Repository: kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension

Issue:
Auto-configure prefix-cache-scorer parameters from engine metrics
<!-- Please only use this template for submitting enhancement requests -->

**What would you like to be added**:

Currently, the `prefix-cache-scorer` plugin relies on manually set parameters: `hashBlockSize` and `lruCapacityPerServer`. These values are used to estimate the KV cache behavior of the downstream LLM serving engine.

vLLM provides its [cache config info](https://github.com/vllm-project/vllm/blob/main/docs/design/metrics.md#cache-config-info) in prometheus metrics.
```
# HELP vllm:cache_config_info Information of the LLMEngine CacheConfig
# TYPE vllm:cache_config_info gauge
vllm:cache_config_info{block_size="16",cache_dtype="auto",calculate_kv_scales="False",cpu_offload_gb="0",enable_prefix_caching="None",gpu_memory_utilization="0.9",is_attention_free="False",num_cpu_blocks="9362",num_gpu_blocks="55477",num_gpu_blocks_override="None",prefix_caching_hash_algo="builtin",sliding_window="None",swap_space="4",swap_space_bytes="4294967296"} 1.0
```

So I wonder if it is possible to scrape the parameters from engine metrics instead.

**Why is this needed**:

It may be difficult to manually calculate `lruCapacityPerServer` for different models and GPUs. 

This can improve the accuracy and reduce the maintenance effort.


Discussion:
@liu-cong: Thanks for opening this! Note this is a duplicate to https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/issues/1304

Solution patch:
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index d956170..dd8fcff 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ help: ## Display this help.
 .PHONY: generate
 generate: controller-gen code-generator ## Generate WebhookConfiguration, ClusterRole, CustomResourceDefinition objects, code containing DeepCopy, DeepCopyInto, and DeepCopyObject method implementations.
 	$(CONTROLLER_GEN) object:headerFile="hack/boilerplate/boilerplate.generatego.txt" paths="./..."
+	$(CONTROLLER_GEN) crd output:dir="./config/crd/bases" paths="./..."
 	./hack/update-codegen.sh
 
 # Use same code-generator version as k8s.io/api
@@ -143,6 +144,10 @@ test-unit: ## Run unit tests.
 	go tool cover -func=cover.out; \
 	rm cover.out
 
+.PHONY: test-benchmark
+test-benchmark: ## Run benchmarks.
+	CGO_ENABLED=1 KUBEBUILDER_ASSETS="$(shell $(ENVTEST) use $(ENVTEST_K8S_VERSION) --bin-dir $(LOCALBIN) -p path)" go test ./pkg/... -bench=. -benchmem;
+
 .PHONY: test-integration
 test-integration: envtest ## Run integration tests.
 	CGO_ENABLED=1 KUBEBUILDER_ASSETS="$(shell $(ENVTEST) use $(ENVTEST_K8S_VERSION) --bin-dir $(LOCALBIN) -p path)" go test ./test/integration/epp/... -race -coverprofile cover.out
diff --git a/api/v1/shared_types.go b/api/v1/shared_types.go
index bc315fd..5d5d3e7 100644
--- a/api/v1/shared_types.go
+++ b/api/v1/shared_types.go
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ type LabelSelector struct {
 	// The matching logic is an AND operation on all entries.
 	//
 	// +required
-	// +kubebuilder:validation:MinItems=1
-	// +kubebuilder:validation:MaxItems=64
+	// +kubebuilder:validation:MinProperties=1
+	// +kubebuilder:validation:MaxProperties=64
 	MatchLabels map[LabelKey]LabelValue `json:"matchLabels,omitempty"`
 }
diff --git a/cmd/epp/runner/runner.go b/cmd/epp/runner/runner.go
index 06293c7..5a79890 100644
--- a/cmd/epp/runner/runner.go
+++ b/cmd/epp/runner/runner.go
@@ -109,6 +109,8 @@ var (
 	kvCacheUsagePercentageMetric = flag.String("kv-cache-usage-percentage-metric", runserver.DefaultKvCacheUsagePercentageMetric, "Prometheus metric for the fraction of KV-cache blocks currently in use (from 0 to 1).")
 	// LoRA metrics
 	loraInfoMetric = flag.String("lora-info-metric", runserver.DefaultLoraInfoMetric, "Prometheus metric for the LoRA info metrics (must be in vLLM label format).")
+	// Cache info  metrics
+	cacheInfoMetric = flag.String("cache-info-metric", runserver.DefaultCacheInfoMetric, "Prometheus metric for the cache info metrics.")
 	// metrics related flags
 	refreshMetricsInterval           = flag.Duration("refresh-metrics-interval", runserver.DefaultRefreshMetricsInterval, "interval to refresh metrics")
 	refreshPrometheusMetricsInterval = flag.Duration("refresh-prometheus-metrics-interval", runserver.DefaultRefreshPrometheusMetricsInterval, "interval to flush prometheus metrics")
@@ -433,6 +435,7 @@ func setupMetricsV1(setupLog logr.Logger) (datalayer.EndpointFactory, error) {
 		*totalQueuedRequestsMetric,
 		*kvCacheUsagePercentageMetric,
 		*loraInfoMetric,
+		*cacheInfoMetric,
 	)
 	if err != nil {
 		setupLog.Error(err, "Failed to create metric mapping from flags.")
@@ -476,7 +479,7 @@ func setupDatalayer() (datalayer.EndpointFactory, error) {
 		nil)
 	extractor, err := dlmetrics.NewExtractor(*totalQueuedRequestsMetric,
 		*kvCacheUsagePercentageMetric,
-		*loraInfoMetric)
+		*loraInfoMetric, *cacheInfoMetric)
 
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -561,6 +564,9 @@ func verifyMetricMapping(mapping backendmetrics.MetricMapping, logger logr.Logge
 	if mapping.LoraRequestInfo == nil {
 		logger.Info("Not scraping metric: LoraRequestInfo")
 	}
+	if mapping.CacheConfigInfo == nil {
+		logger.Info("Not scraping metric: CacheConfigInfo")
+	}
 }
 
 // setupPprofHandlers only implements the pre-defined profiles:
diff --git a/config/crd/bases/inference.networking.k8s.io_inferencepools.yaml b/config/crd/bases/inference.networking.k8s.io_inferencepools.yaml
index 26ac568..a3f7696 100644
--- a/config/crd/bases/inference.networking.k8s.io_inferencepools.yaml
+++ b/config/crd/bases/inference.networking.k8s.io_inferencepools.yaml
@@ -147,6 +147,8 @@ spec:
                       MatchLabels contains a set of required {key,value} pairs.
                       An object must match every label in this map to be selected.
                       The matching logic is an AND operation on all entries.
+                    maxProperties: 64
+                    minProperties: 1
                     type: object
                 required:
                 - matchLabels
diff --git a/conformance/resources/base.yaml b/conformance/resources/base.yaml
index a421f50..2e1b378 100644
--- a/conformance/resources/base.yaml
+++ b/conformance/resources/base.yaml
@@ -7,16 +7,16 @@
 apiVersion: v1
 kind: Namespace
 metadata:
-  name: gateway-conformance-infra
+  name: inference-conformance-infra
   labels:
-    gateway-conformance: infra
+    inference-conformance: infra
 ---
 apiVersion: v1
 kind: Namespace
 metadata:
-  name: gateway-conformance-app-backend
+  name: inference-conformance-app-backend
   labels:
-    gateway-conformance: backend
+    inference-conformance: backend
 ---
 # A basic Gateway resource that allows HTTPRoutes from the same namespace.
 # Tests can use this as a parent reference for routes that target InferencePools.
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ apiVersion: gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1
 kind: Gateway
 metadata:
   name: conformance-primary
-  namespace: gateway-conformance-infra
+  namespace: inference-conformance-infra
 spec:
   gatewayClassName: "{GATEWAY_CLASS_NAME}"
   listeners:
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ apiVersion: gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1
 kind: Gateway
 metadata:
   name: conformance-secondary
-  namespace: gateway-conformance-infra
+  namespace: inference-conformance-infra
 spec:
   gatewayClassName: "{GATEWAY_CLASS_NAME}"
   listeners:
@@ -55,14 +55,14 @@ spec:
         from: All
 
