@@ -152,8 +152,9 @@ void freeze() {
      *
      * <p>Cyclic-depth semantics: the depth is the longest acyclic
      * ancestor path terminating at a sealed root within the analyzed
-     * batch; a class with no such path (cycle member, or a chain
-     * dead-ending at a non-sealed in-batch class) has depth 0. Ancestors
+     * batch; a class with no such path (including a cycle member whose
+     * ancestor paths do not reach a sealed root, or a chain dead-ending at a
+     * non-sealed in-batch class) has depth 0. Ancestors
      * absent from the batch preserve a minimum depth of 2 as a
      * relationship signal. (Cycle safety: issue #215.)
      */
 
@@ -262,8 +262,9 @@ public void finalizeMetrics() {
      *   <li>{@link ClassMetrics#setSealedHierarchyDepth(int)} — root sealed
      *       class has depth 1; each direct permittee inherits depth 2, and
      *       so on. The depth is the longest acyclic ancestor path that
-     *       terminates at a sealed root; classes with no such path (cycle
-     *       members, non-sealed dead-ends) get depth 0 and are not marked.
+     *       terminates at a sealed root; classes with no such path (including
+     *       cycle members without a path to a sealed root and non-sealed
+     *       dead-ends) get depth 0 and are not marked.
      *       Third-party ancestors absent from the batch preserve a minimum
      *       depth of 2 as a relationship signal. (Cycle safety: issue #215.)</li>
      *   <li>{@link ClassMetrics#setHasExplicitLogic(boolean)} — true when a
@@ -311,10 +312,11 @@ private int computeSealedDepth(ClassMetrics metrics) {
      * <p><b>Cyclic-depth semantics:</b> a class's depth is the length of the
      * longest acyclic ancestor path that terminates at a sealed root
      * ({@code isSealed() == true} with no ancestors, depth 1) within the
-     * analyzed batch. A class with no such path — a cycle member, a class
-     * whose only paths enter a cycle, or a class whose chain dead-ends at a
-     * non-sealed class in the batch — has depth 0: it is not an observable
-     * member of any sealed hierarchy. Ancestors absent from the batch
+     * analyzed batch. A class with no such path — including a cycle member
+     * whose ancestor paths do not reach a sealed root, a class whose only
+     * paths enter a cycle, or a class whose chain dead-ends at a non-sealed
+     * class in the batch — has depth 0: it is not an observable member of any
+     * sealed hierarchy. Ancestors absent from the batch
      * (third-party) preserve the minimum depth of 2 as a relationship signal.
      *
      * @param visiting the class FQNs on the current ancestor-traversal path
 
@@ -21,12 +21,12 @@
  * <p>A class's depth is the length of the longest acyclic ancestor path that
  * terminates at a sealed root ({@code isSealed() == true} with no ancestors,
  * depth 1) <em>within the analyzed batch</em>. A class with no such path —
- * cycle members, classes whose only ancestor paths enter a cycle, or classes
- * whose chain dead-ends at a non-sealed class in the batch — has depth 0: it
- * is not a member of any observable sealed hierarchy. External ancestors (not
- * present in the batch) preserve the pre-existing minimum depth of 2 as a
- * relationship signal. When both cyclic and valid paths exist, the valid
- * path's depth wins.
+ * including a cycle member whose ancestor paths do not reach a sealed root,
+ * a class whose only ancestor paths enter a cycle, or a class whose chain
+ * dead-ends at a non-sealed class in the batch — has depth 0: it is not a
+ * member of any observable sealed hierarchy. External ancestors (not present
+ * in the batch) preserve the pre-existing minimum depth of 2 as a relationship
+ * signal. When both cyclic and valid paths exist, the valid path's depth wins.
  */
 class GraphMetricsCollectorSealedDepthTest {
 
@@ -145,6 +145,24 @@ void mixedCyclicAndValidPaths_validPathWins() {
         assertEquals(1, root.getSealedHierarchyDepth());
     }
 
+    @DisplayName("a cycle member with a sealed-root path receives its valid depth")
+    @Test
+    void cycleMemberWithSealedRootPath_hasValidDepth() {
+        GraphMetricsCollector collector = newCollector();
+        ClassMetrics root = collector.getOrCreateClassMetrics("com.example.Shape");
+        root.setSealed(true);
+        ClassMetrics a = collector.getOrCreateClassMetrics("com.example.A");
+        ClassMetrics b = collector.getOrCreateClassMetrics("com.example.B");
+        a.addSealedHierarchyAncestor("com.example.B");
+        b.addSealedHierarchyAncestor("com.example.A");
+        b.addSealedHierarchyAncestor("com.example.Shape");
+
+        collector.finalizeMetrics();
+
+        assertEquals(3, a.getSealedHierarchyDepth(), "A reaches the Shape root through B");
+        assertEquals(2, b.getSealedHierarchyDepth(), "B reaches the Shape root directly");
+    }
+
     @DisplayName("a chain ending at a non-sealed class in the batch has depth 0")
     @Test
     void chainEndingAtNonSealedClass_hasDepthZero() {