diff --git a/conformance/probe/src/main.rs b/conformance/probe/src/main.rs
index 9fa9929..fe619a0 100644
--- a/conformance/probe/src/main.rs
+++ b/conformance/probe/src/main.rs
@@ -731,7 +731,7 @@ fn main() {
     let view = match ext.and_then(|x| x.cache_image) {
         None => None,
         Some(loc) => match guarded(|| {
-            superblock_ext::apply_cache_image(hdf5, loc, sb.offset_size, sb.length_size)
+            superblock_ext::apply_cache_image(hdf5, loc, &sb)
                 .map_err(e)
         }) {
             Ok(v) => Some(v),
diff --git a/crates/clawhdf5-format/src/superblock_ext.rs b/crates/clawhdf5-format/src/superblock_ext.rs
index d7ec3cc..2db3d8b 100644
--- a/crates/clawhdf5-format/src/superblock_ext.rs
+++ b/crates/clawhdf5-format/src/superblock_ext.rs
@@ -297,16 +297,16 @@ struct ImageEntry {
 /// (`H5C__decode_cache_image_header`, `H5C__reconstruct_cache_entry`):
 /// signature and version, the image length it records, entry types, rings
 /// and ages in range, entry addresses inside the file and not repeated,
-/// flush-dependency parents that are earlier entries.
+/// flush-dependency parents already in the cache.
 ///
 /// libhdf5 does not verify the block's trailing checksum when it loads an
 /// image, so neither does this.
 pub fn apply_cache_image(
     data: &[u8],
     location: CacheImageLocation,
-    offset_size: u8,
-    length_size: u8,
+    sb: &Superblock,
 ) -> Result<Vec<u8>, FormatError> {
+    let (offset_size, length_size) = (sb.offset_size, sb.length_size);
     let bad = FormatError::InvalidCacheImage;
     let start = usize::try_from(location.address).map_err(|_| bad("address out of range"))?;
     let len = usize::try_from(location.length).map_err(|_| bad("length out of range"))?;
@@ -336,6 +336,17 @@ pub fn apply_cache_image(
     }
 
     let mut entries = Vec::new();
+    // What is in libhdf5's cache when it loads the image: the superblock
+    // and the superblock extension's object header (read to find the image).
+    // Each entry's flush-dependency parents are looked up in the cache as
+    // the entry is inserted (`H5C__reconstruct_cache_contents` searches the
+    // index inside the loop that inserts the entries, in HDF5 1.14.6 and
+    // 2.0.0 alike), so a parent must be one of those or an earlier entry.
+    let mut cached = BTreeSet::new();
+    cached.insert(0);
+    if let Some(ext) = sb.superblock_extension_address {
+        cached.insert(ext);
+    }
     let mut seen = BTreeSet::new();
     for _ in 0..n_entries {
         let type_id = c.u8()?;
@@ -374,8 +385,8 @@ pub fn apply_cache_image(
             let parent = c
                 .addr(offset_size)?
                 .ok_or(bad("invalid flush dependency parent offset"))?;
-            if !seen.contains(&parent) {
-                return Err(bad("flush dependency parent not in the image"));
+            if !seen.contains(&parent) && !cached.contains(&parent) {
+                return Err(bad("fd parent not in cache"));
             }
         }
         let len = usize::try_from(size).map_err(|_| bad(RAN_OFF))?;
@@ -415,7 +426,7 @@ pub fn metadata_view(data: &[u8], sb: &Superblock) -> Result<Option<Vec<u8>>, Fo
         Some(SuperblockExtension {
             cache_image: Some(location),
             ..
-        }) => apply_cache_image(data, location, sb.offset_size, sb.length_size).map(Some),
+        }) => apply_cache_image(data, location, sb).map(Some),
         _ => Ok(None),
     }
 }
@@ -562,18 +573,37 @@ mod tests {
 
     /// A cache image block with `entries` of (address, bytes).
     fn image(entries: &[(u64, &[u8])]) -> Vec<u8> {
+        let with_deps: Vec<_> = entries.iter().map(|&(a, b)| (a, b, 0, None)).collect();
+        image_with_deps(&with_deps)
+    }
+
+    /// A cache image block with `entries` of (address, bytes, flush
+    /// dependency children, flush dependency parent).