 ### The following defines the essential resources for the gateway conformance test.
-### All resources are created in the 'gateway-conformance-app-backend' namespace.
+### All resources are created in the 'inference-conformance-app-backend' namespace.
 ---
 # Deploys a mock backend service to act as a model server.
 apiVersion: apps/v1
 kind: Deployment
 metadata:
   name: primary-inference-model-server-deployment
-  namespace: gateway-conformance-app-backend
+  namespace: inference-conformance-app-backend
   labels:
     app: primary-inference-model-server
 spec:
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ apiVersion: apps/v1
 kind: Deployment
 metadata:
   name: secondary-inference-model-server-deployment
-  namespace: gateway-conformance-app-backend
+  namespace: inference-conformance-app-backend
   labels:
     app: secondary-inference-model-server
 spec:
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ apiVersion: inference.networking.k8s.io/v1
 kind: InferencePool
 metadata:
   name: primary-inference-pool
-  namespace: gateway-conformance-app-backend
+  namespace: inference-conformance-app-backend
 spec:
   selector:
     matchLabels:
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ apiVersion: v1
 kind: Service
 metadata:
   name: primary-endpoint-picker-svc
-  namespace: gateway-conformance-app-backend
+  namespace: inference-conformance-app-backend
 spec:
   selector:
     app: primary-app-backend-epp
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ apiVersion: apps/v1
 kind: Deployment
 metadata:
   name: primary-app-endpoint-picker
-  namespace: gateway-conformance-app-backend
+  namespace: inference-conformance-app-backend
   labels:
     app: primary-app-backend-epp
 spec:
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ spec:
         - --pool-name
         - "primary-inference-pool"
         - --pool-namespace
-        - "gateway-conformance-app-backend"
+        - "inference-conformance-app-backend"
         - --v
         - "4"
         - --zap-encoder
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ apiVersion: inference.networking.k8s.io/v1
 kind: InferencePool
 metadata:
   name: secondary-inference-pool
-  namespace: gateway-conformance-app-backend
+  namespace: inference-conformance-app-backend
 spec:
   selector:
     matchLabels:
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ apiVersion: v1
 kind: Service
 metadata:
   name: secondary-endpoint-picker-svc
-  namespace: gateway-conformance-app-backend
+  namespace: inference-conformance-app-backend
 spec:
   selector:
     app: secondary-app-backend-epp
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ apiVersion: apps/v1
 kind: Deployment
 metadata:
   name: secondary-app-endpoint-picker
-  namespace: gateway-conformance-app-backend
+  namespace: inference-conformance-app-backend
   labels:
     app: secondary-app-backend-epp
 spec:
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ spec:
         - --pool-name
         - "secondary-inference-pool"
         - --pool-namespace
-        - "gateway-conformance-app-backend"
+        - "inference-conformance-app-backend"
         - --v
         - "4"
         - --zap-encoder
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ apiVersion: v1
 kind: ConfigMap
 metadata:
   name: plugins-config
-  namespace: gateway-conformance-app-backend
+  namespace: inference-conformance-app-backend
 data:
   conformance-plugins.yaml: |
     apiVersion: inference.networking.x-k8s.io/v1alpha1
@@ -361,7 +361,7 @@ apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
 kind: Role
 metadata:
   name: inference-model-reader
-  namespace: gateway-conformance-app-backend
+  namespace: inference-conformance-app-backend
 rules:
 - apiGroups: ["inference.networking.x-k8s.io"]
   resources: ["inferenceobjectives", "inferencepools"]
@@ -377,11 +377,11 @@ apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1
 kind: RoleBinding
 metadata:
   name: epp-to-inference-model-reader
-  namespace: gateway-conformance-app-backend
+  namespace: inference-conformance-app-backend
 subjects:
 - kind: ServiceAccount
   name: default
-  namespace: gateway-conformance-app-backend
+  namespace: inference-conformance-app-backend
 roleRef:
   kind: Role
   name: inference-model-reader
diff --git a/conformance/resources/resourcename.go b/conformance/resources/resourcename.go
index 4c0c7b4..4ac6437 100644
--- a/conformance/resources/resourcename.go
+++ b/conformance/resources/resourcename.go
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@ package resources
 import "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
 
 const (
-	AppBackendNamespace  = "gateway-conformance-app-backend"
-	InfraNamespace       = "gateway-conformance-infra"
+	AppBackendNamespace  = "inference-conformance-app-backend"
+	InfraNamespace       = "inference-conformance-infra"
 	PrimaryGatewayName   = "conformance-primary"
 	SecondaryGatewayName = "conformance-secondary"
 
diff --git a/conformance/scripts/istio/Makefile b/conformance/scripts/istio/Makefile
index 309d8c4..cfce3cc 100644
--- a/conformance/scripts/istio/Makefile
+++ b/conformance/scripts/istio/Makefile
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 GATEWAY_API_VERSION ?= v1.3.0
 INFERENCE_EXTENSION_VERSION ?= v0.4.0
 ISTIO_VERSION ?= 1.27-alpha.0551127f00634403cddd4634567e65a8ecc499a7
-ISTIO_HUB ?= 
+ISTIO_HUB ?=
 ISTIO_PROFILE ?= minimal
 
