diff --git a/system-tests/tests/smoke/cre/v2_sharding_test.go b/system-tests/tests/smoke/cre/v2_sharding_test.go
index a0c91b3c3c4..0ab68542bfe 100644
--- a/system-tests/tests/smoke/cre/v2_sharding_test.go
+++ b/system-tests/tests/smoke/cre/v2_sharding_test.go
@@ -309,6 +309,16 @@ func validateShardingScaleScenario(t *testing.T, testEnv *ttypes.TestEnvironment
 		Interface("distribution", shardCounts).
 		Msg("Real workflows distributed across 2 shards after scaling")
 
+	logger.Info().Msg("Step 8b: Waiting for mapping version to stabilize before verifying shard assignments")
+	waitForMappingVersionStable(t, shardOrchClient, workflowIDs, 15*time.Second, 90*time.Second)
+
+	// Re-snapshot mappings after the barrier so we use the post-stable state.
+	resp, err = shardOrchClient.GetWorkflowShardMapping(ctx, &ringpb.GetWorkflowShardMappingRequest{
+		WorkflowIds: workflowIDs,
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NotNil(t, resp)
+
 	logger.Info().Msg("Step 9: Verify all workflows execute on their assigned shards via ChIP test sink")
 	workflowToShardIndex := resp.Mappings
 	nodeP2PIDToShardIndex := buildNodeP2PIDToShardIndex(t, testEnv)
@@ -555,9 +565,14 @@ func waitForWorkflowsDistributed(t *testing.T, client ringpb.ShardOrchestratorSe
 		for _, shardID := range resp.Mappings {
 			shardsSeen[shardID] = true
 		}
-		framework.L.Info().Int("shardsUsed", len(shardsSeen)).Int("minShards", minShards).Msg("Waiting for distribution")
-		return len(shardsSeen) >= minShards
-	}, 2*time.Minute, 5*time.Second, "Workflows not distributed across %d shards within timeout", minShards)
+		steady := resp.GetRoutingSteady()
+		framework.L.Info().
+			Int("shardsUsed", len(shardsSeen)).
+			Int("minShards", minShards).
+			Bool("routingSteady", steady).
+			Msg("Waiting for distribution + steady")
+		return len(shardsSeen) >= minShards && steady
+	}, 2*time.Minute, 5*time.Second, "Workflows not distributed across %d shards (with RoutingSteady) within timeout", minShards)
 }
 
 func buildNodeP2PIDToShardIndex(t *testing.T, testEnv *ttypes.TestEnvironment) map[string]uint32 {
@@ -595,6 +610,51 @@ func waitForAllWorkflowsOnShard(t *testing.T, client ringpb.ShardOrchestratorSer
 	}, 2*time.Minute, 5*time.Second, "Workflows not remapped to shard %d within timeout", expectedShard)
 }
 
+func waitForMappingVersionStable(t *testing.T, client ringpb.ShardOrchestratorServiceClient, workflowIDs []string, stableDuration, timeout time.Duration) {
+	t.Helper()
+	logger := framework.L
+
+	lastMappings := map[string]uint32{}
+	lastChangeAt := time.Now()
+
+	require.Eventually(t, func() bool {
+		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 5*time.Second)
+		defer cancel()
+		resp, err := client.GetWorkflowShardMapping(ctx, &ringpb.GetWorkflowShardMappingRequest{
+			WorkflowIds: workflowIDs,
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			logger.Warn().Err(err).Msg("Failed to get mapping during stability check")
+			return false
+		}
+		changed := len(resp.Mappings) != len(lastMappings)
+		if !changed {
+			for wfID, shard := range resp.Mappings {
+				if lastMappings[wfID] != shard {
+					changed = true
+					break
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		if changed {
+			logger.Info().
+				Uint64("mappingVersion", resp.MappingVersion).
+				Interface("mappings", resp.Mappings).
+				Msg("Mapping content changed, resetting stability timer")
+			lastMappings = resp.Mappings
+			lastChangeAt = time.Now()
+			return false
+		}
+		stableFor := time.Since(lastChangeAt)
+		logger.Info().
+			Uint64("mappingVersion", resp.MappingVersion).
+			Dur("stableFor", stableFor).
+			Dur("target", stableDuration).
+			Msg("Mapping content stability check")
+		return stableFor >= stableDuration
+	}, timeout, 2*time.Second, "Mapping content did not stabilize within %s (stableDuration=%s)", timeout, stableDuration)
+}
+
 func waitForAllWorkflowsExecuted(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, logger zerolog.Logger, userLogsCh <-chan *workflowevents.UserLogs, workflowIDs []string, workflowToShardIndex map[string]uint32, nodeP2PIDToShardIndex map[string]uint32, timeout time.Duration) map[string]struct{} {
 	t.Helper()
 
@@ -606,6 +666,7 @@ func waitForAllWorkflowsExecuted(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, logger zerol
 	executedWorkflows := make(map[string]struct{})
 	seenNodes := make(map[string]struct{})
 	seenShardIndices := make(map[uint32]struct{})
+	mismatchCounts := make(map[string]int)
 
 	timeoutCh := time.After(timeout)
 	for {
@@ -616,7 +677,13 @@ func waitForAllWorkflowsExecuted(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, logger zerol
 			logger.Warn().
 				Int("executed", len(executedWorkflows)).
 				Int("expected", len(expectedWorkflows)).
+				Interface("mismatchCounts", mismatchCounts).
 				Msg("Timeout waiting for all workflows to execute")
+			for wfID, count := range mismatchCounts {
+				if _, confirmed := executedWorkflows[wfID]; !confirmed {
+					t.Errorf("Workflow %s saw %d log(s) on wrong shard but never on expected shard %d", wfID, count, workflowToShardIndex[wfID])
+				}
+			}
 			return executedWorkflows
 		case userLogs := <-userLogsCh:
 			if userLogs.M == nil {
@@ -640,7 +707,18 @@ func waitForAllWorkflowsExecuted(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, logger zerol
 					actualShardIndex, knownNode := nodeP2PIDToShardIndex[normalizedP2PID]
 					require.True(t, knownNode, "Workflow %s executed on unknown node %s", wfID, userLogs.M.P2PID)
 					expectedShardIndex := workflowToShardIndex[wfID]
-					require.Equal(t, expectedShardIndex, actualShardIndex, "Workflow %s executed on shard index %d but expected %d (node %s)", wfID, actualShardIndex, expectedShardIndex, userLogs.M.P2PID)
+
+					if actualShardIndex != expectedShardIndex {
+						mismatchCounts[wfID]++
+						logger.Warn().
+							Str("workflowID", wfID).
+							Str("p2pID", normalizedP2PID).
+							Uint32("actualShard", actualShardIndex).
+							Uint32("expectedShard", expectedShardIndex).
+							Int("mismatchCount", mismatchCounts[wfID]).
+							Msg("Stale log from wrong shard, waiting for correct shard execution")
+						continue
+					}
 
 					executedWorkflows[wfID] = struct{}{}
 					seenNodes[normalizedP2PID] = struct{}{}
@@ -660,6 +738,7 @@ func waitForAllWorkflowsExecuted(ctx context.Context, t *testing.T, logger zerol
 				logger.Info().
 					Int("uniqueNodes", len(seenNodes)).
 					Int("uniqueShardIndices", len(seenShardIndices)).
+					Interface("mismatchCounts", mismatchCounts).
 					Msg("All workflows executed on correct shards")
 				return executedWorkflows
 			}