diff --git a/pulsar-common/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/common/util/Backoff.java b/pulsar-common/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/common/util/Backoff.java
index 5957ce86796ac..0b15837eae777 100644
--- a/pulsar-common/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/common/util/Backoff.java
+++ b/pulsar-common/src/main/java/org/apache/pulsar/common/util/Backoff.java
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ public class Backoff {
     private Duration next;
     @Getter
     private Instant firstBackoffTime;
+    private boolean firstBackoffTimeSet;
     @Getter
     private boolean mandatoryStopMade;
 
@@ -74,6 +75,7 @@ private Backoff(Duration initial, Duration max, Duration mandatoryStop, Clock cl
         this.next = initial;
         this.clock = clock;
         this.firstBackoffTime = Instant.EPOCH;
+        this.firstBackoffTimeSet = false;
         if (initial.isZero() && max.isZero() && mandatoryStop.isZero()) {
             this.mandatoryStopMade = true;
         }
@@ -117,8 +119,9 @@ public Duration next() {
         if (!mandatoryStopMade) {
             Instant now = clock.instant();
             Duration timeElapsedSinceFirstBackoff = Duration.ZERO;
-            if (initial.equals(current)) {
+            if (!firstBackoffTimeSet) {
                 firstBackoffTime = now;
+                firstBackoffTimeSet = true;
             } else {
                 timeElapsedSinceFirstBackoff = Duration.between(firstBackoffTime, now);
             }
@@ -156,6 +159,8 @@ public void reduceToHalf() {
      */
     public void reset() {
         this.next = this.initial;
+        this.firstBackoffTime = Instant.EPOCH;
+        this.firstBackoffTimeSet = false;
         this.mandatoryStopMade = initial.isZero() && max.isZero() && mandatoryStop.isZero();
     }
 
diff --git a/pulsar-common/src/test/java/org/apache/pulsar/common/util/BackoffTest.java b/pulsar-common/src/test/java/org/apache/pulsar/common/util/BackoffTest.java
index 152ddee5156d0..2a498441a8c9b 100644
--- a/pulsar-common/src/test/java/org/apache/pulsar/common/util/BackoffTest.java
+++ b/pulsar-common/src/test/java/org/apache/pulsar/common/util/BackoffTest.java
@@ -76,6 +76,99 @@ public void firstBackoffTimerTest() {
         assertEquals(diffBackOffTime, 300);
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void mandatoryStopShouldWorkWithConstantBackoff() {
+        Clock mockClock = Mockito.mock(Clock.class);
+        Mockito.when(mockClock.instant())
+                .thenReturn(Instant.ofEpochMilli(0))
+                .thenReturn(Instant.ofEpochMilli(400));
+
+        Backoff backoff = Backoff.builder()
+                .initialDelay(Duration.ofMillis(100))
+                .maxBackoff(Duration.ofMillis(100))
+                .mandatoryStop(Duration.ofMillis(300))
+                .clock(mockClock)
+                .build();
+
+        // first call starts the mandatory-stop timer
+        backoff.next();
+        Instant firstBackoffTime = backoff.getFirstBackoffTime();
+
+        // elapsed wall-clock time should exceed mandatory stop
+        backoff.next();
+        assertEquals(backoff.getFirstBackoffTime(), firstBackoffTime,
+                "firstBackoffTime should not be updated after the first call to next()");
+        assertTrue(backoff.isMandatoryStopMade(),
+                "mandatory stop should be reached even when initial == max (constant backoff)");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void reduceToHalfShouldNotResetMandatoryStopTimer() {
+        Clock mockClock = Mockito.mock(Clock.class);
+        Mockito.when(mockClock.instant())
+                .thenReturn(Instant.ofEpochMilli(0))
+                .thenReturn(Instant.ofEpochMilli(200));
+
+        Backoff backoff = Backoff.builder()
+                .initialDelay(Duration.ofMillis(100))
+                .maxBackoff(Duration.ofMillis(400))
+                .mandatoryStop(Duration.ofMillis(250))
+                .clock(mockClock)
+                .build();
+
+        // first call starts the mandatory-stop timer (next becomes 200)
+        backoff.next();
+        Instant firstBackoffTime = backoff.getFirstBackoffTime();
+
+        // This can bring the next delay back to initial, but it should not reset firstBackoffTime.
+        backoff.reduceToHalf();
+
+        backoff.next();
+        assertEquals(backoff.getFirstBackoffTime(), firstBackoffTime,
+                "reduceToHalf should not reset firstBackoffTime");
+        assertTrue(backoff.isMandatoryStopMade(),
+                "mandatory stop should be reached based on wall-clock time since the first call to next()");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void resetShouldStartNewMandatoryStopCycle() {
+        Clock mockClock = Mockito.mock(Clock.class);
+        Mockito.when(mockClock.instant())
+                .thenReturn(Instant.ofEpochMilli(0))
+                .thenReturn(Instant.ofEpochMilli(400))
+                .thenReturn(Instant.ofEpochMilli(1000))
+                .thenReturn(Instant.ofEpochMilli(1400));
+
+        Backoff backoff = Backoff.builder()
+                .initialDelay(Duration.ofMillis(100))
+                .maxBackoff(Duration.ofMillis(100))
+                .mandatoryStop(Duration.ofMillis(300))
+                .clock(mockClock)
+                .build();
+
+        // Cycle 1: reach mandatory stop
+        backoff.next();
+        Instant firstCycleStart = backoff.getFirstBackoffTime();
+        backoff.next();
+        assertTrue(backoff.isMandatoryStopMade(), "mandatory stop should be reached in cycle-1");
+
+        // Reset should clear mandatory-stop state so a new cycle can start.
+        backoff.reset();
+        assertFalse(backoff.isMandatoryStopMade(), "reset should clear mandatoryStopMade");
+        assertEquals(backoff.getFirstBackoffTime(), Instant.EPOCH, "reset should clear firstBackoffTime");
+
+        // Cycle 2: should start timing again and be able to reach mandatory stop again.
+        backoff.next();
+        Instant secondCycleStart = backoff.getFirstBackoffTime();
+        assertEquals(secondCycleStart, Instant.ofEpochMilli(1000),
+                "reset should start a new mandatory-stop timing window");
+        assertEquals(Duration.between(firstCycleStart, secondCycleStart).toMillis(), 1000,
+                "reset should not reuse the old timing window");
+
+        backoff.next();
+        assertTrue(backoff.isMandatoryStopMade(), "mandatory stop should be reached in cycle-2");
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void basicTest() {
         Clock mockClock = Clock.fixed(Instant.EPOCH, ZoneId.systemDefault());