 # Conformance test variables
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ apiVersion: networking.istio.io/v1
 kind: DestinationRule
 metadata:
   name: primary-endpoint-picker-tls
-  namespace: gateway-conformance-app-backend
+  namespace: inference-conformance-app-backend
 spec:
   host: primary-endpoint-picker-svc
   trafficPolicy:
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ apiVersion: networking.istio.io/v1
 kind: DestinationRule
 metadata:
   name: secondary-endpoint-picker-tls
-  namespace: gateway-conformance-app-backend
+  namespace: inference-conformance-app-backend
 spec:
   host: secondary-endpoint-picker-svc
   trafficPolicy:
@@ -432,7 +432,7 @@ setup-crds: setup-gateway-api-crds setup-inference-extension-crds
 # Setup TLS for EPP
 setup-tls:
 	@echo "Setting up TLS for EPP..."
-	-kubectl create namespace gateway-conformance-app-backend || true
+	-kubectl create namespace inference-conformance-app-backend || true
 	$(file >/tmp/tls-destination-rules.yaml,$(TLS_DESTINATION_RULES))
 	kubectl apply -f /tmp/tls-destination-rules.yaml
 	@rm -f /tmp/tls-destination-rules.yaml
@@ -518,7 +518,7 @@ readme-update: $(REPORT_BASE_DIR)/README.md
 # Clean up resources
 clean:
 	@echo "Cleaning up..."
-	kubectl delete namespace gateway-conformance-app-backend --ignore-not-found=true
+	kubectl delete namespace inference-conformance-app-backend --ignore-not-found=true
 	@echo "Cleaning up downloaded istioctl binaries..."
 	@rm -f $(ISTIOCTL_DIR)/istioctl-*
 	@echo "Note: If using minikube, run 'minikube delete' to completely clean up"
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 30693a3..982d46b 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/onsi/gomega v1.38.2
 	github.com/prometheus/client_golang v1.23.2
 	github.com/prometheus/client_model v0.6.2
-	github.com/prometheus/common v0.66.1
+	github.com/prometheus/common v0.67.1
 	github.com/prometheus/prometheus v0.306.0
 	github.com/stretchr/testify v1.11.1
 	go.opentelemetry.io/otel v1.38.0
@@ -105,13 +105,13 @@ require (
 	go.opentelemetry.io/proto/otlp v1.7.1 // indirect
 	go.uber.org/atomic v1.11.0 // indirect
 	go.uber.org/automaxprocs v1.6.0 // indirect
-	go.yaml.in/yaml/v2 v2.4.2 // indirect
+	go.yaml.in/yaml/v2 v2.4.3 // indirect
 	go.yaml.in/yaml/v3 v3.0.4 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/crypto v0.42.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20250106191152-7588d65b2ba8 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/mod v0.28.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/net v0.44.0 // indirect
-	golang.org/x/oauth2 v0.30.0 // indirect
+	golang.org/x/oauth2 v0.31.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/sys v0.36.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/term v0.35.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/text v0.29.0 // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 2fb99c3..1805d42 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -227,8 +227,8 @@ github.com/prometheus/client_golang v1.23.2 h1:Je96obch5RDVy3FDMndoUsjAhG5Edi49h
 github.com/prometheus/client_golang v1.23.2/go.mod h1:Tb1a6LWHB3/SPIzCoaDXI4I8UHKeFTEQ1YCr+0Gyqmg=
 github.com/prometheus/client_model v0.6.2 h1:oBsgwpGs7iVziMvrGhE53c/GrLUsZdHnqNwqPLxwZyk=
 github.com/prometheus/client_model v0.6.2/go.mod h1:y3m2F6Gdpfy6Ut/GBsUqTWZqCUvMVzSfMLjcu6wAwpE=
-github.com/prometheus/common v0.66.1 h1:h5E0h5/Y8niHc5DlaLlWLArTQI7tMrsfQjHV+d9ZoGs=
-github.com/prometheus/common v0.66.1/go.mod h1:gcaUsgf3KfRSwHY4dIMXLPV0K/Wg1oZ8+SbZk/HH/dA=
+github.com/prometheus/common v0.67.1 h1:OTSON1P4DNxzTg4hmKCc37o4ZAZDv0cfXLkOt0oEowI=
+github.com/prometheus/common v0.67.1/go.mod h1:RpmT9v35q2Y+lsieQsdOh5sXZ6ajUGC8NjZAmr8vb0Q=
 github.com/prometheus/procfs v0.17.0 h1:FuLQ+05u4ZI+SS/w9+BWEM2TXiHKsUQ9TADiRH7DuK0=
 github.com/prometheus/procfs v0.17.0/go.mod h1:oPQLaDAMRbA+u8H5Pbfq+dl3VDAvHxMUOVhe0wYB2zw=
 github.com/prometheus/prometheus v0.306.0 h1:Q0Pvz/ZKS6vVWCa1VSgNyNJlEe8hxdRlKklFg7SRhNw=
@@ -300,8 +300,8 @@ go.uber.org/multierr v1.11.0 h1:blXXJkSxSSfBVBlC76pxqeO+LN3aDfLQo+309xJstO0=
 go.uber.org/multierr v1.11.0/go.mod h1:20+QtiLqy0Nd6FdQB9TLXag12DsQkrbs3htMFfDN80Y=
 go.uber.org/zap v1.27.0 h1:aJMhYGrd5QSmlpLMr2MftRKl7t8J8PTZPA732ud/XR8=
 go.uber.org/zap v1.27.0/go.mod h1:GB2qFLM7cTU87MWRP2mPIjqfIDnGu+VIO4V/SdhGo2E=
-go.yaml.in/yaml/v2 v2.4.2 h1:DzmwEr2rDGHl7lsFgAHxmNz/1NlQ7xLIrlN2h5d1eGI=
-go.yaml.in/yaml/v2 v2.4.2/go.mod h1:081UH+NErpNdqlCXm3TtEran0rJZGxAYx9hb/ELlsPU=
+go.yaml.in/yaml/v2 v2.4.3 h1:6gvOSjQoTB3vt1l+CU+tSyi/HOjfOjRLJ4YwYZGwRO0=
+go.yaml.in/yaml/v2 v2.4.3/go.mod h1:zSxWcmIDjOzPXpjlTTbAsKokqkDNAVtZO0WOMiT90s8=
 go.yaml.in/yaml/v3 v3.0.4 h1:tfq32ie2Jv2UxXFdLJdh3jXuOzWiL1fo0bu/FbuKpbc=
 go.yaml.in/yaml/v3 v3.0.4/go.mod h1:DhzuOOF2ATzADvBadXxruRBLzYTpT36CKvDb3+aBEFg=
 golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20190308221718-c2843e01d9a2/go.mod h1:djNgcEr1/C05ACkg1iLfiJU5Ep61QUkGW8qpdssI0+w=
@@ -321,8 +321,8 @@ golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20200226121028-0de0cce0169b/go.mod h1:z5CRVTTTmAJ677TzLL
 golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20201021035429-f5854403a974/go.mod h1:sp8m0HH+o8qH0wwXwYZr8TS3Oi6o0r6Gce1SSxlDquU=
 golang.org/x/net v0.44.0 h1:evd8IRDyfNBMBTTY5XRF1vaZlD+EmWx6x8PkhR04H/I=
 golang.org/x/net v0.44.0/go.mod h1:ECOoLqd5U3Lhyeyo/QDCEVQ4sNgYsqvCZ722XogGieY=
-golang.org/x/oauth2 v0.30.0 h1:dnDm7JmhM45NNpd8FDDeLhK6FwqbOf4MLCM9zb1BOHI=
-golang.org/x/oauth2 v0.30.0/go.mod h1:B++QgG3ZKulg6sRPGD/mqlHQs5rB3Ml9erfeDY7xKlU=
+golang.org/x/oauth2 v0.31.0 h1:8Fq0yVZLh4j4YA47vHKFTa9Ew5XIrCP8LC6UeNZnLxo=
+golang.org/x/oauth2 v0.31.0/go.mod h1:lzm5WQJQwKZ3nwavOZ3IS5Aulzxi68dUSgRHujetwEA=
 golang.org/x/sync v0.0.0-20190423024810-112230192c58/go.mod h1:RxMgew5VJxzue5/jJTE5uejpjVlOe/izrB70Jof72aM=
 golang.org/x/sync v0.0.0-20190911185100-cd5d95a43a6e/go.mod h1:RxMgew5VJxzue5/jJTE5uejpjVlOe/izrB70Jof72aM=
 golang.org/x/sync v0.0.0-20201020160332-67f06af15bc9/go.mod h1:RxMgew5VJxzue5/jJTE5uejpjVlOe/izrB70Jof72aM=
diff --git a/mkdocs.yml b/mkdocs.yml
index 4c285c2..5b565e7 100644
--- a/mkdocs.yml
+++ b/mkdocs.yml
@@ -64,7 +64,8 @@ nav:
     - FAQ: faq.md
   - Guides:
     - User Guides:
-      - Getting started: guides/index.md
+      - Getting started (Released): guides/index.md
+      - Getting started (Latest/Main): guides/getting-started-latest.md
       - Use Cases:
         - Serve Multiple GenAI models: guides/serve-multiple-genai-models.md
       - Rollout:
@@ -74,6 +75,7 @@ nav:
       - Configuration Guide:
           - Configuring the plugins via configuration YAML file: guides/epp-configuration/config-text.md
           - Prefix Cache Aware Plugin: guides/epp-configuration/prefix-aware.md
+      - Migration Guide: guides/ga-migration.md
       - Troubleshooting Guide: guides/troubleshooting.md
     - Implementer Guides:
       - Getting started: guides/implementers.md
diff --git a/pkg/epp/backend/metrics/metrics.go b/pkg/epp/backend/metrics/metrics.go
index e10098f..dafa019 100644
--- a/pkg/epp/backend/metrics/metrics.go
+++ b/pkg/epp/backend/metrics/metrics.go
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ const (
 	LoraInfoRunningAdaptersMetricName = "running_lora_adapters"
 	LoraInfoWaitingAdaptersMetricName = "waiting_lora_adapters"
 	LoraInfoMaxAdaptersMetricName     = "max_lora"
+
+	CacheConfigBlockSizeInfoMetricName = "block_size"
 )
 
 type PodMetricsClientImpl struct {
@@ -144,6 +146,24 @@ func (p *PodMetricsClientImpl) promToPodMetrics(
 		}
 	}
 
+	if p.MetricMapping.CacheConfigInfo != nil {
+		cacheMetrics, err := p.getMetric(metricFamilies, *p.MetricMapping.CacheConfigInfo)
+		if err != nil {
+			errs = multierr.Append(errs, err)
+		} else {
+			for _, v := range cacheMetrics.GetLabel() {
+				if v.GetName() == CacheConfigBlockSizeInfoMetricName {
+					updated.CacheBlockSize, err = strconv.Atoi(v.GetValue())
+					if err != nil {
+						errs = multierr.Append(errs, err)
+					} else {
+						break
+					}
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	return updated, errs
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/epp/backend/metrics/metrics_spec.go b/pkg/epp/backend/metrics/metrics_spec.go
index f6f904a..7407f4e 100644
--- a/pkg/epp/backend/metrics/metrics_spec.go
+++ b/pkg/epp/backend/metrics/metrics_spec.go
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ type MetricMapping struct {
 	TotalQueuedRequests *MetricSpec
 	KVCacheUtilization  *MetricSpec
 	LoraRequestInfo     *MetricSpec
+	CacheConfigInfo     *MetricSpec
 }
 
 // stringToMetricSpec converts a string to a MetricSpec.
@@ -93,7 +94,7 @@ func stringToMetricSpec(specStr string) (*MetricSpec, error) {
 }
 
 // NewMetricMapping creates a MetricMapping from string values.
-func NewMetricMapping(queuedStr, kvUsageStr, loraReqInfoStr string) (*MetricMapping, error) {
+func NewMetricMapping(queuedStr, kvUsageStr, loraReqInfoStr, cacheInfoMetric string) (*MetricMapping, error) {
 	queuedSpec, err := stringToMetricSpec(queuedStr)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error parsing WaitingRequests: %w", err)
@@ -106,10 +107,17 @@ func NewMetricMapping(queuedStr, kvUsageStr, loraReqInfoStr string) (*MetricMapp
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error parsing loraReqInfoStr: %w", err)
 	}
+
+	cacheInfoSpec, err := stringToMetricSpec(cacheInfoMetric)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error parsing cacheInfoMetric: %w", err)
+	}
+
 	mapping := &MetricMapping{
 		TotalQueuedRequests: queuedSpec,
 		KVCacheUtilization:  kvUsageSpec,
 		LoraRequestInfo:     loraReqInfoSpec,
+		CacheConfigInfo:     cacheInfoSpec,
 	}
 
 	return mapping, nil
diff --git a/pkg/epp/datalayer/metrics.go b/pkg/epp/datalayer/metrics.go
index 5869165..2febcb4 100644
--- a/pkg/epp/datalayer/metrics.go
+++ b/pkg/epp/datalayer/metrics.go
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ type Metrics struct {
 	WaitingQueueSize        int
 	KVCacheUsagePercent     float64
 	KvCacheMaxTokenCapacity int
+	CacheBlockSize          int
 
