diff --git a/pkgs/racket-test/tests/racket/contract/flat-contracts.rkt b/pkgs/racket-test/tests/racket/contract/flat-contracts.rkt
index 24ecae3be6..a0bba7ed00 100644
--- a/pkgs/racket-test/tests/racket/contract/flat-contracts.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/racket-test/tests/racket/contract/flat-contracts.rkt
@@ -200,6 +200,9 @@
                       (list #t 1)
                       #f)
 
+  (test-flat-contract '(cons/dc [hd 1] [tl (hd) 3] #:flat) (cons 1 3) (cons 1 4))
+  (test-flat-contract '(cons/dc [hd (tl) 1] [tl 3] #:flat) (cons 1 3) (cons 1 4))
+  
   (test-flat-contract '(box/c boolean? #:flat? #t) (box #f) (box 1))
   (test-flat-contract '(box/c (flat-contract boolean?) #:flat? #t) (box #t) #f)
   (test-flat-contract '(box-immutable/c boolean?) (box-immutable #f) (box-immutable 1))
diff --git a/racket/collects/racket/contract/private/list.rkt b/racket/collects/racket/contract/private/list.rkt
index d17dc8320b..299f454a6d 100644
--- a/racket/collects/racket/contract/private/list.rkt
+++ b/racket/collects/racket/contract/private/list.rkt
@@ -484,9 +484,16 @@
 (define (cons/dc-first-order ctc)
   (λ (val)
     (and (pair? val)
-         (contract-first-order-passes?
-          (the-cons/dc-undep ctc)
-          (if (the-cons/dc-forwards? ctc) (car val) (cdr val))))))
+         (let-values ([(undep-val dep-val)
+                       (if (the-cons/dc-forwards? ctc)
+                           (values (car val) (cdr val))
+                           (values (cdr val) (car val)))])
+           (and (contract-first-order-passes?
+                 (the-cons/dc-undep ctc)
+                 undep-val)
+                (contract-first-order-passes?
+                 ((the-cons/dc-dep ctc) undep-val)
+                 dep-val))))))
 
 (define (cons/dc-stronger? this that) #f)