diff --git a/rust/otap-dataflow/crates/engine/src/flow_metrics.rs b/rust/otap-dataflow/crates/engine/src/flow_metrics.rs
index b23ea08cd8..056b8c83c8 100644
--- a/rust/otap-dataflow/crates/engine/src/flow_metrics.rs
+++ b/rust/otap-dataflow/crates/engine/src/flow_metrics.rs
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 
 use std::borrow::Cow;
 use std::cell::Cell;
-use std::collections::{HashMap, HashSet};
+use std::collections::{HashMap, HashSet, VecDeque};
 use std::rc::Rc;
 use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
 use std::time::Instant;
@@ -224,6 +224,7 @@ pub(crate) fn build_flow_metric_state(
     node_name_to_index: &HashMap<String, usize>,
     processor_indices: &HashSet<usize>,
     pipeline_context: &PipelineContext,
+    pipeline_connections: &[(usize, usize)],
 ) -> Result<PipelineFlowMetricState, crate::error::Error> {
     let mut signals_incoming_metrics = Vec::new();
     let mut duration_metrics = Vec::new();
@@ -233,6 +234,10 @@ pub(crate) fn build_flow_metric_state(
 
     let pipeline_attrs = pipeline_context.pipeline_attribute_set();
 
+    // Collect resolved (start, end, name) triples for the graph-based
+    // interleave check that runs after all flow metrics are registered.
+    let mut resolved_ranges: Vec<(usize, usize, String)> = Vec::new();
+
     for flow_config in &telemetry_policy.flow_metrics {
         let start_idx = node_name_to_index
             .get(&flow_config.bounds.start_node)
@@ -296,6 +301,13 @@ pub(crate) fn build_flow_metric_state(
         signals_outgoing_metrics.push(signals_outgoing_metric);
         let _ = end_nodes.insert(end_idx, id);
         let _ = start_nodes.insert(start_idx, id);
+        resolved_ranges.push((start_idx, end_idx, flow_config.name.clone()));
+    }
+
+    // Validate that flow_metric ranges don't interleave with each other.
+    if resolved_ranges.len() > 1 {
+        let adjacency = build_adjacency(pipeline_connections);
+        detect_interleaved_ranges(&resolved_ranges, &adjacency)?;
     }
 
     Ok(PipelineFlowMetricState {
@@ -313,6 +325,87 @@ fn invalid_flow_metric_config(error: String) -> crate::error::Error {
     }))
 }
 
+/// Compute the "active range" of a flow metric: the set of node indices
+/// reachable from "start" via the forward adjacency list, stopping
+/// expansion at "end".
+fn active_range(
+    start: usize,
+    end: usize,
+    adjacency: &HashMap<usize, Vec<usize>>,
+) -> HashSet<usize> {
+    let mut visited = HashSet::new();
+    let mut queue = VecDeque::new();
+    let _ = visited.insert(start);
+    queue.push_back(start);
+
+    while let Some(node) = queue.pop_front() {
+        if node == end {
+            continue;
+        }
+        if let Some(neighbors) = adjacency.get(&node) {
+            for &next in neighbors {
+                if visited.insert(next) {
+                    queue.push_back(next);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    // The end node does not alter the accumulator for this
+    // flow metric range.
+    let _ = visited.remove(&end);
+    visited
+}
+
+/// Detect interleaved flow metric ranges using graph reachability.
+/// Two flow metrics interleave when one's start node falls inside the
+/// other's active range.
+fn detect_interleaved_ranges(
+    ranges: &[(usize, usize, String)],
+    adjacency: &HashMap<usize, Vec<usize>>,
+) -> Result<(), crate::error::Error> {
+    // Pre-compute the active range for each flow metric.
+    let active_ranges: Vec<HashSet<usize>> = ranges
+        .iter()
+        .map(|&(start, end, _)| active_range(start, end, adjacency))
+        .collect();
+
+    // Pairwise check: does any flow metric's start fall inside another's
+    // active range?
+    for i in 0..ranges.len() {
+        for j in (i + 1)..ranges.len() {
+            let (start_j, _, ref name_j) = ranges[j];
+            if active_ranges[i].contains(&start_j) {
+                return Err(invalid_flow_metric_config(format!(
+                    "flow metric `{}` interleaves with `{}`: \
+                     start node of `{}` is reachable from start of `{}` \
+                     before reaching its end node",
+                    name_j, ranges[i].2, name_j, ranges[i].2,
+                )));
+            }
+            let (start_i, _, ref name_i) = ranges[i];
+            if active_ranges[j].contains(&start_i) {
+                return Err(invalid_flow_metric_config(format!(
+                    "flow metric `{}` interleaves with `{}`: \
+                     start node of `{}` is reachable from start of `{}` \
+                     before reaching its end node",
+                    name_i, name_j, name_i, name_j,
+                )));
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+/// Build a forward-edge adjacency list from a flat edge list.
+fn build_adjacency(edges: &[(usize, usize)]) -> HashMap<usize, Vec<usize>> {
+    let mut adj: HashMap<usize, Vec<usize>> = HashMap::new();
+    for &(src, dst) in edges {
+        adj.entry(src).or_default().push(dst);
+    }
+    adj
+}
+
 /// Saturating cast of `u128` nanoseconds to `u64`.
 ///
 /// Used by EffectHandlers when computing elapsed durations between
@@ -512,6 +605,22 @@ mod tests {
         (name_to_index, processor_indices)
     }
 
