diff --git a/integrationTests/cluster/replicationReconnect.test.mjs b/integrationTests/cluster/replicationReconnect.test.mjs
index 062eeecaa..247691698 100644
--- a/integrationTests/cluster/replicationReconnect.test.mjs
+++ b/integrationTests/cluster/replicationReconnect.test.mjs
@@ -152,6 +152,43 @@ suite('Replication Reconnect', { timeout: 120000 }, (ctx) => {
 		);
 	});
 
+	test('remove_node while peer is down stops retries permanently', async () => {
+		// Ensure replication is active.
+		let status = await sendOperation(ctx.nodes[1], { operation: 'cluster_status' });
+		if (status.connections.length === 0) {
+			await sendOperation(ctx.nodes[1], {
+				operation: 'add_node',
+				rejectUnauthorized: false,
+				hostname: ctx.nodes[0].hostname,
+				authorization: ctx.nodes[1].admin,
+			});
+			await waitForConnected(ctx.nodes[1], 1);
+		}
+
+		// Kill node0 to put node1 into the retry-connect state.
+		await killHarper({ harper: ctx.nodes[0] });
+		// Brief pause to let node1 detect the disconnect and schedule a retry.
+		await delay(800);
+
+		// remove_node while the peer is unreachable. This must stop all retry
+		// attempts — the intentionallyUnsubscribed guard in connect() ensures the
+		// pending retry timer fires but returns immediately rather than opening a
+		// new socket.
+		await sendOperation(ctx.nodes[1], {
+			operation: 'remove_node',
+			hostname: ctx.nodes[0].hostname,
+		});
+		const afterRemove = await waitForConnected(ctx.nodes[1], 0, false);
+		equal(afterRemove.connections.length, 0, 'expected 0 connections immediately after remove_node');
+
+		// Restart node0. If the retry loop was not properly stopped, node1 would
+		// reconnect once node0 is reachable again. Verify it does not.
+		ctx.nodes[0] = (await startHarper({ harper: ctx.nodes[0] })).harper;
+		await delay(2000);
+		status = await sendOperation(ctx.nodes[1], { operation: 'cluster_status' });
+		equal(status.connections.length, 0, 'node1 must not reconnect to a removed node even after that node restarts');
+	});
+
 	test('kill + restart of peer recovers replication connectivity', async () => {
 		// Assume previous test left replication active. If not, re-establish.
 		let status = await sendOperation(ctx.nodes[1], { operation: 'cluster_status' });
diff --git a/replication/replicationConnection.ts b/replication/replicationConnection.ts
index ab7a3cfbf..9fbb42865 100644
--- a/replication/replicationConnection.ts
+++ b/replication/replicationConnection.ts
@@ -234,6 +234,7 @@ export class NodeReplicationConnection extends EventEmitter {
 	}
 
 	async connect() {
+		if (this.intentionallyUnsubscribed) return;
 		if (!this.session) this.resetSession();
 		// TODO: Need to do this specifically for each node
 		this.socket = await createWebSocket(this.url, { serverName: this.nodeName, authorization: this.authorization });
@@ -359,7 +360,7 @@ export class NodeReplicationConnection extends EventEmitter {
 	}
 	unsubscribe() {
 		this.intentionallyUnsubscribed = true;
-		this.socket.close(1008, 'No longer subscribed');
+		this.socket?.close(1008, 'No longer subscribed');
 	}
 
 	getRecord(request) {
@@ -1156,7 +1157,9 @@ export function replicateOverWS(ws: WebSocket, options: any, authorization: any)
 							const matchesSubscription =
 								(excludedNodes && timeRange === undefined) ||
 								// if it is in the list, we check the timestamps to verify it matches
-								(timeRange && (timeRange as any).startTime < localTime && (!(timeRange as any).endTime || (timeRange as any).endTime > localTime));
+								(timeRange &&
+									(timeRange as any).startTime < localTime &&
+									(!(timeRange as any).endTime || (timeRange as any).endTime > localTime));
 							if (!matchesSubscription) {
 								if (DEBUG_MODE)
 									logger.trace?.(
diff --git a/replication/replicator.ts b/replication/replicator.ts
index 370a00438..f43ba60e8 100644
--- a/replication/replicator.ts
+++ b/replication/replicator.ts
@@ -476,7 +476,9 @@ function getSubscriptionConnection(
 			(connection = new NodeReplicationConnection(connectingUrl, subscription, dbName, nodeName, authorization))
 		);
 		connection.connect();
-		connection.once('finished', () => dbConnections.delete(dbName));
+		connection.once('finished', () => {
+			if (dbConnections.get(dbName) === connection) dbConnections.delete(dbName);
+		});
 		return connection;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/replication/subscriptionManager.ts b/replication/subscriptionManager.ts
index 81e29e06c..548818cf4 100644
--- a/replication/subscriptionManager.ts
+++ b/replication/subscriptionManager.ts
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@ export async function startOnMainThread(options) {
 		logger.info('Setting up node replication for', node);
 		if (!node) {
 			// deleted node
+			nodeMap.delete(hostname);
 			for (const [url, dbReplicationWorkers] of connectionReplicationMap) {
 				let foundNode;
 				for (const [_database, { nodes }] of dbReplicationWorkers) {