diff --git a/netbox/dcim/forms/common.py b/netbox/dcim/forms/common.py
index 515ff9b83..031d4cdf5 100644
--- a/netbox/dcim/forms/common.py
+++ b/netbox/dcim/forms/common.py
@@ -72,7 +72,6 @@ class ModuleCommonForm(forms.Form):
 
     def _get_module_bay_tree(self, module_bay):
         module_bays = []
-        all_module_bays = module.device.modulebays.all().select_related('module')
         while module_bay:
             module_bays.append(module_bay)
             if module_bay.module:
diff --git a/netbox/dcim/models/device_components.py b/netbox/dcim/models/device_components.py
index adc543d79..660dbe935 100644
--- a/netbox/dcim/models/device_components.py
+++ b/netbox/dcim/models/device_components.py
@@ -1116,19 +1116,14 @@ class ModuleBay(ModularComponentModel, TrackingModelMixin):
     def clean(self):
         super().clean()
 
-        # Check for recursion of moduleX -> module bay -> modulex
+        # Check for recursion
         if module := self.module:
-            all_module_bays = self.device.modulebays.all().select_related('module')
-            found = []
+            tree = []
             while module:
-                if module.id in found:
-                    raise ValidationError(_("Cannot have a recursion in Module Bay -> Module relationships."))
-
-                found.append(module.id)
-                if module.module_bay:
-                    module = module.module_bay.module
-                else:
-                    module = None
+                if module.pk in tree:
+                    raise ValidationError(_("A module bay cannot belong to a module installed within it."))
+                tree.append(module.pk)
+                module = module.module_bay.module if module.module_bay else None
 
 
 class DeviceBay(ComponentModel, TrackingModelMixin):
diff --git a/netbox/dcim/models/devices.py b/netbox/dcim/models/devices.py
index 9cf1fbd1d..ad093d6b8 100644
--- a/netbox/dcim/models/devices.py
+++ b/netbox/dcim/models/devices.py
@@ -1203,19 +1203,14 @@ class Module(PrimaryModel, ConfigContextModel):
                 )
             )
 
-        # Check for recursion of moduleX -> module bay -> modulex
+        # Check for recursion
         module = self
-        all_module_bays = self.device.modulebays.all().select_related('module')
-        found = []
+        tree = []
         while module:
-            if module.id in found:
-                raise ValidationError(_("Cannot have a recursion in Module Bay -> Module relationships."))
-
-            found.append(module.id)
-            if module.module_bay:
-                module = module.module_bay.module
-            else:
-                module = None
+            if module.pk in tree:
+                raise ValidationError(_("A module cannot be installed in a bay which depends on itself."))
+            tree.append(module.pk)
+            module = module.module_bay.module if module.module_bay else None
 
     def save(self, *args, **kwargs):
         is_new = self.pk is None