+    /// Helper: build a flat edge list from `(from, to)` string pairs,
+    /// resolving names through the provided `name_to_index` map.
+    fn test_edges(
+        edges: &[(&str, &str)],
+        name_to_index: &HashMap<String, usize>,
+    ) -> Vec<(usize, usize)> {
+        edges
+            .iter()
+            .filter_map(|&(from, to)| {
+                let src = *name_to_index.get(from)?;
+                let dst = *name_to_index.get(to)?;
+                Some((src, dst))
+            })
+            .collect()
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn valid_flow_metric_is_registered() {
         let (ctx, _) = test_pipeline_ctx();
@@ -520,7 +629,7 @@ mod tests {
         let (names, procs) = test_maps(&["a", "b", "c"], &[]);
         let policy = policy_with(vec![sw("sw1", "a", "c")]);
 
-        let state = build_flow_metric_state(&policy, &names, &procs, &ctx)
+        let state = build_flow_metric_state(&policy, &names, &procs, &ctx, &[])
             .expect("valid config should build");
 
         assert_eq!(state.duration_metrics.len(), 1);
@@ -536,7 +645,7 @@ mod tests {
         flow.metrics = Some(vec![FlowMetric::ComputeDuration]);
         let policy = policy_with(vec![flow]);
 
-        let state = build_flow_metric_state(&policy, &names, &procs, &ctx)
+        let state = build_flow_metric_state(&policy, &names, &procs, &ctx, &[])
             .expect("duration-only config should build");
 
         assert!(state.duration_metrics[0].is_some());
@@ -550,7 +659,7 @@ mod tests {
         let (names, procs) = test_maps(&["a", "b"], &[]);
         let policy = policy_with(vec![sw("sw1", "a", "missing")]);
 
-        let err = build_flow_metric_state(&policy, &names, &procs, &ctx)
+        let err = build_flow_metric_state(&policy, &names, &procs, &ctx, &[])
             .err()
             .expect("expected Err");
 
@@ -563,7 +672,7 @@ mod tests {
         let (names, procs) = test_maps(&["recv", "proc1", "proc2"], &["recv"]);
         let policy = policy_with(vec![sw("sw1", "recv", "proc2")]);
 
-        let err = build_flow_metric_state(&policy, &names, &procs, &ctx)
+        let err = build_flow_metric_state(&policy, &names, &procs, &ctx, &[])
             .err()
             .expect("expected Err");
 
