diff --git a/app/models/article.rb b/app/models/article.rb
index 0196eef..2f75234 100644
--- a/app/models/article.rb
+++ b/app/models/article.rb
@@ -79,6 +79,25 @@ class Article < ActiveRecord::Base
   validate :native_translation_must_have_language
   validate :translation_must_have_language
 
+  validate :no_self_reference
+  validate :no_cyclical_reference, :if => 'parent_id.present?'
+
+  def no_self_reference
+    errors.add(:parent_id, _('self-reference is not allowed.')) if id && parent_id == id
+  end
+
+  def no_cyclical_reference
+    current_parent = Article.find(parent_id)
+    while current_parent
+      if current_parent == self
+        errors.add(:parent_id, _('cyclical reference is not allowed.'))
+        break
+      end
+      current_parent = current_parent.parent
+    end
+  end
+
+
   def is_trackable?
     self.published? && self.notifiable? && self.advertise? && self.profile.public_profile
   end
diff --git a/test/unit/article_test.rb b/test/unit/article_test.rb
index 68b6223..5a91225 100644
--- a/test/unit/article_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/article_test.rb
@@ -1800,4 +1800,22 @@ class ArticleTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
     assert_equal [f2.path,article.slug].join('/'), article.path
   end
 
+  should 'not allow parent as itself' do
+    article = Article.create!(:name => 'Sample Article', :profile => profile)
+    article.parent = article
+    article.valid?
+
+    assert article.errors.invalid?(:parent_id)
+  end
+
+  should 'not allow cyclical paternity' do
+    a1 = Article.create!(:name => 'Sample Article 1', :profile => profile)
+    a2 = Article.create!(:name => 'Sample Article 2', :profile => profile, :parent => a1)
+    a3 = Article.create!(:name => 'Sample Article 3', :profile => profile, :parent => a2)
+    a1.parent = a3
+    a1.valid?
+
+    assert a1.errors.invalid?(:parent_id)
+  end
+
 end
--
libgit2 0.21.2