diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/course_api/blocks/transformers/block_depth.py b/lms/djangoapps/course_api/blocks/transformers/block_depth.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9314451ae1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/course_api/blocks/transformers/block_depth.py
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+"""
+Block Depth Transformer
+"""
+from openedx.core.lib.block_cache.transformer import BlockStructureTransformer
+
+
+class BlockDepthTransformer(BlockStructureTransformer):
+    """
+    Keep track of the depth of each block within the block structure.  In case
+    of multiple paths to a given node (in a DAG), use the shallowest depth.
+    """
+    VERSION = 1
+    BLOCK_DEPTH = 'block_depth'
+
+    def __init__(self, requested_depth=None):
+        self.requested_depth = requested_depth
+
+    @classmethod
+    def name(cls):
+        return "blocks_api:block_depth"
+
+    @classmethod
+    def get_block_depth(cls, block_structure, block_key):
+        """
+        Return the precalculated depth of a block within the block_structure:
+
+        Arguments:
+            block_structure: a BlockStructure instance
+            block_key: the key of the block whose depth we want to know
+
+        Returns:
+            int
+        """
+        return block_structure.get_transformer_block_field(
+            block_key,
+            cls,
+            cls.BLOCK_DEPTH,
+        )
+
+    def transform(self, usage_info, block_structure):  # pylint: disable=unused-argument
+        """
+        Mutates block_structure based on the given usage_info.
+        """
+        for block_key in block_structure.topological_traversal():
+            parents = block_structure.get_parents(block_key)
+            if parents:
+                block_depth = min(
+                    self.get_block_depth(block_structure, parent_key)
+                    for parent_key in parents
+                ) + 1
+            else:
+                block_depth = 0
+            block_structure.set_transformer_block_field(
+                block_key,
+                self,
+                self.BLOCK_DEPTH,
+                block_depth
+            )
+
+        if self.requested_depth is not None:
+            block_structure.remove_block_if(
+                lambda block_key: self.get_block_depth(block_structure, block_key) > self.requested_depth
+            )
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/course_api/blocks/transformers/tests/test_block_depth.py b/lms/djangoapps/course_api/blocks/transformers/tests/test_block_depth.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a4cf85641a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/course_api/blocks/transformers/tests/test_block_depth.py
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+"""
+Tests for BlockDepthTransformer.
+"""
+
+# pylint: disable=protected-access
+
+import ddt
+from unittest import TestCase
+
+from openedx.core.lib.block_cache.tests.test_utils import ChildrenMapTestMixin
+from openedx.core.lib.block_cache.block_structure import BlockStructureModulestoreData
+from ..block_depth import BlockDepthTransformer
+
+
+@ddt.ddt
+class BlockDepthTransformerTestCase(TestCase, ChildrenMapTestMixin):
+    """
+    Test behavior of BlockDepthTransformer
+    """
+    @ddt.data(
+        (0, [], [], []),
+        (0, ChildrenMapTestMixin.SIMPLE_CHILDREN_MAP, [[], [], [], [], []], [1, 2, 3, 4]),
+        (1, ChildrenMapTestMixin.SIMPLE_CHILDREN_MAP, [[1, 2], [], [], [], []], [3, 4]),
+        (2, ChildrenMapTestMixin.SIMPLE_CHILDREN_MAP, ChildrenMapTestMixin.SIMPLE_CHILDREN_MAP, []),
+        (3, ChildrenMapTestMixin.SIMPLE_CHILDREN_MAP, ChildrenMapTestMixin.SIMPLE_CHILDREN_MAP, []),
+        (None, ChildrenMapTestMixin.SIMPLE_CHILDREN_MAP, ChildrenMapTestMixin.SIMPLE_CHILDREN_MAP, []),
+
+        (0, ChildrenMapTestMixin.DAG_CHILDREN_MAP, [[], [], [], [], [], [], []], [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]),
+        (1, ChildrenMapTestMixin.DAG_CHILDREN_MAP, [[1, 2], [], [], [], [], [], []], [3, 4, 5, 6]),
+        (2, ChildrenMapTestMixin.DAG_CHILDREN_MAP, [[1, 2], [3], [3, 4], [], [], [], []], [5, 6]),
+        (3, ChildrenMapTestMixin.DAG_CHILDREN_MAP, ChildrenMapTestMixin.DAG_CHILDREN_MAP, []),
+        (4, ChildrenMapTestMixin.DAG_CHILDREN_MAP, ChildrenMapTestMixin.DAG_CHILDREN_MAP, []),
+        (None, ChildrenMapTestMixin.DAG_CHILDREN_MAP, ChildrenMapTestMixin.DAG_CHILDREN_MAP, []),
+    )
+    @ddt.unpack
+    def test_block_depth(self, block_depth, children_map, transformed_children_map, missing_blocks):
+        block_structure = self.create_block_structure(BlockStructureModulestoreData, children_map)
+        BlockDepthTransformer(block_depth).transform(usage_info=None, block_structure=block_structure)
+        block_structure._prune_unreachable()
+        self.assert_block_structure(block_structure, transformed_children_map, missing_blocks)