diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 30c9f6b..4b96c5c 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -188,6 +188,7 @@ set(AKGL_TEST_SUITES
   draw
   error
   game
+  headers
   heap
   json_helpers
   physics
diff --git a/include/akgl/controller.h b/include/akgl/controller.h
index bcee29e..c8cbac8 100644
--- a/include/akgl/controller.h
+++ b/include/akgl/controller.h
@@ -30,6 +30,12 @@
 #include <SDL3/SDL.h>
 #include <akerror.h>
 #include "types.h"
+// The binding handlers below take an akgl_Actor *, so this header cannot be
+// included before akgl/actor.h without one. akgl_Actor is a typedef of a named
+// struct, and repeating a typedef is not C99, so it is included rather than
+// forward-declared. actor.h reaches only types.h and character.h, so this does
+// not close a cycle.
+#include <akgl/actor.h>
 
 /** @brief How many control maps exist -- effectively the local player limit. */
 #define AKGL_MAX_CONTROL_MAPS 8
diff --git a/tests/controller.c b/tests/controller.c
index af0fa64..ced878b 100644
--- a/tests/controller.c
+++ b/tests/controller.c
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@
 #include <akerror.h>
 
 #include <akgl/error.h>
-// akgl/controller.h uses akgl_Actor without declaring it, so actor.h has to
-// come first, the same way src/controller.c reaches it through akgl/game.h.
+// For the akgl_Actor_cmhf_* handlers these tests bind. akgl/controller.h pulls
+// actor.h in for itself now; tests/headers.c is what keeps it doing so.
 #include <akgl/actor.h>
 #include <akgl/character.h>
 #include <akgl/game.h>
diff --git a/tests/headers.c b/tests/headers.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d4e2204
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/headers.c
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+/**
+ * @file headers.c
+ * @brief Checks that a public header can be the first thing a caller includes.
+ *
+ * The assertion here is the compile, not anything main() does. `akgl/controller.h`
+ * declares its binding handlers as taking an `akgl_Actor *` and once did not
+ * declare that type, so every translation unit that reached for it before
+ * `akgl/actor.h` failed with "unknown type name 'akgl_Actor'". `src/controller.c`
+ * never noticed, because it includes `akgl/game.h` first.
+ *
+ * One header per file, deliberately. A second `#include` after the first proves
+ * nothing about the second: by then the first has already dragged its
+ * dependencies in. Covering another header means another file like this one.
+ */
+
+#include <akgl/controller.h>
+
+#include <string.h>
+
+int main(void)
+{
+    akgl_Control control;
+
+    // Enough to require the akgl_Actor declaration to be complete rather than
+    // merely present: the handler signature names it, and a control map holds
+    // one by value.
+    memset(&control, 0x00, sizeof(akgl_Control));
+    control.key = SDLK_LEFT;
+    control.handler_on = &akgl_Actor_cmhf_left_on;
+    if ( control.handler_on == NULL ) {
+	return 1;
+    }
+    if ( sizeof(GAME_ControlMaps) != (sizeof(akgl_ControlMap) * AKGL_MAX_CONTROL_MAPS) ) {
+	return 1;
+    }
+    return 0;
+}