diff --git a/compiler/ast/report_enums.nim b/compiler/ast/report_enums.nim
index b2f17deb930..80471922f3a 100644
--- a/compiler/ast/report_enums.nim
+++ b/compiler/ast/report_enums.nim
@@ -360,6 +360,7 @@ type
 
     rsemCannotInstantiate
     rsemCannotInstantiateWithParameter
+    rsemCannotInstantiateForwarded
     rsemCannotGenerateGenericDestructor
     rsemUndeclaredField
     rsemExpectedOrdinal
diff --git a/compiler/front/cli_reporter.nim b/compiler/front/cli_reporter.nim
index f06d5b9cff4..e9e9616839e 100644
--- a/compiler/front/cli_reporter.nim
+++ b/compiler/front/cli_reporter.nim
@@ -790,6 +790,10 @@ proc reportBody*(conf: ConfigRef, r: SemReport): string =
           r.ownerSym.name.s
         )
 
+    of rsemCannotInstantiateForwarded:
+      result = "cannot instantiate generic procedure forward-declared in " &
+               "another module"
+
     of rsemTypeKindMismatch:
       result = r.str
       result.add  " got '$1'" % typeToString(r.actualType)
diff --git a/compiler/sem/seminst.nim b/compiler/sem/seminst.nim
index a47e0fea606..985785ecade 100644
--- a/compiler/sem/seminst.nim
+++ b/compiler/sem/seminst.nim
@@ -401,6 +401,11 @@ proc generateInstance(c: PContext, fn: PSym, pt: TIdTable,
   n[genericParamsPos] = c.graph.emptyNode
   var oldPrc = genericCacheGet(c.graph, fn, entry[], c.compilesContextId)
   if oldPrc == nil:
+    if sfForward in fn.flags and fn.itemId.module != c.module.itemId.module:
+      localReport(c.config, info, reportSem(rsemCannotInstantiateForwarded))
+      # don't abort instantiation; let it complete for the sake of error
+      # correction (check/suggest)
+
     # we MUST not add potentially wrong instantiations to the caching mechanism.
     # This means recursive instantiations behave differently when in
     # a ``compiles`` context but this is the lesser evil. See
diff --git a/tests/lang_callable/generics/mgeneric_cycle_forward.nim b/tests/lang_callable/generics/mgeneric_cycle_forward.nim
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..22bef725b8e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lang_callable/generics/mgeneric_cycle_forward.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+import tgeneric_cycle_forward
+
+forwarded[int]() # was already instantiated; works
+# try to instantiate the incomplete generic routine:
+forwarded[float]()
diff --git a/tests/lang_callable/generics/tgeneric_cycle_forward.nim b/tests/lang_callable/generics/tgeneric_cycle_forward.nim
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7f72e20fb18
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lang_callable/generics/tgeneric_cycle_forward.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+discard """
+  description: '''
+    Ensure instantiating foreign, incomplete generic procedures leads to a
+    proper error.
+  '''
+  errormsg: "cannot instantiate generic procedure forward-declared in another module"
+  file: "mgeneric_cycle_forward.nim"
+  line: 5
+"""
+
+proc forwarded*[T]()
+
+# instantiate with `int` before starting the import cycle
+forwarded[int]()
+
+import mgeneric_cycle_forward # start the recursive import
+
+# complete the forward declaration:
+proc forwarded[T]() =
+  discard