diff --git a/devito/ir/clusters/algorithms.py b/devito/ir/clusters/algorithms.py
index ab688e3c81..99b05c8b75 100644
--- a/devito/ir/clusters/algorithms.py
+++ b/devito/ir/clusters/algorithms.py
@@ -170,9 +170,16 @@ def callback(self, clusters, prefix, backlog=None, known_break=None):
                                      candidates | known_break)
 
         # Compute iteration direction
-        idir = {d: Backward for d in candidates if d.root in scope.d_anti.cause}
+        # When checking for iteration direction, the user may have specified an LHS
+        # preceding the RHS, implying backward iteration, even if there is no strict
+        # reason that this iteration would need to run backward. Check if there is a
+        # user-specified backward iteration before defaulting to forward to avoid a
+        # gotcha by using the logical d_anti here.
+        idir = {d: Backward for d in candidates
+                if d.root in scope.d_anti_logical.cause}
         if maybe_break:
             idir.update({d: Forward for d in candidates if d.root in scope.d_flow.cause})
+        # Default to forward for remaining dimensions
         idir.update({d: Forward for d in candidates if d not in idir})
 
         # Enforce iteration direction on each Cluster
diff --git a/devito/ir/support/basic.py b/devito/ir/support/basic.py
index 8357b1b05f..7a841be671 100644
--- a/devito/ir/support/basic.py
+++ b/devito/ir/support/basic.py
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ def lex_le(self, other):
     def lex_lt(self, other):
         return self.timestamp < other.timestamp
 
-    def distance(self, other):
+    def distance(self, other, logical=False):
         """
         Compute the distance from ``self`` to ``other``.
 
@@ -328,6 +328,9 @@ def distance(self, other):
         ----------
         other : TimedAccess
             The TimedAccess w.r.t. which the distance is computed.
+        logical : bool
+            Compute a logical distance rather than true distance (i.e. ignoring
+            degenerating indices created by size 1 buffers etc).
         """
         if isinstance(self.access, ComponentAccess) and \
            isinstance(other.access, ComponentAccess) and \
@@ -392,7 +395,7 @@ def distance(self, other):
                 # objects falls back to zero, as any other value would be
                 # nonsensical
                 ret.append(S.Zero)
-            elif degenerating_indices(self[n], other[n], self.function):
+            elif degenerating_indices(self[n], other[n], self.function, logical=logical):
                 # Special case: `sai` and `oai` may be different symbolic objects
                 # but they can be proved to systematically generate the same value
                 ret.append(S.Zero)
@@ -786,6 +789,13 @@ def is_storage_related(self, dims=None):
         return False
 
 
+class LogicalDependence(Dependence):
+
+    @cached_property
+    def distance(self):
+        return self.source.distance(self.sink, logical=True)
+
+
 class DependenceGroup(set):
 
     @cached_property
@@ -1111,7 +1121,7 @@ def d_flow(self):
         return DependenceGroup(self.d_flow_gen())
 
     @memoized_generator
-    def d_anti_gen(self):
+    def d_anti_gen(self, depcls=Dependence):
         """Generate the anti (or "write-after-read") dependences."""
         for k, v in self.writes.items():
             for w in v:
@@ -1119,12 +1129,13 @@ def d_anti_gen(self):
                     if any(not rule(r, w) for rule in self.rules):
                         continue
 
-                    dependence = Dependence(r, w)
+                    dependence = depcls(r, w)
 
                     if dependence.is_imaginary:
                         continue
 
                     distance = dependence.distance
+
                     try:
                         is_anti = distance > 0 or (r.lex_lt(w) and distance == 0)
                     except TypeError:
@@ -1140,6 +1151,14 @@ def d_anti(self):
         """Anti (or "write-after-read") dependences."""
         return DependenceGroup(self.d_anti_gen())
 
+    @cached_property
+    def d_anti_logical(self):
+        """
+        Anti (or "write-after-read") dependences using logical rather than true
+        distances.
+        """
+        return DependenceGroup(self.d_anti_gen(depcls=LogicalDependence))
+
     @memoized_generator
     def d_output_gen(self):
         """Generate the output (or "write-after-write") dependences."""
@@ -1425,7 +1444,7 @@ def disjoint_test(e0, e1, d, it):
     return not bool(i0.intersect(i1))
 
 
-def degenerating_indices(i0, i1, function):
+def degenerating_indices(i0, i1, function, logical=False):
     """
     True if `i0` and `i1` are indices that are possibly symbolically
     different, but they can be proved to systematically degenerate to the
@@ -1440,17 +1459,19 @@ def degenerating_indices(i0, i1, function):
 
     # Case 2: SteppingDimension corresponding to buffer of size 1
     # Extract dimension from both IndexAccessFunctions -> d0, d1
-    try:
-        d0 = i0.d
-    except AttributeError:
-        d0 = i0
-    try:
-        d1 = i1.d
-    except AttributeError:
-        d1 = i1
+    # Skipped if doing a purely logical check
+    if not logical:
+        try:
+            d0 = i0.d
+        except AttributeError:
+            d0 = i0
+        try:
+            d1 = i1.d
+        except AttributeError:
+            d1 = i1
 
