diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/test/workflows.test.ts b/packages/aws-cdk/test/workflows.test.ts
index 95c686045fa32..ac9c6a785f6a8 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/test/workflows.test.ts
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/test/workflows.test.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { instanceMockFrom, MockCloudExecutable, TestStackArtifact } from './util
 import { MockSdkProvider } from './util/mock-sdk';
 import { Bootstrapper } from '../lib/api/bootstrap';
 import { Deployments } from '../lib/api/deployments';
-import { CdkToolkit, Tag } from '../lib/cdk-toolkit';
+import { CdkToolkit } from '../lib/cdk-toolkit';
 import { listWorkflow } from '../lib/workflows';
 
 let cloudExecutable: MockCloudExecutable;
@@ -24,16 +24,13 @@ beforeEach(() => {
 });
 
 describe('list', () => {
-  test('list stacks with no dependencies', async () => {
+  test('stacks with no dependencies', async () => {
     // GIVEN
     const toolkit = new CdkToolkit({
       cloudExecutable,
       configuration: cloudExecutable.configuration,
       sdkProvider: cloudExecutable.sdkProvider,
-      deployments: new FakeCloudFormation({
-        'Test-Stack-A': { Foo: 'Bar' },
-        'Test-Stack-B': { Baz: 'Zinga!' },
-      }),
+      deployments: new Deployments({ sdkProvider: new MockSdkProvider() }),
     });
 
     // WHEN
@@ -62,7 +59,7 @@ describe('list', () => {
     }]);
   });
 
-  test('list stacks with dependent stacks', async () => {
+  test('stacks with dependent stacks', async () => {
     // GIVEN
     const toolkit = new CdkToolkit({
       cloudExecutable: new MockCloudExecutable({
@@ -76,9 +73,6 @@ describe('list', () => {
               '/Test-Stack-B': [
                 {
                   type: cxschema.ArtifactMetadataEntryType.STACK_TAGS,
-                  data: [
-                    { key: 'Baz', value: 'Zinga!' },
-                  ],
                 },
               ],
             },
@@ -88,10 +82,7 @@ describe('list', () => {
       }),
       configuration: cloudExecutable.configuration,
       sdkProvider: cloudExecutable.sdkProvider,
-      deployments: new FakeCloudFormation({
-        'Test-Stack-A': { Foo: 'Bar' },
-        'Test-Stack-B': { Baz: 'Zinga!' },
-      }),
+      deployments: new Deployments({ sdkProvider: new MockSdkProvider() }),
     });
 
