diff --git a/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.StoreAndForward/StoreAndForwardService.cs b/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.StoreAndForward/StoreAndForwardService.cs
index 4553c82c..2b8dda17 100644
--- a/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.StoreAndForward/StoreAndForwardService.cs
+++ b/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.StoreAndForward/StoreAndForwardService.cs
@@ -394,7 +394,7 @@ public class StoreAndForwardService
         });
 
         _retryTimer = new Timer(
-            _ => Volatile.Write(ref _sweepTask, RetryPendingMessagesAsync()),
+            _ => KickSweep(),
             null,
             _options.RetryTimerInterval,
             _options.RetryTimerInterval);
@@ -658,17 +658,37 @@ public class StoreAndForwardService
     /// <summary>
     /// Kicks a background retry sweep now (fire-and-forget). No-op before
     /// <see cref="StartAsync"/> (storage may be uninitialized and the timer, whose
-    /// presence gates this, is not yet set). Overlap-safe: the sweep's
-    /// <see cref="_retryInProgress"/> CAS makes a concurrent kick a cheap no-op.
+    /// presence gates this, is not yet set). Overlap-safe: publishes into
+    /// <see cref="_sweepTask"/> only when the CAS is won — see <see cref="KickSweep"/>.
     /// </summary>
     public void TriggerSweep()
     {
         if (_retryTimer == null) return;
-        Volatile.Write(ref _sweepTask, RetryPendingMessagesAsync());
+        KickSweep();
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>The current drain handle — test seam for the N3 clobber regression.</summary>
+    internal Task? CurrentSweepTaskForTest => Volatile.Read(ref _sweepTask);
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Starts a sweep IF none is in flight, publishing the new task into
+    /// <see cref="_sweepTask"/> only when this call wins the <see cref="_retryInProgress"/>
+    /// CAS. A kick that loses the CAS returns without touching <see cref="_sweepTask"/> —
+    /// pre-fix it overwrote the drain handle with an instantly-completed no-op, so
+    /// <see cref="StopAsync"/> proceeded with disposal under a still-running sweep
+    /// (review 02 round 2, N3) — defeating the drain exactly when a sweep outlives a tick.
+    /// </summary>
+    private void KickSweep()
+    {
+        if (Interlocked.CompareExchange(ref _retryInProgress, 1, 0) != 0)
+            return;
+        Volatile.Write(ref _sweepTask, RunSweepOwnedAsync());
     }
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Background retry sweep. Processes all pending messages that are due for retry.
+    /// Self-CASes for direct callers (existing tests); the entry CAS is skipped when
+    /// ownership is already held by <see cref="KickSweep"/>.
     /// </summary>
     /// <returns>A task representing the asynchronous retry sweep.</returns>
     internal async Task RetryPendingMessagesAsync()
@@ -676,7 +696,16 @@ public class StoreAndForwardService
         // Prevent overlapping retry sweeps
         if (Interlocked.CompareExchange(ref _retryInProgress, 1, 0) != 0)
             return;
+        await RunSweepOwnedAsync();
+    }
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// The actual retry sweep body. The caller MUST already own the
+    /// <see cref="_retryInProgress"/> flag (won the CAS); this method releases it in its
+    /// finally. Never call directly without holding ownership.
+    /// </summary>
+    private async Task RunSweepOwnedAsync()
+    {
         try
         {
             var gate = _deliveryGate;
diff --git a/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.StoreAndForward.Tests/StoreAndForwardServiceTests.cs b/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.StoreAndForward.Tests/StoreAndForwardServiceTests.cs
index 4facffa7..3c7a4c94 100644
--- a/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.StoreAndForward.Tests/StoreAndForwardServiceTests.cs
+++ b/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.StoreAndForward.Tests/StoreAndForwardServiceTests.cs
@@ -821,4 +821,67 @@ public class StoreAndForwardServiceTests : IAsyncLifetime, IDisposable
         }
         finally { await service.StopAsync(); }
     }
+
+    // ── R2 T8: _sweepTask clobber (N3) ──
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task TriggerSweep_WhileSweepInFlight_DoesNotClobberTheDrainHandle()
+    {
+        var service = CreateService(retryTimerInterval: TimeSpan.FromHours(1));
+        var entered = new TaskCompletionSource(TaskCreationOptions.RunContinuationsAsynchronously);
+        var release = new TaskCompletionSource(TaskCreationOptions.RunContinuationsAsynchronously);
+        service.RegisterDeliveryHandler(StoreAndForwardCategory.ExternalSystem, async _ =>
+        {
+            entered.TrySetResult();
+            await release.Task;
+            return true;
+        });
+        await service.StartAsync();
+        try
+        {
+            await service.EnqueueAsync(StoreAndForwardCategory.ExternalSystem, "t", "{}",
+                attemptImmediateDelivery: false, retryInterval: TimeSpan.Zero);
+
+            service.TriggerSweep();                       // real sweep, blocked in the handler
+            await entered.Task.WaitAsync(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5));
+            service.TriggerSweep();                       // redundant kick — pre-fix clobbers _sweepTask
+
+            var handle = service.CurrentSweepTaskForTest;
+            Assert.NotNull(handle);
+            Assert.False(handle!.IsCompleted);            // pre-fix: true (a completed no-op replaced the real sweep)
+        }
+        finally
+        {
+            release.TrySetResult();
+            await service.StopAsync();
+        }
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task StopAsync_WaitsForTheRealInFlightSweep_EvenAfterARedundantTrigger()
+    {
+        var service = CreateService(retryTimerInterval: TimeSpan.FromHours(1));
+        var entered = new TaskCompletionSource(TaskCreationOptions.RunContinuationsAsynchronously);
+        var release = new TaskCompletionSource(TaskCreationOptions.RunContinuationsAsynchronously);
+        service.RegisterDeliveryHandler(StoreAndForwardCategory.ExternalSystem, async _ =>
+        {
+            entered.TrySetResult();
+            await release.Task;
+            return true;
+        });
+        await service.StartAsync();
+        await service.EnqueueAsync(StoreAndForwardCategory.ExternalSystem, "t", "{}",
+            attemptImmediateDelivery: false, retryInterval: TimeSpan.Zero);
+
+        service.TriggerSweep();
+        await entered.Task.WaitAsync(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5));
+        service.TriggerSweep(); // the clobbering kick
+
+        var stop = service.StopAsync();
+        await Task.Delay(300);
+        Assert.False(stop.IsCompleted); // pre-fix: StopAsync already returned (awaited the no-op)
+
+        release.TrySetResult();
+        await stop.WaitAsync(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5)); // drains the real sweep promptly once released
+    }
 }