diff --git a/ql/src/queries/performance/TransitiveStep.ql b/ql/src/queries/performance/TransitiveStep.ql
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..045424256db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ql/src/queries/performance/TransitiveStep.ql
@@ -0,0 +1,165 @@
+/**
+ * @name Transitively closed recursive delta
+ * @description Using a transitively closed relation as the step in a recursive
+ *              delta can perform poorly as it is inherently quadratic and may
+ *              force materialization of a fastTC. The transitively closed delta
+ *              can usually just be replaced by the underlying step relation as
+ *              the recursive context will provide transitive closure.
+ * @kind problem
+ * @problem.severity error
+ * @id ql/transitive-step
+ * @tags performance
+ * @precision high
+ */
+
+import ql
+
+Expr getArg(Call c, int i) {
+  result = c.getArgument(i)
+  or
+  result = c.(MemberCall).getBase() and i = -1
+  or
+  exists(c.getType()) and result = c and i = -2
+}
+
+newtype TParameter =
+  TThisParam(ClassPredicate p) or
+  TResultParam(Predicate p) { exists(p.getReturnType()) } or
+  TVarParam(VarDecl v) { any(Predicate p).getParameter(_) = v }
+
+class Parameter extends TParameter {
+  string toString() {
+    this instanceof TThisParam and result = "this"
+    or
+    this instanceof TResultParam and result = "result"
+    or
+    exists(VarDecl v | this = TVarParam(v) and result = v.toString())
+  }
+
+  Expr getAnAccess() {
+    result instanceof ThisAccess and this = TThisParam(result.getEnclosingPredicate())
+    or
+    result instanceof ResultAccess and this = TResultParam(result.getEnclosingPredicate())
+    or
+    this = TVarParam(result.(VarAccess).getDeclaration())
+  }
+
+  predicate isParameterOf(Predicate p, int i) {
+    this = TThisParam(p) and i = -1
+    or
+    this = TResultParam(p) and i = -2
+    or
+    this = TVarParam(p.getParameter(i))
+  }
+}
+
+predicate hasTwoArgs(Call c, Expr arg1, Expr arg2) {
+  exists(int i1, int i2 |
+    arg1 = getArg(c, i1) and
+    arg2 = getArg(c, i2) and
+    i1 != i2 and
+    strictcount(getArg(c, _)) = 2
+  )
+}
+
+predicate transitivePred(Predicate p, AstNode tc) {
+  exists(PredicateExpr pe |
+    p.(ClasslessPredicate).getAlias() = pe and
+    transitivePred(pe.getResolvedPredicate(), tc)
+  )
+  or
+  p.(ClasslessPredicate).getAlias().(HigherOrderFormula).getName() = "fastTC" and
+  tc = p
+  or
+  strictcount(Parameter par | par.isParameterOf(p, _)) = 2 and
+  exists(Formula body | p.getBody() = body |
+    transitiveCall(body, tc) and
+    hasTwoArgs(body, any(Identifier i1), any(Identifier i2))
+    or
+    exists(ComparisonFormula eq, Call c |
+      body = eq and
+      eq.getSymbol() = "=" and
+      transitiveCall(c, tc) and
+      getArg(c, _) instanceof Identifier and
+      eq.getAnOperand() = c and
+      eq.getAnOperand() instanceof Identifier
+    )
+  )
+}
+
+predicate transitiveCall(Call c, AstNode tc) {
+  c.isClosure(_) and tc = c
+  or
+  transitivePred(c.getTarget(), tc)
+}
+
+class TransitivelyClosedCall extends Call {
+  TransitivelyClosedCall() { transitiveCall(this, _) }
+
+  predicate hasArgs(Expr arg1, Expr arg2) { hasTwoArgs(this, arg1, arg2) }
+
+  AstNode getReason() { transitiveCall(this, result) }
+}
+
+AstNode getParentOfExpr(Expr e) { result = e.getParent() }
+
+Formula getEnclosing(Expr e) { result = getParentOfExpr+(e) }
+
+Formula enlargeScopeStep(Formula f) { result.(Conjunction).getAnOperand() = f }
+
+Formula enlargeScope(Formula f) {
+  result = enlargeScopeStep*(f) and not exists(enlargeScopeStep(result))
+}
+
+predicate varaccesValue(VarAccess va, VarDecl v, Formula scope) {
+  va.getDeclaration() = v and
+  scope = enlargeScope(getEnclosing(va))
+}
+
+predicate thisValue(ThisAccess ta, Formula scope) { scope = enlargeScope(getEnclosing(ta)) }
+
+predicate resultValue(ResultAccess ra, Formula scope) { scope = enlargeScope(getEnclosing(ra)) }
+
+predicate valueStep(Expr e1, Expr e2) {
+  exists(VarDecl v, Formula scope |
+    varaccesValue(e1, v, scope) and
+    varaccesValue(e2, v, scope)
+  )
+  or
+  exists(Formula scope |
+    thisValue(e1, scope) and
+    thisValue(e2, scope)
+    or
+    resultValue(e1, scope) and
+    resultValue(e2, scope)
+  )
+  or
+  exists(InlineCast c |
+    e1 = c and e2 = c.getBase()
+    or
+    e2 = c and e1 = c.getBase()
+  )
+  or
+  exists(ComparisonFormula eq |
+    eq.getSymbol() = "=" and
+    eq.getAnOperand() = e1 and
+    eq.getAnOperand() = e2 and
+    e1 != e2
+  )
+}
+
+predicate transitiveDelta(Call rec, TransitivelyClosedCall tc) {
+  exists(Expr recarg, int i, Expr tcarg, Predicate pred, Parameter p |
+    rec.getTarget() = pred and
+    pred = rec.getEnclosingPredicate() and
+    recarg = getArg(rec, i) and
+    valueStep*(recarg, tcarg) and
+    tc.hasArgs(tcarg, p.getAnAccess()) and
+    p.isParameterOf(pred, i)
+  )
+}
+
+from Call rec, TransitivelyClosedCall tc, AstNode reason
+where transitiveDelta(rec, tc) and reason = tc.getReason()
+select tc, "This recursive delta is transively closed $@, which may be a performance problem.",
+  reason, "here"