diff --git a/src/uct/cuda/cuda_ipc/cuda_ipc_cache.c b/src/uct/cuda/cuda_ipc/cuda_ipc_cache.c
index 1c48f022562..2e80a8adcf4 100644
--- a/src/uct/cuda/cuda_ipc/cuda_ipc_cache.c
+++ b/src/uct/cuda/cuda_ipc/cuda_ipc_cache.c
@@ -238,9 +238,7 @@ static void uct_cuda_ipc_cache_evict_lru(uct_cuda_ipc_cache_t *cache)
         }
 
         if (region->refcount > 0) {
-            /* In-use region -- pull off LRU, it will be re-added on release */
-            ucs_list_del(&region->lru_list);
-            region->in_lru = 0;
+            /* In-use region -- keep on LRU, revisit on next eviction pass */
             continue;
         }
 
@@ -590,10 +588,6 @@ ucs_status_t uct_cuda_ipc_unmap_memhandle(pid_t pid, ucs_sys_ns_t pid_ns,
     if (!region->refcount && !cache_enabled) {
         ucs_assert(region->mapped_addr == mapped_addr);
         uct_cuda_ipc_cache_region_destroy(cache, region);
-    } else if (!region->in_lru) {
-        /* Region becomes an eviction candidate -- add to LRU tail */
-        ucs_list_add_tail(&cache->lru_list, &region->lru_list);
-        region->in_lru = 1;
     }
 
     pthread_rwlock_unlock(&cache->lock);
@@ -648,12 +642,10 @@ UCS_PROFILE_FUNC(ucs_status_t, uct_cuda_ipc_map_memhandle,
                       UCS_PGT_REGION_FMT, cache->name, (void *)key->d_bptr,
                       key->b_len, UCS_PGT_REGION_ARG(&region->super));
 
-            /* Move to LRU tail (most recently used) */
-            if (region->in_lru) {
-                ucs_list_del(&region->lru_list);
-            }
+            /* Move to LRU tail (most recently used). Region is always on LRU
+             * while alive, so unconditional del/add_tail is safe. */
+            ucs_list_del(&region->lru_list);
             ucs_list_add_tail(&cache->lru_list, &region->lru_list);
-            region->in_lru = 1;
 
             *mapped_addr = region->mapped_addr;
             ucs_assert(region->refcount < UINT64_MAX);
diff --git a/test/gtest/uct/cuda/test_cuda_ipc_md.cc b/test/gtest/uct/cuda/test_cuda_ipc_md.cc
index 4a8b38f59a1..35c943b88c1 100644
--- a/test/gtest/uct/cuda/test_cuda_ipc_md.cc
+++ b/test/gtest/uct/cuda/test_cuda_ipc_md.cc
@@ -302,22 +302,32 @@ class test_cuda_ipc_cache_lru : public ucs::test {
     void release_region(uct_cuda_ipc_cache_region_t *region) {
         ASSERT_GE(region->refcount, 1UL);
         region->refcount--;
-        if (!region->in_lru) {
-            ucs_list_add_tail(&m_cache->lru_list, &region->lru_list);
-            region->in_lru = 1;
-        }
     }
 
     void reacquire_region(uct_cuda_ipc_cache_region_t *region) {
         /* Move to LRU tail (most recently used) */
-        if (region->in_lru) {
-            ucs_list_del(&region->lru_list);
-        }
+        ucs_list_del(&region->lru_list);
         ucs_list_add_tail(&m_cache->lru_list, &region->lru_list);
-        region->in_lru = 1;
         region->refcount++;
     }
 
+    void destroy_region(uct_cuda_ipc_cache_region_t *region)
+    {
+        ucs_status_t status = ucs_pgtable_remove(&m_cache->pgtable,
+                                                 &region->super);
+        ASSERT_EQ(UCS_OK, status);
+
+        ASSERT_TRUE(region->in_lru);
+        ucs_list_del(&region->lru_list);
+        region->in_lru = 0;
+
+        ASSERT_GT(m_cache->num_regions, 0UL);
+        m_cache->num_regions--;
+        m_cache->total_size -= region->key.b_len;
+
+        ucs_free(region);
+    }
+
     void evict_lru() {
         uct_cuda_ipc_cache_region_t *region, *tmp;
 
@@ -328,9 +338,6 @@ class test_cuda_ipc_cache_lru : public ucs::test {
             }
 
             if (region->refcount > 0) {
-                /* In-use -- pull off LRU, will be re-added on release */
-                ucs_list_del(&region->lru_list);
-                region->in_lru = 0;
                 continue;
             }
 
@@ -530,3 +537,28 @@ UCS_TEST_F(test_cuda_ipc_cache_lru, unlimited) {
         EXPECT_TRUE(pgtable_has(i));
     }
 }
+
+UCS_TEST_F(test_cuda_ipc_cache_lru, stale_destroy_while_in_use) {
+    /* Check that evict_lru does not pull in-use regions off
+     * the LRU. This could cause a failure if region is destroyed
+     * while not in LRU. */
+    create_cache(0 /* force eviction on every insert */, SIZE_MAX);
+
+    uct_cuda_ipc_cache_region_t *r1 = insert_region(0);
+    ASSERT_EQ(1UL, r1->refcount);
+    ASSERT_EQ(1, r1->in_lru);
+
+    evict_lru();
+
+    /* Core assertion: in-use region must stay on LRU after eviction */
+    EXPECT_EQ(1, r1->in_lru);
+    EXPECT_EQ(1UL, m_cache->num_regions);
+    EXPECT_TRUE(pgtable_has(0));
+
+    /* Simulate the stale-buffer_id destroy path */
+    destroy_region(r1);
+
+    EXPECT_EQ(0UL, m_cache->num_regions);
+    EXPECT_EQ(0UL, m_cache->total_size);
+    EXPECT_TRUE(ucs_list_is_empty(&m_cache->lru_list));
+}