-    with suppress(AttributeError):
-        if d0 is d1 and d0.is_Stepping and function._size_domain[d0] == 1:
-            return True
+        with suppress(AttributeError):
+            if d0 is d1 and d0.is_Stepping and function._size_domain[d0] == 1:
+                return True
 
     return False
diff --git a/devito/tools/memoization.py b/devito/tools/memoization.py
index b24a9166f6..c10f5ea092 100644
--- a/devito/tools/memoization.py
+++ b/devito/tools/memoization.py
@@ -142,15 +142,18 @@ class CacheInstancesMeta(type):
     def __init__(cls: type[InstanceType], *args) -> None:  # type: ignore
         super().__init__(*args)
 
-        # Register the cached type
+        # Register the cached type and eagerly create its cache, bound to its
+        # own constructor. Eager initialisation avoids a bug where a subclass
+        # would inherit (and reuse) a parent's cache via MRO lookup if the
+        # parent happened to be instantiated first.
         CacheInstancesMeta._cached_types.add(cls)
+        maxsize = cls._instance_cache_size
+        cls._instance_cache = lru_cache(maxsize=maxsize)(
+            super().__call__
+        )
 
     def __call__(cls: type[InstanceType],  # type: ignore
                  *args, **kwargs) -> InstanceType:
-        if cls._instance_cache is None:
-            maxsize = cls._instance_cache_size
-            cls._instance_cache = lru_cache(maxsize=maxsize)(super().__call__)
-
         args, kwargs = cls._preprocess_args(*args, **kwargs)
         return cls._instance_cache(*args, **kwargs)
 
diff --git a/tests/test_dimension.py b/tests/test_dimension.py
index 8c4781d58e..aae7e4e0cb 100644
--- a/tests/test_dimension.py
+++ b/tests/test_dimension.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 from devito.ir.iet import (
     Conditional, Expression, FindNodes, FindSymbols, Iteration, retrieve_iteration_tree
 )
+from devito.ir.support.space import Backward, Forward
 from devito.symbolics import INT, IntDiv, indexify, retrieve_functions
 from devito.types import Array, StencilDimension, Symbol
 from devito.types.basic import Scalar
@@ -235,6 +236,26 @@ def test_degenerate_to_zero(self):
 
         assert np.all(u.data == 10)
 
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize('direction', ['fwd', 'bwd'])
+    def test_buffer1_direction(self, direction):
+        grid = Grid(shape=(10, 10))
+
+        u = TimeFunction(name='u', grid=grid, save=Buffer(1))
+
+        # Equations technically have no implied time direction as u.forward and u refer
+        # to the same buffer slot. However, user usage of u.forward and u.backward should
+        # be picked up by the compiler
+        if direction == 'fwd':
+            op = Operator(Eq(u.forward, u + 1))
+        else:
+            op = Operator(Eq(u.backward, u + 1))
+
+        # Check for time loop direction
+        trees = retrieve_iteration_tree(op)
+        direction = Forward if direction == 'fwd' else Backward
+        for tree in trees:
+            assert tree[0].direction == direction
+
 
 class TestSubDimension:
 
diff --git a/tests/test_mpi.py b/tests/test_mpi.py
index 24ac679812..2c4758c20d 100644
--- a/tests/test_mpi.py
+++ b/tests/test_mpi.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 from devito.ir.iet import (
     Call, Conditional, FindNodes, FindSymbols, Iteration, retrieve_iteration_tree
 )
+from devito.ir.support.space import Backward, Forward
 from devito.mpi import MPI
 from devito.mpi.distributed import CustomTopology
 from devito.mpi.routines import ComputeCall, HaloUpdateCall, HaloUpdateList, MPICall
@@ -1916,8 +1917,8 @@ def test_haloupdate_buffer1(self, mode):
         (2, True, 'Eq(v3.forward, v2.forward.laplace + 1)', 3, 2, ('v1', 'v2')),
         (1, False, 'rec.interpolate(v2)', 3, 2, ('v1', 'v2')),
         (1, False, 'Eq(v3.backward, v2.laplace + 1)', 3, 2, ('v1', 'v2')),
-        (1, False, 'Eq(v3.backward, v2.backward.laplace + 1)', 3, 3, ('v2', 'v1', 'v2')),
-        (2, False, 'Eq(v3.backward, v2.backward.laplace + 1)', 3, 3, ('v2', 'v1', 'v2')),
+        (1, False, 'Eq(v3.backward, v2.backward.laplace + 1)', 3, 2, ('v1', 'v2')),
+        (2, False, 'Eq(v3.backward, v2.backward.laplace + 1)', 3, 2, ('v1', 'v2')),
     ])
     def test_haloupdate_buffer_cases(self, sz, fwd, expr, exp0, exp1, args, mode):
         grid = Grid((65, 65, 65), topology=('*', 1, '*'))
@@ -1943,6 +1944,12 @@ def test_haloupdate_buffer_cases(self, sz, fwd, expr, exp0, exp1, args, mode):
         op = Operator(eqns)
         _ = op.cfunction
 
+        # Check for time loop direction
+        trees = retrieve_iteration_tree(op)
+        direction = Forward if fwd else Backward
+        for tree in trees:
+            assert tree[0].direction == direction
+
         calls, _ = check_halo_exchanges(op, exp0, exp1)
         for i, v in enumerate(args):
             assert calls[i].arguments[0] is eval(v)