diff --git a/crates/mempool/src/mempool.rs b/crates/mempool/src/mempool.rs
index 85be89de49..9a866ad2d6 100644
--- a/crates/mempool/src/mempool.rs
+++ b/crates/mempool/src/mempool.rs
@@ -148,24 +148,38 @@ impl Mempool {
     }
 
     fn validate_input(&self, input: &MempoolInput) -> MempoolResult<()> {
+        let MempoolInput {
+            tx: ThinTransaction { sender_address, nonce: tx_nonce, .. },
+            account: Account { state: AccountState { nonce: account_nonce }, .. },
+        } = input;
+        let duplicate_nonce_error =
+            MempoolError::DuplicateNonce { address: *sender_address, nonce: *tx_nonce };
+
+        // Stateless checks.
+
+        // Check the input: transaction nonce against given account state.
+        if account_nonce > tx_nonce {
+            return Err(duplicate_nonce_error);
+        }
+
+        // Stateful checks.
+
         // Check nonce against mempool state.
-        let MempoolInput { tx, account } = input;
-        if let Some(AccountState { nonce }) = self.mempool_state.get(&tx.sender_address) {
-            if nonce >= &tx.nonce {
-                return Err(MempoolError::DuplicateNonce {
-                    address: tx.sender_address,
-                    nonce: tx.nonce,
-                });
+        if let Some(AccountState { nonce: mempool_state_nonce }) =
+            self.mempool_state.get(sender_address)
+        {
+            if mempool_state_nonce >= tx_nonce {
+                return Err(duplicate_nonce_error);
             }
         }
 
-        // Check nonce against given account state.
-        let Account { state: AccountState { nonce }, .. } = account;
-        if nonce > &tx.nonce {
-            return Err(MempoolError::DuplicateNonce {
-                address: tx.sender_address,
-                nonce: tx.nonce,
-            });
+        // Check nonce against the queue.
+        if self
+            .tx_queue
+            .get_nonce(*sender_address)
+            .is_some_and(|queued_nonce| queued_nonce > *tx_nonce)
+        {
+            return Err(duplicate_nonce_error);
         }
 
         Ok(())
diff --git a/crates/mempool/src/mempool_test.rs b/crates/mempool/src/mempool_test.rs
index 0e8b36ca79..0ac9936f35 100644
--- a/crates/mempool/src/mempool_test.rs
+++ b/crates/mempool/src/mempool_test.rs
@@ -427,6 +427,24 @@ fn test_add_tx_with_duplicate_tx(mut mempool: Mempool) {
     expected_mempool_state.assert_eq_pool_state(&mempool);
 }
 
+#[rstest]
+fn test_add_tx_lower_than_queued_nonce() {
+    // Setup.
+    let valid_input =
+        add_tx_input!(tx_hash: 1, sender_address: "0x0", tx_nonce: 1_u8, account_nonce: 1_u8);
+    let lower_nonce_input =
+        add_tx_input!(tx_hash: 2, sender_address: "0x0", tx_nonce: 0_u8, account_nonce: 0_u8);
+
+    let queue_txs = [TransactionReference::new(&valid_input.tx)];
+    let expected_mempool_state = MempoolState::with_queue(queue_txs);
+    let pool_txs = [valid_input.tx];
+    let mut mempool: Mempool = MempoolState::new(pool_txs, queue_txs).into();
+
+    // Test and assert the original transaction remains.
+    assert_matches!(mempool.add_tx(lower_nonce_input), Err(MempoolError::DuplicateNonce { .. }));
+    expected_mempool_state.assert_eq_queue_state(&mempool);
+}
+
 #[rstest]
 fn test_add_tx_with_identical_tip_succeeds(mut mempool: Mempool) {
     // Setup.