diff --git a/__tests__/applyAtRule.test.js b/__tests__/applyAtRule.test.js
index 8ad5af4dc..f07e90ff3 100644
--- a/__tests__/applyAtRule.test.js
+++ b/__tests__/applyAtRule.test.js
@@ -80,6 +80,22 @@ test('it fails if the class does not exist', () => {
   })
 })
 
+test('applying classes that are defined in a media query is not supported', () => {
+  const input = `
+    @media (min-width: 300px) {
+      .a { color: blue; }
+    }
+
+    .b {
+      @apply .a;
+    }
+  `
+  expect.assertions(1)
+  return run(input).catch(e => {
+    expect(e).toMatchObject({ name: 'CssSyntaxError' })
+  })
+})
+
 test('applying classes that are ever used in a media query is not supported', () => {
   const input = `
     .a {
diff --git a/src/lib/substituteClassApplyAtRules.js b/src/lib/substituteClassApplyAtRules.js
index 35a5b4bf0..cea7167fb 100644
--- a/src/lib/substituteClassApplyAtRules.js
+++ b/src/lib/substituteClassApplyAtRules.js
@@ -2,23 +2,25 @@ import _ from 'lodash'
 import postcss from 'postcss'
 import escapeClassName from '../util/escapeClassName'
 
+function buildClassTable(css) {
+  const classTable = {}
+
+  css.walkRules(rule => {
+    if (!_.has(classTable, rule.selector)) {
+      classTable[rule.selector] = []
+    }
+    classTable[rule.selector].push(rule)
+  })
+
+  return classTable
+}
+
 function normalizeClassName(className) {
   return `.${escapeClassName(_.trimStart(className, '.'))}`
 }
 
-function findMixin(css, mixin, onError) {
-  const matches = []
-
-  css.walkRules(rule => {
-    if (rule.selectors.includes(mixin)) {
-      if (rule.parent.type !== 'root') {
-        // prettier-ignore
-        onError(`\`@apply\` cannot be used with ${mixin} because ${mixin} is nested inside of an at-rule (@${rule.parent.name}).`)
-      }
-
-      matches.push(rule)
-    }
-  })
+function findMixin(classTable, mixin, onError) {
+  const matches = _.get(classTable, mixin, [])
 
   if (_.isEmpty(matches)) {
     // prettier-ignore
@@ -30,11 +32,20 @@ function findMixin(css, mixin, onError) {
     onError(`\`@apply\` cannot be used with ${mixin} because ${mixin} is included in multiple rulesets.`)
   }
 
-  return _.flatten(matches.map(match => match.clone().nodes))
+  const [match] = matches
+
+  if (match.parent.type !== 'root') {
+    // prettier-ignore
+    onError(`\`@apply\` cannot be used with ${mixin} because ${mixin} is nested inside of an at-rule (@${match.parent.name}).`)
+  }
+
+  return match.clone().nodes
 }
 
 export default function() {
   return function(css) {
+    const classLookup = buildClassTable(css)
+
     css.walkRules(rule => {
       rule.walkAtRules('apply', atRule => {
         const mixins = postcss.list.space(atRule.params)
@@ -53,7 +64,7 @@ export default function() {
         const decls = _(classes)
           .reject(mixin => mixin === '!important')
           .flatMap(mixin => {
-            return findMixin(css, normalizeClassName(mixin), message => {
+            return findMixin(classLookup, normalizeClassName(mixin), message => {
               throw atRule.error(message)
             })
           })