diff --git a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/node_tree_update.cc b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/node_tree_update.cc
index 5ea4516193d..bafb73aa385 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/node_tree_update.cc
+++ b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/node_tree_update.cc
@@ -870,8 +870,8 @@ class NodeTreeMainUpdater {
   void update_eval_dependencies(bNodeTree &ntree)
   {
     ntree.ensure_topology_cache();
-    nodes::GeometryNodesEvalDependencies new_deps;
-    nodes::gather_geometry_nodes_eval_dependencies(ntree, new_deps);
+    nodes::GeometryNodesEvalDependencies new_deps =
+        nodes::gather_geometry_nodes_eval_dependencies_with_cache(ntree);
 
     /* Check if the dependencies have changed. */
     if (!ntree.runtime->geometry_nodes_eval_dependencies ||
diff --git a/source/blender/modifiers/intern/MOD_nodes.cc b/source/blender/modifiers/intern/MOD_nodes.cc
index d2475ae4ddf..943277e7991 100644
--- a/source/blender/modifiers/intern/MOD_nodes.cc
+++ b/source/blender/modifiers/intern/MOD_nodes.cc
@@ -178,10 +178,8 @@ static void update_depsgraph(ModifierData *md, const ModifierUpdateDepsgraphCont
 
   DEG_add_node_tree_output_relation(ctx->node, nmd->node_group, "Nodes Modifier");
 
-  BLI_assert(nmd->node_group->runtime->geometry_nodes_eval_dependencies);
-  /* This intentionally makes a copy because a few extra dependencies are added below. */
   nodes::GeometryNodesEvalDependencies eval_deps =
-      *nmd->node_group->runtime->geometry_nodes_eval_dependencies;
+      nodes::gather_geometry_nodes_eval_dependencies_recursive(*nmd->node_group);
 
   /* Create dependencies to data-blocks referenced by the settings in the modifier. */
   find_dependencies_from_settings(nmd->settings, eval_deps);
@@ -252,8 +250,9 @@ static bool depends_on_time(Scene * /*scene*/, ModifierData *md)
       return true;
     }
   }
-  BLI_assert(tree->runtime->geometry_nodes_eval_dependencies);
-  return tree->runtime->geometry_nodes_eval_dependencies->time_dependent;
+  nodes::GeometryNodesEvalDependencies eval_deps =
+      nodes::gather_geometry_nodes_eval_dependencies_recursive(*nmd->node_group);
+  return eval_deps.time_dependent;
 }
 
 static void foreach_ID_link(ModifierData *md, Object *ob, IDWalkFunc walk, void *user_data)
diff --git a/source/blender/nodes/NOD_geometry_nodes_dependencies.hh b/source/blender/nodes/NOD_geometry_nodes_dependencies.hh
index 3342268034c..617cf330996 100644
--- a/source/blender/nodes/NOD_geometry_nodes_dependencies.hh
+++ b/source/blender/nodes/NOD_geometry_nodes_dependencies.hh
@@ -76,10 +76,16 @@ struct GeometryNodesEvalDependencies {
 };
 
 /**
- * Find all evaluation dependencies for the given node tree.
- * NOTE: It's assumed that all (indirectly) used node groups are updated already.
+ * Finds all evaluation dependencies for the given node. This does not include dependencies that
+ * are passed into the node group. It also may not contain all data-blocks referenced by the node
+ * tree if some of them can statically be detected to not be used by the evaluation.
  */
-void gather_geometry_nodes_eval_dependencies(bNodeTree &ntree,
-                                             GeometryNodesEvalDependencies &deps);
+GeometryNodesEvalDependencies gather_geometry_nodes_eval_dependencies_recursive(
+    const bNodeTree &ntree);
+/**
+ * Same as above, but assumes that dependencies are already cached on the referenced node groups.
+ */
+GeometryNodesEvalDependencies gather_geometry_nodes_eval_dependencies_with_cache(
+    const bNodeTree &ntree);
 
