diff --git a/packages/openapi-ts-tests/valibot/v1/__snapshots__/3.1.x/validators-acyclic-ref-order/valibot.gen.ts b/packages/openapi-ts-tests/valibot/v1/__snapshots__/3.1.x/validators-acyclic-ref-order/valibot.gen.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0980e554d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/openapi-ts-tests/valibot/v1/__snapshots__/3.1.x/validators-acyclic-ref-order/valibot.gen.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+// This file is auto-generated by @hey-api/openapi-ts
+
+import * as v from 'valibot';
+
+export const vChild = v.object({
+    id: v.optional(v.number())
+});
+
+export const vParent = v.object({
+    id: v.number(),
+    children: v.optional(v.array(vChild))
+});
diff --git a/packages/openapi-ts-tests/valibot/v1/test/3.1.x.test.ts b/packages/openapi-ts-tests/valibot/v1/test/3.1.x.test.ts
index 69ce20ed7d..43074058f6 100644
--- a/packages/openapi-ts-tests/valibot/v1/test/3.1.x.test.ts
+++ b/packages/openapi-ts-tests/valibot/v1/test/3.1.x.test.ts
@@ -87,6 +87,13 @@ describe(`OpenAPI ${version}`, () => {
       }),
       description: 'validator schemas with BigInt and min/max constraints',
     },
+    {
+      config: createConfig({
+        input: 'validators-acyclic-ref-order.yaml',
+        output: 'validators-acyclic-ref-order',
+      }),
+      description: 'orders acyclic validator schema references before dependents',
+    },
     {
       config: createConfig({
         input: 'validators-circular-ref.json',
diff --git a/packages/openapi-ts/src/plugins/valibot/v1/processor.ts b/packages/openapi-ts/src/plugins/valibot/v1/processor.ts
index fc335177d8..a065e901eb 100644
--- a/packages/openapi-ts/src/plugins/valibot/v1/processor.ts
+++ b/packages/openapi-ts/src/plugins/valibot/v1/processor.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
 import { ref } from '@hey-api/codegen-core';
-import type { SchemaExtractor } from '@hey-api/shared';
-import { createSchemaProcessor, createSchemaWalker, pathToJsonPointer } from '@hey-api/shared';
+import type { IR, SchemaExtractor } from '@hey-api/shared';
+import {
+  createSchemaProcessor,
+  createSchemaWalker,
+  jsonPointerToPath,
+  normalizeJsonPointer,
+  pathToJsonPointer,
+} from '@hey-api/shared';
 
 import { exportAst } from '../shared/export';
 import type { ProcessorContext, ProcessorResult } from '../shared/processor';
@@ -13,6 +19,54 @@ export function createProcessor(plugin: ValibotPlugin['Instance']): ProcessorRes
 
   const extractorHooks = plugin.getHooks((hooks) => hooks.schemas?.shouldExtract);
 
+  function isCyclicReference(currentPointer: string, targetPointer: string): boolean {
+    if (targetPointer === currentPointer) {
+      return true;
+    }
+
+    return (
+      plugin.context.graph?.transitiveDependencies.get(targetPointer)?.has(currentPointer) ?? false
+    );
+  }
+
+  function ensureReferenceRegistered(currentPointer: string, $ref: string): void {
+    const targetPointer = normalizeJsonPointer($ref);
+    const query = {
+      artifact: 'valibot',
+      category: 'schema',
+      resource: 'definition',
+      resourceId: targetPointer,
+    };
+
+    if (plugin.isSymbolRegistered(query)) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    if (isCyclicReference(currentPointer, targetPointer)) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const targetSchema = plugin.context.resolveIrRef<IR.SchemaObject>(targetPointer);
+    const targetPath = jsonPointerToPath(targetPointer);
+    const targetInfo = plugin.context.graph?.nodes.get(targetPointer);
+
+    process({
+      meta: {
+        resource: 'definition',
+        resourceId: targetPointer,
+      },
+      naming: plugin.config.definitions,
+      path: targetPath,
+      plugin,
+      schema: targetSchema,
+      tags: targetInfo?.tags ? Array.from(targetInfo.tags) : undefined,
+    });
+
+    if (!plugin.isSymbolRegistered(query)) {
+      throw new Error(`Failed to emit acyclic Valibot schema reference "${$ref}"`);
+    }
+  }
+
   const schemaExtractor: SchemaExtractor<ProcessorContext> = (ctx) => {
     if (processor.hasEmitted(ctx.path)) {
       return ctx.schema;
@@ -39,7 +93,12 @@ export function createProcessor(plugin: ValibotPlugin['Instance']): ProcessorRes
     const shouldExport = ctx.export !== false;
 
