diff --git a/packages/react-client/src/hooks/internal/useTrackManager.ts b/packages/react-client/src/hooks/internal/useTrackManager.ts
index cf0c592c..fe44ffb1 100644
--- a/packages/react-client/src/hooks/internal/useTrackManager.ts
+++ b/packages/react-client/src/hooks/internal/useTrackManager.ts
@@ -28,10 +28,11 @@ export const useTrackManager = ({
 }: TrackManagerConfig): TrackManager => {
   const currentTrackIdRef = useRef<string | null>(null);
   const connectionPromiseRef = useRef<Promise<string> | null>(null);
+  const pendingPauseRef = useRef<Promise<void>>(Promise.resolve());
 
   const {
-    startDevice,
-    stopDevice,
+    startDevice: startDeviceStream,
+    stopDevice: stopDeviceStream,
     enableDevice,
     disableDevice,
     deviceTrack,
@@ -138,31 +139,51 @@ export const useTrackManager = ({
     }
   });
 
+  const publishStartedTrack = async (track: MediaStreamTrack | null) => {
+    if (!track) return;
+    await pendingPauseRef.current;
+    const publishedTrackId = await getCurrentTrackId();
+    if (publishedTrackId) {
+      await resumeStreaming(publishedTrackId, track);
+    } else if (getLatestPeerStatus() === "connected") {
+      await startStreaming(track, streamConfig);
+    }
+  };
+
+  const startDevice = useCurrentCallback(async (...args: Parameters<DeviceManager["startDevice"]>) => {
+    const result = await startDeviceStream(...args);
+    const [newTrack, error] = result;
+    if (error) return result;
+
+    await applyMiddleware(currentMiddleware, newTrack, publishStartedTrack);
+    return result;
+  });
+
+  const stopDeviceAndPause = useCurrentCallback(() => {
+    stopDeviceStream();
+    const pausing = (async () => {
+      const publishedTrackId = await getCurrentTrackId();
+      if (publishedTrackId) await pauseStreaming(publishedTrackId);
+    })();
+    pendingPauseRef.current = pausing.catch(() => undefined);
+    return pausing;
+  });
+
+  const stopDevice = useCurrentCallback(() => {
+    stopDeviceAndPause().catch((error: unknown) => logger.error(error));
+  });
+
   /**
    * @see {@link TrackManager#toggleDevice} for more details.
    */
   const toggleDevice = useCurrentCallback(async () => {
-    const currentTrackId = await getCurrentTrackId();
     if (deviceTrack) {
-      stopDevice();
-      if (currentTrackId) {
-        await pauseStreaming(currentTrackId);
-      }
-    } else {
-      const [newTrack, error] = await startDevice();
-      if (error) return error;
-
-      const publishStartedTrack = async (track: MediaStreamTrack | null) => {
-        if (!track) return;
-        const publishedTrackId = await getCurrentTrackId();
-        if (publishedTrackId) {
-          await resumeStreaming(publishedTrackId, track);
-        } else if (getLatestPeerStatus() === "connected") {
-          await startStreaming(track, streamConfig);
-        }
-      };
-      await applyMiddleware(currentMiddleware, newTrack, publishStartedTrack);
+      await stopDeviceAndPause();
+      return;
     }
+
+    const [, error] = await startDevice();
+    if (error) return error;
   });
 
   useEffect(() => {
diff --git a/packages/react-client/src/tests/startStopDeviceWhileConnected.spec.ts b/packages/react-client/src/tests/startStopDeviceWhileConnected.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6a263c0d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/react-client/src/tests/startStopDeviceWhileConnected.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,224 @@
+import { act } from "@testing-library/react";
+
+import { useCamera } from "../hooks/devices/useCamera";
+import { useMicrophone } from "../hooks/devices/useMicrophone";
+import { useConnection } from "../hooks/useConnection";
+import { usePeers } from "../hooks/usePeers";
+import { createFakeStream } from "./support/fakeMediaStream";
+import { describe, expect, it } from "./support/fixtures";
+
+const audioStream = () => createFakeStream([{ kind: "audio", deviceId: "mic-1" }]);
+const videoStream = () => createFakeStream([{ kind: "video", deviceId: "cam-1" }]);
+
+const flushEffects = async () => {
+  await act(async () => {
+    await Promise.resolve();
+  });
+};
+
