Systems, methods and transitory computer-readable storage media for detecting one or more loops in a multicast tree. The method includes calculating a multicast tree radius for a first multicast tree, the multicast tree radius representing a maximum number of hops from a root node to a furthest edge node in the first multicast tree, forwarding, by the root node, a first packet to each edge node within the first multicast tree, the first packet having a time-to-live (TTL) value equal to twice the first multicast tree radius, receiving, at the root node, a copy of the forwarded first packet, and determining an existence of a loop in the first multicast tree based at least upon receiving the copy of the forwarded first packet.