diff --git a/elixir_app.bzl b/elixir_app.bzl
index 33d8c26..dffd38f 100644
--- a/elixir_app.bzl
+++ b/elixir_app.bzl
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ def elixir_app(
         app_name = app_name,
         extra_apps = ["elixir"] + extra_apps,
         modules = [":beam_files"],
+        deps = deps,
         **kwargs
     )
 
diff --git a/test/app_deps/BUILD.bazel b/test/app_deps/BUILD.bazel
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0d08c62
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/app_deps/BUILD.bazel
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+load("@rules_elixir//:elixir_app.bzl", "elixir_app")
+load("@rules_shell//shell:sh_test.bzl", "sh_test")
+
+elixir_app(
+    app_name = "main_app",
+    deps = ["//app_deps/dep:erlang_app"],
+)
+
+# The .app file must list dep_app in applications, so OTP starts it first.
+sh_test(
+    name = "app_file_lists_deps_test",
+    size = "small",
+    srcs = ["app_file_lists_deps_test.sh"],
+    args = ["$(rootpath :app_file)"],
+    data = [":app_file"],
+)
diff --git a/test/app_deps/app_file_lists_deps_test.sh b/test/app_deps/app_file_lists_deps_test.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..679e297
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/app_deps/app_file_lists_deps_test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+app_file="$1"
+cat "$app_file"
+applications=$(tr -d '\n' < "$app_file" | grep -o '{applications, *\[[^]]*\]}')
+echo "$applications"
+for app in kernel stdlib elixir dep_app; do
+    if ! grep -Eq "[[ ,]$app[],]" <<< "$applications"; then
+        echo "FAIL: $app is not in the applications list" >&2
+        exit 1
+    fi
+done
diff --git a/test/app_deps/dep/BUILD.bazel b/test/app_deps/dep/BUILD.bazel
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..754101c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/app_deps/dep/BUILD.bazel
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+load("@rules_elixir//:elixir_app.bzl", "elixir_app")
+
+package(default_visibility = ["//app_deps:__pkg__"])
+
+elixir_app(
+    app_name = "dep_app",
+)
diff --git a/test/app_deps/dep/lib/dep_app.ex b/test/app_deps/dep/lib/dep_app.ex
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..845f32c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/app_deps/dep/lib/dep_app.ex
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+defmodule DepApp do
+  def hello, do: :world
+end
diff --git a/test/app_deps/lib/main_app.ex b/test/app_deps/lib/main_app.ex
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..acb1b79
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/app_deps/lib/main_app.ex
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+defmodule MainApp do
+  def hello, do: DepApp.hello()
+end