diff --git a/projects/packages/premium-analytics/changelog/wooa7s-1546-harden-sync-stall-detection b/projects/packages/premium-analytics/changelog/wooa7s-1546-harden-sync-stall-detection
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..8a814037307c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/projects/packages/premium-analytics/changelog/wooa7s-1546-harden-sync-stall-detection
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+Significance: patch
+Type: changed
+
+Defensively keep polling when a sync-status poll reads finished before the milestone write lands (100% progress, milestone still unset) instead of treating it as a stall. Not reachable on the default full-sync path; guards the legacy queue-based path against a one-poll false "Sync has stalled" error.
diff --git a/projects/packages/premium-analytics/packages/site-sync/src/hooks/__tests__/use-sync-status.test.ts b/projects/packages/premium-analytics/packages/site-sync/src/hooks/__tests__/use-sync-status.test.ts
index b96ea026ff0a..5a1817f811f4 100644
--- a/projects/packages/premium-analytics/packages/site-sync/src/hooks/__tests__/use-sync-status.test.ts
+++ b/projects/packages/premium-analytics/packages/site-sync/src/hooks/__tests__/use-sync-status.test.ts
@@ -211,6 +211,41 @@ describe( 'useSyncStatus', () => {
 		expect( result.current.error?.message ).toBe( 'down' );
 	} );
 
+	it( 'keeps polling when a poll reports finished before the milestone, then completes', async () => {
+		// Read gap: the first poll sees `finished` + 100% progress while the
+		// milestone is still 0. It must NOT surface a stall; the next poll exposes
+		// the milestone and the sync completes.
+		mockFetch.mockResolvedValueOnce(
+			rawStatus( {
+				finished: true,
+				progress: { woocommerce_analytics: { sent: 2, total: 2 } },
+				initial_full_sync_finished: 0,
+			} )
+		);
+		mockFetch.mockResolvedValue(
+			rawStatus( {
+				finished: true,
+				progress: { woocommerce_analytics: { sent: 2, total: 2 } },
+				initial_full_sync_finished: 1_700_000_000,
+			} )
+		);
+
+		const { result } = renderHook( () => useSyncStatus() );
+
+		// First poll: finishing — 100% progress, no stall, no error, polling continues.
+		await waitFor( () => expect( result.current.data?.percentage ).toBe( 100 ) );
+		expect( result.current.isStalled ).toBe( false );
+		expect( result.current.error ).toBeNull();
+
+		// Next tick exposes the milestone ⇒ complete.
+		await act( async () => {
+			jest.advanceTimersByTime( POLL_INTERVAL );
+		} );
+		await waitFor( () => expect( result.current.isComplete ).toBe( true ) );
+		expect( result.current.isStalled ).toBe( false );
+		expect( result.current.error ).toBeNull();
+	} );
+
 	it( 'updates the milestone live from the sync-status poll', async () => {
 		// Milestone unset at page load; the backend then exposes it on the poll.
 		mockFetch.mockResolvedValue( rawStatus( { initial_full_sync_finished: 1_700_000_500 } ) );
diff --git a/projects/packages/premium-analytics/packages/site-sync/src/status.test.ts b/projects/packages/premium-analytics/packages/site-sync/src/status.test.ts
index a764f1926b34..bd370c1e70a0 100644
--- a/projects/packages/premium-analytics/packages/site-sync/src/status.test.ts
+++ b/projects/packages/premium-analytics/packages/site-sync/src/status.test.ts
@@ -184,4 +184,29 @@ describe( 'isSyncStalled', () => {
 			} )
 		).toBe( false );
 	} );
+
+	it( 'is not stalled while finishing — 100% progress with the milestone write still in flight', () => {
+		// A poll can read `finished: true` before the milestone is persisted; that
+		// surfaces as 100% progress with the milestone unset. The sync is finishing,
+		// not stalled, and resolves on the next poll.
+		expect(
+			isSyncStalled( {
+				isStarted: true,
+				isRunning: false,
+				percentage: 100,
+				initialFullSyncFinished: 0,
+			} )
+		).toBe( false );
+	} );
+
+	it( 'stays stalled when finished below 100% (a genuine stall, not the read gap)', () => {
+		expect(
+			isSyncStalled( {
+				isStarted: true,
+				isRunning: false,
+				percentage: 50,
+				initialFullSyncFinished: 0,
+			} )
+		).toBe( true );
+	} );
 } );
diff --git a/projects/packages/premium-analytics/packages/site-sync/src/status.ts b/projects/packages/premium-analytics/packages/site-sync/src/status.ts
index 9a4d54d0e3c7..6a1bb5e6acd7 100644
--- a/projects/packages/premium-analytics/packages/site-sync/src/status.ts
+++ b/projects/packages/premium-analytics/packages/site-sync/src/status.ts
@@ -46,9 +46,15 @@ export function isSyncComplete( status: SyncStatus ): boolean {
 /**
  * Stalled = the sync started but is no longer running and hasn't completed. A
  * sync that never started is NOT stalled — it just needs to be triggered.
+ *
+ * 100% progress with the milestone still unset means the sync is *finishing*,
+ * not stalled: a poll read `finished` before the milestone write landed. Keep
+ * polling so it self-heals on the next tick. A genuine stall sits below 100%.
+ *
  * @param status - Normalized sync status.
  * @return Whether the sync has stalled.
  */
 export function isSyncStalled( status: SyncStatus ): boolean {
-	return status.isStarted && ! status.isRunning && ! isSyncComplete( status );
+	const isFinishing = status.percentage >= 100 && status.initialFullSyncFinished === 0;
+	return status.isStarted && ! status.isRunning && ! isSyncComplete( status ) && ! isFinishing;
 }