diff --git a/hscontrol/db/ephemeral_garbage_collector_test.go b/hscontrol/db/ephemeral_garbage_collector_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ae75c6d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hscontrol/db/ephemeral_garbage_collector_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,389 @@
+package db
+
+import (
+	"math/rand"
+	"runtime"
+	"sync"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/types"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+const fiveHundredMillis = 500 * time.Millisecond
+const oneHundredMillis = 100 * time.Millisecond
+const fiftyMillis = 50 * time.Millisecond
+
+// TestEphemeralGarbageCollectorGoRoutineLeak is a test for a goroutine leak in EphemeralGarbageCollector().
+// It creates a new EphemeralGarbageCollector, schedules several nodes for deletion with a short expiry,
+// and verifies that the nodes are deleted when the expiry time passes, and then
+// for any leaked goroutines after the garbage collector is closed.
+func TestEphemeralGarbageCollectorGoRoutineLeak(t *testing.T) {
+	// Count goroutines at the start
+	initialGoroutines := runtime.NumGoroutine()
+	t.Logf("Initial number of goroutines: %d", initialGoroutines)
+
+	// Basic deletion tracking mechanism
+	var deletedIDs []types.NodeID
+	var deleteMutex sync.Mutex
+	var deletionWg sync.WaitGroup
+
+	deleteFunc := func(nodeID types.NodeID) {
+		deleteMutex.Lock()
+		deletedIDs = append(deletedIDs, nodeID)
+		deleteMutex.Unlock()
+		deletionWg.Done()
+	}
+
+	// Start the GC
+	gc := NewEphemeralGarbageCollector(deleteFunc)
+	go gc.Start()
+
+	// Schedule several nodes for deletion with short expiry
+	const expiry = fiftyMillis
+	const numNodes = 100
+
+	// Set up wait group for expected deletions
+	deletionWg.Add(numNodes)
+
+	for i := 1; i <= numNodes; i++ {
+		gc.Schedule(types.NodeID(i), expiry)
+	}
+
+	// Wait for all scheduled deletions to complete
+	deletionWg.Wait()
+
+	// Check nodes are deleted
+	deleteMutex.Lock()
+	assert.Equal(t, numNodes, len(deletedIDs), "Not all nodes were deleted")
+	deleteMutex.Unlock()
+
+	// Schedule and immediately cancel to test that part of the code
+	for i := numNodes + 1; i <= numNodes*2; i++ {
+		nodeID := types.NodeID(i)
+		gc.Schedule(nodeID, time.Hour)
+		gc.Cancel(nodeID)
+	}
+
+	// Create a channel to signal when we're done with cleanup checks
+	cleanupDone := make(chan struct{})
+
+	// Close GC and check for leaks in a separate goroutine
+	go func() {
+		// Close GC
+		gc.Close()
+
+		// Give any potential leaked goroutines a chance to exit
+		// Still need a small sleep here as we're checking for absence of goroutines
+		time.Sleep(oneHundredMillis)
+
+		// Check for leaked goroutines
+		finalGoroutines := runtime.NumGoroutine()
+		t.Logf("Final number of goroutines: %d", finalGoroutines)
+
+		// NB: We have to allow for a small number of extra goroutines because of test itself
+		assert.LessOrEqual(t, finalGoroutines, initialGoroutines+5,
+			"There are significantly more goroutines after GC usage, which suggests a leak")
+
+		close(cleanupDone)
+	}()
+
+	// Wait for cleanup to complete
+	<-cleanupDone
+}
+
+// TestEphemeralGarbageCollectorReschedule is a test for the rescheduling of nodes in EphemeralGarbageCollector().
+// It creates a new EphemeralGarbageCollector, schedules a node for deletion with a longer expiry,
+// and then reschedules it with a shorter expiry, and verifies that the node is deleted only once.
