/cmd/ifquery.c
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ ifquery_main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		return EXIT_FAILURE;
 	}
 
-	if (!lif_lifecycle_count_rdepends(&exec_opts, &collection))
+	if (lif_lifecycle_count_rdepends(&exec_opts, &collection) == -1)
 	{
 		fprintf(stderr, "%s: could not validate dependency tree\n", argv0);
 		return EXIT_FAILURE;
diff --git a/cmd/ifupdown.c b/cmd/ifupdown.c
index 18bf8eb..0b09d67 100644
--- a/cmd/ifupdown.c
+++ b/cmd/ifupdown.c
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ ifupdown_main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		return EXIT_FAILURE;
 	}
 
-	if (!lif_lifecycle_count_rdepends(&exec_opts, &collection))
+	if (lif_lifecycle_count_rdepends(&exec_opts, &collection) == -1)
 	{
 		fprintf(stderr, "%s: could not validate dependency tree\n", argv0);
 		return EXIT_FAILURE;
diff --git a/libifupdown/lifecycle.c b/libifupdown/lifecycle.c
index 7f0b032..87e0d0a 100644
--- a/libifupdown/lifecycle.c
+++ b/libifupdown/lifecycle.c
@@ -419,7 +419,7 @@ count_interface_rdepends(const struct lif_execute_opts *opts, struct lif_dict *c
 	return true;
 }
 
-bool
+ssize_t
 lif_lifecycle_count_rdepends(const struct lif_execute_opts *opts, struct lif_dict *collection)
 {
 	struct lif_node *iter;
@@ -435,9 +435,21 @@ lif_lifecycle_count_rdepends(const struct lif_execute_opts *opts, struct lif_dic
 		if (!count_interface_rdepends(opts, collection, iface, iface->rdepends_count))
 		{
 			fprintf(stderr, "ifupdown: dependency graph is broken for interface %s\n", iface->ifname);
-			return false;
+			return -1;
 		}
 	}
 
-	return true;
+	/* figure out the max depth */
+	size_t maxdepth = 0;
+
+	LIF_DICT_FOREACH(iter, collection)
+	{
+		struct lif_dict_entry *entry = iter->data;
+		struct lif_interface *iface = entry->data;
+
+		if (iface->rdepends_count > maxdepth)
+			maxdepth = iface->rdepends_count;
+	}
+
+	return maxdepth;
 }
diff --git a/libifupdown/lifecycle.h b/libifupdown/lifecycle.h
index 1dcf2e9..fecf9fe 100644
--- a/libifupdown/lifecycle.h
+++ b/libifupdown/lifecycle.h
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 extern bool lif_lifecycle_query_dependents(const struct lif_execute_opts *opts, struct lif_interface *iface, const char *lifname);
 extern bool lif_lifecycle_run_phase(const struct lif_execute_opts *opts, struct lif_interface *iface, const char *phase, const char *lifname, bool up);
 extern bool lif_lifecycle_run(const struct lif_execute_opts *opts, struct lif_interface *iface, struct lif_dict *collection, struct lif_dict *state, const char *lifname, bool up);
-extern bool lif_lifecycle_count_rdepends(const struct lif_execute_opts *opts, struct lif_dict *collection);
+extern ssize_t lif_lifecycle_count_rdepends(const struct lif_execute_opts *opts, struct lif_dict *collection);
 
 #endif