diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index b5881c4a2..509316c1a 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ end
 
 gemspec
 
+gem "base64"
+
 group :benchmark, :test do
   gem 'benchmark-ips'
   gem 'memory_profiler'
diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
index 66ff47345..cbfda8d4d 100644
--- a/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/Gemfile.lock
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ GEM
   remote: https://rubygems.org/
   specs:
     ast (2.4.2)
+    base64 (0.2.0)
     benchmark-ips (2.13.0)
     json (2.7.2)
     language_server-protocol (3.17.0.3)
@@ -57,6 +58,7 @@ PLATFORMS
   ruby
 
 DEPENDENCIES
+  base64
   benchmark-ips
   liquid!
   liquid-c!
diff --git a/lib/liquid/tags/cycle.rb b/lib/liquid/tags/cycle.rb
index 00695265d..2514bf3ba 100644
--- a/lib/liquid/tags/cycle.rb
+++ b/lib/liquid/tags/cycle.rb
@@ -26,14 +26,20 @@ def initialize(tag_name, markup, options)
       when NamedSyntax
         @variables = variables_from_string(Regexp.last_match(2))
         @name      = parse_expression(Regexp.last_match(1))
+        @is_named = true
       when SimpleSyntax
         @variables = variables_from_string(markup)
         @name      = @variables.to_s
+        @is_named = !@name.match?(/\w+:0x\h{8}/)
       else
         raise SyntaxError, options[:locale].t("errors.syntax.cycle")
       end
     end
 
+    def named?
+      @is_named
+    end
+
     def render_to_output_buffer(context, output)
       context.registers[:cycle] ||= {}