diff --git a/spinifex/services/vpcd/mock_ovn.go b/spinifex/services/vpcd/mock_ovn.go
index 535375699..166d7e024 100644
--- a/spinifex/services/vpcd/mock_ovn.go
+++ b/spinifex/services/vpcd/mock_ovn.go
@@ -375,6 +375,34 @@ func (m *MockOVNClient) DeleteNAT(_ context.Context, routerName string, natType,
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (m *MockOVNClient) DeleteNATByExternalIP(_ context.Context, routerName string, natType, externalIP string) error {
+	m.mu.Lock()
+	defer m.mu.Unlock()
+	lr, exists := m.routers[routerName]
+	if !exists {
+		return fmt.Errorf("logical router %q not found", routerName)
+	}
+	var foundUUIDs []string
+	for uuid, n := range m.nats {
+		if n.Type == natType && n.ExternalIP == externalIP {
+			foundUUIDs = append(foundUUIDs, uuid)
+		}
+	}
+	if len(foundUUIDs) == 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("NAT %s external_ip=%s not found", natType, externalIP)
+	}
+	for _, foundUUID := range foundUUIDs {
+		for i, uuid := range lr.NAT {
+			if uuid == foundUUID {
+				lr.NAT = append(lr.NAT[:i], lr.NAT[i+1:]...)
+				break
+			}
+		}
+		delete(m.nats, foundUUID)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // Static Routes
 
 func (m *MockOVNClient) AddStaticRoute(_ context.Context, routerName string, route *nbdb.LogicalRouterStaticRoute) error {
diff --git a/spinifex/services/vpcd/ovn.go b/spinifex/services/vpcd/ovn.go
index 8e9f60c29..873058ff5 100644
--- a/spinifex/services/vpcd/ovn.go
+++ b/spinifex/services/vpcd/ovn.go
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ type OVNClient interface {
 	// NAT rules
 	AddNAT(ctx context.Context, routerName string, nat *nbdb.NAT) error
 	DeleteNAT(ctx context.Context, routerName string, natType, logicalIP string) error
+	DeleteNATByExternalIP(ctx context.Context, routerName string, natType, externalIP string) error
 
 	// Static routes
 	AddStaticRoute(ctx context.Context, routerName string, route *nbdb.LogicalRouterStaticRoute) error
@@ -631,6 +632,50 @@ func (c *LiveOVNClient) DeleteNAT(ctx context.Context, routerName string, natTyp
 	return nil
 }
 
+// DeleteNATByExternalIP removes a NAT rule matching the given external IP.
+// Returns an error if no matching rule is found (callers can ignore this).
+func (c *LiveOVNClient) DeleteNATByExternalIP(ctx context.Context, routerName string, natType, externalIP string) error {
+	var nats []nbdb.NAT
+	err := c.client.WhereCache(func(n *nbdb.NAT) bool {
+		return n.Type == natType && n.ExternalIP == externalIP
+	}).List(ctx, &nats)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("find NAT by external IP: %w", err)
+	}
+	if len(nats) == 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("NAT %s external_ip=%s not found", natType, externalIP)
+	}
+
+	lr, err := c.GetLogicalRouter(ctx, routerName)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("get logical router for NAT delete: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	var allOps []ovsdb.Operation
+	for i := range nats {
+		nat := &nats[i]
+		mutateOps, mErr := c.client.Where(lr).Mutate(lr, model.Mutation{
+			Field:   &lr.NAT,
+			Mutator: "delete",
+			Value:   []string{nat.UUID},
+		})
+		if mErr != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("mutate router NAT ops: %w", mErr)
+		}
+		deleteOps, dErr := c.client.Where(nat).Delete()
+		if dErr != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("delete NAT ops: %w", dErr)
+		}
+		allOps = append(allOps, mutateOps...)
+		allOps = append(allOps, deleteOps...)
+	}
+
+	if err := c.transactOps(ctx, allOps); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("delete NAT by external IP transact: %w", err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (c *LiveOVNClient) AddStaticRoute(ctx context.Context, routerName string, route *nbdb.LogicalRouterStaticRoute) error {
 	// Set a named UUID so the route can be referenced in the same transaction
 	if route.UUID == "" {
diff --git a/spinifex/services/vpcd/topology.go b/spinifex/services/vpcd/topology.go
index cca3b3fc4..de55b96fa 100644
--- a/spinifex/services/vpcd/topology.go
+++ b/spinifex/services/vpcd/topology.go
@@ -915,6 +915,14 @@ func (h *TopologyHandler) handleAddNAT(msg *nats.Msg) {
 			"external_ip", evt.ExternalIP, "port", evt.PortName, "mac", evt.MAC)
 	}
 
+	// Remove any stale NAT rule for the same external IP before adding the new
+	// one. This prevents duplicate DNAT rules when a public IP is reused quickly
+	// (e.g. instance terminated, IP returned to pool, new LB allocated same IP
+	// before the fire-and-forget vpc.delete-nat was processed).
+	if err := h.ovn.DeleteNATByExternalIP(ctx, routerName, "dnat_and_snat", evt.ExternalIP); err != nil {
+		slog.Debug("vpcd: no existing NAT rule to clean up for external IP", "external_ip", evt.ExternalIP, "err", err)
+	}
+
 	if err := h.ovn.AddNAT(ctx, routerName, natRule); err != nil {
 		slog.Error("vpcd: failed to add dnat_and_snat rule", "router", routerName, "externalIP", evt.ExternalIP, "logicalIP", evt.LogicalIP, "err", err)
 		respond(msg, err)