 	// UpdateTime records the last time when the metrics were updated.
 	UpdateTime time.Time
@@ -75,6 +76,7 @@ func (m *Metrics) Clone() *Metrics {
 		WaitingQueueSize:        m.WaitingQueueSize,
 		KVCacheUsagePercent:     m.KVCacheUsagePercent,
 		KvCacheMaxTokenCapacity: m.KvCacheMaxTokenCapacity,
+		CacheBlockSize:          m.CacheBlockSize,
 		UpdateTime:              m.UpdateTime,
 	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/epp/datalayer/metrics/extractor.go b/pkg/epp/datalayer/metrics/extractor.go
index d7a75b1..562f222 100644
--- a/pkg/epp/datalayer/metrics/extractor.go
+++ b/pkg/epp/datalayer/metrics/extractor.go
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ const (
 	LoraInfoRunningAdaptersMetricName = "running_lora_adapters"
 	LoraInfoWaitingAdaptersMetricName = "waiting_lora_adapters"
 	LoraInfoMaxAdaptersMetricName     = "max_lora"
+
+	CacheConfigBlockSizeInfoMetricName = "block_size"
 )
 
 // Extractor implements the metrics extraction based on the model
@@ -49,8 +51,8 @@ type Extractor struct {
 // configured with the given metrics' specifications.
 // These are mandatory metrics per the MSP specification, and are used
 // as the basis for the built-in scheduling plugins.
-func NewExtractor(queueSpec, kvusageSpec, loraSpec string) (*Extractor, error) {
-	mapping, err := NewMapping(queueSpec, kvusageSpec, loraSpec)
+func NewExtractor(queueSpec, kvusageSpec, loraSpec, cacheInfoSpec string) (*Extractor, error) {
+	mapping, err := NewMapping(queueSpec, kvusageSpec, loraSpec, cacheInfoSpec)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create extractor metrics Mapping - %w", err)
 	}
@@ -111,6 +113,16 @@ func (ext *Extractor) Extract(ctx context.Context, data any, ep datalayer.Endpoi
 		}
 	}
 
+	if spec := ext.mapping.CacheInfo; spec != nil { // extract CacheInfo-specific metrics
+		metric, err := spec.getLatestMetric(families)
+		if err != nil {
+			errs = append(errs, err)
+		} else if metric != nil {
+			populateCacheInfoMetrics(clone, metric, &errs)
+			updated = true
+		}
+	}
+
 	if updated {
 		clone.UpdateTime = time.Now()
 		ep.UpdateMetrics(clone)
@@ -145,6 +157,23 @@ func populateLoRAMetrics(clone *datalayer.Metrics, metric *dto.Metric, errs *[]e
 	}
 }
 
+// populateCacheInfoMetrics updates the metrics with cache info from the metric labels.
+func populateCacheInfoMetrics(clone *datalayer.Metrics, metric *dto.Metric, errs *[]error) {
+	clone.CacheBlockSize = 0
+	for _, label := range metric.GetLabel() {
+		if label.GetName() == CacheConfigBlockSizeInfoMetricName {
+			if label.GetValue() != "" {
+				if val, err := strconv.Atoi(label.GetValue()); err == nil {
+					clone.CacheBlockSize = val
+					break
+				} else {
+					*errs = append(*errs, err)
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 // addAdapters splits a comma-separated adapter list and stores keys with default value 0.
 func addAdapters(m map[string]int, csv string) {
 	for _, name := range strings.Split(csv, ",") {
diff --git a/pkg/epp/datalayer/metrics/mapping.go b/pkg/epp/datalayer/metrics/mapping.go
index 1c3c382..fab6cf7 100644
--- a/pkg/epp/datalayer/metrics/mapping.go
+++ b/pkg/epp/datalayer/metrics/mapping.go
@@ -26,10 +26,11 @@ type Mapping struct {
 	TotalQueuedRequests *Spec
 	KVCacheUtilization  *Spec
 	LoraRequestInfo     *LoRASpec
+	CacheInfo           *Spec
 }
 
 // NewMapping creates a metrics.Mapping from the input specification strings.
-func NewMapping(queue, kvusage, lora string) (*Mapping, error) {
+func NewMapping(queue, kvusage, lora, cacheInfo string) (*Mapping, error) {
 	var errs []error
 
 	queueSpec, err := parseStringToSpec(queue)
@@ -44,6 +45,12 @@ func NewMapping(queue, kvusage, lora string) (*Mapping, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		errs = append(errs, err)
 	}
+
+	cacheInfoSpec, err := parseStringToSpec(cacheInfo)
+	if err != nil {
+		errs = append(errs, err)
+	}
+
 	if len(errs) != 0 {
 		return nil, errors.Join(errs...)
 	}
@@ -51,5 +58,6 @@ func NewMapping(queue, kvusage, lora string) (*Mapping, error) {
 		TotalQueuedRequests: queueSpec,
 		KVCacheUtilization:  kvusageSpec,
 		LoraRequestInfo:     loraSpec,
+		CacheInfo:           cacheInfoSpec,
 	}, nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/controller/controller.go b/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/controller/controller.go
index aeb0bdd..93d0330 100644
--- a/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/controller/controller.go
+++ b/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/controller/controller.go
@@ -28,15 +28,18 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"slices"
+	"strconv"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/go-logr/logr"
+	k8srand "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/rand"
 	"k8s.io/utils/clock"
 
 	"sigs.k8s.io/gateway-api-inference-extension/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/contracts"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/gateway-api-inference-extension/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/controller/internal"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/gateway-api-inference-extension/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/types"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/gateway-api-inference-extension/pkg/epp/metrics"
 	logutil "sigs.k8s.io/gateway-api-inference-extension/pkg/epp/util/logging"
 )
 
@@ -57,10 +60,11 @@ type shardProcessor interface {
 // shardProcessorFactory defines the signature for a function that creates a `shardProcessor`.
 // This enables dependency injection for testing.
 type shardProcessorFactory func(
+	ctx context.Context,
 	shard contracts.RegistryShard,
 	saturationDetector contracts.SaturationDetector,
-	clock clock.Clock,
-	expiryCleanupInterval time.Duration,
+	clock clock.WithTicker,
+	cleanupSweepInterval time.Duration,
 	enqueueChannelBufferSize int,
 	logger logr.Logger,
 ) shardProcessor
@@ -79,6 +83,14 @@ type managedWorker struct {
 //
 // The controller's `Run` loop executes periodically, acting as a garbage collector that keeps the pool of running
 // workers synchronized with the dynamic shard topology of the `FlowRegistry`.
+//
+// Request Lifecycle Management:
+//
+//  1. Asynchronous Finalization (Controller-Owned): The Controller actively monitors the request Context
+//     (TTL/Cancellation) in EnqueueAndWait. If the Context expires, the Controller immediately Finalizes the item and
+//     unblocks the caller.
+//  2. Synchronous Finalization (Processor-Owned): The Processor handles Dispatch, Capacity Rejection, and Shutdown.
+//  3. Cleanup (Processor-Owned): The Processor periodically sweeps externally finalized items to reclaim capacity.
 type FlowController struct {
 	// --- Immutable dependencies (set at construction) ---
 
@@ -129,18 +141,20 @@ func NewFlowController(
 
 	// Use the real shard processor implementation by default.
 	fc.shardProcessorFactory = func(
+		ctx context.Context,
 		shard contracts.RegistryShard,
 		saturationDetector contracts.SaturationDetector,
-		clock clock.Clock,
-		expiryCleanupInterval time.Duration,
+		clock clock.WithTicker,
+		cleanupSweepInterval time.Duration,
 		enqueueChannelBufferSize int,
 		logger logr.Logger,
 	) shardProcessor {
 		return internal.NewShardProcessor(
+			ctx,
 			shard,
 			saturationDetector,
 			clock,
-			expiryCleanupInterval,
+			cleanupSweepInterval,
 			enqueueChannelBufferSize,
 			logger)
 	}
@@ -189,63 +203,167 @@ func (fc *FlowController) run(ctx context.Context) {
 //     stack and its `context.Context`. The system only needs to signal this specific goroutine to unblock it.
 //   - Direct Backpressure: If queues are full, `EnqueueAndWait` returns an error immediately, providing direct
 //     backpressure to the caller.
-func (fc *FlowController) EnqueueAndWait(req types.FlowControlRequest) (types.QueueOutcome, error) {
+func (fc *FlowController) EnqueueAndWait(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	req types.FlowControlRequest,
+) (types.QueueOutcome, error) {
 	if req == nil {
 		return types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther, errors.New("request cannot be nil")
 	}
-	effectiveTTL := req.InitialEffectiveTTL()
-	if effectiveTTL <= 0 {
-		effectiveTTL = fc.config.DefaultRequestTTL
-	}
-	enqueueTime := fc.clock.Now()
 
