diff --git a/gclient.py b/gclient.py
index 0ee95e1f3..6bfa4f663 100755
--- a/gclient.py
+++ b/gclient.py
@@ -688,6 +688,14 @@ class Dependency(gclient_utils.WorkItem, DependencySettings):
             'ParseDepsFile(%s): allowed_hosts must be absent '
             'or a non-empty iterable' % self.name)
 
+    # Check that all recursedeps are valid.
+    if self.recursedeps is not None:
+      for name in self.recursedeps:
+        if name not in deps:
+          raise gclient_utils.Error(
+              'ParseDepsFile(%s): recursedeps contains entry, '
+              'that is not referenced in deps: %s' % name)
+
     # Convert the deps into real Dependency.
     deps_to_add = []
     for name, url in deps.iteritems():