diff --git a/gossip/discovery/discovery_impl.go b/gossip/discovery/discovery_impl.go
index e4bb09bc8a0..23bc2925eeb 100644
--- a/gossip/discovery/discovery_impl.go
+++ b/gossip/discovery/discovery_impl.go
@@ -505,6 +505,8 @@ func (d *gossipDiscoveryImpl) handleAliveMessage(m *protoext.SignedGossipMessage
 
 	d.lock.RLock()
 	_, known := d.id2Member[string(pkiID)]
+	lastAliveTS, isAlive := d.aliveLastTS[string(pkiID)]
+	lastDeadTS, isDead := d.deadLastTS[string(pkiID)]
 	d.lock.RUnlock()
 
 	if !known {
@@ -512,11 +514,6 @@ func (d *gossipDiscoveryImpl) handleAliveMessage(m *protoext.SignedGossipMessage
 		return
 	}
 
-	d.lock.RLock()
-	_, isAlive := d.aliveLastTS[string(pkiID)]
-	lastDeadTS, isDead := d.deadLastTS[string(pkiID)]
-	d.lock.RUnlock()
-
 	if !isAlive && !isDead {
 		d.logger.Panicf("Member %s is known but not found neither in alive nor in dead lastTS maps, isAlive=%v, isDead=%v", m.GetAliveMsg().Membership.Endpoint, isAlive, isDead)
 		return
@@ -537,10 +534,6 @@ func (d *gossipDiscoveryImpl) handleAliveMessage(m *protoext.SignedGossipMessage
 		return
 	}
 
-	d.lock.RLock()
-	lastAliveTS, isAlive := d.aliveLastTS[string(pkiID)]
-	d.lock.RUnlock()
-
 	if isAlive {
 		if before(lastAliveTS, ts) {
 			d.learnExistingMembers([]*protoext.SignedGossipMessage{m})
@@ -845,6 +838,10 @@ func (d *gossipDiscoveryImpl) learnExistingMembers(aliveArr []*protoext.SignedGo
 
 		// update member's data
 		member := d.id2Member[string(am.Membership.PkiId)]
+		if member == nil {
+			d.logger.Debugf("Member with PkiId %x was purged during alive message processing, skipping update", am.Membership.PkiId)
+			continue
+		}
 		member.Endpoint = am.Membership.Endpoint
 		member.Metadata = am.Membership.Metadata
 		member.InternalEndpoint = internalEndpoint
diff --git a/gossip/discovery/discovery_test.go b/gossip/discovery/discovery_test.go
index e54dd0a43bb..033215fb780 100644
--- a/gossip/discovery/discovery_test.go
+++ b/gossip/discovery/discovery_test.go
@@ -1928,3 +1928,54 @@ func portOfEndpoint(endpoint string) int {
 	port, _ := strconv.ParseInt(strings.Split(endpoint, ":")[1], 10, 64)
 	return int(port)
 }
+
+func TestLearnExistingMembers_NilMemberAfterConcurrentPurge(t *testing.T) {
+	inst := createDiscoveryInstanceWithNoGossip(33900, "d0", nil)
+	defer inst.Stop()
+
+	d := inst.discoveryImpl()
+
+	memberPKIid := common.PKIidType("purged-member-pkiid")
+	memberEndpoint := "localhost:9999"
+
+	// Simulate the TOCTOU race fixed in PR #5397:
+	// handleAliveMessage sees isAlive=true under one lock, then a concurrent
+	// purge() removes the member from all maps before learnExistingMembers
+	// acquires the write lock. The result is a member present in aliveLastTS
+	// at decision time but absent from id2Member when learnExistingMembers runs.
+	d.lock.Lock()
+	d.aliveLastTS[string(memberPKIid)] = &timestamp{
+		incTime:  time.Now(),
+		seqNum:   1,
+		lastSeen: time.Now(),
+	}
+	// Intentionally NOT adding to id2Member to reproduce the nil dereference:
+	// before the fix, learnExistingMembers accessed member.Endpoint without
+	// a nil guard, causing a panic.
+	d.lock.Unlock()
+
+	aliveMsg := &proto.GossipMessage{
+		Tag: proto.GossipMessage_EMPTY,
+		Content: &proto.GossipMessage_AliveMsg{
+			AliveMsg: &proto.AliveMessage{
+				Membership: &proto.Member{
+					Endpoint: memberEndpoint,
+					PkiId:    memberPKIid,
+				},
+				Timestamp: &proto.PeerTime{
+					IncNum: uint64(time.Now().UnixNano()),
+					SeqNum: 2,
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	signedMsg, err := protoext.NoopSign(aliveMsg)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// Before the fix: panics with nil pointer dereference on member.Endpoint
+	// because id2Member[memberPKIid] is nil (member was concurrently purged).
+	// After the fix: nil member detected, update skipped, no panic.
+	require.NotPanics(t, func() {
+		d.learnExistingMembers([]*protoext.SignedGossipMessage{signedMsg})
+	})
+}