+	flowKey := req.FlowKey()
+	fairnessID := flowKey.ID
+	priority := strconv.Itoa(flowKey.Priority)
+	metrics.IncFlowControlQueueSize(fairnessID, priority)
+	defer metrics.DecFlowControlQueueSize(fairnessID, priority)
+
+	// 1. Create the derived context that governs this request's lifecycle (Parent Cancellation + TTL).
+	reqCtx, cancel, enqueueTime := fc.createRequestContext(ctx, req)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	// 2. Enter the distribution loop to find a home for the request.
+	// This loop is responsible for retrying on ErrShardDraining.
 	for {
-		select {
+		select { // Non-blocking check on controller lifecycle.
 		case <-fc.parentCtx.Done():
 			return types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther, fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", types.ErrRejected, types.ErrFlowControllerNotRunning)
 		default:
-			// The controller is running, proceed.
 		}
 
-		// We must create a fresh `FlowItem` on each attempt since finalization is idempotent.
-		// However, we use the original, preserved `enqueueTime`.
-		item := internal.NewItem(req, effectiveTTL, enqueueTime)
-		if outcome, err := fc.distributeRequest(item); err != nil {
-			return outcome, fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", types.ErrRejected, err)
+		// Attempt to distribute the request once.
+		item, err := fc.tryDistribution(reqCtx, req, enqueueTime)
+		if err != nil {
+			// Distribution failed terminally (e.g., no shards, context cancelled during blocking submit).
+			// The item has already been finalized by tryDistribution.
+			finalState := item.FinalState()
+			return finalState.Outcome, finalState.Err
 		}
 
-		// Block until the request is finalized (dispatched, rejected, or evicted).
-		// The finalization logic internally monitors for context cancellation and TTL expiry.
-		finalState := <-item.Done()
-		if errors.Is(finalState.Err, contracts.ErrShardDraining) {
-			fc.logger.V(logutil.DEBUG).Info("Shard is draining, retrying request", "requestID", req.ID())
-			// Benign race with the chosen `contracts.RegistryShard` becoming Draining post selection but before the item was
-			// enqueued into its respective `contracts.ManagedQueue`. Simply try again.
+		// Distribution was successful; ownership of the item has been transferred to a processor.
+		// Now, we block here in awaitFinalization until the request is finalized by either the processor (e.g., dispatched,
+		// rejected) or the controller itself (e.g., caller's context cancelled/TTL expired).
+		outcome, err := fc.awaitFinalization(reqCtx, item)
+		if errors.Is(err, contracts.ErrShardDraining) {
+			// This is a benign race condition where the chosen shard started draining after acceptance.
+			fc.logger.V(logutil.DEBUG).Info("Selected shard is Draining, retrying request distribution",
+				"flowKey", req.FlowKey(), "requestID", req.ID())
+			// Introduce a small, randomized delay (1-10ms) to prevent tight spinning loops and thundering herds during retry
+			// scenarios (e.g., shard draining)
+			// TODO: Replace this with a more sophisticated backoff strategy when our data parallelism story matures.
+			// For now, this is more than sufficient.
+			jitterMs := k8srand.Intn(10) + 1
+			fc.clock.Sleep(time.Duration(jitterMs) * time.Millisecond)
 			continue
 		}
 
+		// The outcome is terminal (Dispatched, Evicted, or a non-retriable rejection).
+		return outcome, err
+	}
+}
+
+var errNoShards = errors.New("no viable active shards available")
+
+// tryDistribution handles a single attempt to select a shard and submit a request.
+// If this function returns an error, it guarantees that the provided `item` has been finalized.
+func (fc *FlowController) tryDistribution(
+	reqCtx context.Context,
+	req types.FlowControlRequest,
+	enqueueTime time.Time,
+) (*internal.FlowItem, error) {
+	// Calculate effective TTL for item initialization (reqCtx is the enforcement mechanism).
+	effectiveTTL := fc.config.DefaultRequestTTL
+	if deadline, ok := reqCtx.Deadline(); ok {
+		if ttl := deadline.Sub(enqueueTime); ttl > 0 {
+			effectiveTTL = ttl
+		}
+	}
+
+	// We must create a fresh FlowItem on each attempt as finalization is per-lifecycle.
+	item := internal.NewItem(req, effectiveTTL, enqueueTime)
+
+	candidates, err := fc.selectDistributionCandidates(item.OriginalRequest().FlowKey())
+	if err != nil {
+		outcome := types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther
+		if errors.Is(err, errNoShards) {
+			outcome = types.QueueOutcomeRejectedCapacity
+		}
+		finalErr := fmt.Errorf("%w: request not accepted: %w", types.ErrRejected, err)
+		item.FinalizeWithOutcome(outcome, finalErr)
+		return item, finalErr
+	}
+
+	outcome, err := fc.distributeRequest(reqCtx, item, candidates)
+	if err == nil {
+		// Success: Ownership of the item has been transferred to the processor.
+		return item, nil
+	}
+
+	// For any distribution error, the controller retains ownership and must finalize the item.
+	var finalErr error
+	if errors.Is(err, context.Canceled) || errors.Is(err, context.DeadlineExceeded) {
+		// We propagate the original context error here, EnqueueAndWait will rely on item.FinalState().Err.
+		finalErr = err
+		item.Finalize(context.Cause(reqCtx))
+	} else { // e.g.,
+		finalErr = fmt.Errorf("%w: request not accepted: %w", types.ErrRejected, err)
+		item.FinalizeWithOutcome(outcome, finalErr)
+	}
+	return item, finalErr
+}
+
+// awaitFinalization blocks until an item is finalized, either by the processor (synchronously) or by the controller
+// itself due to context expiry (asynchronously).
+func (fc *FlowController) awaitFinalization(
+	reqCtx context.Context,
+	item *internal.FlowItem,
+) (types.QueueOutcome, error) {
+	select {
+	case <-reqCtx.Done():
+		// Asynchronous Finalization (Controller-initiated):
+		// The request Context expired (Cancellation/TTL) while the item was being processed.
+		cause := context.Cause(reqCtx)
+		item.Finalize(cause)
+
+		// The processor will eventually discard this "zombie" item during its cleanup sweep.
+		finalState := item.FinalState()
+		return finalState.Outcome, finalState.Err
+
+	case finalState := <-item.Done():
+		// Synchronous Finalization (Processor-initiated):
+		// The processor finalized the item (Dispatch, Reject, Shutdown).
 		return finalState.Outcome, finalState.Err
 	}
 }
 
-// distributeRequest implements a flow-aware, two-phase "Join-Shortest-Queue-by-Bytes" (JSQ-Bytes) distribution strategy
-// with graceful backpressure. It selects the optimal worker for a given item and attempts to submit it.
-//
-// The algorithm operates as follows:
-//  1. Candidate Selection: It identifies all Active shards for the item's flow and ranks them by the current byte size
-//     of that flow's queue, from least to most loaded.
-//  2. Phase 1 (Non-blocking Fast Failover): It iterates through the ranked candidates and attempts a non-blocking
-//     submission. The first successful submission wins.
-//  3. Phase 2 (Blocking Fallback): If all non-blocking attempts fail, it performs a single blocking submission to the
-//     least-loaded candidate, providing backpressure.
-func (fc *FlowController) distributeRequest(item *internal.FlowItem) (types.QueueOutcome, error) {
-	key := item.OriginalRequest().FlowKey()
-	reqID := item.OriginalRequest().ID()
-	type candidate struct {
-		processor shardProcessor
-		shardID   string
-		byteSize  uint64
+// createRequestContext derives the context that governs a request's lifecycle, enforcing the TTL deadline.
+func (fc *FlowController) createRequestContext(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	req types.FlowControlRequest,
+) (context.Context, context.CancelFunc, time.Time) {
+	enqueueTime := fc.clock.Now()
+	effectiveTTL := req.InitialEffectiveTTL()
+	if effectiveTTL <= 0 {
+		effectiveTTL = fc.config.DefaultRequestTTL
 	}
+
+	if effectiveTTL > 0 {
+		reqCtx, cancel := context.WithDeadlineCause(ctx, enqueueTime.Add(effectiveTTL), types.ErrTTLExpired)
+		return reqCtx, cancel, enqueueTime
+	}
+	reqCtx, cancel := context.WithCancel(ctx)
+	return reqCtx, cancel, enqueueTime
+}
+
+// candidate holds the information needed to evaluate a shard as a potential target for a request.
+type candidate struct {
+	processor shardProcessor
+	shardID   string
+	byteSize  uint64
+}
+
+// selectDistributionCandidates identifies all Active shards for the item's flow and ranks them by the current byte size
+// of that flow's queue, from least to most loaded.
+func (fc *FlowController) selectDistributionCandidates(key types.FlowKey) ([]candidate, error) {
 	var candidates []candidate
 	err := fc.registry.WithConnection(key, func(conn contracts.ActiveFlowConnection) error {
 		shards := conn.ActiveShards()
@@ -262,41 +380,58 @@ func (fc *FlowController) distributeRequest(item *internal.FlowItem) (types.Queu
 		return nil
 	})
 	if err != nil {
-		return types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther, fmt.Errorf("failed to acquire lease for request %q (flow %s): %w",
-			reqID, key, err)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to acquire lease for flow %s: %w", key, err)
 	}
 
 	if len(candidates) == 0 {
-		return types.QueueOutcomeRejectedCapacity, fmt.Errorf("no viable Active shards available for request %q (flow %s)",
-			reqID, key)
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%w for flow %s", errNoShards, key)
 	}
 
 	slices.SortFunc(candidates, func(a, b candidate) int {
 		return cmp.Compare(a.byteSize, b.byteSize)
 	})
 