@@ -576,7 +685,7 @@ mod tests {
         let (names, procs) = test_maps(&["proc1", "proc2", "exp"], &["exp"]);
         let policy = policy_with(vec![sw("sw1", "proc1", "exp")]);
 
-        let err = build_flow_metric_state(&policy, &names, &procs, &ctx)
+        let err = build_flow_metric_state(&policy, &names, &procs, &ctx, &[])
             .err()
             .expect("expected Err");
 
@@ -590,7 +699,7 @@ mod tests {
         // Two flow_metrics share "a" as start node.
         let policy = policy_with(vec![sw("sw1", "a", "b"), sw("sw2", "a", "d")]);
 
-        let err = build_flow_metric_state(&policy, &names, &procs, &ctx)
+        let err = build_flow_metric_state(&policy, &names, &procs, &ctx, &[])
             .err()
             .expect("expected Err");
 
@@ -604,7 +713,7 @@ mod tests {
         // Two flow_metrics share "d" as stop node.
         let policy = policy_with(vec![sw("sw1", "a", "d"), sw("sw2", "c", "d")]);
 
-        let err = build_flow_metric_state(&policy, &names, &procs, &ctx)
+        let err = build_flow_metric_state(&policy, &names, &procs, &ctx, &[])
             .err()
             .expect("expected Err");
 
@@ -617,7 +726,7 @@ mod tests {
         let (names, procs) = test_maps(&["a", "b", "c"], &[]);
         let policy = policy_with(vec![sw("sw1", "a", "b"), sw("sw2", "b", "c")]);
 
-        let err = build_flow_metric_state(&policy, &names, &procs, &ctx)
+        let err = build_flow_metric_state(&policy, &names, &procs, &ctx, &[])
             .err()
             .expect("expected Err");
 
@@ -631,7 +740,8 @@ mod tests {
         // Non-overlapping: a→b and c→d.
         let policy = policy_with(vec![sw("sw1", "a", "b"), sw("sw2", "c", "d")]);
 
-        let state = build_flow_metric_state(&policy, &names, &procs, &ctx)
+        let edges = test_edges(&[("a", "b"), ("b", "c"), ("c", "d")], &names);
+        let state = build_flow_metric_state(&policy, &names, &procs, &ctx, &edges)
             .expect("disjoint config should build");
 
