diff --git a/flang/include/flang/Semantics/symbol.h b/flang/include/flang/Semantics/symbol.h
--- a/flang/include/flang/Semantics/symbol.h
+++ b/flang/include/flang/Semantics/symbol.h
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 #include <array>
 #include <list>
 #include <optional>
-#include <set>
+#include <unordered_set>
 #include <vector>
 
 namespace llvm {
@@ -38,6 +38,12 @@
 using SymbolVector = std::vector<SymbolRef>;
 using MutableSymbolRef = common::Reference<Symbol>;
 using MutableSymbolVector = std::vector<MutableSymbolRef>;
+struct SymbolHash {
+  std::size_t operator()(SymbolRef symRef) const {
+    return (std::size_t)(&symRef.get());
+  }
+};
+using SymbolSet = std::unordered_set<SymbolRef, SymbolHash>;
 
 // A module or submodule.
 class ModuleDetails {
@@ -594,9 +600,10 @@
 
   bool operator==(const Symbol &that) const { return this == &that; }
   bool operator!=(const Symbol &that) const { return !(*this == that); }
+  // For maps using symbols as keys and sorting symbols.  Collate them by their
+  // position in the cooked character stream
   bool operator<(const Symbol &that) const {
-    // For sets of symbols: collate them by source location
-    return name_.begin() < that.name_.begin();
+    return sortName_ < that.sortName_;
   }
 
   int Rank() const {
@@ -653,6 +660,7 @@
 private:
   const Scope *owner_;
   SourceName name_;
+  const char *sortName_; // used in the "<" operator for sorting symbols
   Attrs attrs_;
   Flags flags_;
   Scope *scope_{nullptr};
@@ -687,6 +695,7 @@
     Symbol &symbol = Get();
     symbol.owner_ = &owner;
     symbol.name_ = name;
+    symbol.sortName_ = name.begin();
     symbol.attrs_ = attrs;
     symbol.details_ = std::move(details);
     return symbol;
@@ -765,7 +774,6 @@
 inline bool operator<(MutableSymbolRef x, MutableSymbolRef y) {
   return *x < *y;
 }
-using SymbolSet = std::set<SymbolRef>;
 
 } // namespace Fortran::semantics
 
diff --git a/flang/lib/Evaluate/characteristics.cpp b/flang/lib/Evaluate/characteristics.cpp
--- a/flang/lib/Evaluate/characteristics.cpp
+++ b/flang/lib/Evaluate/characteristics.cpp
@@ -369,7 +369,7 @@
     std::string procsList{GetSeenProcs(seenProcs)};
     context.messages().Say(symbol.name(),
         "Procedure '%s' is recursively defined.  Procedures in the cycle:"
-        " '%s'"_err_en_US,
+        " %s"_err_en_US,
         symbol.name(), procsList);
     return std::nullopt;
   }
diff --git a/flang/lib/Semantics/resolve-names.cpp b/flang/lib/Semantics/resolve-names.cpp
--- a/flang/lib/Semantics/resolve-names.cpp
+++ b/flang/lib/Semantics/resolve-names.cpp
@@ -1003,6 +1003,7 @@
     context().SetError(symbol);
     return symbol;
   }
+  bool HasCycle(const Symbol &, const ProcInterface &);
 };
 
 // Resolve construct entities and statement entities.
@@ -2132,7 +2133,7 @@
 
 void ScopeHandler::ApplyImplicitRules(
     Symbol &symbol, bool allowForwardReference) {
-  if (!NeedsType(symbol)) {
+  if (context().HasError(symbol) || !NeedsType(symbol)) {
     return;
   }
   if (const DeclTypeSpec * type{GetImplicitType(symbol)}) {
@@ -2156,10 +2157,8 @@
   if (allowForwardReference && ImplicitlyTypeForwardRef(symbol)) {
     return;
   }
-  if (!context().HasError(symbol)) {
-    Say(symbol.name(), "No explicit type declared for '%s'"_err_en_US);
-    context().SetError(symbol);
-  }
+  Say(symbol.name(), "No explicit type declared for '%s'"_err_en_US);
+  context().SetError(symbol);
 }
 
 // Extension: Allow forward references to scalar integer dummy arguments
@@ -3641,6 +3640,35 @@
   }
 }
 
