diff --git src/wp-includes/taxonomy.php src/wp-includes/taxonomy.php
index 63d53a7..acf3c97 100644
--- src/wp-includes/taxonomy.php
+++ src/wp-includes/taxonomy.php
@@ -3818,7 +3818,7 @@ function _get_term_hierarchy($taxonomy) {
  * @param string $taxonomy The taxonomy which determines the hierarchy of the terms.
  * @return array The subset of $terms that are descendants of $term_id.
  */
-function _get_term_children($term_id, $terms, $taxonomy) {
+function _get_term_children( $term_id, $terms, $taxonomy, &$ancestors = array() ) {
 	$empty_array = array();
 	if ( empty($terms) )
 		return $empty_array;
@@ -3829,6 +3829,11 @@ function _get_term_children($term_id, $terms, $taxonomy) {
 	if  ( ( 0 != $term_id ) && ! isset($has_children[$term_id]) )
 		return $empty_array;
 
+	// We check $ancestors to avoid recursion, so we need to be sure the term itself is listed.
+	if ( empty( $ancestors ) ) {
+		$ancestors[] = $term_id;
+	}
+
 	foreach ( (array) $terms as $term ) {
 		$use_id = false;
 		if ( !is_object($term) ) {
@@ -3838,7 +3843,8 @@ function _get_term_children($term_id, $terms, $taxonomy) {
 			$use_id = true;
 		}
 
-		if ( $term->term_id == $term_id ) {
+		// Don't recurse if we've already identified the term as a child - this indicates a loop.
+		if ( in_array( $term->term_id, $ancestors ) ) {
 			continue;
 		}
 
@@ -3851,7 +3857,13 @@ function _get_term_children($term_id, $terms, $taxonomy) {
 			if ( !isset($has_children[$term->term_id]) )
 				continue;
 
-			if ( $children = _get_term_children($term->term_id, $terms, $taxonomy) )
+			if ( $use_id ) {
+				$ancestors = array_merge( $ancestors, $term_list );
+			} else {
+				$ancestors = array_merge( $ancestors, wp_list_pluck( $term_list, 'term_id' ) );
+			}
+
+			if ( $children = _get_term_children( $term->term_id, $terms, $taxonomy, $ancestors) )
 				$term_list = array_merge($term_list, $children);
 		}
 	}
diff --git tests/phpunit/tests/term/getTerms.php tests/phpunit/tests/term/getTerms.php
index 865357a..8a11365 100644
--- tests/phpunit/tests/term/getTerms.php
+++ tests/phpunit/tests/term/getTerms.php
@@ -394,6 +394,44 @@ class Tests_Term_getTerms extends WP_UnitTestCase {
 		add_filter( 'wp_update_term_parent', 'wp_check_term_hierarchy_for_loops', 10, 3 );
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @covers ::_get_term_children
+	 * @ticket 24461
+	 */
+	public function test__get_term_children_handles_cycles() {
+		remove_filter( 'wp_update_term_parent', 'wp_check_term_hierarchy_for_loops', 10 );
+
+		$c1 = $this->factory->category->create();
+		$c2 = $this->factory->category->create( array( 'parent' => $c1 ) );
+		$c3 = $this->factory->category->create( array( 'parent' => $c2 ) );
+		wp_update_term( $c1, 'category', array( 'parent' => $c3 ) );
+
+		add_filter( 'wp_update_term_parent', 'wp_check_term_hierarchy_for_loops', 10, 3 );
+
+		$result = _get_term_children( $c1, array( $c1, $c2, $c3 ), 'category' );
+
+		$this->assertEqualSets( array( $c2, $c3 ), $result );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @covers ::_get_term_children
+	 * @ticket 24461
+	 */
+	public function test__get_term_children_handles_cycles_when_terms_argument_contains_objects() {
+		remove_filter( 'wp_update_term_parent', 'wp_check_term_hierarchy_for_loops', 10 );
+
+		$c1 = $this->factory->category->create_and_get();
+		$c2 = $this->factory->category->create_and_get( array( 'parent' => $c1->term_id ) );
+		$c3 = $this->factory->category->create_and_get( array( 'parent' => $c2->term_id ) );
+		wp_update_term( $c1->term_id, 'category', array( 'parent' => $c3->term_id ) );
+
+		add_filter( 'wp_update_term_parent', 'wp_check_term_hierarchy_for_loops', 10, 3 );
+
+		$result = _get_term_children( $c1->term_id, array( $c1, $c2, $c3 ), 'category' );
+
+		$this->assertEqualSets( array( $c2, $c3 ), $result );
+	}
+
 	public function test_get_terms_by_slug() {
 		$t1 = $this->factory->tag->create( array( 'slug' => 'foo' ) );
 		$t2 = $this->factory->tag->create( array( 'slug' => 'bar' ) );