diff --git a/include/MySQL_Session.h b/include/MySQL_Session.h
index cef984bf1..df4690a19 100644
--- a/include/MySQL_Session.h
+++ b/include/MySQL_Session.h
@@ -526,6 +526,31 @@ class MySQL_Session: public Base_Session<MySQL_Session, MySQL_Data_Stream, MySQL
 
 	 // this is used ONLY for Admin, and only if the other party is another proxysql instance part of a cluster
 	bool use_ldap_auth;
+
+	/**
+	 * @brief Set to @c true when this session's credential came from the
+	 * pass-through cache or a fresh pass-through probe (spec §8.4).
+	 *
+	 * Read by the @c ER_ACCESS_DENIED_ERROR eviction hook in
+	 * @c handler_again___status_CONNECTING_SERVER: only sessions whose
+	 * credential was supplied by the pass-through machinery are allowed
+	 * to invalidate the cache entry on a backend 1045. Without this
+	 * flag, a regular @c mysql_users user with the same name but a
+	 * stale stored hash would evict an unrelated pass-through cache
+	 * entry -- needless churn for users who aren't even using
+	 * pass-through.
+	 *
+	 * Set in two places:
+	 *   - @c PPHR_verify_password on a cache hit
+	 *     (the cached cleartext IS what we're authenticating with).
+	 *   - @c handler_again___status_AUTHENTICATING_BACKEND_FOR_CLIENT
+	 *     on probe success (we just inserted the cleartext into the
+	 *     cache and immediately put it on the session's userinfo).
+	 *
+	 * Cleared on session reset / re-init alongside the other auth
+	 * state. Stays @c false for regular @c mysql_users authentications.
+	 */
+	bool passthrough_credential;
 	// Fast forward grace close flags: track backend closure during fast forward mode
 	// to allow pending client data to drain before closing the session.
 	bool backend_closed_in_fast_forward;
diff --git a/lib/MySQL_Protocol.cpp b/lib/MySQL_Protocol.cpp
index 5d2555eee..7c1c80547 100644
--- a/lib/MySQL_Protocol.cpp
+++ b/lib/MySQL_Protocol.cpp
@@ -2682,6 +2682,16 @@ bool MySQL_Protocol::PPHR_verify_password(MyProt_tmp_auth_vars& vars1, account_d
 			if (GloMyPTAuthCache->lookup(
 					std::string((const char*)vars1.user), cleartext, ttl_s)) {
 				GloMyPTAuthCache->bump_cache_hits();
+				/*
+				 * Mark the session: the credential being used to verify
+				 * this client connection came from the pass-through
+				 * cache, so the backend-rejection eviction hook in
+				 * handler_again___status_CONNECTING_SERVER is permitted
+				 * to invalidate the entry on a future ER_ACCESS_DENIED.
+				 */
+				if ((*myds) && (*myds)->sess) {
+					(*myds)->sess->passthrough_credential = true;
+				}
 				if (vars1.password) { free(vars1.password); }
 				vars1.password = strdup(cleartext.c_str());
 				/**
diff --git a/lib/MySQL_Session.cpp b/lib/MySQL_Session.cpp
index 037b1c6a2..350a7ee84 100644
--- a/lib/MySQL_Session.cpp
+++ b/lib/MySQL_Session.cpp
@@ -710,6 +710,7 @@ MySQL_Session::MySQL_Session() {
 	last_HG_affected_rows = -1; // #1421 : advanced support for LAST_INSERT_ID()
 	proxysql_node_address = NULL;
 	use_ldap_auth = false;
+	passthrough_credential = false;
 	this->wait_timeout = mysql_thread___wait_timeout;
 	backend_closed_in_fast_forward = false;
 	fast_forward_grace_start_time = 0;
@@ -1976,6 +1977,15 @@ int MySQL_Session::handler_again___status_AUTHENTICATING_BACKEND_FOR_CLIENT() {
 
 	// Probe succeeded — cache the learned credential.
 	GloMyPTAuthCache->insert(std::string(username), std::string(cleartext), target_hg);
+	/*
+	 * Mark the session: the cleartext we're about to assign onto
+	 * userinfo->password came from the probe (i.e. is now in the
+	 * pass-through cache). Authorize the backend-rejection eviction
+	 * hook to invalidate it on a future ER_ACCESS_DENIED for this
+	 * session, distinct from same-username sessions that authenticated
+	 * via a regular mysql_users row.
+	 */
+	passthrough_credential = true;
 
 	// Update userinfo with the learned cleartext. process_pkt_handshake_response
 	// stored "" for userinfo->password since PPHR_verify_password returned
@@ -3467,13 +3477,31 @@ bool MySQL_Session::handler_again___status_CONNECTING_SERVER(int *_rc) {
 							goto __exit_handler_again___status_CONNECTING_SERVER_with_err;
 							break;
 						case ER_ACCESS_DENIED_ERROR: // 1045
-							// Pass-through cache invalidation (spec §8.4).
-							// If a backend rejected a connection using a
-							// password that came from the pass-through cache,
-							// the cached cleartext is stale. Evict it so the
-							// next connect from this user re-probes.
+							/*
+							 * Pass-through cache invalidation (spec §8.4).
+							 *
+							 * Gated on @c sess->passthrough_credential so
+							 * the eviction fires only for sessions whose
+							 * credential actually came from the cache (or a
+							 * fresh probe that just populated the cache).
+							 *
+							 * Without the gate, a backend 1045 against a
+							 * regular @c mysql_users user with the SAME
+							 * username as a separately-cached pass-through
+							 * entry would evict that unrelated entry --
+							 * harmless functionally (next connect re-probes),
+							 * but causes needless churn on rotation events
+							 * for users who aren't even using pass-through.
+							 *
+							 * The flag is set by:
+							 *   - PPHR_verify_password on cache hit
+							 *   - the AUTHENTICATING_BACKEND_FOR_CLIENT
+							 *     handler on probe success
+							 * and stays @c false for normal authentications.
+							 */
 							if (GloMyPTAuthCache != NULL
 								&& mysql_thread___passthrough_auth_enabled
+								&& passthrough_credential
 								&& client_myds && client_myds->myconn
 								&& client_myds->myconn->userinfo
 								&& client_myds->myconn->userinfo->username) {