diff --git a/tests/test_etcp_lifecycle.c b/tests/test_etcp_lifecycle.c
index 69c6cf82..f005c59a 100644
--- a/tests/test_etcp_lifecycle.c
+++ b/tests/test_etcp_lifecycle.c
@@ -142,6 +142,35 @@ static void ncd_late_up_case(struct UTUN_INSTANCE* inst) {
     CHECK(!inst->ncd_registry && !inst->connections->count);
     puts("PASS NCD late UP after timeout and subsequent reconnect");
 }
+struct link_close_case { struct ETCP_LINK *neighbor; unsigned events, nested; };
+static void close_neighbor(struct ETCP_CONN *conn, struct ETCP_LINK *link, int old_state, int old_status, void *arg) {
+    (void)conn; (void)old_state; (void)old_status;
+    struct link_close_case *test = arg;
+    test->events++;
+    CHECK(link->closing);
+    etcp_link_close(link);
+    if (test->neighbor && test->neighbor != link) {
+        struct ETCP_LINK *neighbor = test->neighbor;
+        test->neighbor = NULL; test->nested++;
+        DEBUG_INFO(DEBUG_CATEGORY_DEBUG, "Closing neighbor from teardown callback: current=%u neighbor=%u",
+            link->local_link_id, neighbor->local_link_id);
+        etcp_link_close(neighbor);
+    }
+}
+static void neighbor_close_case(struct UTUN_INSTANCE *inst) {
+    struct ETCP_CONN *conn = etcp_connection_create(inst, "neighbor close"); CHECK(conn);
+    CHECK(etcp_conn_ref_take(conn) == 0);
+    CHECK(etcp_link_new(conn, NULL, NULL, 0));
+    struct link_close_case test = {.neighbor = etcp_link_new(conn, NULL, NULL, 0)}; CHECK(test.neighbor);
+    etcp_add_link_status_cbk(inst, close_neighbor, &test);
+    etcp_connection_close(conn);
+    CHECK(!conn->links && test.events == 2 && test.nested == 1 && conn->delete_complete);
+    etcp_remove_link_status_cbk(inst, close_neighbor, &test);
+    etcp_conn_ref_free(conn); uasync_drain_immediate(inst->ua); uasync_poll(inst->ua, 0);
+    CHECK(!inst->connections->count);
+    puts("PASS nested close: current and neighbor links, no cached next pointer");
+}
+
 int main(void) {
     debug_config_init(); debug_set_level(DEBUG_LEVEL_WARN);
     const char* log = getenv("LIFECYCLE_TEST_LOG");
@@ -173,7 +202,7 @@ int main(void) {
         uasync_poll(inst.ua,0); CHECK(inst.connections->count == 0);
         printf("PASS lifecycle scenario %d\n",scenario+1);
     }
-    ncd_cases(&inst); ncd_late_up_case(&inst); recovery_cases(&inst);
+    ncd_cases(&inst); ncd_late_up_case(&inst); recovery_cases(&inst); neighbor_close_case(&inst);
     queue_free(inst.connections); uasync_poll(inst.ua,0);
     CHECK(inst.ua->timer_alloc_count == inst.ua->timer_free_count);
     uasync_destroy(inst.ua,0); CHECK(u_get_allocated_count() == baseline);