diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Dumper/PhpDumper.php b/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Dumper/PhpDumper.php
index 31be3f416b..37f29e8a88 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Dumper/PhpDumper.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Dumper/PhpDumper.php
@@ -387,6 +387,12 @@ class PhpDumper extends Dumper
                 continue;
             }
 
+            // if the instance is simple, the return statement has already been generated
+            // so, the only possible way to get there is because of a circular reference
+            if ($this->isSimpleInstance($id, $definition)) {
+                throw new ServiceCircularReferenceException($id, array($id));
+            }
+
             $name = (string) $this->definitionVariables->offsetGet($iDefinition);
             $code .= $this->addServiceMethodCalls(null, $iDefinition, $name);
             $code .= $this->addServiceProperties(null, $iDefinition, $name);
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Tests/Dumper/PhpDumperTest.php b/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Tests/Dumper/PhpDumperTest.php
index 369ac81bbe..44043268d3 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Tests/Dumper/PhpDumperTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/DependencyInjection/Tests/Dumper/PhpDumperTest.php
@@ -155,4 +155,19 @@ class PhpDumperTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
 
         $this->assertSame($bar, $container->get('foo')->bar, '->set() overrides an already defined service');
     }
+
+    /**
+     * @expectedException \Symfony\Component\DependencyInjection\Exception\ServiceCircularReferenceException
+     */
+    public function testCircularReference()
+    {
+        $container = new ContainerBuilder();
+        $container->register('foo', 'stdClass')->addArgument(new Reference('bar'));
+        $container->register('bar', 'stdClass')->setPublic(false)->addMethodCall('setA', array(new Reference('baz')));
+        $container->register('baz', 'stdClass')->addMethodCall('setA', array(new Reference('foo')));
+        $container->compile();
+
+        $dumper = new PhpDumper($container);
+        $dumper->dump();
+    }
 }