diff --git a/src/taskgraph/graph.py b/src/taskgraph/graph.py
index 573275087..576325514 100644
--- a/src/taskgraph/graph.py
+++ b/src/taskgraph/graph.py
@@ -61,20 +61,24 @@ def transitive_closure(self, nodes, reverse=False):
                 f"Unknown nodes in transitive closure: {nodes - self.nodes}"
             )
 
-        # generate a new graph by expanding along edges until reaching a fixed
-        # point
-        new_nodes, new_edges = nodes, set()
-        nodes, edges = set(), set()
-        while (new_nodes, new_edges) != (nodes, edges):
-            nodes, edges = new_nodes, new_edges
-            add_edges = {
-                (left, right, name)
-                for (left, right, name) in self.edges
-                if (right if reverse else left) in nodes
-            }
-            add_nodes = {(left if reverse else right) for (left, right, _) in add_edges}
-            new_nodes = nodes | add_nodes
-            new_edges = edges | add_edges
+        # Build an adjacency map keyed by the node to expand from. This reduces
+        # traversal below from O(V·E) -> O(V+E).
+        adjacency = collections.defaultdict(list)
+        for edge in self.edges:
+            left, right, _ = edge
+            adjacency[right if reverse else left].append(edge)
+
+        new_nodes = set(nodes)
+        new_edges = set()
+        queue = collections.deque(nodes)
+        while queue:
+            node = queue.popleft()
+            for edge in adjacency.get(node, ()):
+                new_edges.add(edge)
+                neighbor = edge[0] if reverse else edge[1]
+                if neighbor not in new_nodes:
+                    new_nodes.add(neighbor)
+                    queue.append(neighbor)
         return Graph(new_nodes, new_edges)
 
     def _visit(self, reverse):
diff --git a/test/test_graph.py b/test/test_graph.py
index f1d683cc4..81d339baa 100644
--- a/test/test_graph.py
+++ b/test/test_graph.py
@@ -95,6 +95,21 @@ def test_transitive_closure_trees(self):
             ),
         )
 
+    def test_transitive_closure_trees_reverse(self):
+        "reverse transitive closure of a tree, at two leaves, is their ancestors"
+        self.assertEqual(
+            self.tree.transitive_closure({"d", "f"}, reverse=True),
+            Graph(
+                {"a", "b", "c", "d", "f"},
+                {
+                    ("a", "b", "L"),
+                    ("a", "c", "L"),
+                    ("b", "d", "K"),
+                    ("c", "f", "N"),
+                },
+            ),
+        )
+
     def test_transitive_closure_multi_edges(self):
         "transitive closure of a tree with multiple edges between nodes keeps those edges"
         self.assertEqual(
@@ -111,6 +126,23 @@ def test_transitive_closure_multi_edges(self):
             ),
         )
 
+    def test_transitive_closure_multi_edges_reverse(self):
+        "reverse transitive closure of a tree with multiple edges between nodes keeps those edges"
+        self.assertEqual(
+            self.multi_edges.transitive_closure({"1"}, reverse=True),
+            Graph(
+                {"1", "2", "3", "4"},
+                {
+                    ("2", "1", "red"),
+                    ("2", "1", "blue"),
+                    ("3", "1", "red"),
+                    ("3", "2", "blue"),
+                    ("3", "2", "green"),
+                    ("4", "3", "green"),
+                },
+            ),
+        )
+
     def test_transitive_closure_disjoint_edges(self):
         "transitive closure of a disjoint graph keeps those edges"
         self.assertEqual(
@@ -126,14 +158,42 @@ def test_transitive_closure_disjoint_edges(self):
             ),
         )
 
+    def test_transitive_closure_disjoint_edges_reverse(self):
+        "reverse transitive closure of a disjoint graph keeps those edges"
+        self.assertEqual(
+            self.disjoint.transitive_closure({"1", "γ"}, reverse=True),
+            Graph(
+                {"1", "2", "3", "4", "α", "β", "γ"},
+                {
+                    ("2", "1", "red"),
+                    ("3", "1", "red"),
+                    ("4", "3", "green"),
+                    ("3", "2", "green"),
+                    ("α", "β", "πράσινο"),
+                    ("β", "γ", "κόκκινο"),
+                    ("α", "γ", "μπλε"),
+                },
+            ),
+        )
+
     def test_transitive_closure_linear(self):
         "transitive closure of a linear graph includes all nodes in the line"
         self.assertEqual(self.linear.transitive_closure({"1"}), self.linear)
 
+    def test_transitive_closure_linear_reverse(self):
+        "reverse transitive closure of a linear graph includes all nodes in the line"
+        self.assertEqual(
+            self.linear.transitive_closure({"4"}, reverse=True), self.linear
+        )
+
     def test_transitive_closure_loopy(self):
         "transitive closure of a loop is the whole loop"
         self.assertEqual(self.loopy.transitive_closure({"A"}), self.loopy)
 
+    def test_transitive_closure_loopy_reverse(self):
+        "reverse transitive closure of a loop is the whole loop"
+        self.assertEqual(self.loopy.transitive_closure({"A"}, reverse=True), self.loopy)
+
     def test_visit_postorder_empty(self):
         "postorder visit of an empty graph is empty"
         self.assertEqual(list(Graph(set(), set()).visit_postorder()), [])