diff --git a/src/cluster_legacy.c b/src/cluster_legacy.c
index 65d8081978..469530adcc 100644
--- a/src/cluster_legacy.c
+++ b/src/cluster_legacy.c
@@ -6224,6 +6224,9 @@ int clusterParseSetSlotCommand(client *c, int *slot_out, clusterNode **node_out,
         return 0;
     }
 
+    /* If 'myself' is a replica, 'c' must be the primary client. */
+    serverAssert(!nodeIsReplica(myself) || c == server.primary);
+
     if ((slot = getSlotOrReply(c, c->argv[2])) == -1) return 0;
 
     if (!strcasecmp(c->argv[3]->ptr, "migrating") && c->argc >= 5) {
@@ -6412,20 +6415,27 @@ void clusterCommandSetSlot(client *c) {
             server.cluster->migrating_slots_to[slot] = NULL;
         }
 
-        int slot_was_mine = server.cluster->slots[slot] == myself;
+        clusterNode *my_primary = clusterNodeGetPrimary(myself);
+        int slot_was_mine = server.cluster->slots[slot] == my_primary;
         clusterDelSlot(slot);
         clusterAddSlot(n, slot);
 
-        /* If we are a primary left without slots, we should turn into a
-         * replica of the new primary. */
-        if (slot_was_mine && n != myself && myself->numslots == 0 && server.cluster_allow_replica_migration) {
+        /* If replica migration is allowed, check if the primary of this shard
+         * loses its last slot and the shard becomes empty. In this case, we
+         * should turn into a replica of the new primary. */
+        if (server.cluster_allow_replica_migration && slot_was_mine && my_primary->numslots == 0) {
+            serverAssert(n != my_primary);
             serverLog(LL_NOTICE,
                       "Lost my last slot during slot migration. Reconfiguring myself "
                       "as a replica of %.40s (%s) in shard %.40s",
                       n->name, n->human_nodename, n->shard_id);
+            /* `c` is the primary client if `myself` is a replica, prevent it
+             * from being freed by clusterSetPrimary. */
+            if (nodeIsReplica(myself)) protectClient(c);
             /* We are migrating to a different shard that has a completely different
              * replication history, so a full sync is required. */
             clusterSetPrimary(n, 1, 1);
+            if (nodeIsReplica(myself)) unprotectClient(c);
             clusterDoBeforeSleep(CLUSTER_TODO_SAVE_CONFIG | CLUSTER_TODO_UPDATE_STATE | CLUSTER_TODO_FSYNC_CONFIG);
         }
 
diff --git a/src/networking.c b/src/networking.c
index f9e725e16e..44a94087c9 100644
--- a/src/networking.c
+++ b/src/networking.c
@@ -1671,7 +1671,7 @@ void freeClient(client *c) {
      * some unexpected state, by checking its flags. */
     if (server.primary && c->flag.primary) {
         serverLog(LL_NOTICE, "Connection with primary lost.");
-        if (!(c->flag.protocol_error || c->flag.blocked)) {
+        if (!c->flag.dont_cache_primary && !(c->flag.protocol_error || c->flag.blocked)) {
             c->flag.close_asap = 0;
             c->flag.close_after_reply = 0;
             replicationCachePrimary(c);
@@ -2553,6 +2553,7 @@ void freeSharedQueryBuf(void) {
  *
  * * DEBUG RELOAD and similar.
  * * When a Lua script is in -BUSY state.
+ * * A cluster replica executing CLUSTER SETSLOT during slot migration.
  *
  * So the function will protect the client by doing two things:
  *
@@ -3485,6 +3486,10 @@ void clientCommand(client *c) {
         const char *help[] = {
 "CACHING (YES|NO)",
 "    Enable/disable tracking of the keys for next command in OPTIN/OPTOUT modes.",
+"CAPA <option> [options...]",
+"    The client claims its some capability options. Options are:",
+"    * REDIRECT",
+"      The client can handle redirection during primary and replica failover in standalone mode.",
 "GETREDIR",
 "    Return the client ID we are redirecting to when tracking is enabled.",
 "GETNAME",
diff --git a/src/replication.c b/src/replication.c
index a7040e2261..3b7b3b1709 100644
--- a/src/replication.c
+++ b/src/replication.c
@@ -3740,6 +3740,12 @@ void replicationSetPrimary(char *ip, int port, int full_sync_required) {
     sdsfree(server.primary_host);
     server.primary_host = NULL;
     if (server.primary) {
+        /* When joining 'myself' to a new primary, set the dont_cache_primary flag
+         * if a full sync is required. This happens when 'myself' was previously
+         * part of a different shard from the new primary. Since 'myself' does not
+         * have the replication history of the shard it is joining, clearing the
+         * cached primary is necessary to ensure proper replication behavior. */
+        server.primary->flag.dont_cache_primary = full_sync_required;
         freeClient(server.primary);
     }
     disconnectAllBlockedClients(); /* Clients blocked in primary, now replica. */
@@ -3768,14 +3774,6 @@ void replicationSetPrimary(char *ip, int port, int full_sync_required) {
         replicationCachePrimaryUsingMyself();
     }
 
