diff --git a/cpp/src/api/exception/exception.cpp b/cpp/src/api/exception/exception.cpp
index e932f90c..9890e051 100644
--- a/cpp/src/api/exception/exception.cpp
+++ b/cpp/src/api/exception/exception.cpp
@@ -82,23 +82,25 @@ EdgeType toEdgeType(std::string_view edgeTypeDisplay) {
 }
 
 std::vector<Vertex> parseCyclicError(std::string_view what) {
-  const auto suffix = what.substr(0, CYCLIC_ERROR_PREFIX.size());
+  constexpr std::string_view SEPARATOR = " > ";
+  const auto suffix = what.substr(CYCLIC_ERROR_PREFIX.size());
 
   std::vector<Vertex> vertices;
   size_t pos = 0;
   while (pos < suffix.size()) {
-    const auto sepPos = suffix.find("--", pos);
-    const auto escapedName = suffix.substr(pos, sepPos);
-    const auto name = replace(replace(escapedName, "\\-", "-"), "\\\\", "\\");
+    const auto sepPos = suffix.find(SEPARATOR, pos);
+    const auto escapedName = suffix.substr(pos, sepPos - pos);
+    const auto name = replace(replace(escapedName, "\\>", ">"), "\\\\", "\\");
 
-    if (sepPos != std::string::npos) {
-      const auto secondSepPos = suffix.find("--", sepPos + 2);
+    const auto secondSepPos = suffix.find(SEPARATOR, sepPos + SEPARATOR.size());
+    if (secondSepPos != std::string::npos) {
       const auto escapedEdgeName =
-          suffix.substr(sepPos + 2, secondSepPos - (sepPos + 2));
+          suffix.substr(sepPos + SEPARATOR.size(),
+                        secondSepPos - (sepPos + SEPARATOR.size()));
 
       vertices.push_back(Vertex(name, toEdgeType(escapedEdgeName)));
 
-      pos = secondSepPos + 2;
+      pos = secondSepPos + SEPARATOR.size();
     } else {
       vertices.push_back(Vertex(name));
       pos = suffix.size();
diff --git a/cpp/src/error.rs b/cpp/src/error.rs
index ccc5992b..3ce9a107 100644
--- a/cpp/src/error.rs
+++ b/cpp/src/error.rs
@@ -27,9 +27,9 @@ impl std::fmt::Display for VerboseError {
             Self::CyclicInteractionError(cycle) => {
                 write!(f, "CyclicInteractionError: ")?;
                 for vertex in cycle {
-                    let name = vertex.name().replace('\\', "\\\\").replace('-', "\\-");
+                    let name = vertex.name().replace('\\', "\\\\").replace('>', "\\>");
                     match vertex.out_edge_type() {
-                        Some(e) => write!(f, "{name}--{e}--")?,
+                        Some(e) => write!(f, "{name} > {e} > ")?,
                         None => write!(f, "{name}")?,
                     }
                 }
diff --git a/cpp/src/tests/api/interface/database_interface_test.h b/cpp/src/tests/api/interface/database_interface_test.h
index 22a1d950..7f41930e 100644
--- a/cpp/src/tests/api/interface/database_interface_test.h
+++ b/cpp/src/tests/api/interface/database_interface_test.h
@@ -409,6 +409,31 @@ TEST_P(DatabaseInterfaceTest,
   EXPECT_FALSE(path[1].GetTypeOfEdgeToNextVertex().has_value());
 }
 
+TEST_P(DatabaseInterfaceTest,
+       getGroupsPathShouldThrowIfThereIsACycleBetweenGroups) {
+  auto& db = handle_->GetDatabase();
+
+  auto group1Name = "backslash \\\\ group \\";
+  auto group2Name = "greater than > group";
+  Group group1(group1Name, {group2Name});
+  Group group2(group2Name, {group1Name});
+
+  db.SetUserGroups({group1, group2});
+
+  try {
+    handle_->GetDatabase().GetGroupsPath(group1Name, group2Name);
+    FAIL();
+  } catch (CyclicInteractionError& e) {
+    const auto cycle = e.GetCycle();
+    ASSERT_EQ(2, cycle.size());
+    ASSERT_EQ(2, cycle.size());
+    EXPECT_EQ(group1Name, cycle[0].GetName());
+    EXPECT_EQ(EdgeType::userLoadAfter, cycle[0].GetTypeOfEdgeToNextVertex());
+    EXPECT_EQ(group2Name, cycle[1].GetName());
+    EXPECT_EQ(EdgeType::userLoadAfter, cycle[1].GetTypeOfEdgeToNextVertex());
+  }
+}
+
 TEST_P(DatabaseInterfaceTest,
        getKnownBashTagsShouldReturnAllBashTagsListedInLoadedMetadata) {
   ASSERT_NO_THROW(GenerateMasterlist());
diff --git a/cpp/src/tests/api/interface/game_interface_test.h b/cpp/src/tests/api/interface/game_interface_test.h
index 9682deda..c8d9b176 100644
--- a/cpp/src/tests/api/interface/game_interface_test.h
+++ b/cpp/src/tests/api/interface/game_interface_test.h
@@ -469,6 +469,32 @@ TEST_P(GameInterfaceTest, sortPluginsShouldThrowIfAGivenPluginIsNotLoaded) {
   EXPECT_THROW(handle_->SortPlugins(plugins), PluginNotLoadedError);
 }
 
+TEST_P(GameInterfaceTest, sortPluginsShouldThrowIfACyclicInteractionOccurs) {
+  std::vector<std::string> plugins{blankEsp, blankDifferentEsp};
+  handle_->LoadPlugins({blankEsp, blankDifferentEsp}, false);
+
+  auto& db = handle_->GetDatabase();
+  PluginMetadata blankEspMetadata(blankEsp);
+  blankEspMetadata.SetLoadAfterFiles({File(blankDifferentEsp)});
+  db.SetPluginUserMetadata(blankEspMetadata);
+
+  PluginMetadata blankDifferentEspMetadata(blankDifferentEsp);
+  blankDifferentEspMetadata.SetLoadAfterFiles({File(blankEsp)});
+  db.SetPluginUserMetadata(blankDifferentEspMetadata);
+
+  try {
+    handle_->SortPlugins(plugins);
+    FAIL();
+  } catch (CyclicInteractionError& e) {
+    const auto cycle = e.GetCycle();
+    ASSERT_EQ(2, cycle.size());
+    EXPECT_EQ(blankDifferentEsp, cycle[0].GetName());
+    EXPECT_EQ(EdgeType::userLoadAfter, cycle[0].GetTypeOfEdgeToNextVertex());
+    EXPECT_EQ(blankEsp, cycle[1].GetName());
+    EXPECT_EQ(EdgeType::userLoadAfter, cycle[1].GetTypeOfEdgeToNextVertex());
+  }
+}
+
 TEST_P(GameInterfaceTest, clearLoadedPluginsShouldClearThePluginsCache) {
   handle_->LoadPlugins({std::filesystem::u8path(blankEsm)}, true);
   const auto pointer = handle_->GetPlugin(blankEsm);