diff --git a/codecarbon/emissions_tracker.py b/codecarbon/emissions_tracker.py
index 4bd0ea99d..e1254a4a7 100644
--- a/codecarbon/emissions_tracker.py
+++ b/codecarbon/emissions_tracker.py
@@ -268,6 +268,8 @@ def _resolve_output_methods(
 
     def _initialize_runtime_state(self) -> None:
         self._start_time: Optional[float] = None
+        # Set by stop(): a stopped tracker cannot be restarted.
+        self._stopped: bool = False
         self._last_measured_time: float = time.perf_counter()
         self._total_energy: Energy = Energy.from_energy(kWh=0)
         self._total_emissions: float = 0.0
@@ -708,6 +710,14 @@ def start(self) -> None:
                 "Another instance of codecarbon is already running. Exiting."
             )
             return
+        if self._stopped:
+            # `start()` is wrapped in @suppress(Exception), so raising here
+            # would be swallowed: log instead of pretending it worked.
+            logger.error(
+                "This tracker was already stopped and cannot be restarted: "
+                "nothing will be measured. Create a new tracker instead."
+            )
+            return
         if self._start_time is not None:
             logger.warning("Already started tracking")
             return
@@ -745,6 +755,12 @@ def start_task(self, task_name=None) -> None:
                 "Another instance of codecarbon is already running. Exiting."
             )
             return
+        if self._stopped:
+            logger.error(
+                "This tracker was already stopped and cannot be restarted: "
+                "nothing will be measured. Create a new tracker instead."
+            )
+            return
         try:
             self._ensure_emissions_engine()
         except Exception:
@@ -965,6 +981,7 @@ def stop(self) -> Optional[float]:
             handler.exit()
 
         self._start_time = None
+        self._stopped = True
 
         return emissions_data.emissions
 
diff --git a/tests/test_emissions_tracker.py b/tests/test_emissions_tracker.py
index a2d6b5966..0a38fc2ac 100644
--- a/tests/test_emissions_tracker.py
+++ b/tests/test_emissions_tracker.py
@@ -633,6 +633,39 @@ def test_offline_tracker_country_name(
         self.assertEqual("United States", emissions_df["country_name"].values[0])
         self.assertEqual("USA", emissions_df["country_iso_code"].values[0])
 
+    def test_stop_releases_the_lock_only_once(
+        self,
+        mock_cli_setup,
+        mock_log_values,
+        mocked_get_gpu_details,
+        mocked_env_cloud_details,
+        mocked_get_gpu_utilization_list,
+        mocked_is_gpu_details_available,
+        mocked_is_nvidia_system,
+    ):
+        with mock.patch("codecarbon.emissions_tracker.Lock") as mock_lock_class:
+            tracker = OfflineEmissionsTracker(
+                country_iso_code="USA",
+                output_dir=self.temp_path,
+                experiment_id="test",
+                allow_multiple_runs=False,
+            )
+            lock = mock_lock_class.return_value
+            lock.acquire.assert_called_once()
+
+            tracker.start()
+            heavy_computation(run_time_secs=1)
+            first_emissions = tracker.stop()
+            lock.release.assert_called_once()
+
+            # A second stop() is a no-op: it must not touch the lock again, which
+            # by then may belong to another tracker.
+            second_emissions = tracker.stop()
+            lock.release.assert_called_once()
+
+        self.assertEqual(first_emissions, second_emissions)
+        self.verify_output_file(self.emissions_file_path, 2)
+
     def test_offline_tracker_invalid_headers(
         self,
         mock_cli_setup,
@@ -1153,3 +1186,36 @@ def test_cumulative_emissions_with_varying_intensity(
 
         # Verification: If it wasn't cumulative, it would be 3.0 kWh * 300 g/kWh = 0.9 kg
         self.assertLess(data3.emissions, 0.8)
+
+
+class TestRestartAfterStop(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_start_after_stop_is_refused(self):
+        tracker = OfflineEmissionsTracker(
+            country_iso_code="FRA",
+            save_to_file=False,
+            allow_multiple_runs=True,
+            measure_power_secs=10,
+        )
+        tracker.start()
+        tracker.stop()
+        with self.assertLogs("codecarbon", level="ERROR") as logs:
+            tracker.start()
+        self.assertIn("cannot be restarted", "".join(logs.output))
+        # Refused, not half-restarted: nothing was rebuilt.
+        self.assertIsNone(tracker._scheduler)
+
+    def test_start_task_after_stop_is_refused(self):
+        tracker = OfflineEmissionsTracker(
+            country_iso_code="FRA",
+            save_to_file=False,
+            allow_multiple_runs=True,
+            measure_power_secs=10,
+        )
+        tracker.start()
+        tracker.stop()
+        with self.assertLogs("codecarbon", level="ERROR") as logs:
+            # _scheduler is None after stop(); start_task must hit the
+            # _stopped guard before touching it, not raise AttributeError.
+            tracker.start_task()
+        self.assertIn("cannot be restarted", "".join(logs.output))
+        self.assertIsNone(tracker._active_task)