diff --git a/packages/shared-core/src/helpers/roles.ts b/packages/shared-core/src/helpers/roles.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..27f28cff82
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/shared-core/src/helpers/roles.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+import { Role } from "@budibase/types"
+
+// Function to detect loops in roles
+export function checkForRoleInheritanceLoops(roles: Role[]): boolean {
+  const roleMap = new Map<string, Role>()
+  roles.forEach(role => {
+    roleMap.set(role._id!, role)
+  })
+
+  const checked = new Set<string>()
+  const checking = new Set<string>()
+
+  function hasLoop(roleId: string): boolean {
+    if (checking.has(roleId)) {
+      return true
+    }
+    if (checked.has(roleId)) {
+      return false
+    }
+
+    checking.add(roleId)
+
+    const role = roleMap.get(roleId)
+    if (!role) {
+      // role not found - ignore
+      checking.delete(roleId)
+      return false
+    }
+
+    const inherits = Array.isArray(role.inherits)
+      ? role.inherits
+      : [role.inherits]
+    for (const inheritedId of inherits) {
+      if (inheritedId && hasLoop(inheritedId)) {
+        return true
+      }
+    }
+
+    // mark this role has been fully checked
+    checking.delete(roleId)
+    checked.add(roleId)
+
+    return false
+  }
+
+  return !!roles.find(role => hasLoop(role._id!))
+}
diff --git a/packages/shared-core/src/helpers/tests/roles.spec.ts b/packages/shared-core/src/helpers/tests/roles.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7e52ded3f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/shared-core/src/helpers/tests/roles.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+import { checkForRoleInheritanceLoops } from "../roles"
+import { Role } from "@budibase/types"
+
+/**
+ * This unit test exists as this utility will be used in the frontend and backend, confirmation
+ * of its API and expected results is useful since the backend tests won't confirm it works
+ * exactly as the frontend needs it to - easy to add specific test cases here that the frontend
+ * might need to check/cover.
+ */
+
+interface TestRole extends Omit<Role, "_id"> {
+  _id: string
+}
+
+let allRoles: TestRole[] = []
+
+function role(id: string, inherits: string | string[]): TestRole {
+  const role = {
+    _id: id,
+    inherits: inherits,
+    name: "ROLE",
+    permissionId: "PERMISSION",
+    permissions: {}, // not needed for this test
+  }
+  allRoles.push(role)
+  return role
+}
+
+describe("role utilities", () => {
+  let role1: TestRole, role2: TestRole
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    role1 = role("role_1", [])
+    role2 = role("role_2", [role1._id])
+  })
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    allRoles = []
+  })
+
+  function check(hasLoop: boolean) {
+    const result = checkForRoleInheritanceLoops(allRoles)
+    expect(result).toBe(hasLoop)
+  }
+
+  describe("checkForRoleInheritanceLoops", () => {
+    it("should confirm no loops", () => {
+      check(false)
+    })
+
+    it("should confirm there is a loop", () => {
+      const role3 = role("role_3", [role2._id])
+      const role4 = role("role_4", [role3._id, role2._id, role1._id])
+      role3.inherits = [
+        ...(Array.isArray(role3.inherits) ? role3.inherits : []),
+        role4._id,
+      ]
+      check(true)
+    })
+  })
+})