diff --git a/cdb2api/cdb2api.c b/cdb2api/cdb2api.c
index 941dc0d942..92c78f81c3 100644
--- a/cdb2api/cdb2api.c
+++ b/cdb2api/cdb2api.c
@@ -365,6 +365,7 @@ MAKE_CDB2API_TEST_SWITCH(fail_timeout_sockpool_recv)
 MAKE_CDB2API_TEST_SWITCH(fail_timeout_sockpool_send)
 MAKE_CDB2API_TEST_SWITCH(fail_ssl_negotiation_once)
 MAKE_CDB2API_TEST_SWITCH(fail_sslio_close_in_local_cache)
+MAKE_CDB2API_TEST_SWITCH(fail_local_cache_peek)
 
 #define MAKE_CDB2API_TEST_COUNTER(name)                                                                                \
     static int name;                                                                                                   \
@@ -380,6 +381,7 @@ MAKE_CDB2API_TEST_COUNTER(num_tcp_connects)
 MAKE_CDB2API_TEST_COUNTER(num_cache_lru_evicts)
 MAKE_CDB2API_TEST_COUNTER(num_cache_hits)
 MAKE_CDB2API_TEST_COUNTER(num_cache_misses)
+MAKE_CDB2API_TEST_COUNTER(num_stale_cache_rejects)
 MAKE_CDB2API_TEST_COUNTER(num_sockpool_recv)
 MAKE_CDB2API_TEST_COUNTER(num_sockpool_send)
 MAKE_CDB2API_TEST_COUNTER(num_sockpool_recv_timeouts)
@@ -3244,18 +3246,39 @@ static COMDB2BUF *cdb2_socket_pool_get(cdb2_hndl_tp *hndl, const char *typestr,
     if (was_from_local_cache) {
         *was_from_local_cache = 0;
         sb = local_connection_cache_get(hndl, typestr);
-        if (sb != NULL) {
+        if (sb != NULL)
             *was_from_local_cache = 1;
-            LOG_CALL("%s(%s,%d,%p,%p[%d]): fd=%d\n", __func__, typestr, dbnum, port, was_from_local_cache,
-                     (was_from_local_cache ? *was_from_local_cache : 0), cdb2buf_fileno(sb));
-            return sb;
+    }
+
+    if (sb == NULL) {
+        int fd = cdb2_socket_pool_get_ll(hndl, typestr, dbnum, port);
+        if (fd > 0)
+            sb = cdb2buf_open(fd, 0);
+    }
+
+    /* Discard stale connections from either path: EOF, unexpected data, or socket error */
+    if (sb != NULL) {
+        char peek;
+#ifdef CDB2API_TEST
+        int ret = fail_local_cache_peek ? 0 : recv(cdb2buf_fileno(sb), &peek, 1, MSG_PEEK | MSG_DONTWAIT);
+#else
+        int ret = recv(cdb2buf_fileno(sb), &peek, 1, MSG_PEEK | MSG_DONTWAIT);
+#endif
+        if (ret != -1 || (errno != EAGAIN && errno != EWOULDBLOCK)) {
+            LOG_CALL("%s(%s): stale fd=%d ret=%d errno=%d\n", __func__, typestr, cdb2buf_fileno(sb), ret, errno);
+#ifdef CDB2API_TEST
+            ++num_stale_cache_rejects;
+#endif
+            cdb2buf_close(sb);
+            sb = NULL;
+            if (was_from_local_cache)
+                *was_from_local_cache = 0;
         }
     }
 
-    int fd = cdb2_socket_pool_get_ll(hndl, typestr, dbnum, port);
     LOG_CALL("%s(%s,%d,%p,%p[%d]): fd=%d\n", __func__, typestr, dbnum, port, was_from_local_cache,
-             (was_from_local_cache ? *was_from_local_cache : 0), fd);
-    return ((fd > 0) ? cdb2buf_open(fd, 0) : NULL);
+             (was_from_local_cache ? *was_from_local_cache : 0), cdb2buf_fileno(sb));
+    return sb;
 }
 
 #ifndef CDB2API_SERVER
diff --git a/cdb2api/cdb2api_test.h b/cdb2api/cdb2api_test.h
index 855ab6cfaf..911596ef23 100644
--- a/cdb2api/cdb2api_test.h
+++ b/cdb2api/cdb2api_test.h
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ void set_fail_dbinfo_no_response(int);
 int get_num_cache_lru_evicts(void);
 int get_num_cache_hits(void);
 int get_num_cache_misses(void);
+int get_num_stale_cache_rejects(void);
 
 void set_fail_next(int);
 void set_fail_read(int);
@@ -76,6 +77,7 @@ void set_fail_ssl_new(int);
 void set_fail_ssl_negotiation_once(int);
 void set_fail_ssl_poll(int);
 void set_fail_sslio_close_in_local_cache(int);
+void set_fail_local_cache_peek(int);
 
 void set_cdb2api_test_comdb2db_cfg(const char *);
 void set_cdb2api_test_single_cfg(const char *);
diff --git a/tests/api_tst.test/runit b/tests/api_tst.test/runit
index c20903bd5b..271b6e7fdc 100755
--- a/tests/api_tst.test/runit
+++ b/tests/api_tst.test/runit
@@ -108,6 +108,10 @@ ${TESTSBUILDDIR}/cdb2api_localcache_systable ${DBNAME}
 [[ $? -ne 0 ]] && echo "cdb2api_localcache_systable - fail" && exit 1
 echo 'cdb2api_localcache_systable - pass'
 