     // WHEN
@@ -122,6 +113,162 @@ describe('list', () => {
       }],
     }]);
   });
+
+  test('stacks with nested dependencies', async () => {
+    // GIVEN
+    const toolkit = new CdkToolkit({
+      cloudExecutable: new MockCloudExecutable({
+        stacks: [
+          MockStack.MOCK_STACK_A,
+          {
+            stackName: 'Test-Stack-B',
+            template: { Resources: { TemplateName: 'Test-Stack-B' } },
+            env: 'aws://123456789012/bermuda-triangle-1',
+            metadata: {
+              '/Test-Stack-B': [
+                {
+                  type: cxschema.ArtifactMetadataEntryType.STACK_TAGS,
+                },
+              ],
+            },
+            depends: ['Test-Stack-A'],
+          },
+          {
+            stackName: 'Test-Stack-C',
+            template: { Resources: { TemplateName: 'Test-Stack-B' } },
+            env: 'aws://123456789012/bermuda-triangle-1',
+            metadata: {
+              '/Test-Stack-B': [
+                {
+                  type: cxschema.ArtifactMetadataEntryType.STACK_TAGS,
+                },
+              ],
+            },
+            depends: ['Test-Stack-B'],
+          },
+        ],
+      }),
+      configuration: cloudExecutable.configuration,
+      sdkProvider: cloudExecutable.sdkProvider,
+      deployments: new Deployments({ sdkProvider: new MockSdkProvider() }),
+    });
+
+    // WHEN
+    const workflow = await listWorkflow( toolkit, { selectors: ['Test-Stack-A', 'Test-Stack-B', 'Test-Stack-C'] });
+
+    // THEN
+    expect(JSON.parse(workflow)).toEqual([{
+      id: 'Test-Stack-A',
+      name: 'Test-Stack-A',
+      environment: {
+        account: '123456789012',
+        region: 'bermuda-triangle-1',
+        name: 'aws://123456789012/bermuda-triangle-1',
+      },
+      dependencies: [],
+    },
+    {
+      id: 'Test-Stack-B',
+      name: 'Test-Stack-B',
+      environment: {
+        account: '123456789012',
+        region: 'bermuda-triangle-1',
+        name: 'aws://123456789012/bermuda-triangle-1',
+      },
+      dependencies: [{
+        id: 'Test-Stack-A',
+        dependencies: [],
+      }],
+    },
+    {
+      id: 'Test-Stack-C',
+      name: 'Test-Stack-C',
+      environment: {
+        account: '123456789012',
+        region: 'bermuda-triangle-1',
+        name: 'aws://123456789012/bermuda-triangle-1',
+      },
+      dependencies: [{
+        id: 'Test-Stack-B',
+        dependencies: [{
+          id: 'Test-Stack-A',
+          dependencies: [],
+        }],
+      }],
+    }]);
+  });
+
+  // In the context of stacks with cross-stack or cross-region references,
+  // the dependency mechanism is responsible for appropriately applying dependencies at the correct hierarchy level,
+  // typically at the top-level stacks.
+  // This involves handling the establishment of cross-references between stacks or nested stacks
+  // and generating assets for nested stack templates as necessary.
+  test('stacks with cross stack referencing', async () => {
+    // GIVEN
+    const toolkit = new CdkToolkit({
+      cloudExecutable: new MockCloudExecutable({
+        stacks: [
+          {
+            stackName: 'Test-Stack-A',
+            template: {
+              Resources: {
+                MyBucket1Reference: {
+                  Type: 'AWS::CloudFormation::Stack',
+                  Properties: {
+                    TemplateURL: 'XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX',
+                    Parameters: {
+                      BucketName: { 'Fn::GetAtt': ['MyBucket1', 'Arn'] },
+                    },
+                  },
+                },
+              },
+            },
+            env: 'aws://123456789012/bermuda-triangle-1',
+            metadata: {
+              '/Test-Stack-A': [
+                {
+                  type: cxschema.ArtifactMetadataEntryType.STACK_TAGS,
+                },
+              ],
+            },
+            depends: ['Test-Stack-C'],
+          },
+          MockStack.MOCK_STACK_C,
+        ],
+      }),
+      configuration: cloudExecutable.configuration,
+      sdkProvider: cloudExecutable.sdkProvider,
+      deployments: new Deployments({ sdkProvider: new MockSdkProvider() }),
+    });
+
+    // WHEN
+    const workflow = await listWorkflow( toolkit, { selectors: ['Test-Stack-A', 'Test-Stack-C'] });
+
+    // THEN
+    expect(JSON.parse(workflow)).toEqual([{
+      id: 'Test-Stack-C',
+      name: 'Test-Stack-C',
+      environment: {
+        account: '123456789012',
+        region: 'bermuda-triangle-1',
+        name: 'aws://123456789012/bermuda-triangle-1',
+      },
+      dependencies: [],
+    },
+    {
+      id: 'Test-Stack-A',
+      name: 'Test-Stack-A',
+      environment: {
+        account: '123456789012',
+        region: 'bermuda-triangle-1',
+        name: 'aws://123456789012/bermuda-triangle-1',
+      },
+      dependencies: [{
+        id: 'Test-Stack-C',
+        dependencies: [],
+      }],
+    }]);
+  });
 });
 
 class MockStack {
@@ -133,9 +280,6 @@ class MockStack {
       '/Test-Stack-A': [
         {
           type: cxschema.ArtifactMetadataEntryType.STACK_TAGS,
-          data: [
-            { key: 'Foo', value: 'Bar' },
-          ],
         },
       ],
     },
@@ -149,27 +293,30 @@ class MockStack {
       '/Test-Stack-B': [
         {
           type: cxschema.ArtifactMetadataEntryType.STACK_TAGS,
-          data: [
-            { key: 'Baz', value: 'Zinga!' },
-          ],
         },
       ],
     },
   };
-}
-
-class FakeCloudFormation extends Deployments {
-  private readonly expectedTags: { [stackName: string]: Tag[] } = {};
-
-  constructor(
-    expectedTags: { [stackName: string]: { [key: string]: string } } = {},
-  ) {
-    super({ sdkProvider: new MockSdkProvider() });
-
-    for (const [stackName, tags] of Object.entries(expectedTags)) {
-      this.expectedTags[stackName] =
-        Object.entries(tags).map(([Key, Value]) => ({ Key, Value }))
-          .sort((l, r) => l.Key.localeCompare(r.Key));
-    }
+  public static readonly MOCK_STACK_C: TestStackArtifact = {
+    stackName: 'Test-Stack-C',
+    template: {
+      Resources: {
+        MyBucket1: {
+          Type: 'AWS::S3::Bucket',
+          Properties: {
+            AccessControl: 'PublicRead',
+          },
+          DeletionPolicy: 'Retain',
+        },
+      },
+    },
+    env: 'aws://123456789012/bermuda-triangle-1',
+    metadata: {
+      '/Test-Stack-C': [
+        {
+          type: cxschema.ArtifactMetadataEntryType.STACK_TAGS,
+        },
+      ],
+    },
   }
 }