diff --git a/waku/node/delivery_service/subscription_manager.nim b/waku/node/delivery_service/subscription_manager.nim
index 70d8df7f0..f00d9024c 100644
--- a/waku/node/delivery_service/subscription_manager.nim
+++ b/waku/node/delivery_service/subscription_manager.nim
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ proc subscribePubsubTopics(
   if isNil(self.node.wakuRelay):
     return err("subscribePubsubTopics requires a Relay")
 
-  var errors: seq[string] = @[]
+  var errors: seq[string]
 
   for shard in shards:
     if not self.contentTopicSubs.hasKey(shard):
@@ -196,6 +196,11 @@ const EdgeFilterLoopInterval = chronos.seconds(30)
 const EdgeFilterSubLoopDebounce = chronos.seconds(1)
   ## Debounce delay to coalesce rapid-fire wakeups into a single reconciliation pass.
 
+type EdgeDialTask = object
+  peer: RemotePeerInfo
+  shard: PubsubTopic
+  topics: seq[ContentTopic]
+
 proc updateShardHealth(
     self: SubscriptionManager, shard: PubsubTopic, state: var EdgeFilterSubState
 ) =
@@ -335,7 +340,7 @@ proc edgeFilterHealthLoop*(self: SubscriptionManager) {.async.} =
     var alive = initHashSet[PeerId]()
 
     if connected.len > 0:
-      var pingTasks: seq[(PeerId, Future[FilterSubscribeResult])] = @[]
+      var pingTasks: seq[(PeerId, Future[FilterSubscribeResult])]
       for peer in connected.values:
         pingTasks.add(
           (peer.peerId, self.node.wakuFilterClient.ping(peer, EdgeFilterPingTimeout))
@@ -362,6 +367,36 @@ proc edgeFilterHealthLoop*(self: SubscriptionManager) {.async.} =
     if changed:
       self.edgeFilterWakeup.fire()
 
+proc selectFilterCandidates(
+    self: SubscriptionManager, shard: PubsubTopic, exclude: HashSet[PeerId], needed: int
+): seq[RemotePeerInfo] =
+  ## Select filter service peer candidates for a shard.
+
+  # Start with every filter server peer that can serve the shard
+  var allCandidates = self.node.peerManager.selectPeers(
+    filter_common.WakuFilterSubscribeCodec, some(shard)
+  )
+
+  # Remove all already used in this shard or being dialed for it
+  allCandidates.keepItIf(it.peerId notin exclude)
+
+  # Collect peer IDs already tracked on other shards
+  var trackedOnOther = initHashSet[PeerId]()
+  for otherShard, otherState in self.edgeFilterSubStates.pairs:
+    if otherShard != shard:
+      for peer in otherState.peers:
+        trackedOnOther.incl(peer.peerId)
+
+  # Prefer peers we already have a connection to first, preserving shuffle
+  var candidates =
+    allCandidates.filterIt(it.peerId in trackedOnOther) &
+    allCandidates.filterIt(it.peerId notin trackedOnOther)
+
+  # We need to return 'needed' peers only
+  if candidates.len > needed:
+    candidates.setLen(needed)
+  return candidates
+
 proc edgeFilterSubLoop*(self: SubscriptionManager) {.async.} =
   ## Reconciles filter subscriptions with the desired state from SubscriptionManager.
   var lastSynced = initTable[PubsubTopic, HashSet[ContentTopic]]()
@@ -382,6 +417,12 @@ proc edgeFilterSubLoop*(self: SubscriptionManager) {.async.} =
 
     let allShards = toHashSet(toSeq(desired.keys)) + toHashSet(toSeq(lastSynced.keys))
 
+    # Step 1: read state across all shards at once and
+    # create a list of peer dial tasks and shard tracking to delete.
+
+    var dialTasks: seq[EdgeDialTask]
+    var shardsToDelete: seq[PubsubTopic]
+
     for shard in allShards:
       let currTopics = desired.getOrDefault(shard)
       let prevTopics = lastSynced.getOrDefault(shard)
@@ -404,11 +445,7 @@ proc edgeFilterSubLoop*(self: SubscriptionManager) {.async.} =
             asyncSpawn self.syncFilterDeltas(peer, shard, addedTopics, removedTopics)
 
         if currTopics.len == 0:
-          for fut in state.pending:
-            if not fut.finished:
-              await fut.cancelAndWait()
-          self.edgeFilterSubStates.del(shard)
-            # invalidates `state` — do not use after this
+          shardsToDelete.add(shard)
         else:
           self.updateShardHealth(shard, state[])
 
@@ -416,11 +453,7 @@ proc edgeFilterSubLoop*(self: SubscriptionManager) {.async.} =
 
           if needed > 0:
             let tracked = state.peers.mapIt(it.peerId).toHashSet() + state.pendingPeers
-            var candidates = self.node.peerManager.selectPeers(
-              filter_common.WakuFilterSubscribeCodec, some(shard)
-            )
-            candidates.keepItIf(it.peerId notin tracked)
-
+            let candidates = self.selectFilterCandidates(shard, tracked, needed)
             let toDial = min(needed, candidates.len)
 
             trace "edgeFilterSubLoop: shard reconciliation",
@@ -432,8 +465,25 @@ proc edgeFilterSubLoop*(self: SubscriptionManager) {.async.} =
               toDial = toDial
 
             for i in 0 ..< toDial:
-              let fut = self.dialFilterPeer(candidates[i], shard, toSeq(currTopics))
-              state.pending.add(fut)
+              dialTasks.add(
+                EdgeDialTask(
+                  peer: candidates[i], shard: shard, topics: toSeq(currTopics)
+                )
+              )
+
+    # Step 2: execute deferred shard tracking deletion and dial tasks.
+
+    for shard in shardsToDelete:
+      self.edgeFilterSubStates.withValue(shard, state):
+        for fut in state.pending:
+          if not fut.finished:
+            await fut.cancelAndWait()
+      self.edgeFilterSubStates.del(shard)
+
+    for task in dialTasks:
+      let fut = self.dialFilterPeer(task.peer, task.shard, task.topics)
+      self.edgeFilterSubStates.withValue(task.shard, state):
+        state.pending.add(fut)
 
     lastSynced = desired