-	// --- Phase 1: Fast, non-blocking failover attempt ---
+	return candidates, nil
+}
+
+// distributeRequest implements a flow-aware, two-phase "Join-Shortest-Queue-by-Bytes" (JSQ-Bytes) distribution strategy
+// with graceful backpressure. It attempts to submit an item to the best-ranked candidate from the provided list.
+//
+// The algorithm operates as follows:
+//  1. Phase 1 (Non-blocking Fast Failover): It iterates through the ranked candidates and attempts a non-blocking
+//     submission. The first successful submission wins.
+//  2. Phase 2 (Blocking Fallback): If all non-blocking attempts fail, it performs a single blocking submission to the
+//     least-loaded candidate, providing backpressure.
+//
+// The provided context (ctx) is used for the blocking submission phase (SubmitOrBlock).
+//
+// Ownership Contract:
+//   - Returns nil: Success. Ownership transferred to Processor.
+//   - Returns error: Failure (Context expiry, shutdown,, etc.).
+//     Ownership retained by Controller. The Controller MUST finalize the item.
+func (fc *FlowController) distributeRequest(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	item *internal.FlowItem,
+	candidates []candidate,
+) (types.QueueOutcome, error) {
+	reqID := item.OriginalRequest().ID()
 	for _, c := range candidates {
 		if err := c.processor.Submit(item); err == nil {
-			return types.QueueOutcomeNotYetFinalized, nil // Success
+			return types.QueueOutcomeNotYetFinalized, nil
 		}
-		fc.logger.V(logutil.DEBUG).Info("Processor busy during fast failover, trying next candidate",
+		fc.logger.V(logutil.TRACE).Info("Processor busy during fast failover, trying next candidate",
 			"shardID", c.shardID, "requestID", reqID)
 	}
 
-	// --- Phase 2: All processors busy. Attempt a single blocking send to the best candidate. ---
+	// All processors are busy. Attempt a single blocking submission to the least-loaded candidate.
 	bestCandidate := candidates[0]
-	fc.logger.V(logutil.DEBUG).Info("All processors busy, attempting blocking submit to best candidate",
-		"shardID", bestCandidate.shardID, "requestID", reqID, "queueByteSize", bestCandidate.byteSize)
-
-	err = bestCandidate.processor.SubmitOrBlock(item.OriginalRequest().Context(), item)
+	fc.logger.V(logutil.TRACE).Info("All processors busy, attempting blocking submit to best candidate",
+		"shardID", bestCandidate.shardID, "requestID", reqID)
+	err := bestCandidate.processor.SubmitOrBlock(ctx, item)
 	if err != nil {
-		// If even the blocking attempt fails (e.g., context cancelled or processor shut down), the request is definitively
-		// rejected.
-		return types.QueueOutcomeRejectedCapacity, fmt.Errorf(
-			"all viable shard processors are at capacity for request %q (flow %s): %w", reqID, key, err)
+		return types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther, fmt.Errorf("%w: request not accepted: %w", types.ErrRejected, err)
 	}
-	return types.QueueOutcomeNotYetFinalized, nil
+	return types.QueueOutcomeNotYetFinalized, nil // Success, ownership transferred.
 }
 
 // getOrStartWorker implements the lazy-loading and startup of shard processors.
@@ -311,6 +446,7 @@ func (fc *FlowController) getOrStartWorker(shard contracts.RegistryShard) *manag
 	// Construct a new worker, but do not start its processor goroutine yet.
 	processorCtx, cancel := context.WithCancel(fc.parentCtx)
 	processor := fc.shardProcessorFactory(
+		processorCtx,
 		shard,
 		fc.saturationDetector,
 		fc.clock,
diff --git a/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/controller/internal/item.go b/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/controller/internal/item.go
index d5bdaaf..f0d5d32 100644
--- a/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/controller/internal/item.go
+++ b/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/controller/internal/item.go
@@ -17,97 +17,177 @@ limitations under the License.
 package internal
 
 import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"strconv"
 	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
 
 	"sigs.k8s.io/gateway-api-inference-extension/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/types"
+	"sigs.k8s.io/gateway-api-inference-extension/pkg/epp/metrics"
 )
 
-// FinalState encapsulates the terminal outcome of a `FlowItem`'s lifecycle.
-// It is sent over the item's `Done()` channel exactly once.
+// FinalState encapsulates the terminal outcome of a FlowItem's lifecycle.
 type FinalState struct {
 	Outcome types.QueueOutcome
 	Err     error
 }
 
-// FlowItem is the internal representation of a request managed by the `FlowController`.
+// FlowItem is the internal representation of a request managed by the Flow Controller.
+//
+// # Lifecycle Management
+//
+// Finalization (determining outcome) can be initiated by the Controller (e.g., Context expiry) or the Processor (e.g.,
+// Dispatch/Reject). It sets the outcome and signals the waiting goroutine.
+//
+// # Synchronization
+//
+// Atomic operations synchronize state across the Controller and Processor goroutines:
+//   - finalState (atomic.Pointer): Safely publishes the outcome.
+//   - handle (atomic.Pointer): Safely publishes the queue admission status.
 type FlowItem struct {
-	// --- Immutable fields (set at creation) ---
+	// --- Immutable fields during a single lifecycle ---
 
 	enqueueTime     time.Time
 	effectiveTTL    time.Duration
 	originalRequest types.FlowControlRequest
-	handle          types.QueueItemHandle
 
-	// --- Finalization state (protected by onceFinalize) ---
+	// --- Synchronized State ---
 
-	// done is closed exactly once when the item is finalized.
-	// The closing of this channel establishes a "happens-before" memory barrier, guaranteeing that writes to `outcome`
-	// and `err` are visible to any goroutine that has successfully read from `done`.
-	done chan FinalState
+	// handle stores the types.QueueItemHandle atomically.
+	// Written by the Processor (SetHandle) when admitted.
+	// Read by inferOutcome (called by Finalize) to infer the outcome (Rejected vs. Evicted).
+	// Distinguishing between pre-admission (Rejection) and post-admission (Eviction) during asynchronous finalization
+	// relies on whether this handle is nil or non-nil.
+	handle atomic.Pointer[types.QueueItemHandle]
 
-	// finalState  is safely visible to any goroutine after it has confirmed the channel is closed.
-	finalState FinalState
+	// finalState holds the result of the finalization. Stored atomically once.
+	// Use FinalState() for safe access.
+	finalState atomic.Pointer[FinalState]
 
-	// onceFinalize ensures the `finalize()` logic is idempotent.
+	// --- Finalization Signaling ---
+
+	// done is the channel used to signal the completion of the item's lifecycle.
+	// Buffered to size 1 to prevent Finalize from blocking.
+	done chan *FinalState
+
+	// onceFinalize ensures the finalization logic runs exactly once per lifecycle.
 	onceFinalize sync.Once
 }
 
-// ensure FlowItem implements the interface.
 var _ types.QueueItemAccessor = &FlowItem{}
 
-// NewItem creates a new `FlowItem`.
+// NewItem allocates and initializes a new FlowItem for a request lifecycle.
 func NewItem(req types.FlowControlRequest, effectiveTTL time.Duration, enqueueTime time.Time) *FlowItem {
 	return &FlowItem{
 		enqueueTime:     enqueueTime,
 		effectiveTTL:    effectiveTTL,
 		originalRequest: req,
-		// Buffer to size one, preventing finalizing goroutine (e.g., the dispatcher) from blocking if the waiting
-		// goroutine has already timed out and is no longer reading.
-		done: make(chan FinalState, 1),
+		done:            make(chan *FinalState, 1),
 	}
 }
 
