diff --git a/changelog/23282.txt b/changelog/23282.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1026ccf41
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/23282.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+```release-note:bug
+expiration: Prevent large lease loads from delaying state changes, e.g. becoming active or standby.
+```
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/vault/expiration.go b/vault/expiration.go
index 188299e8b..1eb3a5a1e 100644
--- a/vault/expiration.go
+++ b/vault/expiration.go
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ type ExpirationManager struct {
 	leaseCheckCounter *uint32
 
 	logLeaseExpirations bool
-	expireFunc          ExpireLeaseStrategy
+	expireFunc          atomic.Pointer[ExpireLeaseStrategy]
 
 	// testRegisterAuthFailure, if set to true, triggers an explicit failure on
 	// RegisterAuth to simulate a partial failure during a token creation
@@ -360,11 +360,11 @@ func NewExpirationManager(c *Core, view *BarrierView, e ExpireLeaseStrategy, log
 		leaseCheckCounter: new(uint32),
 
 		logLeaseExpirations: os.Getenv("VAULT_SKIP_LOGGING_LEASE_EXPIRATIONS") == "",
-		expireFunc:          e,
 
 		jobManager:      jobManager,
 		revokeRetryBase: c.expirationRevokeRetryBase,
 	}
+	exp.expireFunc.Store(&e)
 	if exp.revokeRetryBase == 0 {
 		exp.revokeRetryBase = revokeRetryBase
 	}
@@ -846,6 +846,8 @@ func (m *ExpirationManager) processRestore(ctx context.Context, leaseID string)
 	return nil
 }
 
+func expireNoop(ctx context.Context, manager *ExpirationManager, s string, n *namespace.Namespace) {}
+
 // Stop is used to prevent further automatic revocations.
 // This must be called before sealing the view.
 func (m *ExpirationManager) Stop() error {
@@ -860,27 +862,24 @@ func (m *ExpirationManager) Stop() error {
 	close(m.quitCh)
 
 	m.pendingLock.Lock()
-	// Replacing the entire map would cause a race with
-	// a simultaneous WalkTokens, which doesn't hold pendingLock.
-	m.pending.Range(func(key, value interface{}) bool {
-		info := value.(pendingInfo)
-		info.timer.Stop()
-		m.pending.Delete(key)
-		return true
-	})
+	// We don't want any lease timers that fire to do anything; they can wait
+	// for the next ExpirationManager to handle them.
+	newStrategy := ExpireLeaseStrategy(expireNoop)
+	m.expireFunc.Store(&newStrategy)
+	oldPending := m.pending
+	m.pending, m.nonexpiring, m.irrevocable = sync.Map{}, sync.Map{}, sync.Map{}
 	m.leaseCount = 0
-	m.nonexpiring.Range(func(key, value interface{}) bool {
-		m.nonexpiring.Delete(key)
-		return true
-	})
 	m.uniquePolicies = make(map[string][]string)
-	m.irrevocable.Range(func(key, _ interface{}) bool {
-		m.irrevocable.Delete(key)
-		return true
-	})
 	m.irrevocableLeaseCount = 0
 	m.pendingLock.Unlock()
 
+	go oldPending.Range(func(key, value interface{}) bool {
+		info := value.(pendingInfo)
+		// We need to stop the timers to prevent memory leaks.
+		info.timer.Stop()
+		return true
+	})
+
 	if m.inRestoreMode() {
 		for {
 			if !m.inRestoreMode() {
@@ -1881,7 +1880,8 @@ func (m *ExpirationManager) updatePendingInternal(le *leaseEntry) {
 			leaseID, namespace := le.LeaseID, le.namespace
 			// Extend the timer by the lease total
 			timer := time.AfterFunc(leaseTotal, func() {
-				m.expireFunc(m.quitContext, m, leaseID, namespace)
+				expFn := *m.expireFunc.Load() // Load and deref the pointer
+				expFn(m.quitContext, m, leaseID, namespace)
 			})
 			pending = pendingInfo{
 				timer: timer,
@@ -2471,8 +2471,13 @@ func (m *ExpirationManager) WalkTokens(walkFn ExpirationWalkFunction) error {
 		return true
 	}
 
-	m.pending.Range(callback)
-	m.nonexpiring.Range(callback)
+	m.pendingLock.RLock()
+	toWalk := []sync.Map{m.pending, m.nonexpiring}
+	m.pendingLock.RUnlock()
+
+	for _, m := range toWalk {
+		m.Range(callback)
+	}
 
 	return nil
 }
@@ -2495,8 +2500,13 @@ func (m *ExpirationManager) walkLeases(walkFn leaseWalkFunction) error {
 		return walkFn(key.(string), expireTime)
 	}
 
-	m.pending.Range(callback)
-	m.nonexpiring.Range(callback)
+	m.pendingLock.RLock()
+	toWalk := []sync.Map{m.pending, m.nonexpiring}
+	m.pendingLock.RUnlock()
+
+	for _, m := range toWalk {
+		m.Range(callback)
+	}
 
 	return nil
 }