diff --git a/packages/react-native-gesture-handler/src/__tests__/api_v3.test.tsx b/packages/react-native-gesture-handler/src/__tests__/api_v3.test.tsx
index aba80c8a8f..f9aca8598a 100644
--- a/packages/react-native-gesture-handler/src/__tests__/api_v3.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/react-native-gesture-handler/src/__tests__/api_v3.test.tsx
@@ -1,13 +1,28 @@
 import { render, renderHook } from '@testing-library/react-native';
-import { act } from 'react';
+import React, { act } from 'react';
 
 import GestureHandlerRootView from '../components/GestureHandlerRootView';
 import { fireGestureHandler, getByGestureTestId } from '../jestUtils';
+import RNGestureHandlerModule from '../RNGestureHandlerModule';
 import { State } from '../State';
 import { RectButton, Touchable } from '../v3/components';
 import { usePanGesture } from '../v3/hooks/gestures';
 import type { SingleGesture } from '../v3/types';
 
+async function flushQueuedOperations() {
+  await act(async () => {
+    await new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+      setImmediate(() => resolve());
+    });
+  });
+}
+
+afterEach(async () => {
+  await flushQueuedOperations();
+  await flushQueuedOperations();
+  jest.restoreAllMocks();
+});
+
 describe('[API v3] Hooks', () => {
   test('Pan gesture', () => {
     const onBegin = jest.fn();
@@ -31,6 +46,32 @@ describe('[API v3] Hooks', () => {
     expect(onBegin).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
     expect(onStart).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
   });
+
+  test('does not drop native handler during StrictMode effect replay', async () => {
+    const dropGestureHandlerSpy = jest.spyOn(
+      RNGestureHandlerModule,
+      'dropGestureHandler'
+    );
+
+    const StrictModeWrapper = ({ children }: React.PropsWithChildren) => (
+      <React.StrictMode>{children}</React.StrictMode>
+    );
+
+    const { unmount } = renderHook(
+      () => usePanGesture({ disableReanimated: true }),
+      { wrapper: StrictModeWrapper }
+    );
+
+    await flushQueuedOperations();
+
+    expect(dropGestureHandlerSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+    unmount();
+    await flushQueuedOperations();
+    await flushQueuedOperations();
+
+    expect(dropGestureHandlerSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
 });
 
 describe('[API v3] Components', () => {
diff --git a/packages/react-native-gesture-handler/src/v3/hooks/useGesture.ts b/packages/react-native-gesture-handler/src/v3/hooks/useGesture.ts
index 6548575b25..9dcf387c6f 100644
--- a/packages/react-native-gesture-handler/src/v3/hooks/useGesture.ts
+++ b/packages/react-native-gesture-handler/src/v3/hooks/useGesture.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { useEffect, useMemo, useRef } from 'react';
 
+import { ghQueueMicrotask } from '../../ghQueueMicrotask';
 import { getNextHandlerTag } from '../../handlers/getNextHandlerTag';
 import {
   registerGesture,
@@ -62,6 +63,7 @@ export function useGesture<
   );
 
   const currentGestureRef = useRef({ type: '', handlerTag: -1 });
+  const dropGestureHandlerTokenRef = useRef(0);
   if (
     currentGestureRef.current.handlerTag !== handlerTag ||
     currentGestureRef.current.type !== (type as string)
@@ -94,13 +96,30 @@ export function useGesture<
   );
 
   useEffect(() => {
+    // React StrictMode replays effects without recreating the hook instance.
+    // Delay dropping the native handler so the replayed mount can cancel it.
+    dropGestureHandlerTokenRef.current += 1;
+
     return () => {
-      if (currentGestureRef.current.handlerTag === handlerTag) {
-        currentGestureRef.current = { type: '', handlerTag: -1 };
-      }
+      const dropGestureHandlerToken = ++dropGestureHandlerTokenRef.current;
+
+      ghQueueMicrotask(() => {
+        const wasSameHandlerRecreated =
+          dropGestureHandlerTokenRef.current !== dropGestureHandlerToken &&
+          currentGestureRef.current.handlerTag === handlerTag &&
+          currentGestureRef.current.type === type;
+
+        if (wasSameHandlerRecreated) {
+          return;
+        }
+
+        if (currentGestureRef.current.handlerTag === handlerTag) {
+          currentGestureRef.current = { type: '', handlerTag: -1 };
+        }
 
-      NativeProxy.dropGestureHandler(handlerTag);
-      scheduleFlushOperations();
+        NativeProxy.dropGestureHandler(handlerTag);
+        scheduleFlushOperations();
+      });
     };
   }, [type, handlerTag]);