-// EnqueueTime returns the time the item was logically accepted by the `FlowController` for queuing. This is used as the
-// basis for TTL calculations.
+// EnqueueTime returns the time the item was logically accepted by the FlowController.
 func (fi *FlowItem) EnqueueTime() time.Time { return fi.enqueueTime }
 
-// EffectiveTTL returns the actual time-to-live assigned to this item by the `FlowController`.
+// EffectiveTTL returns the actual time-to-live assigned to this item.
 func (fi *FlowItem) EffectiveTTL() time.Duration { return fi.effectiveTTL }
 
-// OriginalRequest returns the original, underlying `types.FlowControlRequest` object.
+// OriginalRequest returns the original types.FlowControlRequest object.
 func (fi *FlowItem) OriginalRequest() types.FlowControlRequest { return fi.originalRequest }
 
-// Handle returns the `types.QueueItemHandle` that uniquely identifies this item within a specific queue instance. It
-// returns nil if the item has not yet been added to a queue.
-func (fi *FlowItem) Handle() types.QueueItemHandle { return fi.handle }
+// Done returns a read-only channel that will receive the FinalState pointer exactly once.
+func (fi *FlowItem) Done() <-chan *FinalState { return fi.done }
 
-// SetHandle associates a `types.QueueItemHandle` with this item. This method is called by a `framework.SafeQueue`
-// implementation immediately after the item is added to the queue.
-func (fi *FlowItem) SetHandle(handle types.QueueItemHandle) { fi.handle = handle }
+// FinalState returns the FinalState if the item has been finalized, or nil otherwise.
+// Safe for concurrent access.
+func (fi *FlowItem) FinalState() *FinalState { return fi.finalState.Load() }
 
-// Done returns a channel that is closed when the item has been finalized (e.g., dispatched, rejected, or evicted).
-func (fi *FlowItem) Done() <-chan FinalState {
-	return fi.done
+// Handle returns the types.QueueItemHandle for this item within a queue.
+// Returns nil if the item is not in a queue. Safe for concurrent access.
+func (fi *FlowItem) Handle() types.QueueItemHandle {
+	ptr := fi.handle.Load()
+	if ptr == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	return *ptr
 }
 
-// Finalize sets the item's terminal state and signals the waiting goroutine by closing its `done` channel idempotently.
-// This method is idempotent and is the single point where an item's lifecycle concludes.
-// It is intended to be called only by the component that owns the item's lifecycle, such as a `ShardProcessor`.
-func (fi *FlowItem) Finalize(outcome types.QueueOutcome, err error) {
+// SetHandle associates a types.QueueItemHandle with this item. Called by the queue implementation (via Processor).
+// Safe for concurrent access.
+func (fi *FlowItem) SetHandle(handle types.QueueItemHandle) { fi.handle.Store(&handle) }
+
+// Finalize determines the item's terminal state based on the provided cause (e.g., Context error) and the item's
+// current admission status (queued or not).
+//
+// This method is intended for asynchronous finalization initiated by the Controller (e.g., TTL expiry).
+// It is idempotent.
+func (fi *FlowItem) Finalize(cause error) {
 	fi.onceFinalize.Do(func() {
-		finalState := FinalState{Outcome: outcome, Err: err}
-		fi.finalState = finalState
-		fi.done <- finalState
-		close(fi.done)
+		// Atomically load the handle to determine if the item was admitted to a queue.
+		// This synchronization is critical for correctly inferring the outcome across goroutines.
+		isQueued := fi.Handle() != nil
+		outcome, finalErr := inferOutcome(cause, isQueued)
+		fi.finalizeInternal(outcome, finalErr)
 	})
 }
 
-// isFinalized checks if the item has been finalized without blocking or consuming the final state.
-// It is a side-effect-free check used by the `ShardProcessor` as a defensive measure to avoid operating on
-// already-completed items.
-func (fi *FlowItem) isFinalized() bool {
-	// A buffered channel of size 1 can be safely and non-blockingly checked by its length.
-	// If the finalize function has run, it will have sent a value, and the length will be 1.
-	return len(fi.done) > 0
+// FinalizeWithOutcome sets the item's terminal state explicitly.
+//
+// This method is intended for synchronous finalization by the Processor (Dispatch, Reject) or the Controller
+// (Distribution failure).
+// It is idempotent.
+func (fi *FlowItem) FinalizeWithOutcome(outcome types.QueueOutcome, err error) {
+	fi.onceFinalize.Do(func() {
+		fi.finalizeInternal(outcome, err)
+	})
+}
+
+// finalizeInternal is the core finalization logic. It must be called within the sync.Once.Do block.
+// It captures the state, stores it atomically, and signals the Done channel.
+func (fi *FlowItem) finalizeInternal(outcome types.QueueOutcome, err error) {
+	finalState := &FinalState{
+		Outcome: outcome,
+		Err:     err,
+	}
+
+	// Atomically store the pointer. This is the critical memory barrier that publishes the state safely.
+	fi.finalState.Store(finalState)
+
+	duration := time.Since(fi.enqueueTime)
+	flowKey := fi.originalRequest.FlowKey()
+	metrics.RecordFlowControlRequestQueueDuration(flowKey.ID, strconv.Itoa(flowKey.Priority), outcome.String(), duration)
+
+	fi.done <- finalState
+	close(fi.done)
+}
+
+// inferOutcome determines the correct QueueOutcome and Error based on the cause of finalization and whether the item
+// was already admitted to a queue.
+func inferOutcome(cause error, isQueued bool) (types.QueueOutcome, error) {
+	var specificErr error
+	var outcomeIfEvicted types.QueueOutcome
+	switch {
+	case errors.Is(cause, types.ErrTTLExpired) || errors.Is(cause, context.DeadlineExceeded):
+		specificErr = types.ErrTTLExpired
+		outcomeIfEvicted = types.QueueOutcomeEvictedTTL
+	case errors.Is(cause, context.Canceled):
+		specificErr = fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", types.ErrContextCancelled, cause)
+		outcomeIfEvicted = types.QueueOutcomeEvictedContextCancelled
+	default:
+		// Handle other potential causes (e.g., custom context errors).
+		specificErr = cause
+		outcomeIfEvicted = types.QueueOutcomeEvictedOther
+	}
+
+	if isQueued {
+		// The item was in the queue when it expired/cancelled.
+		return outcomeIfEvicted, fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", types.ErrEvicted, specificErr)
+	}
+
+	// The item was not yet in the queue (e.g., buffered in enqueueChan).
+	// We treat this as a rejection, as it never formally consumed queue capacity.
+	return types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther, fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", types.ErrRejected, specificErr)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/controller/internal/processor.go b/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/controller/internal/processor.go
index 9b6bb70..e3cccc1 100644
--- a/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/controller/internal/processor.go
+++ b/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/controller/internal/processor.go
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/go-logr/logr"
 	"k8s.io/utils/clock"
-	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/log"
 
 	"sigs.k8s.io/gateway-api-inference-extension/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/contracts"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/gateway-api-inference-extension/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/framework"
@@ -44,106 +43,116 @@ const maxCleanupWorkers = 4
 // This is used as a signal for the `controller.FlowController`'s "fast failover" logic.
 var ErrProcessorBusy = errors.New("shard processor is busy")
 
-// ShardProcessor is the core worker of the `controller.FlowController`.
-// It is paired one-to-one with a `contracts.RegistryShard` instance and is responsible for all request lifecycle
-// operations on that shard. It acts as the "data plane" worker that executes against the concurrent-safe state provided
-// by its shard.
+// ShardProcessor is the core worker of the FlowController.
 //
-// # Concurrency Model: The Single-Writer Actor
+// It is paired one-to-one with a RegistryShard instance and is responsible for all request lifecycle operations on that
+// shard, from the point an item is successfully submitted to it.
 //
-// To ensure correctness and high performance, the processor uses a single-goroutine, actor-based model. The main `Run`
-// loop is the sole "writer" for all state-mutating operations, particularly enqueueing. This makes complex transactions
-// inherently atomic without coarse-grained locks.
+// # Request Lifecycle Management & Ownership
+//
+// The ShardProcessor takes ownership of a FlowItem only after it has been successfully sent to its internal enqueueChan
+// via Submit or SubmitOrBlock (i.e., when these methods return nil).
+// Once the Processor takes ownership, it is solely responsible for ensuring that item.Finalize() or
+// item.FinalizeWithOutcome() is called exactly once for that item, under all circumstances (dispatch, rejection, sweep,
+// or shutdown).
+//
+// If Submit or SubmitOrBlock return an error, ownership remains with the caller (the Controller), which must then
+// handle the finalization.
 //
-// # Concurrency Guarantees
+// # Concurrency Model
 //
-//  1. Safe Enqueueing: The "check-then-act" sequence for capacity is safe because it is only ever performed by the
-//     single `Run` goroutine.
-//  2. Idempotent Finalization: The primary internal race condition is between the main `dispatchCycle` and the
-//     background `runExpiryCleanup` goroutine, both of which might try to finalize an item. This is resolved by the
-//     `FlowItem.Finalize` method, which uses `sync.Once` to guarantee that only the first attempt to finalize an item
-//     succeeds.
+// To ensure correctness and high performance, the processor uses a single-goroutine, actor-based model. The main run
+// loop is the sole writer for all state-mutating operations. This makes complex transactions (like capacity checks)
+// inherently atomic without coarse-grained locks.
 type ShardProcessor struct {
-	shard                 contracts.RegistryShard
-	saturationDetector    contracts.SaturationDetector
-	clock                 clock.Clock
-	expiryCleanupInterval time.Duration
-	logger                logr.Logger
+	shard                contracts.RegistryShard
+	saturationDetector   contracts.SaturationDetector
+	clock                clock.WithTicker
+	cleanupSweepInterval time.Duration
+	logger               logr.Logger
+
+	// lifecycleCtx controls the processor's lifetime. Monitored by Submit* methods for safe shutdown.
+	lifecycleCtx context.Context
 