     return processor.withContext({ anchor: ctx.namingAnchor, tags: ctx.tags }, () => {
-      const visitor = createVisitor({ plugin, schemaExtractor });
+      const currentPointer = pathToJsonPointer(ctx.path);
+      const visitor = createVisitor({
+        ensureReferenceRegistered: ($ref) => ensureReferenceRegistered(currentPointer, $ref),
+        plugin,
+        schemaExtractor,
+      });
       const walk = createSchemaWalker(visitor);
 
       const result = walk(ctx.schema, {
diff --git a/packages/openapi-ts/src/plugins/valibot/v1/visitor.ts b/packages/openapi-ts/src/plugins/valibot/v1/visitor.ts
index 573b92745d..b950555e30 100644
--- a/packages/openapi-ts/src/plugins/valibot/v1/visitor.ts
+++ b/packages/openapi-ts/src/plugins/valibot/v1/visitor.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import type { SymbolMeta } from '@hey-api/codegen-core';
 import { fromRef } from '@hey-api/codegen-core';
 import type { SchemaExtractor, SchemaVisitor } from '@hey-api/shared';
-import { pathToJsonPointer } from '@hey-api/shared';
+import { normalizeJsonPointer, pathToJsonPointer } from '@hey-api/shared';
 
 import { $ } from '../../../ts-dsl';
 import { maybeBigInt } from '../../shared/utils/coerce';
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ import { unknownToPipes } from './toAst/unknown';
 import { voidToPipes } from './toAst/void';
 
 export interface VisitorConfig {
+  /** Ensures an acyclic referenced schema has been emitted before using it directly. */
+  ensureReferenceRegistered?: ($ref: string) => void;
   /** The plugin instance. */
   plugin: ValibotPlugin['Instance'];
   /** Optional schema extractor function. */
@@ -40,7 +42,7 @@ function getDefaultValue(meta: ValibotMeta): ReturnType<typeof $.fromValue> {
 export function createVisitor(
   config: VisitorConfig,
 ): SchemaVisitor<ValibotResult, ValibotPlugin['Instance']> {
-  const { plugin, schemaExtractor } = config;
+  const { ensureReferenceRegistered, plugin, schemaExtractor } = config;
 
   const v = plugin.imports.v;
 
@@ -251,15 +253,16 @@ export function createVisitor(
       };
     },
     reference($ref, schema) {
+      const resourceId = normalizeJsonPointer($ref);
       const query: SymbolMeta = {
         artifact: 'valibot',
         category: 'schema',
         resource: 'definition',
-        resourceId: $ref,
+        resourceId,
       };
+      ensureReferenceRegistered?.($ref);
       // TODO: contract (self)
       const refSymbol = plugin.referenceSymbol(query);
-      // TODO: contract (self)
       const isRegistered = plugin.isSymbolRegistered(query);
 
       if (isRegistered) {
diff --git a/specs/3.1.x/validators-acyclic-ref-order.yaml b/specs/3.1.x/validators-acyclic-ref-order.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..79ae3bd841
--- /dev/null
+++ b/specs/3.1.x/validators-acyclic-ref-order.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+openapi: 3.1.0
+info:
+  title: OpenAPI 3.1.0 validators acyclic reference order example
+  version: 1
+paths: {}
+components:
+  schemas:
+    Parent:
+      type: object
+      required:
+        - id
+      properties:
+        id:
+          type: number
+        children:
+          type: array
+          items:
+            $ref: '#/components/schemas/Child'
+    Child:
+      type: object
+      properties:
+        id:
+          type: number