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Overview of the Issue

Hi! I am having an issue when trying to use depends_on and execution_order_group together as described in your docs here: https://www.runatlantis.io/docs/repo-level-atlantis-yaml#order-of-planning-applying.

I keep getting the Can't apply your project unless you apply its dependencies error, even though I have confirmed the dependency has applied in a lower execution_order_group.

Basically when I do a global atlantis apply, atlantis does not realize project dependencies have been fulfilled by the time the project needs to apply. If I run a global atlantis apply again, the second apply will now go through.

Another user has experienced this same issue: https://luppeng.wordpress.com/2025/01/11/atlantis-repo-config-execution_order_group-and-depends_on-attributes-may-be-mutually-exclusive-in-some-cases/

Unfortunately, for an unrelated requirement, I sometimes I need abort_on_execution_order_fail to be false, so I would really need the depends_on requirement as well. Alternatively, being able to set abort_on_execution_order_fail on a project scope would also meet my requirements.

Reproduction Steps

1. Create two projects, one of which depends on the other, and set them in separate execution_order_group:

projects:
- branch: /main/
  dir: path/to/project-1
  name: project-1
  workspace: <shared-workspace>
  plan_requirements: []
  apply_requirements: ['undiverged']
  import_requirements: ['undiverged']
  autoplan:
    when_modified:
    - '*.tf'
  workflow: <workflow>
  depends_on: []
  execution_order_group: 1
- branch: /main/
  dir: path/to/project-2
  name: project-2
  workspace: <shared-workspace>
  plan_requirements: []
  apply_requirements: ['undiverged']
  import_requirements: ['undiverged']
  autoplan:
    when_modified:
    - '*.tf'
  workflow: <workflow>
  depends_on: ['project-1']
  execution_order_group: 2

2. Open pr with change to main.tf or other .tf file
3. Run single atlantis apply command, and observe apply for project-2 is blocked with error Can't apply your project unless you apply its dependencies

Logs

Can't apply your project unless you apply its dependencies

Environment details

• Atlantis version: atlantis v0.33.0
• Deployment method: helm
• If not running the latest Atlantis version have you tried to reproduce this issue on the latest version: no

Repo atlantis.yaml file:

version: 3
automerge: false
parallel_plan: true
parallel_apply: true
abort_on_execution_order_fail: false # must be false so sandbox does not block higher envs

projects:
- branch: /main/
  dir: path/to/project-1
  name: project-1
  workspace: <shared-workspace>
  plan_requirements: []
  apply_requirements: ['undiverged']
  import_requirements: ['undiverged']
  autoplan:
    when_modified:
    - '*.tf'
  workflow: <workflow>
  depends_on: []
  execution_order_group: 1
- branch: /main/
  dir: path/to/project-2
  name: project-2
  workspace: <shared-workspace>
  plan_requirements: []
  apply_requirements: ['undiverged']
  import_requirements: ['undiverged']
  autoplan:
    when_modified:
    - '*.tf'
  workflow: <workflow>
  depends_on: ['project-1']
  execution_order_group: 2

Additional Context

Another user had this same problem, which they layout here: https://luppeng.wordpress.com/2025/01/11/atlantis-repo-config-execution_order_group-and-depends_on-attributes-may-be-mutually-exclusive-in-some-cases/