diff --git a/src/main/java/org/dependencytrack/policy/cel/CelCommonPolicyLibrary.java b/src/main/java/org/dependencytrack/policy/cel/CelCommonPolicyLibrary.java
index 5f02b9a74..cfb53cf36 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/dependencytrack/policy/cel/CelCommonPolicyLibrary.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/dependencytrack/policy/cel/CelCommonPolicyLibrary.java
@@ -589,6 +589,13 @@ private static boolean isExclusiveDependencyOf(final Component leafComponent, fi
 
         try (final var qm = new QueryManager();
              final Handle jdbiHandle = jdbi(qm).open()) {
+            // If the component is a direct dependency of the project,
+            // it can no longer be a dependency exclusively introduced
+            // through another component.
+            if (isDirectDependency(jdbiHandle, leafComponent)) {
+                return false;
+            }
+
             final Query query = jdbiHandle.createQuery("""
                      -- Determine the project the given leaf component is part of.
                     WITH RECURSIVE
@@ -691,10 +698,6 @@ private static boolean isExclusiveDependencyOf(final Component leafComponent, fi
 
             final List<List<Long>> paths = reducePaths(nodes);
 
-            // TODO: TBD whether only direct dependency relationships should count.
-            // Direct only:
-            //   return paths.stream().allMatch(path -> matchedNodeIds.contains(path.get(0)));
-            // Also transitive (arbitrary distance between matched node and leaf component):
             return paths.stream().allMatch(path -> path.stream().anyMatch(matchedNodeIds::contains));
         }
     }
@@ -898,4 +901,24 @@ private static <T> boolean containsExactly(final List<T> lhs, final List<T> rhs)
         return Objects.equals(lhs, rhs);
     }
 
+    private static boolean isDirectDependency(final Handle jdbiHandle, final Component component) {
+        final Query query = jdbiHandle.createQuery("""
+                SELECT
+                  1
+                FROM
+                  "COMPONENT" AS "C"
+                INNER JOIN
+                  "PROJECT" AS "P" ON "P"."ID" = "C"."PROJECT_ID"
+                WHERE
+                  "C"."UUID" = :leafComponentUuid
+                  AND "P"."DIRECT_DEPENDENCIES" LIKE ('%' || :leafComponentUuid || '%')
+                """);
+
+        return query
+                .bind("leafComponentUuid", component.getUuid())
+                .mapTo(Boolean.class)
+                .findOne()
+                .orElse(false);
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/dependencytrack/policy/cel/CelPolicyEngineTest.java b/src/test/java/org/dependencytrack/policy/cel/CelPolicyEngineTest.java
index 483a8237d..b0f0f5ecd 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/dependencytrack/policy/cel/CelPolicyEngineTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/dependencytrack/policy/cel/CelPolicyEngineTest.java
@@ -1498,6 +1498,54 @@ public void testEvaluateProjectWithFuncComponentIsDependencyOfExclusiveComponent
         assertThat(qm.getAllPolicyViolations(componentSpringCore)).hasSize(1);
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testEvaluateProjectWithFuncComponentIsDependencyOfExclusiveComponentWithMultiplePaths5() {
+        final var project = new Project();
+        project.setName("acme-app");
+        qm.persist(project);
+
+        final var componentA = new Component();
+        componentA.setProject(project);
+        componentA.setName("acme-lib-a");
+        qm.persist(componentA);
+
+        final var componentB = new Component();
+        componentB.setProject(project);
+        componentB.setName("acme-lib-b");
+        qm.persist(componentB);
+
+        //  /-> A -> B
+        // *         ^
+        //  \-------/
+        project.setDirectDependencies("[%s, %s]".formatted(
+                new ComponentIdentity(componentA).toJSON(),
+                new ComponentIdentity(componentB).toJSON()
+        ));
+        componentA.setDirectDependencies("[%s]".formatted(new ComponentIdentity(componentB).toJSON()));
+        qm.persist(project);
+        qm.persist(componentA);
+
+        final var policyEngine = new CelPolicyEngine();
+        final var policy = qm.createPolicy("policy", Policy.Operator.ANY, Policy.ViolationState.FAIL);
+
+        // Is component introduced exclusively through acme-lib-a?
+        PolicyCondition condition = qm.createPolicyCondition(policy,
+                PolicyCondition.Subject.EXPRESSION, PolicyCondition.Operator.MATCHES, """
+                        component.is_exclusive_dependency_of(v1.Component{name: "acme-lib-a"})
+                        """, PolicyViolation.Type.OPERATIONAL);
+        policyEngine.evaluateProject(project.getUuid());
+        assertThat(qm.getAllPolicyViolations(componentA)).isEmpty();
+        assertThat(qm.getAllPolicyViolations(componentB)).isEmpty();
+
+        // Is component introduced exclusively through acme-lib-b?
+        condition.setValue("""
+                component.is_exclusive_dependency_of(v1.Component{name: "acme-lib-b"})
+                """);
+        policyEngine.evaluateProject(project.getUuid());
+        assertThat(qm.getAllPolicyViolations(componentA)).isEmpty();
+        assertThat(qm.getAllPolicyViolations(componentB)).isEmpty();
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void testEvaluateProjectWithFuncMatchesRange() {
         final var policy = qm.createPolicy("policy", Policy.Operator.ANY, Policy.ViolationState.FAIL);