diff --git a/pkg/kafka/partition/reader.go b/pkg/kafka/partition/reader.go
index b2a98afa99ed..74f18b02057f 100644
--- a/pkg/kafka/partition/reader.go
+++ b/pkg/kafka/partition/reader.go
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ func (p *Reader) processNextFetchesUntilTargetOrMaxLagHonored(ctx context.Contex
 	attempts := []func() (time.Duration, error){
 		// First process fetches until at least the max lag is honored.
 		func() (time.Duration, error) {
-			return p.processNextFetchesUntilLagHonored(ctx, maxLag, logger, recordsChan)
+			return p.processNextFetchesUntilLagHonored(ctx, maxLag, logger, recordsChan, time.Since)
 		},
 
 		// If the target lag hasn't been reached with the first attempt (which stops once at least the max lag
@@ -287,13 +287,13 @@ func (p *Reader) processNextFetchesUntilTargetOrMaxLagHonored(ctx context.Contex
 			timedCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeoutCause(ctx, maxLag, errWaitTargetLagDeadlineExceeded)
 			defer cancel()
 
-			return p.processNextFetchesUntilLagHonored(timedCtx, targetLag, logger, recordsChan)
+			return p.processNextFetchesUntilLagHonored(timedCtx, targetLag, logger, recordsChan, time.Since)
 		},
 
 		// If the target lag hasn't been reached with the previous attempt then we'll move on. However,
 		// we still need to guarantee that in the meanwhile the lag didn't increase and max lag is still honored.
 		func() (time.Duration, error) {
-			return p.processNextFetchesUntilLagHonored(ctx, maxLag, logger, recordsChan)
+			return p.processNextFetchesUntilLagHonored(ctx, maxLag, logger, recordsChan, time.Since)
 		},
 	}
 
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ func (p *Reader) processNextFetchesUntilTargetOrMaxLagHonored(ctx context.Contex
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (p *Reader) processNextFetchesUntilLagHonored(ctx context.Context, maxLag time.Duration, logger log.Logger, recordsChan chan<- []Record) (time.Duration, error) {
+func (p *Reader) processNextFetchesUntilLagHonored(ctx context.Context, maxLag time.Duration, logger log.Logger, recordsChan chan<- []Record, timeSince func(time.Time) time.Duration) (time.Duration, error) {
 	boff := backoff.New(ctx, backoff.Config{
 		MinBackoff: 100 * time.Millisecond,
 		MaxBackoff: time.Second,
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ func (p *Reader) processNextFetchesUntilLagHonored(ctx context.Context, maxLag t
 
 		// If it took less than the max desired lag to replay the partition
 		// then we can stop here, otherwise we'll have to redo it.
-		if currLag = time.Since(lastProducedOffsetRequestedAt); currLag <= maxLag {
+		if currLag = timeSince(lastProducedOffsetRequestedAt); currLag <= maxLag {
 			return currLag, nil
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/kafka/partition/reader_test.go b/pkg/kafka/partition/reader_test.go
index b68c9a062270..c04bb3216edd 100644
--- a/pkg/kafka/partition/reader_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kafka/partition/reader_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package partition
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"fmt"
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -13,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/mock"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"github.com/twmb/franz-go/pkg/kgo"
 
 	"github.com/grafana/loki/v3/pkg/kafka"
 	"github.com/grafana/loki/v3/pkg/kafka/testkafka"
@@ -161,3 +163,71 @@ func TestPartitionReader_ProcessCatchUpAtStartup(t *testing.T) {
 	err = services.StopAndAwaitTerminated(context.Background(), partitionReader)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 }
+
+func TestPartitionReader_ProcessCommits(t *testing.T) {
+	_, kafkaCfg := testkafka.CreateCluster(t, 1, "test-topic")
+	consumer := newMockConsumer()
+
+	consumerFactory := func(_ Committer) (Consumer, error) {
+		return consumer, nil
+	}
+
+	partitionID := int32(0)
+	partitionReader, err := NewReader(kafkaCfg, partitionID, "test-consumer-group", consumerFactory, log.NewNopLogger(), prometheus.NewRegistry())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	producer, err := kafka.NewWriterClient(kafkaCfg, 100, log.NewNopLogger(), prometheus.NewRegistry())
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// Init the client: This usually happens in "start" but we want to manage our own lifecycle for this test.
+	partitionReader.client, err = kafka.NewReaderClient(kafkaCfg, nil, log.NewNopLogger(),
+		kgo.ConsumePartitions(map[string]map[int32]kgo.Offset{
+			kafkaCfg.Topic: {partitionID: kgo.NewOffset().AtStart()},
+		}),
+	)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	stream := logproto.Stream{
+		Labels:  labels.FromStrings("foo", "bar").String(),
+		Entries: []logproto.Entry{{Timestamp: time.Now(), Line: "test"}},
+	}
+
+	records, err := kafka.Encode(partitionID, "test-tenant", stream, 10<<20)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Len(t, records, 1)
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithDeadlineCause(context.Background(), time.Now().Add(10*time.Second), fmt.Errorf("test unexpectedly deadlocked"))
+	recordsChan := make(chan []Record)
+	wait := consumer.Start(ctx, recordsChan)
+
+	targetLag := time.Second
+
+	i := -1
+	iterations := 5
+	producer.ProduceSync(context.Background(), records...)
+	// timeSince acts as a hook for when we check if we've honoured the lag or not. We modify it to respond "no" initially, to force a re-loop, and then "yes" after `iterations`.
+	// We also inject a new kafka record each time so there is more to consume.
+	timeSince := func(t time.Time) time.Duration {
+		i++
+		if i < iterations {
+			producer.ProduceSync(context.Background(), records...)
+			return targetLag + 1
+		}
+		return targetLag - 1
+	}
+
+	_, err = partitionReader.processNextFetchesUntilLagHonored(ctx, targetLag, log.NewNopLogger(), recordsChan, timeSince)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// Wait to process all the records
+	cancel()
+	wait()
+
+	close(recordsChan)
+	close(consumer.recordsChan)
+	recordsCount := 0
+	for receivedRecords := range consumer.recordsChan {
+		recordsCount += len(receivedRecords)
+	}
+	// We expect to have processed all the records, including initial + one per iteration.
+	assert.Equal(t, iterations+1, recordsCount)
+}