 }  // namespace blender::nodes
diff --git a/source/blender/nodes/intern/geometry_nodes_dependencies.cc b/source/blender/nodes/intern/geometry_nodes_dependencies.cc
index a59bb0f1325..829ee67dca1 100644
--- a/source/blender/nodes/intern/geometry_nodes_dependencies.cc
+++ b/source/blender/nodes/intern/geometry_nodes_dependencies.cc
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ void GeometryNodesEvalDependencies::merge(const GeometryNodesEvalDependencies &o
   this->time_dependent |= other.time_dependent;
 }
 
-static void add_eval_dependencies_from_socket(bNodeSocket &socket,
+static void add_eval_dependencies_from_socket(const bNodeSocket &socket,
                                               GeometryNodesEvalDependencies &deps)
 {
   if (socket.is_input()) {
@@ -133,10 +133,13 @@ static bool node_needs_own_transform(const bNode &node)
   }
 }
 
-void gather_geometry_nodes_eval_dependencies(bNodeTree &ntree, GeometryNodesEvalDependencies &deps)
+static void gather_geometry_nodes_eval_dependencies(
+    const bNodeTree &ntree,
+    GeometryNodesEvalDependencies &deps,
+    FunctionRef<const GeometryNodesEvalDependencies *(const bNodeTree &group)> get_group_deps)
 {
   ntree.ensure_topology_cache();
-  for (bNodeSocket *socket : ntree.all_sockets()) {
+  for (const bNodeSocket *socket : ntree.all_sockets()) {
     add_eval_dependencies_from_socket(*socket, deps);
   }
   deps.needs_active_camera |= !ntree.nodes_by_type("GeometryNodeInputActiveCamera").is_empty();
@@ -147,8 +150,8 @@ void gather_geometry_nodes_eval_dependencies(bNodeTree &ntree, GeometryNodesEval
       continue;
     }
     const bNodeTree &group = *reinterpret_cast<const bNodeTree *>(node->id);
-    if (group.runtime->geometry_nodes_eval_dependencies) {
-      deps.merge(*group.runtime->geometry_nodes_eval_dependencies);
+    if (const GeometryNodesEvalDependencies *group_deps = get_group_deps(group)) {
+      deps.merge(*group_deps);
     }
   }
   for (const bNode *node : ntree.all_nodes()) {
@@ -156,4 +159,36 @@ void gather_geometry_nodes_eval_dependencies(bNodeTree &ntree, GeometryNodesEval
   }
 }
 
+GeometryNodesEvalDependencies gather_geometry_nodes_eval_dependencies_with_cache(
+    const bNodeTree &ntree)
+{
+  GeometryNodesEvalDependencies deps;
+  gather_geometry_nodes_eval_dependencies(ntree, deps, [](const bNodeTree &group) {
+    return group.runtime->geometry_nodes_eval_dependencies.get();
+  });
+  return deps;
+}
+
+static void gather_geometry_nodes_eval_dependencies_recursive_impl(
+    const bNodeTree &ntree, Map<const bNodeTree *, GeometryNodesEvalDependencies> &deps_by_tree)
+{
+  if (deps_by_tree.contains(&ntree)) {
+    return;
+  }
+  GeometryNodesEvalDependencies new_deps;
+  gather_geometry_nodes_eval_dependencies(ntree, new_deps, [&](const bNodeTree &group) {
+    gather_geometry_nodes_eval_dependencies_recursive_impl(group, deps_by_tree);
+    return &deps_by_tree.lookup(&group);
+  });
+  deps_by_tree.add(&ntree, std::move(new_deps));
+}
+
+GeometryNodesEvalDependencies gather_geometry_nodes_eval_dependencies_recursive(
+    const bNodeTree &ntree)
+{
+  Map<const bNodeTree *, GeometryNodesEvalDependencies> deps_by_tree;
+  gather_geometry_nodes_eval_dependencies_recursive_impl(ntree, deps_by_tree);
+  return deps_by_tree.lookup(&ntree);
+}
+
 }  // namespace blender::nodes