diff --git a/reference-app/src/foregroundSyncMain/kotlin/dev/ohs/player/reference/app/data/sync/Sync.kt b/reference-app/src/foregroundSyncMain/kotlin/dev/ohs/player/reference/app/data/sync/Sync.kt
index caff42a5..032283e1 100644
--- a/reference-app/src/foregroundSyncMain/kotlin/dev/ohs/player/reference/app/data/sync/Sync.kt
+++ b/reference-app/src/foregroundSyncMain/kotlin/dev/ohs/player/reference/app/data/sync/Sync.kt
@@ -160,30 +160,25 @@ internal object Sync {
     repeatInterval: Duration,
     retryConfiguration: RetryConfiguration?,
   ) {
-    mutex
-      .withLock { activePeriodicJobs[uniqueWorkName] }
-      ?.takeIf { it.isActive }
-      ?.let {
-        return
-      }
-
-    val job =
-      scope.launch {
-        while (true) {
-          if (isNetworkConnected()) {
-            runAttemptsWithRetry(
-              taskFactory,
-              uniqueWorkName,
-              retryConfiguration,
-              syncTimeout = null,
-            ) {}
-          } else {
-            Logger.d { "Periodic sync cycle skipped for $uniqueWorkName — offline" }
+    mutex.withLock {
+      if (activePeriodicJobs[uniqueWorkName]?.isActive == true) return
+      activePeriodicJobs[uniqueWorkName] =
+        scope.launch {
+          while (true) {
+            if (isNetworkConnected()) {
+              runAttemptsWithRetry(
+                taskFactory,
+                uniqueWorkName,
+                retryConfiguration,
+                syncTimeout = null,
+              ) {}
+            } else {
+              Logger.d { "Periodic sync cycle skipped for $uniqueWorkName — offline" }
+            }
+            delay(repeatInterval)
           }
-          delay(repeatInterval)
         }
-      }
-    mutex.withLock { activePeriodicJobs[uniqueWorkName] = job }
+    }
   }
 
   suspend fun cancelSync(uniqueWorkName: String) {
diff --git a/reference-app/src/jvmTest/kotlin/dev/ohs/player/reference/app/data/sync/SyncTest.kt b/reference-app/src/jvmTest/kotlin/dev/ohs/player/reference/app/data/sync/SyncTest.kt
index b114ebf0..d293596f 100644
--- a/reference-app/src/jvmTest/kotlin/dev/ohs/player/reference/app/data/sync/SyncTest.kt
+++ b/reference-app/src/jvmTest/kotlin/dev/ohs/player/reference/app/data/sync/SyncTest.kt
@@ -37,7 +37,12 @@ import kotlin.test.assertIs
 import kotlin.test.assertTrue
 import kotlin.time.Duration.Companion.minutes
 import kotlinx.coroutines.CompletableDeferred
+import kotlinx.coroutines.Dispatchers
+import kotlinx.coroutines.async
+import kotlinx.coroutines.awaitAll
+import kotlinx.coroutines.delay
 import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.first
+import kotlinx.coroutines.runBlocking
 import kotlinx.coroutines.test.runTest
 
 /**
@@ -138,23 +143,26 @@ class SyncTest {
   }
 
   @Test
-  fun periodicSync_calledTwice_doesNotStartASecondCompetingLoop() = runTest {
-    var startCount = 0
-    val firstAttemptStarted = CompletableDeferred<Unit>()
-    val factory: () -> TestFhirSyncTask = {
-      startCount++
-      firstAttemptStarted.complete(Unit)
-      TestFhirSyncTask()
+  fun simultaneousPeriodicStartsRunOneLoop() = runBlocking {
+    var cycles = 0
+    try {
+      List(20) {
+          async(Dispatchers.Default) {
+            Sync.periodicSync(
+              taskFactory = {
+                cycles++
+                TestFhirSyncTask(CompletableDeferred())
+              },
+              repeatInterval = 1.minutes,
+            )
+          }
+        }
+        .awaitAll()
+      delay(2_000)
+    } finally {
+      Sync.cancelPeriodicSync<TestFhirSyncTask>()
     }
 
-    Sync.periodicSync(taskFactory = factory, repeatInterval = 1.minutes)
-    firstAttemptStarted.await()
-    // The first cycle's loop is now sleeping the 1-minute interval, so it's still "active" —
-    // this second call must see that and no-op rather than starting a competing loop.
-    Sync.periodicSync(taskFactory = factory, repeatInterval = 1.minutes)
-
-    assertEquals(1, startCount)
-
-    Sync.cancelPeriodicSync<TestFhirSyncTask>()
+    assertEquals(1, cycles)
   }
 }