+describe("starting and stopping a device while connected", () => {
+  it("startMicrophone publishes the microphone when already connected", async ({ media, client, renderHook }) => {
+    media.setUserMediaStream(audioStream());
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => ({ mic: useMicrophone(), peers: usePeers() }));
+
+    act(() => client.simulateJoined());
+    await act(async () => {
+      await result.current.mic.startMicrophone();
+    });
+
+    const deviceTrack = result.current.mic.microphoneStream?.getAudioTracks()[0];
+    expect(client.addTrack).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(result.current.peers.localPeer?.microphoneTrack?.track).toBe(deviceTrack);
+  });
+
+  it("startCamera publishes the camera when already connected", async ({ media, client, renderHook }) => {
+    media.setUserMediaStream(videoStream());
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => ({ cam: useCamera(), peers: usePeers() }));
+
+    act(() => client.simulateJoined());
+    await act(async () => {
+      await result.current.cam.startCamera();
+    });
+
+    const deviceTrack = result.current.cam.cameraStream?.getVideoTracks()[0];
+    expect(client.addTrack).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(result.current.peers.localPeer?.cameraTrack?.track).toBe(deviceTrack);
+  });
+
+  it("stopMicrophone pauses the published microphone", async ({ media, client, renderHook }) => {
+    media.setUserMediaStream(audioStream());
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => ({ mic: useMicrophone(), peers: usePeers() }));
+
+    act(() => client.simulateJoined());
+    await act(async () => {
+      await result.current.mic.toggleMicrophone();
+    });
+    await act(async () => {
+      result.current.mic.stopMicrophone();
+    });
+    await flushEffects();
+
+    expect(result.current.mic.isMicrophoneOn).toBe(false);
+    const published = result.current.peers.localPeer?.microphoneTrack;
+    expect(published?.track).toBeNull();
+    expect(published?.metadata).toMatchObject({ type: "microphone", paused: true });
+  });
+
+  it("startMicrophone after stopMicrophone republishes live audio on the same track", async ({
+    media,
+    client,
+    renderHook,
+  }) => {
+    media.setUserMediaStream(audioStream());
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => ({ mic: useMicrophone(), peers: usePeers() }));
+
+    act(() => client.simulateJoined());
+    await act(async () => {
+      await result.current.mic.toggleMicrophone();
+    });
+    await act(async () => {
+      result.current.mic.stopMicrophone();
+    });
+    await flushEffects();
+    await act(async () => {
+      await result.current.mic.startMicrophone();
+    });
+
+    const deviceTrack = result.current.mic.microphoneStream?.getAudioTracks()[0];
+    const published = result.current.peers.localPeer?.microphoneTrack;
+    expect(client.addTrack).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(deviceTrack?.readyState).toBe("live");
+    expect(published?.track).toBe(deviceTrack);
+    expect(published?.metadata).toMatchObject({ type: "microphone", paused: false });
+  });
+
+  it("stopCamera then startCamera republishes the live camera", async ({ media, client, renderHook }) => {
+    media.setUserMediaStream(videoStream());
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => ({ cam: useCamera(), peers: usePeers() }));
+
+    act(() => client.simulateJoined());
+    await act(async () => {
+      await result.current.cam.toggleCamera();
+    });
+    await act(async () => {
+      result.current.cam.stopCamera();
+    });
+    await flushEffects();
+    expect(result.current.peers.localPeer?.cameraTrack?.metadata).toMatchObject({ paused: true });
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      await result.current.cam.startCamera();
+    });
+
+    const deviceTrack = result.current.cam.cameraStream?.getVideoTracks()[0];
+    expect(client.addTrack).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(result.current.peers.localPeer?.cameraTrack?.track).toBe(deviceTrack);
+    expect(result.current.peers.localPeer?.cameraTrack?.metadata).toMatchObject({ paused: false });