         assert_eq!(state.duration_metrics.len(), 2);
@@ -640,4 +750,164 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(state.end_nodes.get(&1), Some(&0)); // "b" → sw1
         assert_eq!(state.end_nodes.get(&3), Some(&1)); // "d" → sw2
     }
+
+    // Validation of flow metric interleaving detection.
+
+    #[test]
+    fn interleaved_distinct_endpoints_linear_path_is_rejected() {
+        // Toplogy: a -> b -> c -> d
+        // Flow metrics: a->c and b->d
+        // Vanilla interleaving on linear path. Should fail validation.
+        let (ctx, _) = test_pipeline_ctx();
+        let (names, procs) = test_maps(&["a", "b", "c", "d"], &[]);
+        let edges = test_edges(&[("a", "b"), ("b", "c"), ("c", "d")], &names);
+        let policy = policy_with(vec![sw("sw1", "a", "c"), sw("sw2", "b", "d")]);
+
+        let err = build_flow_metric_state(&policy, &names, &procs, &ctx, &edges)
+            .err()
+            .expect("expected Err for interleaved ranges");
+
+        assert_invalid_user_config(&err, "sw2");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn interleaved_reverse_order_is_rejected() {
+        // Toplogy: a -> b -> c -> d
+        // Flow metrics: a->c and b->d
+        // Vanilla interleaving on linear path, but with reverse declaration order. Should fail validation.
+        let (ctx, _) = test_pipeline_ctx();
+        let (names, procs) = test_maps(&["a", "b", "c", "d"], &[]);
+        let edges = test_edges(&[("a", "b"), ("b", "c"), ("c", "d")], &names);
+        let policy = policy_with(vec![sw("sw1", "b", "d"), sw("sw2", "a", "c")]);
+
+        let err = build_flow_metric_state(&policy, &names, &procs, &ctx, &edges)
+            .err()
+            .expect("expected Err for interleaved ranges");
+
+        assert_invalid_user_config(&err, "sw2");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn disjoint_on_linear_path_is_accepted() {
+        // Topology: a -> b -> c -> d -> e -> f
+        // Flow metrics: a->c and d->f
+        // Fully disjoint. Should pass validation.
+        let (ctx, _) = test_pipeline_ctx();
+        let (names, procs) = test_maps(&["a", "b", "c", "d", "e", "f"], &[]);
+        let edges = test_edges(
+            &[("a", "b"), ("b", "c"), ("c", "d"), ("d", "e"), ("e", "f")],
+            &names,
+        );
+        let policy = policy_with(vec![sw("sw1", "a", "c"), sw("sw2", "d", "f")]);
+
+        let state = build_flow_metric_state(&policy, &names, &procs, &ctx, &edges)
+            .expect("disjoint ranges should build");
+
+        assert_eq!(state.duration_metrics.len(), 2);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn interleaved_on_branching_path_is_rejected() {
+        // Topology: a -> b -> d, a -> c -> d, d -> e (Diamond pattern)
+        // Flow metrics: a->d and b->e.
+        // b is inside a->d's range, so these interleave. Should fail validation.
+        let (ctx, _) = test_pipeline_ctx();
+        let (names, procs) = test_maps(&["a", "b", "c", "d", "e"], &[]);
+        let edges = test_edges(
+            &[("a", "b"), ("a", "c"), ("b", "d"), ("c", "d"), ("d", "e")],
+            &names,
+        );
+        let policy = policy_with(vec![sw("sw1", "a", "d"), sw("sw2", "b", "e")]);
+
+        let err = build_flow_metric_state(&policy, &names, &procs, &ctx, &edges)
+            .err()
+            .expect("expected Err for interleaved ranges on diamond");
+
+        assert_invalid_user_config(&err, "sw2");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn disjoint_on_separate_branches_is_accepted() {
+        // Topology: a -> b -> c, a -> d -> e
+        // Flow metrics: b->c and d->e
+        // Separate branches, should have no overlap. Should pass validation.
+        let (ctx, _) = test_pipeline_ctx();
+        let (names, procs) = test_maps(&["a", "b", "c", "d", "e"], &[]);
+        let edges = test_edges(&[("a", "b"), ("b", "c"), ("a", "d"), ("d", "e")], &names);
+        let policy = policy_with(vec![sw("sw1", "b", "c"), sw("sw2", "d", "e")]);
+
+        let state = build_flow_metric_state(&policy, &names, &procs, &ctx, &edges)
+            .expect("separate-branch ranges should build");
+
+        assert_eq!(state.duration_metrics.len(), 2);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn nested_ranges_are_rejected() {
+        // Topology: a -> b -> c -> d
+        // Flow metrics: a->d and b->c
+        // The single-accumulator design does not support nesting. Should fail validation.
+        let (ctx, _) = test_pipeline_ctx();
+        let (names, procs) = test_maps(&["a", "b", "c", "d"], &[]);
+        let edges = test_edges(&[("a", "b"), ("b", "c"), ("c", "d")], &names);
+        let policy = policy_with(vec![sw("sw1", "a", "d"), sw("sw2", "b", "c")]);
+
+        let err = build_flow_metric_state(&policy, &names, &procs, &ctx, &edges)
+            .err()
+            .expect("expected Err for nested ranges");
+
+        assert_invalid_user_config(&err, "sw2");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn single_flow_metric_accepted() {
+        // Topology: a -> b -> c
+        // Flow metrics: a->b and b->c
+        // Only one flow metric, so no interleaving possible. Should pass validation.
+        let (ctx, _) = test_pipeline_ctx();
+        let (names, procs) = test_maps(&["a", "b", "c"], &[]);
+        let edges = test_edges(&[("a", "b"), ("b", "c")], &names);
+        let policy = policy_with(vec![sw("sw1", "a", "c")]);
+
+        let state = build_flow_metric_state(&policy, &names, &procs, &ctx, &edges)
+            .expect("single flow metric should build");
+
+        assert_eq!(state.duration_metrics.len(), 1);
+    }
+
+    // Validation of active_range helper for interleaved flow metrics detection.
+
+    #[test]
+    fn active_range_linear() {
+        // a(0) -> b(1) -> c(2) -> d(3)
+        let adj = build_adjacency(&[(0, 1), (1, 2), (2, 3)]);
+        let range = active_range(0, 2, &adj);
+        // Start=0 included, 1 is between, end=2 excluded.
+        assert!(range.contains(&0));
+        assert!(range.contains(&1));
+        assert!(!range.contains(&2));
+        assert!(!range.contains(&3));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn active_range_diamond() {
+        // a(0) -> b(1) -> d(3)
+        // a(0) -> c(2) -> d(3)
+        let adj = build_adjacency(&[(0, 1), (0, 2), (1, 3), (2, 3)]);
+        let range = active_range(0, 3, &adj);
+        assert!(range.contains(&0));
+        assert!(range.contains(&1));
+        assert!(range.contains(&2));
+        assert!(!range.contains(&3));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn active_range_end_unreachable() {
+        // a(0) -> b(1), end=5 not in graph, so range includes everything reachable.
+        let adj = build_adjacency(&[(0, 1), (4, 5)]);
+        let range = active_range(0, 5, &adj);
+        assert!(range.contains(&0));
+        assert!(range.contains(&1));
+        assert!(!range.contains(&5));
+    }
 }
diff --git a/rust/otap-dataflow/crates/engine/src/runtime_pipeline.rs b/rust/otap-dataflow/crates/engine/src/runtime_pipeline.rs
index 78290b5745..beea99897a 100644
--- a/rust/otap-dataflow/crates/engine/src/runtime_pipeline.rs
+++ b/rust/otap-dataflow/crates/engine/src/runtime_pipeline.rs
@@ -126,6 +126,33 @@ fn report_terminal_metrics(metrics_reporter: &MetricsReporter, terminal_state: T
     }
 }
 
