diff --git a/fpga/include/villas/dependency_graph.hpp b/fpga/include/villas/dependency_graph.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f488e8ad7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fpga/include/villas/dependency_graph.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+#ifndef VILLAS_DEPENDENCY_GRAPH_HPP
+#define VILLAS_DEPENDENCY_GRAPH_HPP
+
+#include <list>
+#include <map>
+#include <algorithm>
+
+#include "log.hpp"
+
+namespace villas {
+namespace utils {
+
+
+template<typename T>
+class DependencyGraph {
+public:
+	using NodeList = std::list<T>;
+
+	/// Create a node without dependencies if it not yet exists, return if a new
+	/// node has been created.
+	bool addNode(const T& node);
+
+	/// Remove a node and all other nodes that depend on it
+	void removeNode(const T& node);
+
+	/// Add a dependency to a node. Will create the node if it not yet exists
+	void addDependency(const T& node, const T& dependency);
+
+	void dump();
+
+	/// Return a sequential evaluation order list. If a circular dependency has been
+	/// detected, all nodes involved will not be part of that list.
+	NodeList getEvaluationOrder() const;
+
+private:
+	/// Return whether a node already exists or not
+	bool nodeExists(const T& node)
+	{ return graph.find(node) != graph.end(); }
+
+	static bool
+	nodeInList(const NodeList& list, const T& node)
+	{ return list.end() != std::find(list.begin(), list.end(), node); }
+
+private:
+	using Graph = std::map<T, NodeList>;
+
+	Graph graph;
+};
+
+} // namespace utils
+} // namespace villas
+
+#include "dependency_graph_impl.hpp"
+
+#endif // VILLAS_DEPENDENCY_GRAPH_HPP
diff --git a/fpga/include/villas/dependency_graph_impl.hpp b/fpga/include/villas/dependency_graph_impl.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f5d5b32d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fpga/include/villas/dependency_graph_impl.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+#ifndef VILLAS_DEPENDENCY_GRAPH_HPP
+#error "Do not include this file directly, please include depedency_graph.hpp"
+#endif
+
+#include "dependency_graph.hpp"
+#include <sstream>
+
+namespace villas {
+namespace utils {
+
+template<typename T>
+bool
+DependencyGraph<T>::addNode(const T &node)
+{
+	bool existedBefore = nodeExists(node);
+
+	// accessing is enough to create if not exists
+	graph[node];
+
+	return existedBefore;
+}
+
+template<typename T>
+void
+DependencyGraph<T>::removeNode(const T &node)
+{
+	graph.erase(node);
+
+	// check if other nodes depend on this one
+	for(auto& [key, dependencies] : graph) {
+		if(nodeInList(dependencies, node)) {
+			// remove other node that depends on the one to delete
+			removeNode(key);
+		}
+	}
+
+}
+
+template<typename T>
+void
+DependencyGraph<T>::addDependency(const T &node, const T &dependency)
+{
+	NodeList& dependencies = graph[node];
+	if(not nodeInList(dependencies, dependency))
+		dependencies.push_back(dependency);
+}
+
+template<typename T>
+void
+DependencyGraph<T>::dump() {
+	for(auto& node : graph) {
+		std::stringstream ss;
+		for(auto& dep : node.second) {
+			ss << dep << " ";
+		}
+		cpp_debug << node.first << ": " << ss.str();
+	}
+}
+
+template<typename T>
+typename DependencyGraph<T>::NodeList
+DependencyGraph<T>::getEvaluationOrder() const
+{
+	// copy graph to preserve information (we have to delete entries later)
+	Graph graph = this->graph;
+
+	// output list
+	NodeList out;
+
+	while(graph.size() > 0) {
+		int added = 0;
+
+		// look for nodes with no dependencies
+		for(auto& [key, dependencies] : graph) {
+
+			for(auto dep = dependencies.begin(); dep != dependencies.end(); ++dep) {
+				if(nodeInList(out, *dep)) {
+					// dependency has been pushed to list in last round
+					dep = dependencies.erase(dep);
+				}
+			}
+
+			// nodes with no dependencies can be pushed to list
+			if(dependencies.empty()) {
+				out.push_back(key);
+				graph.erase(key);
+				added++;
+			}
+		}
+
+		// if a round doesn't add any elements and is not the last, then
+		// there is a circular dependency
+		if(added == 0 and graph.size() > 0) {
+			cpp_error << "Circular dependency detected! IPs not available:";
+			Logger::Indenter indent = cpp_debug.indent();
+			for(auto& [key, value] : graph) {
+				cpp_error << key;
+			}
+			break;
+		}
+	}
+
+	return out;
+}
+
+} // namespace utils
+} // namespace villas