diff --git a/docker/telemetry/integration-test.sh b/docker/telemetry/integration-test.sh
index 2c9b1f49af..3e9ac410f2 100755
--- a/docker/telemetry/integration-test.sh
+++ b/docker/telemetry/integration-test.sh
@@ -580,11 +580,15 @@ check_otel_metric "rippled_total_Bytes_In"
 # Verify StatsD receiver is NOT required (no statsd receiver in pipeline)
 log ""
 log "--- Verify StatsD receiver is not required ---"
-statsd_port_check=$(curl -sf "http://localhost:8125" 2>&1 || echo "refused")
-if echo "$statsd_port_check" | grep -qi "refused\|error\|connection"; then
-    ok "StatsD port 8125 is not listening (not required)"
+# StatsD listens on UDP 8125, so probe with a UDP-aware tool, not curl (TCP).
+if command -v ss >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    if ss -ulnp 2>/dev/null | grep -q ":8125"; then
+        fail "StatsD port 8125 appears to be listening (should not be needed)"
+    else
+        ok "StatsD port 8125 is not listening (not required)"
+    fi
 else
-    fail "StatsD port 8125 appears to be listening (should not be needed)"
+    log "ss not found -- skipping StatsD UDP port check"
 fi
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/xrpld/telemetry/detail/ValidationTracker.cpp b/src/xrpld/telemetry/detail/ValidationTracker.cpp
index 38e065d8b5..17ec00fde3 100644
--- a/src/xrpld/telemetry/detail/ValidationTracker.cpp
+++ b/src/xrpld/telemetry/detail/ValidationTracker.cpp
@@ -126,25 +126,11 @@ ValidationTracker::evictOldPending(TimePoint now)
         }
     }
 
-    // Hard trim if still over limit -- remove reconciled entries that are
-    // past the late-repair window first, then any reconciled entry as a
-    // last resort.
+    // Hard trim if still over limit. The loop above already removed every
+    // reconciled entry older than the late-repair window, so here we drop
+    // any remaining reconciled entry as a last resort.
     if (pending_.size() > kMaxPendingEvents)
     {
-        // Pass 1: only entries past late-repair window.
-        for (auto it = pending_.begin();
-             it != pending_.end() && pending_.size() > kMaxPendingEvents;)
-        {
-            if (it->second.reconciled && it->second.recordTime < cutoff)
-            {
-                it = pending_.erase(it);
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                ++it;
-            }
-        }
-        // Pass 2: any reconciled entry if still over limit.
         for (auto it = pending_.begin();
              it != pending_.end() && pending_.size() > kMaxPendingEvents;)
         {