How to avoid using reverse.dep to make our builds "suitable"?

**Context:**

We're running the free version of Teamcity to manage our projects. Some of those projects have dependencies between each others.

**The problem**

Some projects have chained Snapshot Dependencies, and those dependencies are always being built. Ideally, we would want to avoid snapshot dependencies being re-built if there's already an artifact on the latest version.

Example: A depends on B, B depends on C. Push A triggers a build of C, followed by a build of B and finally a build of A.

Ideally: A would be built based on the latest built versions of B and C.

**Where I think the problem lies (but I might be wrong)**

Each of our projects has a number of Snapshot dependencies, and each snapshot dependency is configured with the following parameters turned on:
 - [x] Do not run new build if there is a suitable one
 - [x] Only use successful builds from suitable ones

For the first option, the documentation says:
> If this option is set, TeamCity will not run a new dependency build, if another dependency build in progress or completed with the appropriate source revision already exists. See also Suitable builds: (https://www.jetbrains.com/help/teamcity/2022.10/snapshot-dependencies.html#Suitable+Builds).

If we look in the Suitable Builds doc, it shows a list of requirements for a build to be considered suitable. The one I think is relevant is here:
> - It must not have any custom settings, including those defined via reverse.dep. (related feature request: TW-23700: (http://youtrack.jetbrains.com/issue/TW-23700)).

However, we currently have `reverse.dep.*.env.SOME_PARAMETER` as a Configuration Parameter in every single one of our builds (it's inherited through a template). 

Based on that, it seems to me that the "Do not run new build if there is a suitable one" option is doing nothing, and therefore that's why all our dependencies are built every time (or am I wrong?)

We also have, in every one of our builds, an environment variable called `env.SOME_PARAMETER` which has the same value as the reverse.dep configuration parameter.

**My question**

Is there a way to avoid using `reverse.dep` in my situation so that the `Do not run new build if there is a suitable one` option works? Perhaps by using the environment variable instead?

I asked the senior developer at the company I work in, and they said that in theory it should work, but in practice it doesn't, but he seems recitent to explain further. I'm just a beginner in Teamcity, so detailed explanations are welcome