+  });
+
+  it("startMicrophone twice while connected keeps one published track with the latest device track", async ({
+    media,
+    client,
+    renderHook,
+  }) => {
+    media.setUserMediaStream(audioStream());
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => ({ mic: useMicrophone(), peers: usePeers() }));
+
+    act(() => client.simulateJoined());
+    await act(async () => {
+      await result.current.mic.startMicrophone();
+    });
+    await act(async () => {
+      await result.current.mic.startMicrophone();
+    });
+
+    const deviceTrack = result.current.mic.microphoneStream?.getAudioTracks()[0];
+    expect(client.addTrack).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(result.current.peers.localPeer?.microphoneTrack?.track).toBe(deviceTrack);
+  });
+
+  it("startMicrophone before joining publishes once, on joined", async ({ media, client, renderHook }) => {
+    media.setUserMediaStream(audioStream());
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => useMicrophone());
+
+    act(() => client.simulateConnectionStarted());
+    await act(async () => {
+      await result.current.startMicrophone();
+    });
+    expect(client.addTrack).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+    act(() => client.simulateJoined());
+
+    expect(client.addTrack).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
+  it("stopMicrophone and stopCamera after leaving send nothing to the room", async ({ media, client, renderHook }) => {
+    media.setUserMediaStream(
+      createFakeStream([
+        { kind: "audio", deviceId: "mic-1" },
+        { kind: "video", deviceId: "cam-1" },
+      ]),
+    );
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => ({ mic: useMicrophone(), cam: useCamera(), connection: useConnection() }));
+
+    act(() => client.simulateJoined());
+    await act(async () => {
+      await result.current.mic.toggleMicrophone();
+      await result.current.cam.toggleCamera();
+    });
+    client.replaceTrack.mockClear();
+    client.updateTrackMetadata.mockClear();
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      result.current.connection.leaveRoom();
+      result.current.mic.stopMicrophone();
+      result.current.cam.stopCamera();
+    });
+    await flushEffects();
+
+    expect(result.current.mic.isMicrophoneOn).toBe(false);
+    expect(result.current.cam.isCameraOn).toBe(false);
+    expect(client.replaceTrack).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(client.updateTrackMetadata).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("stopMicrophone stops the device synchronously", async ({ media, client, renderHook }) => {
+    media.setUserMediaStream(audioStream());
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => useMicrophone());
+
+    act(() => client.simulateJoined());
+    await act(async () => {
+      await result.current.toggleMicrophone();
+    });
+    const deviceTrack = result.current.microphoneStream?.getAudioTracks()[0];
+
+    act(() => result.current.stopMicrophone());
+
+    expect(deviceTrack?.readyState).toBe("ended");
+    expect(result.current.isMicrophoneOn).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("startCamera while connected publishes the middleware output", async ({ media, client, renderHook }) => {
+    media.setUserMediaStream(videoStream());
+    const processed = createFakeStream([{ kind: "video", deviceId: "processed" }]).getVideoTracks()[0];
+    let middlewareCalls = 0;
+    const middleware = () => {
+      middlewareCalls += 1;
+      return { track: processed };
+    };
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => ({ cam: useCamera(), peers: usePeers() }));
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      await result.current.cam.setCameraTrackMiddleware(middleware);
+    });
+    act(() => client.simulateJoined());
+    await act(async () => {
+      await result.current.cam.startCamera();
+    });
+    await flushEffects();
+
+    expect(middlewareCalls).toBe(1);
+    expect(client.addTrack).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(result.current.peers.localPeer?.cameraTrack?.track).toBe(processed);
+  });
+});