diff --git a/hscontrol/mapper/batch_coalesce_test.go b/hscontrol/mapper/batch_coalesce_test.go
index d89a48766..bd7ae483d 100644
--- a/hscontrol/mapper/batch_coalesce_test.go
+++ b/hscontrol/mapper/batch_coalesce_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/juanfont/headscale/hscontrol/types/change"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"tailscale.com/tailcfg"
 )
 
 // TestProcessBatchedChangesCoalescesWhenInFlight verifies that at most one
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@ func TestProcessBatchedChangesCoalescesWhenInFlight(t *testing.T) {
 
 	id := types.NodeID(1)
 	nc := newMultiChannelNodeConn(id, nil)
+	nc.addConnection(makeConnectionEntry("conn-1", make(chan *tailcfg.MapResponse, 1)))
 	b.nodes.Store(id, nc)
 
 	// A bundle is in flight: the new change must be retained, not queued.
@@ -45,3 +47,25 @@ func TestProcessBatchedChangesCoalescesWhenInFlight(t *testing.T) {
 
 	require.NotNil(t, b)
 }
+
+// TestProcessBatchedChangesSkipsNodesWithoutConnection drains a node that
+// kept its batcher entry after its last stream closed. Rendering its changes
+// is wasted, since send drops the result and its next stream opens with a
+// full map, so no work may be queued for it.
+func TestProcessBatchedChangesSkipsNodesWithoutConnection(t *testing.T) {
+	b := NewBatcher(50*time.Millisecond, 2, nil) // not started: no ticker, no workers
+
+	id := types.NodeID(1)
+	nc := newMultiChannelNodeConn(id, nil)
+	b.nodes.Store(id, nc)
+
+	nc.appendPending(change.PolicyChange())
+	b.processBatchedChanges()
+
+	nc.pendingMu.Lock()
+	pending := len(nc.pending)
+	nc.pendingMu.Unlock()
+	assert.Equal(t, 0, pending, "a node without a connection must not accumulate pending changes")
+	assert.Empty(t, b.workCh, "no work may be queued for a node without a connection")
+	assert.False(t, nc.inFlight.Load())
+}
diff --git a/hscontrol/mapper/batcher.go b/hscontrol/mapper/batcher.go
index a1e8d1fec..ad63c42c1 100644
--- a/hscontrol/mapper/batcher.go
+++ b/hscontrol/mapper/batcher.go
@@ -745,7 +745,7 @@ func (b *Batcher) processBatchedChanges() {
 			return true
 		}
 
-		pending := nc.drainPending()
+		pending := nc.takePending()
 		if len(pending) == 0 {
 			return true
 		}
diff --git a/hscontrol/mapper/node_conn.go b/hscontrol/mapper/node_conn.go
index 1203cd316..cba71ce5f 100644
--- a/hscontrol/mapper/node_conn.go
+++ b/hscontrol/mapper/node_conn.go
@@ -319,6 +319,25 @@ func (mc *multiChannelNodeConn) drainPending() []change.Change {
 	return p
 }
 
+// takePending drains the pending changes for rendering. A node without a
+// connection gets none and its changes are dropped: send would discard what
+// they render, and its next connection opens with a full map rendered after
+// it registered. The read lock keeps that registration out of the gap between
+// the check and the drain.
+func (mc *multiChannelNodeConn) takePending() []change.Change {
+	mc.mutex.RLock()
+	defer mc.mutex.RUnlock()
+
+	p := mc.drainPending()
+	if len(mc.connections) == 0 {
+		mapperChangesDropped.WithLabelValues("no_connection").Add(float64(len(p)))
+
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	return p
+}
+
 // send broadcasts data to all active connections for the node.
 //
 // To avoid holding the write lock during potentially slow sends (each stale