diff --git a/Sources/AsyncAlgorithms/FlatMapLatest/FlatMapLatestStateMachine.swift b/Sources/AsyncAlgorithms/FlatMapLatest/FlatMapLatestStateMachine.swift
index 71ee36c4..8891f4d2 100644
--- a/Sources/AsyncAlgorithms/FlatMapLatest/FlatMapLatestStateMachine.swift
+++ b/Sources/AsyncAlgorithms/FlatMapLatest/FlatMapLatestStateMachine.swift
@@ -125,12 +125,39 @@ where Base.Element: Sendable, Inner.Element: Sendable {
       let innerTask,
       let innerCont,
       let downstreamCont,
-      let buffer,
+      var buffer,
       let generation,
       let outerFinished
     ):
       precondition(downstreamCont == nil, "Already have downstream continuation")
-      precondition(buffer.isEmpty, "Buffer should be empty if suspending")
+
+      // Producers may buffer elements or finish between `next()` releasing
+      // the lock and this call; serve the demand from the current state.
+      if let result = buffer.popFirst() {
+        state = .running(
+          outerTask: outerTask,
+          outerContinuation: outerCont,
+          innerTask: innerTask,
+          innerContinuation: innerCont,
+          downstreamContinuation: nil,
+          buffer: buffer,
+          generation: generation,
+          outerFinished: outerFinished
+        )
+        switch result {
+        case .success(let element):
+          continuation.resume(returning: element)
+        case .failure(let error):
+          continuation.resume(throwing: error)
+        }
+        return .none
+      }
+
+      if outerFinished && innerTask == nil {
+        state = .finished
+        continuation.resume(returning: nil)
+        return .none
+      }
 
       state = .running(
         outerTask: outerTask,
diff --git a/Sources/AsyncAlgorithms/FlatMapLatest/FlatMapLatestStorage.swift b/Sources/AsyncAlgorithms/FlatMapLatest/FlatMapLatestStorage.swift
index dfe5aa57..b621a717 100644
--- a/Sources/AsyncAlgorithms/FlatMapLatest/FlatMapLatestStorage.swift
+++ b/Sources/AsyncAlgorithms/FlatMapLatest/FlatMapLatestStorage.swift
@@ -124,6 +124,9 @@ where Base.Element: Sendable, Inner.Element: Sendable {
   }
 
   private func startInnerTask(_ inner: Inner, generation: Int) {
+    // Hold the lock so the task is registered before its body can take the
+    // lock and transition the state machine (matching `startOuterTask`).
+    lock.lock()
     let task = Task {
       var iterator = inner.makeAsyncIterator()
 
@@ -165,6 +168,7 @@ where Base.Element: Sendable, Inner.Element: Sendable {
       }
     }
     stateMachine.innerTaskStarted(task, generation: generation)
+    lock.unlock()
   }
 
   private func handleAction(_ action: FlatMapLatestStateMachine<Base, Inner>.Action) {
diff --git a/Tests/AsyncAlgorithmsTests/TestFlatMapLatest.swift b/Tests/AsyncAlgorithmsTests/TestFlatMapLatest.swift
index 2cfab1cc..6cfe61c7 100644
--- a/Tests/AsyncAlgorithmsTests/TestFlatMapLatest.swift
+++ b/Tests/AsyncAlgorithmsTests/TestFlatMapLatest.swift
@@ -226,6 +226,39 @@ final class TestFlatMapLatest: XCTestCase {
     // Determine success by running without crashing
     for try await _ in combined {}
   }
+
+  func test_rapid_switching_single_consumer_stress() async throws {
+    // Regression test: rapid inner sequence switching used to trap in
+    // `next(for:)` or hang; the timeout guards against the hang variant.
+    let finished = expectation(description: "all iterations finished")
+    let consumer = Task {
+      for _ in 0..<1000 {
+        let toggles = AsyncStream<Bool> { continuation in
+          for index in 0..<20 {
+            continuation.yield(index.isMultiple(of: 2))
+          }
+          continuation.finish()
+        }
+
+        let sequence = toggles.flatMapLatest { enabled in
+          AsyncStream<Int> { continuation in
+            if enabled {
+              for value in 0..<200 {
+                continuation.yield(value)
+              }
+            }
+            continuation.finish()
+          }
+        }
+
+        for await _ in sequence {}
+      }
+      finished.fulfill()
+    }
+    defer { consumer.cancel() }
+
+    await fulfillment(of: [finished], timeout: 120)
+  }
 }
 
 private struct FlatMapLatestFailure: Error, Equatable {}