+func TestEphemeralGarbageCollectorReschedule(t *testing.T) {
+	// Deletion tracking mechanism
+	var deletedIDs []types.NodeID
+	var deleteMutex sync.Mutex
+
+	deleteFunc := func(nodeID types.NodeID) {
+		deleteMutex.Lock()
+		deletedIDs = append(deletedIDs, nodeID)
+		deleteMutex.Unlock()
+	}
+
+	// Start GC
+	gc := NewEphemeralGarbageCollector(deleteFunc)
+	go gc.Start()
+	defer gc.Close()
+
+	const shortExpiry = fiftyMillis
+	const longExpiry = 1 * time.Hour
+
+	nodeID := types.NodeID(1)
+
+	// Schedule node for deletion with long expiry
+	gc.Schedule(nodeID, longExpiry)
+
+	// Reschedule the same node with a shorter expiry
+	gc.Schedule(nodeID, shortExpiry)
+
+	// Wait for deletion
+	time.Sleep(shortExpiry * 2)
+
+	// Verify that the node was deleted once
+	deleteMutex.Lock()
+	assert.Equal(t, 1, len(deletedIDs), "Node should be deleted exactly once")
+	assert.Equal(t, nodeID, deletedIDs[0], "The correct node should be deleted")
+	deleteMutex.Unlock()
+}
+
+// TestEphemeralGarbageCollectorCancelAndReschedule is a test for the cancellation and rescheduling of nodes in EphemeralGarbageCollector().
+// It creates a new EphemeralGarbageCollector, schedules a node for deletion, cancels it, and then reschedules it,
+// and verifies that the node is deleted only once.
+func TestEphemeralGarbageCollectorCancelAndReschedule(t *testing.T) {
+	// Deletion tracking mechanism
+	var deletedIDs []types.NodeID
+	var deleteMutex sync.Mutex
+	deletionNotifier := make(chan types.NodeID, 1)
+
+	deleteFunc := func(nodeID types.NodeID) {
+		deleteMutex.Lock()
+		deletedIDs = append(deletedIDs, nodeID)
+		deleteMutex.Unlock()
+		deletionNotifier <- nodeID
+	}
+
+	// Start the GC
+	gc := NewEphemeralGarbageCollector(deleteFunc)
+	go gc.Start()
+	defer gc.Close()
+
+	nodeID := types.NodeID(1)
+	const expiry = fiftyMillis
+
+	// Schedule node for deletion
+	gc.Schedule(nodeID, expiry)
+
+	// Cancel the scheduled deletion
+	gc.Cancel(nodeID)
+
+	// Use a timeout to verify no deletion occurred
+	select {
+	case <-deletionNotifier:
+		t.Fatal("Node was deleted after cancellation")
+	case <-time.After(expiry * 2): // Still need a timeout for negative test
+		// This is expected - no deletion should occur
+	}
+
+	deleteMutex.Lock()
+	assert.Equal(t, 0, len(deletedIDs), "Node should not be deleted after cancellation")
+	deleteMutex.Unlock()
+
+	// Reschedule the node
+	gc.Schedule(nodeID, expiry)
+
+	// Wait for deletion with timeout
+	select {
+	case deletedNodeID := <-deletionNotifier:
+		// Verify the correct node was deleted
+		assert.Equal(t, nodeID, deletedNodeID, "The correct node should be deleted")
+	case <-time.After(time.Second): // Longer timeout as a safety net
+		t.Fatal("Timed out waiting for node deletion")
+	}
+
+	// Verify final state
+	deleteMutex.Lock()
+	assert.Equal(t, 1, len(deletedIDs), "Node should be deleted after rescheduling")
+	assert.Equal(t, nodeID, deletedIDs[0], "The correct node should be deleted")
+	deleteMutex.Unlock()
+}
+
+// TestEphemeralGarbageCollectorCloseBeforeTimerFires is a test for the closing of the EphemeralGarbageCollector before the timer fires.
+// It creates a new EphemeralGarbageCollector, schedules a node for deletion, closes the GC, and verifies that the node is not deleted.
+func TestEphemeralGarbageCollectorCloseBeforeTimerFires(t *testing.T) {
+	// Deletion tracking
+	var deletedIDs []types.NodeID
+	var deleteMutex sync.Mutex
+
+	deleteFunc := func(nodeID types.NodeID) {
+		deleteMutex.Lock()
+		deletedIDs = append(deletedIDs, nodeID)
+		deleteMutex.Unlock()
+	}
+
+	// Start the GC
+	gc := NewEphemeralGarbageCollector(deleteFunc)
+	go gc.Start()
+
+	const longExpiry = 1 * time.Hour
+	const shortExpiry = fiftyMillis
+
+	// Schedule node deletion with a long expiry
+	gc.Schedule(types.NodeID(1), longExpiry)
+
+	// Close the GC before the timer
+	gc.Close()
+
+	// Wait a short time
+	time.Sleep(shortExpiry * 2)
+
+	// Verify that no deletion occurred
+	deleteMutex.Lock()
+	assert.Equal(t, 0, len(deletedIDs), "No node should be deleted when GC is closed before timer fires")
+	deleteMutex.Unlock()
+}
+
+// TestEphemeralGarbageCollectorScheduleAfterClose verifies that calling Schedule after Close
+// is a no-op and doesn't cause any panics, goroutine leaks, or other issues.
