diff --git a/aampgstplayer.cpp b/aampgstplayer.cpp
index b1b5b92c77..6ec4777045 100644
--- a/aampgstplayer.cpp
+++ b/aampgstplayer.cpp
@@ -842,12 +842,14 @@ void AAMPGstPlayer::EndOfStreamReached(AampMediaType type)
  */
 void AAMPGstPlayer::Stop(bool keepLastFrame)
 {
+	aamp->SyncBegin();
 	AAMPLOG_MIL("entering AAMPGstPlayer_Stop keepLastFrame %d", keepLastFrame);
 	StopMonitorAvTimer();
 	playerInstance->Stop(keepLastFrame);
 
 	aamp->seiTimecode.assign("");
 	AAMPLOG_MIL("exiting AAMPGstPlayer_Stop");
+	aamp->SyncEnd();
 }
 
 
@@ -928,21 +930,29 @@ long long AAMPGstPlayer::GetPositionMilliseconds(void)
  */
 bool AAMPGstPlayer::Pause( bool pause, bool forceStopGstreamerPreBuffering )
 {
-	aamp->SyncBegin();					/* Obtains a mutex lock */
+	bool res = false;
 
-	AAMPLOG_MIL("entering AAMPGstPlayer_Pause - pause(%d) stop-pre-buffering(%d)", pause, forceStopGstreamerPreBuffering);
+	aamp->SyncBegin();					/* Obtains a mutex lock */
 
-	bool res = this->playerInstance->Pause(pause, forceStopGstreamerPreBuffering);
-	if(res)
+	if (!playerInstance)
+	{
+		AAMPLOG_WARN("AAMPGstPlayer_Pause called but playerInstance is null");
+	}
+	else
 	{
-		if(!aamp->IsGstreamerSubsEnabled())
-			aamp->PauseSubtitleParser(pause);
+		AAMPLOG_MIL("entering AAMPGstPlayer_Pause - pause(%d) stop-pre-buffering(%d)", pause, forceStopGstreamerPreBuffering);
+
+		res = this->playerInstance->Pause(pause, forceStopGstreamerPreBuffering);
+		if(res)
+		{
+			if(!aamp->IsGstreamerSubsEnabled())
+				aamp->PauseSubtitleParser(pause);
+		}
 	}
 
 	aamp->SyncEnd();					/* Releases the mutex */
 
 	return res;
-	//return retValue;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/test/utests/fakes/FakePrivateInstanceAAMP.cpp b/test/utests/fakes/FakePrivateInstanceAAMP.cpp
index 21673bfdbb..9292a8deac 100644
--- a/test/utests/fakes/FakePrivateInstanceAAMP.cpp
+++ b/test/utests/fakes/FakePrivateInstanceAAMP.cpp
@@ -951,10 +951,18 @@ void PrivateInstanceAAMP::StopTrackInjection(AampMediaType type)
 
 void PrivateInstanceAAMP::SyncBegin(void)
 {
+	if (g_mockPrivateInstanceAAMP != nullptr)
+	{
+		g_mockPrivateInstanceAAMP->SyncBegin();
+	}
 }
 
 void PrivateInstanceAAMP::SyncEnd(void)
 {
+	if (g_mockPrivateInstanceAAMP != nullptr)
+	{
+		g_mockPrivateInstanceAAMP->SyncEnd();
+	}
 }
 
 void PrivateInstanceAAMP::UpdateCullingState(double culledSecs)
diff --git a/test/utests/mocks/MockPrivateInstanceAAMP.h b/test/utests/mocks/MockPrivateInstanceAAMP.h
index c5583d4a26..64cb739a69 100644
--- a/test/utests/mocks/MockPrivateInstanceAAMP.h
+++ b/test/utests/mocks/MockPrivateInstanceAAMP.h
@@ -95,6 +95,8 @@ class MockPrivateInstanceAAMP
 	MOCK_METHOD(bool, IsLiveStream, ());
 	MOCK_METHOD(void, Individualization, (const std::string &payload));
 	MOCK_METHOD(void, UpdateUseSinglePipeline, ());
+	MOCK_METHOD(void, SyncBegin, ());
+	MOCK_METHOD(void, SyncEnd, ());
 };
 
 extern MockPrivateInstanceAAMP *g_mockPrivateInstanceAAMP;
diff --git a/test/utests/tests/AampGstPlayer/FunctionalTests.cpp b/test/utests/tests/AampGstPlayer/FunctionalTests.cpp
index 3c1e476450..917889b554 100644
--- a/test/utests/tests/AampGstPlayer/FunctionalTests.cpp
+++ b/test/utests/tests/AampGstPlayer/FunctionalTests.cpp
@@ -640,4 +640,50 @@ TEST_F(AAMPGstPlayerTests, MonitorAV )
 	DestroyAMPGstPlayer();
 }
 
+TEST_F(AAMPGstPlayerTests, Pause_NullPlayerInstance)
+{
+	// Setup
+	ConstructAMPGstPlayer();
+
+	// Simulate playerInstance being null (as could happen during a race with Stop)
+	InterfacePlayerRDK *savedPlayerInstance = mAAMPGstPlayer->playerInstance;
+	mAAMPGstPlayer->playerInstance = nullptr;
+
+	// Expect SyncBegin/SyncEnd to be called even when playerInstance is null
+	EXPECT_CALL(*g_mockPrivateInstanceAAMP, SyncBegin()).Times(2);
+	EXPECT_CALL(*g_mockPrivateInstanceAAMP, SyncEnd()).Times(2);
+
+	// Code under test - should return false without crashing
+	bool result = mAAMPGstPlayer->Pause(true, false);
+	EXPECT_FALSE(result);
+
+	result = mAAMPGstPlayer->Pause(false, false);
+	EXPECT_FALSE(result);
+
+	// Restore playerInstance for proper cleanup
+	mAAMPGstPlayer->playerInstance = savedPlayerInstance;
+
+	// Tidy Up
+	DestroyAMPGstPlayer();
+}
 
+TEST_F(AAMPGstPlayerTests, Stop_WithPipeline)
+{
+	// Setup
+	ConstructAMPGstPlayer();
+	SetupPipeline(&tbl[0]);
+
+	// Expect SyncBegin/SyncEnd to be called during Stop
+	EXPECT_CALL(*g_mockPrivateInstanceAAMP, SyncBegin()).Times(1);
+	EXPECT_CALL(*g_mockPrivateInstanceAAMP, SyncEnd()).Times(1);
+
+	// Code under test - Stop should execute with SyncBegin/SyncEnd without issues
+	mAAMPGstPlayer->Stop(false);
+
+	// After Stop, playerInstance->Stop() should have been called (pipeline torn down)
+	// The DestroyAMPGstPlayer expectations for pipeline teardown are no longer needed
+	isPipelineSetup = false;
+
+	// Tidy Up
+	DestroyAMPGstPlayer();
+}