+    fn image_with_deps(entries: &[(u64, &[u8], u16, Option<u64>)]) -> Vec<u8> {
         let mut b = Vec::new();
         b.extend_from_slice(MDCI_SIGNATURE);
         b.push(0);
         b.push(0);
         b.extend_from_slice(&0u64.to_le_bytes()); // length, patched below
         b.extend_from_slice(&(entries.len() as u32).to_le_bytes());
-        for (addr, bytes) in entries {
-            b.extend_from_slice(&[5, 0x02, 1, 0]); // type, flags (in LRU), ring, age
-            b.extend_from_slice(&[0; 6]); // children, dirty children, parents
+        for &(addr, bytes, children, parent) in entries {
+            let mut flags = 0x02; // in LRU
+            if children > 0 {
+                flags |= MDCI_ENTRY_IS_FD_PARENT;
+            }
+            if parent.is_some() {
+                flags |= MDCI_ENTRY_IS_FD_CHILD;
+            }
+            b.extend_from_slice(&[5, flags, 1, 0]); // type, flags, ring, age
+            b.extend_from_slice(&children.to_le_bytes());
+            b.extend_from_slice(&0u16.to_le_bytes()); // dirty children
+            b.extend_from_slice(&u16::from(parent.is_some()).to_le_bytes());
             b.extend_from_slice(&0i32.to_le_bytes());
             b.extend_from_slice(&addr.to_le_bytes());
             b.extend_from_slice(&(bytes.len() as u64).to_le_bytes());
+            if let Some(p) = parent {
+                b.extend_from_slice(&p.to_le_bytes());
+            }
             b.extend_from_slice(bytes);
         }
         b.extend_from_slice(&[0; 4]); // checksum (not verified, as in libhdf5)
@@ -592,7 +622,7 @@ mod tests {
             address: at,
             length: img.len() as u64,
         };
-        let out = apply_cache_image(&f, loc, 8, 8).unwrap();
+        let out = apply_cache_image(&f, loc, &sb_v2(u64::MAX)).unwrap();
         assert_eq!(out.len(), f.len());
         assert_eq!(&out[16..22], b"HEADER");
         assert_eq!(&out[40..44], b"NODE");
@@ -605,7 +635,7 @@ mod tests {
                 address: 64,
                 length: img.len() as u64,
             };
-            apply_cache_image(&f, loc, 8, 8).unwrap_err()
+            apply_cache_image(&f, loc, &sb_v2(u64::MAX)).unwrap_err()
         };
         let mut sig = image(&[(16, b"x")]);
         sig[0] = b'X';
@@ -627,4 +657,43 @@ mod tests {
         cut[6..14].copy_from_slice(&n.to_le_bytes());
         assert!(matches!(bad(cut), FormatError::InvalidCacheImage(_)));
     }
+
+    /// libhdf5 resolves an entry's flush-dependency parents as it inserts
+    /// the entry (`H5C__reconstruct_cache_contents`): a parent must be an
+    /// earlier entry, or the superblock or its extension's object header,
+    /// which are cached before the image loads. A parent listed after its
+    /// child fails ("fd parent not in cache?!?").
+    #[test]
+    fn flush_dependency_parents_must_already_be_cached() {
+        let load = |img: Vec<u8>| {
+            let mut f = vec![0u8; 64];
+            f.extend_from_slice(&img);
+            let loc = CacheImageLocation {
+                address: 64,
+                length: img.len() as u64,
+            };
+            apply_cache_image(&f, loc, &sb_v2(48))
+        };
+        // Parent first, as libhdf5 writes images.
+        assert!(
+            load(image_with_deps(&[
+                (16, b"P", 1, None),
+                (40, b"C", 0, Some(16))
+            ]))
+            .is_ok()
+        );
+        // Child first: libhdf5 does not find the parent.
+        assert_eq!(
+            load(image_with_deps(&[
+                (40, b"C", 0, Some(16)),
+                (16, b"P", 1, None)
+            ]))
+            .unwrap_err(),
+            FormatError::InvalidCacheImage("fd parent not in cache")
+        );
+        // The superblock extension's header (at 48 here) is in the cache.
+        assert!(load(image_with_deps(&[(40, b"C", 0, Some(48))])).is_ok());
+        // An entry cannot be its own parent.
+        assert!(load(image_with_deps(&[(40, b"C", 1, Some(40))])).is_err());
+    }
 }