+func TestEphemeralGarbageCollectorScheduleAfterClose(t *testing.T) {
+	// Count initial goroutines to check for leaks
+	initialGoroutines := runtime.NumGoroutine()
+	t.Logf("Initial number of goroutines: %d", initialGoroutines)
+
+	// Deletion tracking
+	var deletedIDs []types.NodeID
+	var deleteMutex sync.Mutex
+	nodeDeleted := make(chan struct{})
+
+	deleteFunc := func(nodeID types.NodeID) {
+		deleteMutex.Lock()
+		deletedIDs = append(deletedIDs, nodeID)
+		deleteMutex.Unlock()
+		close(nodeDeleted) // Signal that deletion happened
+	}
+
+	// Start new GC
+	gc := NewEphemeralGarbageCollector(deleteFunc)
+
+	// Use a WaitGroup to ensure the GC has started
+	var startWg sync.WaitGroup
+	startWg.Add(1)
+	go func() {
+		startWg.Done() // Signal that the goroutine has started
+		gc.Start()
+	}()
+	startWg.Wait() // Wait for the GC to start
+
+	// Close GC right away
+	gc.Close()
+
+	// Use a channel to signal when we should check for goroutine count
+	gcClosedCheck := make(chan struct{})
+	go func() {
+		// Give the GC time to fully close and clean up resources
+		// This is still time-based but only affects when we check the goroutine count,
+		// not the actual test logic
+		time.Sleep(oneHundredMillis)
+		close(gcClosedCheck)
+	}()
+
+	// Now try to schedule node for deletion with a very short expiry
+	// If the Schedule operation incorrectly creates a timer, it would fire quickly
+	nodeID := types.NodeID(1)
+	gc.Schedule(nodeID, 1*time.Millisecond)
+
+	// Set up a timeout channel for our test
+	timeout := time.After(fiveHundredMillis)
+
+	// Check if any node was deleted (which shouldn't happen)
+	select {
+	case <-nodeDeleted:
+		t.Fatal("Node was deleted after GC was closed, which should not happen")
+	case <-timeout:
+		// This is the expected path - no deletion should occur
+	}
+
+	// Check no node was deleted
+	deleteMutex.Lock()
+	nodesDeleted := len(deletedIDs)
+	deleteMutex.Unlock()
+	assert.Equal(t, 0, nodesDeleted, "No nodes should be deleted when Schedule is called after Close")
+
+	// Check for goroutine leaks after GC is fully closed
+	<-gcClosedCheck
+	finalGoroutines := runtime.NumGoroutine()
+	t.Logf("Final number of goroutines: %d", finalGoroutines)
+
+	// Allow for small fluctuations in goroutine count for testing routines etc
+	assert.LessOrEqual(t, finalGoroutines, initialGoroutines+2,
+		"There should be no significant goroutine leaks when Schedule is called after Close")
+}
+
+// TestEphemeralGarbageCollectorConcurrentScheduleAndClose tests the behavior of the garbage collector
+// when Schedule and Close are called concurrently from multiple goroutines.