+${TESTSBUILDDIR}/cdb2api_stale_localcache ${DBNAME}
+[[ $? -ne 0 ]] && echo "cdb2api_stale_localcache - fail" && exit 1
+echo 'cdb2api_stale_localcache - pass'
+
 echo 'comdb2_feature:discard_unread_socket_data=on' >> ${cfg}
 ${TESTSBUILDDIR}/cdb2api_unread_data ${DBNAME}
 [[ $? -ne 0 ]] && echo "cdb2api_unread_data - fail" && exit 1
diff --git a/tests/tools/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/tools/CMakeLists.txt
index bf0e9d3e42..bd0594c9d0 100644
--- a/tests/tools/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/tools/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ add_exe(cdb2api_effects_on_chunk_error cdb2api_effects_on_chunk_error.c)
 add_exe(cdb2api_enforce_timeout cdb2api_enforce_timeout.cpp)
 add_exe(cdb2api_hasql cdb2api_hasql.cpp)
 add_exe(cdb2api_localcache_systable cdb2api_localcache_systable.cpp)
+add_exe(cdb2api_stale_localcache cdb2api_stale_localcache.cpp)
 add_exe(cdb2api_read_intrans_results cdb2api_read_intrans_results.c)
 add_exe(cdb2api_rte cdb2api_rte.cpp)
 add_exe(cdb2api_setoptions cdb2api_setoptions.cpp)
diff --git a/tests/tools/cdb2api_stale_localcache.cpp b/tests/tools/cdb2api_stale_localcache.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..83aeb5a609
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/tools/cdb2api_stale_localcache.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+/* Verify that stale connections in the local cache are detected and discarded.
+ *
+ * fail_local_cache_peek simulates recv() returning 0 (EOF from server), which
+ * is the same code path as real staleness.  The test verifies that:
+ *   - num_stale_cache_rejects increments on each stale detect
+ *   - a new TCP connection is made when the cached one is discarded
+ *   - normal cache hits resume once the injection is cleared
+ */
+#include <assert.h>
+#include <signal.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+
+#include <cdb2api.h>
+#include <cdb2api_test.h>
+
+static void run_query(const char *dbname, const char *type)
+{
+    cdb2_hndl_tp *hndl = NULL;
+    int rc = cdb2_open(&hndl, dbname, type, 0);
+    assert(rc == CDB2_OK);
+    rc = cdb2_run_statement(hndl, "SELECT 1");
+    assert(rc == CDB2_OK);
+    while ((rc = cdb2_next_record(hndl)) == CDB2_OK)
+        ;
+    assert(rc == CDB2_OK_DONE);
+    rc = cdb2_close(hndl);
+    assert(rc == CDB2_OK);
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char **argv)
+{
+    signal(SIGPIPE, SIG_IGN);
+    if (argc < 2) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "Usage: %s <dbname>\n", argv[0]);
+        return 1;
+    }
+    const char *dbname = argv[1];
+    char *conf = getenv("CDB2_CONFIG");
+    if (conf)
+        cdb2_set_comdb2db_config(conf);
+
+    set_fail_sockpool(-1); /* keep connections out of the external sockpool */
+    set_local_connections_limit(10);
+
+    /* First query: cache miss, connection goes into local cache on close */
+    run_query(dbname, "default");
+    assert(get_num_cache_misses() == 1);
+    assert(get_num_cache_hits() == 0);
+    assert(get_num_stale_cache_rejects() == 0);
+
+    int connects_before = get_num_tcp_connects();
+
+    /* Simulate a stale cached socket (recv returns 0 = EOF) */
+    set_fail_local_cache_peek(1);
+
+    /* This query hits the cache, finds the socket stale, discards it, and
+     * opens a fresh TCP connection to the database */
+    run_query(dbname, "default");
+    assert(get_num_stale_cache_rejects() == 1);
+    assert(get_num_tcp_connects() > connects_before);
+
+    /* Clear the injection; the fresh connection is now in the cache */
+    set_fail_local_cache_peek(0);
+
+    int hits_before = get_num_cache_hits();
+    run_query(dbname, "default");
+    assert(get_num_cache_hits() == hits_before + 1);
+    assert(get_num_stale_cache_rejects() == 1); /* no new stale rejects */
+
+    return 0;
+}