-    /* If full sync is required, drop the cached primary. Doing so increases
-     * this replica node's election rank (delay) and reduces its chance of
-     * winning the election. If a replica requiring a full sync wins the
-     * election, it will flush valid data in the shard, causing data loss. */
-    if (full_sync_required) {
-        replicationDiscardCachedPrimary();
-    }
-
     /* Fire the role change modules event. */
     moduleFireServerEvent(VALKEYMODULE_EVENT_REPLICATION_ROLE_CHANGED, VALKEYMODULE_EVENT_REPLROLECHANGED_NOW_REPLICA,
                           NULL);
diff --git a/src/server.h b/src/server.h
index fbe57917c8..a5cee03055 100644
--- a/src/server.h
+++ b/src/server.h
@@ -1239,7 +1239,10 @@ typedef struct ClientFlags {
                                     * By using this flag, we ensure that the RDB client remains intact until the replica
                                     * \ has successfully initiated PSYNC. */
     uint64_t repl_rdb_channel : 1; /* Dual channel replication sync: track a connection which is used for rdb snapshot */
-    uint64_t reserved : 7;         /* Reserved for future use */
+    uint64_t dont_cache_primary : 1; /* In some cases we don't want to cache the primary. For example, the replica
+                                      * knows that it does not need the cache and required a full sync. With this
+                                      * flag, we won't cache the primary in freeClient. */
+    uint64_t reserved : 6;           /* Reserved for future use */
 } ClientFlags;
 
 typedef struct client {
diff --git a/tests/unit/cluster/replica-migration.tcl b/tests/unit/cluster/replica-migration.tcl
index 8053859c69..b40bfcec22 100644
--- a/tests/unit/cluster/replica-migration.tcl
+++ b/tests/unit/cluster/replica-migration.tcl
@@ -351,11 +351,17 @@ start_cluster 4 4 {tags {external:skip cluster} overrides {cluster-node-timeout
     test_sub_replica "sigstop"
 } my_slot_allocation cluster_allocate_replicas ;# start_cluster
 
-start_cluster 4 4 {tags {external:skip cluster} overrides {cluster-node-timeout 1000 cluster-migration-barrier 999}} {
-    test "valkey-cli make source node ignores NOREPLICAS error when doing the last CLUSTER SETSLOT" {
+proc test_cluster_setslot {type} {
+    test "valkey-cli make source node ignores NOREPLICAS error when doing the last CLUSTER SETSLOT - $type" {
         R 3 config set cluster-allow-replica-migration no
         R 7 config set cluster-allow-replica-migration yes
 
+        if {$type == "setslot"} {
+            # Make R 7 drop the PING message so that we have a higher
+            # chance to trigger the migration from CLUSTER SETSLOT.
+            R 7 DEBUG DROP-CLUSTER-PACKET-FILTER 1
+        }
+
         # Move slot 0 from primary 3 to primary 0.
         set addr "[srv 0 host]:[srv 0 port]"
         set myid [R 3 CLUSTER MYID]
@@ -366,6 +372,13 @@ start_cluster 4 4 {tags {external:skip cluster} overrides {cluster-node-timeout
             fail "valkey-cli --cluster rebalance returns non-zero exit code, output below:\n$result"
         }
 
+        # Wait for R 3 to report that it is an empty replica (cluster-allow-replica-migration no)
+        wait_for_log_messages -3 {"*I am now an empty primary*"} 0 1000 50
+
+        if {$type == "setslot"} {
+            R 7 DEBUG DROP-CLUSTER-PACKET-FILTER -1
+        }
+
         # Make sure server 3 lost its replica (server 7) and server 7 becomes a replica of primary 0.
         wait_for_condition 1000 50 {
             [s -3 role] eq {master} &&
@@ -378,4 +391,12 @@ start_cluster 4 4 {tags {external:skip cluster} overrides {cluster-node-timeout
             fail "Server 3 and 7 role response has not changed"
         }
     }
+}
+
+start_cluster 4 4 {tags {external:skip cluster} overrides {cluster-node-timeout 1000 cluster-migration-barrier 999}} {
+    test_cluster_setslot "gossip"
+} my_slot_allocation cluster_allocate_replicas ;# start_cluster
+
+start_cluster 4 4 {tags {external:skip cluster} overrides {cluster-node-timeout 1000 cluster-migration-barrier 999}} {
+    test_cluster_setslot "setslot"
 } my_slot_allocation cluster_allocate_replicas ;# start_cluster
diff --git a/tests/unit/cluster/slot-migration.tcl b/tests/unit/cluster/slot-migration.tcl
index c117e8304e..d798971968 100644
--- a/tests/unit/cluster/slot-migration.tcl
+++ b/tests/unit/cluster/slot-migration.tcl
@@ -218,6 +218,7 @@ proc create_empty_shard {p r} {
 
 # Temporarily disable empty shard migration tests while we
 # work to reduce their flakiness. See https://github.com/valkey-io/valkey/issues/858.
+if {0} {
 start_cluster 3 5 {tags {external:skip cluster} overrides {cluster-allow-replica-migration no cluster-node-timeout 1000} } {
 
     set node_timeout [lindex [R 0 CONFIG GET cluster-node-timeout] 1]
@@ -294,6 +295,7 @@ start_cluster 3 5 {tags {external:skip cluster} overrides {cluster-allow-replica
         wait_for_slot_state 7 "\[609-<-$R0_id\]"
     }
 }
+}
 
 proc migrate_slot {from to slot} {
     set from_id [R $from CLUSTER MYID]