+func TestEphemeralGarbageCollectorConcurrentScheduleAndClose(t *testing.T) {
+	// Count initial goroutines
+	initialGoroutines := runtime.NumGoroutine()
+	t.Logf("Initial number of goroutines: %d", initialGoroutines)
+
+	// Deletion tracking mechanism
+	var deletedIDs []types.NodeID
+	var deleteMutex sync.Mutex
+
+	deleteFunc := func(nodeID types.NodeID) {
+		deleteMutex.Lock()
+		deletedIDs = append(deletedIDs, nodeID)
+		deleteMutex.Unlock()
+	}
+
+	// Start the GC
+	gc := NewEphemeralGarbageCollector(deleteFunc)
+	go gc.Start()
+
+	// Number of concurrent scheduling goroutines
+	const numSchedulers = 10
+	const nodesPerScheduler = 50
+	const schedulingDuration = fiveHundredMillis
+
+	// Use WaitGroup to wait for all scheduling goroutines to finish
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	wg.Add(numSchedulers + 1) // +1 for the closer goroutine
+
+	// Create a stopper channel to signal scheduling goroutines to stop
+	stopScheduling := make(chan struct{})
+
+	// Launch goroutines that continuously schedule nodes
+	for i := 0; i < numSchedulers; i++ {
+		go func(schedulerID int) {
+			defer wg.Done()
+
+			baseNodeID := schedulerID * nodesPerScheduler
+
+			// Keep scheduling nodes until signaled to stop
+			for j := 0; j < nodesPerScheduler; j++ {
+				select {
+				case <-stopScheduling:
+					return
+				default:
+					nodeID := types.NodeID(baseNodeID + j + 1)
+					gc.Schedule(nodeID, 1*time.Hour) // Long expiry to ensure it doesn't trigger during test
+
+					// Random (short) sleep to introduce randomness/variability
+					time.Sleep(time.Duration(rand.Intn(5)) * time.Millisecond)
+				}
+			}
+		}(i)
+	}
+
+	// After a short delay, close the garbage collector while schedulers are still running
+	go func() {
+		defer wg.Done()
+		time.Sleep(schedulingDuration / 2)
+
+		// Close GC
+		gc.Close()
+
+		// Signal schedulers to stop
+		close(stopScheduling)
+	}()
+
+	// Wait for all goroutines to complete
+	wg.Wait()
+
+	// Wait a bit longer to allow any leaked goroutines to do their work
+	time.Sleep(oneHundredMillis)
+
+	// Check for leaks
+	finalGoroutines := runtime.NumGoroutine()
+	t.Logf("Final number of goroutines: %d", finalGoroutines)
+
+	// Allow for a reasonable small variable routine count due to testing
+	assert.LessOrEqual(t, finalGoroutines, initialGoroutines+5,
+		"There should be no significant goroutine leaks during concurrent Schedule and Close operations")
+}
diff --git a/hscontrol/db/node.go b/hscontrol/db/node.go
index 09bc795d..ed9e1f73 100644
--- a/hscontrol/db/node.go
+++ b/hscontrol/db/node.go
@@ -630,22 +630,59 @@ func NewEphemeralGarbageCollector(deleteFunc func(types.NodeID)) *EphemeralGarba
 
 // Close stops the garbage collector.
 func (e *EphemeralGarbageCollector) Close() {
-	e.cancelCh <- struct{}{}
+	e.mu.Lock()
+	defer e.mu.Unlock()
+
+	// Stop all timers
+	for _, timer := range e.toBeDeleted {
+		timer.Stop()
+	}
+
+	// Close the cancel channel to signal all goroutines to exit
+	close(e.cancelCh)
 }
 
 // Schedule schedules a node for deletion after the expiry duration.
+// If the garbage collector is already closed, this is a no-op.
 func (e *EphemeralGarbageCollector) Schedule(nodeID types.NodeID, expiry time.Duration) {
 	e.mu.Lock()
+	defer e.mu.Unlock()
+
+	// Don't schedule new timers if the garbage collector is already closed
+	select {
+	case <-e.cancelCh:
+		// The cancel channel is closed, meaning the GC is shutting down
+		// or already shut down, so we shouldn't schedule anything new
+		return
+	default:
+		// Continue with scheduling
+	}
+
+	// If a timer already exists for this node, stop it first
+	if oldTimer, exists := e.toBeDeleted[nodeID]; exists {
+		oldTimer.Stop()
+	}
+
 	timer := time.NewTimer(expiry)
 	e.toBeDeleted[nodeID] = timer
-	e.mu.Unlock()
-
+	// Start a goroutine to handle the timer completion
 	go func() {
 		select {
-		case _, ok := <-timer.C:
-			if ok {
-				e.deleteCh <- nodeID
+		case <-timer.C:
+			// This is to handle the situation where the GC is shutting down and
+			// we are trying to schedule a new node for deletion at the same time
+			// i.e. We don't want to send to deleteCh if the GC is shutting down
+			// So, we try to send to deleteCh, but also watch for cancelCh
+			select {
+			case e.deleteCh <- nodeID:
+				// Successfully sent to deleteCh
+			case <-e.cancelCh:
+				// GC is shutting down, don't send to deleteCh
+				return
 			}
+		case <-e.cancelCh:
+			// If the GC is closed, exit the goroutine
+			return
 		}
 	}()
 }