+bool DeclarationVisitor::HasCycle(
+    const Symbol &procSymbol, const ProcInterface &interface) {
+  SymbolSet procsInCycle;
+  procsInCycle.insert(procSymbol);
+  const ProcInterface *thisInterface{&interface};
+  bool haveInterface{true};
+  while (haveInterface) {
+    haveInterface = false;
+    if (const Symbol * interfaceSymbol{thisInterface->symbol()}) {
+      if (procsInCycle.count(*interfaceSymbol) > 0) {
+        for (const auto procInCycle : procsInCycle) {
+          Say(procInCycle->name(),
+              "The interface for procedure '%s' is recursively "
+              "defined"_err_en_US,
+              procInCycle->name());
+          context().SetError(*procInCycle);
+        }
+        return true;
+      } else if (const auto *procDetails{
+                     interfaceSymbol->detailsIf<ProcEntityDetails>()}) {
+        haveInterface = true;
+        thisInterface = &procDetails->interface();
+        procsInCycle.insert(*interfaceSymbol);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  return false;
+}
+
 Symbol &DeclarationVisitor::DeclareProcEntity(
     const parser::Name &name, Attrs attrs, const ProcInterface &interface) {
   Symbol &symbol{DeclareEntity<ProcEntityDetails>(name, attrs)};
@@ -3650,20 +3678,20 @@
           "The interface for procedure '%s' has already been "
           "declared"_err_en_US);
       context().SetError(symbol);
-    } else {
-      if (interface.type()) {
+    } else if (HasCycle(symbol, interface)) {
+      return symbol;
+    } else if (interface.type()) {
+      symbol.set(Symbol::Flag::Function);
+    } else if (interface.symbol()) {
+      if (interface.symbol()->test(Symbol::Flag::Function)) {
         symbol.set(Symbol::Flag::Function);
-      } else if (interface.symbol()) {
-        if (interface.symbol()->test(Symbol::Flag::Function)) {
-          symbol.set(Symbol::Flag::Function);
-        } else if (interface.symbol()->test(Symbol::Flag::Subroutine)) {
-          symbol.set(Symbol::Flag::Subroutine);
-        }
+      } else if (interface.symbol()->test(Symbol::Flag::Subroutine)) {
+        symbol.set(Symbol::Flag::Subroutine);
       }
-      details->set_interface(interface);
-      SetBindNameOn(symbol);
-      SetPassNameOn(symbol);
     }
+    details->set_interface(interface);
+    SetBindNameOn(symbol);
+    SetPassNameOn(symbol);
   }
   return symbol;
 }
@@ -5005,7 +5033,7 @@
 
 void DeclarationVisitor::CheckExplicitInterface(const parser::Name &name) {
   if (const Symbol * symbol{name.symbol}) {
-    if (!symbol->HasExplicitInterface()) {
+    if (!context().HasError(*symbol) && !symbol->HasExplicitInterface()) {
       Say(name,
           "'%s' must be an abstract interface or a procedure with "
           "an explicit interface"_err_en_US,
diff --git a/flang/test/Semantics/resolve102.f90 b/flang/test/Semantics/resolve102.f90
--- a/flang/test/Semantics/resolve102.f90
+++ b/flang/test/Semantics/resolve102.f90
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 ! RUN: %S/test_errors.sh %s %t %f18
 
 ! Tests for circularly defined procedures
-!ERROR: Procedure 'sub' is recursively defined.  Procedures in the cycle: ''sub', 'p2''
+!ERROR: Procedure 'sub' is recursively defined.  Procedures in the cycle: 'p2', 'sub'
 subroutine sub(p2)
   PROCEDURE(sub) :: p2
 
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 end subroutine
 
 subroutine circular
-  !ERROR: Procedure 'p' is recursively defined.  Procedures in the cycle: ''p', 'sub', 'p2''
+  !ERROR: Procedure 'p' is recursively defined.  Procedures in the cycle: 'p2', 'p', 'sub'
   procedure(sub) :: p
 
   call p(sub)
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 end subroutine circular
 
 program iface
-  !ERROR: Procedure 'p' is recursively defined.  Procedures in the cycle: ''p', 'sub', 'p2''
+  !ERROR: Procedure 'p' is recursively defined.  Procedures in the cycle: 'p2', 'p', 'sub'
   procedure(sub) :: p
   interface
     subroutine sub(p2)
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
   Call p(sub)
 
   contains
-    !ERROR: Procedure 'sub1' is recursively defined.  Procedures in the cycle: ''p', 'sub1', 'arg''
+    !ERROR: Procedure 'sub1' is recursively defined.  Procedures in the cycle: 'arg', 'p', 'sub1'
     Subroutine sub1(arg)
       procedure(sub1) :: arg
     End Subroutine
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
   Call p(sub)
 
   contains
-    !ERROR: Procedure 'sub1' is recursively defined.  Procedures in the cycle: ''p', 'sub1', 'arg', 'sub', 'p2''
+    !ERROR: Procedure 'sub1' is recursively defined.  Procedures in the cycle: 'p2', 'sub', 'arg', 'p', 'sub1'
     Subroutine sub1(arg)
       procedure(sub) :: arg
     End Subroutine
@@ -63,3 +63,24 @@
       Procedure(sub1) :: p2
     End Subroutine
 End Program
+
+program twoCycle
+  !ERROR: The interface for procedure 'p1' is recursively defined
+  !ERROR: The interface for procedure 'p2' is recursively defined
+  procedure(p1) p2
+  procedure(p2) p1
+  call p1
+  call p2
+end program
+
+program threeCycle
+  !ERROR: The interface for procedure 'p1' is recursively defined
+  !ERROR: The interface for procedure 'p2' is recursively defined
+  procedure(p1) p2
+  !ERROR: The interface for procedure 'p3' is recursively defined
+  procedure(p2) p3
+  procedure(p3) p1
+  call p1
+  call p2
+  call p3
+end program