diff --git a/src/library/local_context.cpp b/src/library/local_context.cpp
index 9b85ece49c..d0310d1a4e 100644
--- a/src/library/local_context.cpp
+++ b/src/library/local_context.cpp
@@ -77,6 +77,43 @@ struct depends_on_fn {
         lean_assert(std::all_of(locals, locals+num, is_local_decl_ref));
     }
 
+    bool visit_local(expr const & e) {
+        lean_assert(is_local_decl_ref(e));
+        if (std::any_of(m_locals, m_locals + m_num,
+                        [&](expr const & l) { return mlocal_name(e) == mlocal_name(l); }))
+            return true;
+
+        if (!m_lctx || m_visited_decls.contains(mlocal_name(e)))
+            return false;
+        m_visited_decls.insert(mlocal_name(e));
+        optional<local_decl> decl = m_lctx->find_local_decl(e);
+        if (!decl)
+            return false;
+        if (visit(decl->get_type()))
+            return true;
+        if (optional<expr> v = decl->get_value())
+            return visit(*v);
+        else
+            return false;
+    }
+
+    bool visit_metavar(expr const & e) {
+        lean_assert(is_metavar_decl_ref(e));
+        if (m_visited_mvars.contains(mlocal_name(e)))
+            return false;
+        m_visited_mvars.insert(mlocal_name(e));
+        optional<metavar_decl> decl = m_mctx.find_metavar_decl(e);
+        if (!decl)
+            return false;
+        if (visit(decl->get_type()))
+            return true;
+        if (auto v = m_mctx.get_assignment(e)) {
+            if (visit(*v))
+                return true;
+        }
+        return false;
+    }
+
     bool visit(expr const & e) {
         if (!has_local(e) && !has_expr_metavar(e))
             return false;
@@ -84,36 +121,13 @@ struct depends_on_fn {
         for_each(e, [&](expr const & e, unsigned) {
                 if (found) return false;
                 if (!has_local(e) && !has_expr_metavar(e)) return false;
-                if (is_local_decl_ref(e)) {
-                    if (std::any_of(m_locals, m_locals + m_num,
-                                    [&](expr const & l) { return mlocal_name(e) == mlocal_name(l); })) {
-                        found = true;
-                        return false;
-                    }
-                    if (m_lctx) {
-                        if (optional<local_decl> decl = m_lctx->find_local_decl(e)) {
-                            if (optional<expr> v = decl->get_value()) {
-                                if (!m_visited_decls.contains(decl->get_name())) {
-                                    m_visited_decls.insert(decl->get_name());
-                                    if (visit(*v)) {
-                                        found = true;
-                                        return false;
-                                    }
-                                }
-                            }
-                        }
-                    }
+                if (is_local_decl_ref(e) && visit_local(e)) {
+                    found = true;
+                    return false;
                 }
-                if (is_metavar_decl_ref(e)) {
-                    if (auto v = m_mctx.get_assignment(e)) {
-                        if (!m_visited_mvars.contains(mlocal_name(e))) {
-                            m_visited_mvars.insert(mlocal_name(e));
-                            if (visit(*v)) {
-                                found = true;
-                                return false;
-                            }
-                        }
-                    }
+                if (is_metavar_decl_ref(e) && visit_metavar(e)) {
+                    found = true;
+                    return false;
                 }
                 return true;
             });
diff --git a/src/library/tactic/cases_tactic.cpp b/src/library/tactic/cases_tactic.cpp
index 102f6ab3a3..580a91e8c8 100644
--- a/src/library/tactic/cases_tactic.cpp
+++ b/src/library/tactic/cases_tactic.cpp
@@ -384,6 +384,11 @@ struct cases_tactic_fn {
                      ctx.lctx().get_local_decl(lhs).get_idx()
                      <
                      ctx.lctx().get_local_decl(rhs).get_idx());
+                if (symm && depends_on(lhs, m_mctx, ctx.lctx(), rhs)) {
+                    throw_exception(mvar, "cases tactic failed, when eliminating equality left-hand-side depends on right-hand-side");
+                } else if (!symm && depends_on(rhs, m_mctx, ctx.lctx(), lhs)) {
+                    throw_exception(mvar, "cases tactic failed, when eliminating equality right-hand-side depends on left-hand-side");
+                }
                 expr mvar2 = ::lean::subst(m_env, m_opts, m_mode, m_mctx, *mvar1, H, symm,
                                            updating ? &extra_subst : nullptr);
                 new_intros = apply(new_intros, extra_subst);
diff --git a/tests/lean/1836.lean b/tests/lean/1836.lean
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8f50c62f52
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lean/1836.lean
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+structure pType :=
+  (carrier : Type)
+  (Point   : carrier)
+
+structure pmap (A B : pType) : Type :=
+ (f : A.carrier → B.carrier)
+ (p : f A.Point = B.Point)
+
+def ex1 {A B : pType} (f : pmap A B) : f = f :=
+begin
+  induction B with B b, induction f with f pf,
+  cases pf -- should fail because of dependency
+end
+
+def ex2 {A B : pType} (f : pmap A B) : f = f :=
+begin
+  induction B with B b, induction f with f pf,
+  dsimp at f, /- break dependency using reduction -/
+  cases pf,
+  refl
+end
diff --git a/tests/lean/1836.lean.expected.out b/tests/lean/1836.lean.expected.out
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8fb0f44fb1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lean/1836.lean.expected.out
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+1836.lean:12:2: error: cases tactic failed, when eliminating equality right-hand-side depends on left-hand-side
+state:
+A : pType,
+B : Type,
+b : B,
+f : A.carrier → {carrier := B, Point := b}.carrier,
+pf : f (A.Point) = {carrier := B, Point := b}.Point
+⊢ b = f (A.Point) → pf == _ → {f := f, p := pf} = {f := f, p := pf}