diff --git a/prometheus_keys.lua b/prometheus_keys.lua
index 45d8066..fc7c053 100644
--- a/prometheus_keys.lua
+++ b/prometheus_keys.lua
@@ -91,9 +91,20 @@ function KeyIndex:list()
   self:sync()
   local copy = {}
   local i = 1
-  for _, v in pairs(self.keys) do
-    copy[i] = v
-    i = i + 1
+  -- Emit a key only from the slot the index currently points at
+  -- (self.index[key] == idx). self.keys can transiently hold the same key value
+  -- in two different slots (e.g. when an expired metric is re-added at a new
+  -- slot before the old slot is reclaimed); listing the raw self.keys values
+  -- would emit duplicate metrics. Consulting the index guarantees each key is
+  -- listed exactly once, at its canonical slot. Iterating self.keys (not
+  -- 0..self.last) keeps this O(live keys): self.last grows monotonically with
+  -- every add and is never reclaimed, so a slot range scan would walk every
+  -- dead slot ever created on long-lived, high-churn workers.
+  for idx, key in pairs(self.keys) do
+    if self.index[key] == idx then
+      copy[i] = key
+      i = i + 1
+    end
   end
   return copy
 end
@@ -118,14 +129,32 @@ function KeyIndex:add(key_or_keys, err_msg_lru_eviction, exptime)
         -- key already exists, if has exptime, set expire
         local expired = false
         if exptime then
-          local ok = self.dict:expire(self.key_prefix .. self.index[key], exptime)
-          -- if key has already expired, remove it from the index
+          local ok, err = self.dict:expire(self.key_prefix .. self.index[key], exptime)
           if not ok then
-            local idx = self.index[key]
-            self.index[key] = nil
-            self.keys[idx] = nil
-            self.expire_keys[idx] = nil
-            expired = true
+            if err == "not found" then
+              -- The slot already expired in the shared dict. Drop the stale
+              -- local state and bump delete_count so other workers do a full
+              -- sync and reclaim the slot; without this the old slot lingers in
+              -- their local self.keys while the metric is re-added at a new slot,
+              -- desynchronizing the index and causing duplicate metric emission.
+              -- The dict slot is already gone (expire returned "not found"), so
+              -- there is no slot to clear here.
+              local idx = self.index[key]
+              self.index[key] = nil
+              self.keys[idx] = nil
+              self.expire_keys[idx] = nil
+              self.deleted = self.deleted + 1
+              local _, incr_err, forcible = self.dict:incr(self.delete_count, 1, 0)
+              if incr_err or forcible then
+                return incr_err or err_msg_lru_eviction
+              end
+              expired = true
+            else
+              -- Unexpected expire error: the slot may still be live, so leave it
+              -- as-is rather than re-adding it, which would create a duplicate.
+              ngx.log(ngx.ERR, "failed to renew expire for key '", key, "': ",
+                      tostring(err))
+            end
           end
         end
         if not expired then
diff --git a/prometheus_test.lua b/prometheus_test.lua
index 0fbc0b0..814b7a8 100644
--- a/prometheus_test.lua
+++ b/prometheus_test.lua
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ function SimpleDict:expire(k, exptime)
     return nil, "not found"
   end
   self.dict[k]["expired"] = os.time() + exptime
+  return true  -- match ngx.shared.DICT:expire, which returns true on success
 end
 function SimpleDict:ttl(k)
   self:get(k)
@@ -804,6 +805,78 @@ function TestKeyIndex:testList()
   luaunit.assertEquals(keys[3], "key3")
 end
 
+-- Regression test for apache/apisix#11934 (duplicate metrics).
+-- A key with an exptime is added and synced (self.last now tracks N). The key
+-- then expires in the underlying shared dict without going through remove(), so
+-- neither key_count nor delete_count changes and the next sync() is a no-op,
+-- leaving self.index still pointing at the now-vanished slot. Re-adding the key
+-- therefore takes the "expired" path in add() and allocates a new slot while
+-- the stale slot lingers in self.keys. Before the fix, delete_count was not
+-- bumped (other workers never re-synced) and list() iterated self.keys, so the
+-- same key was emitted twice -> duplicate metrics.
+function TestKeyIndex:testExpiredReAddNoDuplicate()
+  local err = self.key_index:add("expkey", "eviction_err", 1)
+  luaunit.assertEquals(err, nil)
+  self.key_index:sync()
+  luaunit.assertEquals(self.dict:get("_prefix_key_count"), 1)
+  luaunit.assertEquals(self.dict:get("_prefix_key_1"), "expkey")
+  luaunit.assertEquals(self.dict:get("_prefix_delete_count"), nil)
+  luaunit.assertEquals(self.key_index.index["expkey"], 1)
+
+  -- A second worker sharing the same shared dict syncs the initial state, so it
+  -- now holds slot 1 in its local self.keys/index. This is the worker that the
+  -- delete_count bump must later force to re-sync and reclaim the stale slot.
+  local worker2 = require('prometheus_keys').new(self.dict, "_prefix_", 1)
+  worker2:sync()
+  luaunit.assertEquals(worker2.index["expkey"], 1)
+  luaunit.assertEquals(#worker2:list(), 1)
+
+  -- Let the key expire in the underlying shared dict. key_count and
+  -- delete_count are untouched, so the next sync() inside add() is a no-op and
+  -- the local index keeps pointing at the (now gone) slot 1.
+  sleep(2)
+  luaunit.assertEquals(self.dict:get("_prefix_key_1"), nil)
+
+  -- Re-adding the now-expired key takes the expired branch and allocates slot 2.
+  err = self.key_index:add("expkey", "eviction_err", 1)
+  luaunit.assertEquals(err, nil)
+  luaunit.assertEquals(self.dict:get("_prefix_key_2"), "expkey")
+
+  -- delete_count must have been bumped on the expired re-add path so that
+  -- other workers do a full sync and drop the stale slot.
+  luaunit.assertEquals(self.dict:get("_prefix_delete_count"), 1)
+
+  -- list() must report the key exactly once, not twice.
+  local keys = self.key_index:list()
+  luaunit.assertEquals(#keys, 1)
+  luaunit.assertEquals(keys[1], "expkey")
+
+  -- The second worker must converge: its next sync() sees the bumped
+  -- delete_count, does a full sync, drops the stale slot 1 and picks up slot 2.
+  -- Without the delete_count bump it would keep slot 1 forever and list() the
+  -- key twice.
+  worker2:sync()
+  luaunit.assertEquals(worker2.keys[1], nil)
+  luaunit.assertEquals(worker2.index["expkey"], 2)
+  local keys2 = worker2:list()
+  luaunit.assertEquals(#keys2, 1)
+  luaunit.assertEquals(keys2[1], "expkey")
+end
+
+-- list() must de-duplicate when self.keys transiently holds the same key in two
+-- slots (the window before a stale slot is reclaimed): only the slot the index
+-- points at is canonical. This isolates the list() guard from the add() path.
+function TestKeyIndex:testListDeduplicatesStaleSlot()
+  self.key_index.keys = {[1] = "dup", [2] = "dup"}
+  self.key_index.index = {dup = 2}
+  self.key_index.last = 2
+
+  local keys = self.key_index:list()
+  luaunit.assertEquals(ngx.logs, nil)
+  luaunit.assertEquals(#keys, 1)
+  luaunit.assertEquals(keys[1], "dup")
+end
+
 function TestKeyIndex:testSync()
   self.key_index:sync()
   luaunit.assertEquals(ngx.logs, nil)