diff --git a/pulsar-broker/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/broker/service/BacklogQuotaManager.java b/pulsar-broker/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/broker/service/BacklogQuotaManager.java
index da0d7ccd4aec3..686e2244b560a 100644
--- a/pulsar-broker/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/broker/service/BacklogQuotaManager.java
+++ b/pulsar-broker/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/broker/service/BacklogQuotaManager.java
@@ -94,6 +94,17 @@ public BacklogQuotaImpl getBacklogQuota(NamespaceName namespace, BacklogQuotaTyp
      */
     public void handleExceededBacklogQuota(PersistentTopic persistentTopic, BacklogQuotaType backlogQuotaType,
                                            boolean preciseTimeBasedBacklogQuotaCheck) {
+        if (persistentTopic.isFenced() || persistentTopic.isClosingOrDeleting()) {
+            // Skip eviction work on a topic that is being torn down or transiently fenced.
+            // Mutating cursors here (skipEntries / markDeletePosition) contends with the
+            // delete path and can keep namespace force-delete from completing in time;
+            // the entries are about to be discarded anyway.
+            log.debug()
+                    .attr("topic", persistentTopic.getName())
+                    .attr("backlogQuotaType", backlogQuotaType)
+                    .log("Skipping backlog-quota eviction on fenced/closing topic");
+            return;
+        }
         BacklogQuota quota = persistentTopic.getBacklogQuota(backlogQuotaType);
         BacklogQuotaMetrics topicBacklogQuotaMetrics =
                 persistentTopic.getPersistentTopicMetrics().getBacklogQuotaMetrics();