+/// Build a flat edge list from a pipeline's connections, resolving node
+/// names to indices. Names not found in the map are silently skipped.
+fn connection_edges<'a>(
+    connections: impl Iterator<Item = &'a otap_df_config::pipeline::PipelineConnection>,
+    node_name_to_index: &HashMap<String, usize>,
+) -> Vec<(usize, usize)> {
+    let mut edges = Vec::new();
+    for conn in connections {
+        let from_indices: Vec<usize> = conn
+            .from_nodes()
+            .into_iter()
+            .filter_map(|name| node_name_to_index.get(name.as_ref()).copied())
+            .collect();
+        let to_indices: Vec<usize> = conn
+            .to_nodes()
+            .into_iter()
+            .filter_map(|name| node_name_to_index.get(name.as_ref()).copied())
+            .collect();
+        for &src in &from_indices {
+            for &dst in &to_indices {
+                edges.push((src, dst));
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    edges
+}
+
 /// PipeNode contains runtime-specific info.
 pub(crate) struct PipeNode {
     index: usize, // NodeIndex into the appropriate vector w/ offset precomputed
@@ -238,12 +265,17 @@ impl<PData: 'static + Debug + Clone + ReceivedAtNode + Unwindable + FlowMetricHo
             })
             .collect();
 
+        // Build edge list from pipeline connections for flow metric
+        // interleaving detection.
+        let pipeline_connections = connection_edges(_config.connection_iter(), &node_name_to_index);
+
         // Build flow_metric state and per-node role assignments up front.
         let flow_metric_state = build_flow_metric_state(
             &telemetry_policy,
             &node_name_to_index,
             &processor_indices,
             &pipeline_context,
+            &pipeline_connections,
         )?;
 
         // Spawn node tasks and register their control senders, scoping telemetry where available.