-	// enqueueChan is the entry point for new requests to be processed by this shard's `Run` loop.
+	// enqueueChan is the entry point for new requests.
 	enqueueChan chan *FlowItem
-	// wg is used to wait for background tasks like expiry cleanup to complete on shutdown.
+
+	// wg is used to wait for background tasks (cleanup sweep) to complete on shutdown.
 	wg             sync.WaitGroup
 	isShuttingDown atomic.Bool
 	shutdownOnce   sync.Once
 }
 
-// NewShardProcessor creates a new `ShardProcessor` instance.
+// NewShardProcessor creates a new ShardProcessor instance.
 func NewShardProcessor(
+	ctx context.Context,
 	shard contracts.RegistryShard,
 	saturationDetector contracts.SaturationDetector,
-	clock clock.Clock,
-	expiryCleanupInterval time.Duration,
+	clock clock.WithTicker,
+	cleanupSweepInterval time.Duration,
 	enqueueChannelBufferSize int,
 	logger logr.Logger,
 ) *ShardProcessor {
 	return &ShardProcessor{
-		shard:                 shard,
-		saturationDetector:    saturationDetector,
-		clock:                 clock,
-		expiryCleanupInterval: expiryCleanupInterval,
-		logger:                logger,
-		// A buffered channel decouples the processor from the distributor, allowing for a fast, asynchronous handoff of new
-		// requests.
-		enqueueChan: make(chan *FlowItem, enqueueChannelBufferSize),
+		shard:                shard,
+		saturationDetector:   saturationDetector,
+		clock:                clock,
+		cleanupSweepInterval: cleanupSweepInterval,
+		logger:               logger,
+		lifecycleCtx:         ctx,
+		enqueueChan:          make(chan *FlowItem, enqueueChannelBufferSize),
 	}
 }
 
-// Submit attempts a non-blocking handoff of an item to the processor's internal channel for asynchronous processing.
+// Submit attempts a non-blocking handoff of an item to the processor's internal enqueue channel.
 //
-// It returns nil if the item was accepted by the processor, or if the processor is shutting down (in which case the
-// item is immediately finalized with a shutdown error). In both cases, a nil return means the item's lifecycle has been
-// handled by this processor and the caller should not retry.
-// It returns `ErrProcessorBusy` if the processor's channel is momentarily full, signaling that the caller should try
-// another processor.
+// Ownership Contract:
+//   - Returns nil: The item was successfully handed off.
+//     The ShardProcessor takes responsibility for calling Finalize on the item.
+//   - Returns error: The item was not handed off.
+//     Ownership of the FlowItem remains with the caller, who is responsible for calling Finalize.
+//
+// Possible errors:
+//   - ErrProcessorBusy: The processor's input channel is full.
+//   - types.ErrFlowControllerNotRunning: The processor is shutting down.
 func (sp *ShardProcessor) Submit(item *FlowItem) error {
 	if sp.isShuttingDown.Load() {
-		item.Finalize(types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther,
-			fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", types.ErrRejected, types.ErrFlowControllerNotRunning))
-		return nil // Success from the caller's perspective; the item is terminal.
+		return types.ErrFlowControllerNotRunning
 	}
-
-	select {
+	select { // The default case makes this select non-blocking.
 	case sp.enqueueChan <- item:
-		return nil // Success
+		return nil // Ownership transferred.
+	case <-sp.lifecycleCtx.Done():
+		return types.ErrFlowControllerNotRunning
 	default:
-		// The channel buffer is full, signaling transient backpressure.
 		return ErrProcessorBusy
 	}
 }
 
-// SubmitOrBlock performs a blocking submission of an item to the processor's internal channel.
-// It will wait until either the submission succeeds or the provided context is cancelled.
+// SubmitOrBlock performs a blocking handoff of an item to the processor's internal enqueue channel.
+// It waits until the item is handed off, the caller's context is cancelled, or the processor shuts down.
 //
-// This method is the fallback used by the distributor when all processors are busy, providing graceful backpressure
-// instead of immediate rejection.
+// Ownership Contract:
+//   - Returns nil: The item was successfully handed off.
+//     The ShardProcessor takes responsibility for calling Finalize on the item.
+//   - Returns error: The item was not handed off.
+//     Ownership of the FlowItem remains with the caller, who is responsible for calling Finalize.
 //
-// It returns the `ctx.Err()` if the context is cancelled during the wait.
+// Possible errors:
+//   - ctx.Err(): The provided context was cancelled or its deadline exceeded.
+//   - types.ErrFlowControllerNotRunning: The processor is shutting down.
 func (sp *ShardProcessor) SubmitOrBlock(ctx context.Context, item *FlowItem) error {
 	if sp.isShuttingDown.Load() {
-		// Here, we return an error because the caller, expecting to block, was prevented from doing so by the shutdown.
-		// This is a failure of the operation.
-		item.Finalize(types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther,
-			fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", types.ErrRejected, types.ErrFlowControllerNotRunning))
 		return types.ErrFlowControllerNotRunning
 	}
 
-	select {
+	select { // The absence of a default case makes this call blocking.
 	case sp.enqueueChan <- item:
-		return nil // Success
+		return nil // Ownership transferred.
 	case <-ctx.Done():
-		// The caller's context was cancelled while we were blocked.
 		return ctx.Err()
+	case <-sp.lifecycleCtx.Done():
+		return types.ErrFlowControllerNotRunning
 	}
 }
 
@@ -155,7 +164,7 @@ func (sp *ShardProcessor) Run(ctx context.Context) {
 	defer sp.logger.V(logutil.DEFAULT).Info("Shard processor run loop stopped.")
 
 	sp.wg.Add(1)
-	go sp.runExpiryCleanup(ctx)
+	go sp.runCleanupSweep(ctx)
 
 	// This is the main worker loop. It continuously processes incoming requests and dispatches queued requests until the
 	// context is cancelled. The `select` statement has three cases:
@@ -204,70 +213,54 @@ func (sp *ShardProcessor) enqueue(item *FlowItem) {
 	req := item.OriginalRequest()
 	key := req.FlowKey()
 
-	logger := log.FromContext(req.Context()).WithName("enqueue").WithValues(
-		"flowKey", key,
-		"flowID", key.ID,
-		"priority", key.Priority,
-		"reqID", req.ID(),
-		"reqByteSize", req.ByteSize(),
-	)
+	// --- Optimistic External Finalization Check ---
+	// Check if the item was finalized by the Controller (due to TTL/cancellation) while it was buffered in enqueueChan.
+	// This is an optimistic check to avoid unnecessary processing on items already considered dead.
+	// The ultimate guarantee of cleanup for any races is the runCleanupSweep mechanism.
+	if finalState := item.FinalState(); finalState != nil {
+		sp.logger.V(logutil.TRACE).Info("Item finalized externally before processing, discarding.",
+			"outcome", finalState.Outcome, "err", finalState.Err, "flowKey", key, "reqID", req.ID())
+		return
+	}
 
+	// --- Configuration Validation ---
 	managedQ, err := sp.shard.ManagedQueue(key)
 	if err != nil {
 		finalErr := fmt.Errorf("configuration error: failed to get queue for flow key %s: %w", key, err)
-		logger.Error(finalErr, "Rejecting item.")
-		item.Finalize(types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther, fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", types.ErrRejected, finalErr))
+		sp.logger.Error(finalErr, "Rejecting item.", "flowKey", key, "reqID", req.ID())
+		item.FinalizeWithOutcome(types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther, fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", types.ErrRejected, finalErr))
 		return
 	}
 
 	band, err := sp.shard.PriorityBandAccessor(key.Priority)
 	if err != nil {
 		finalErr := fmt.Errorf("configuration error: failed to get priority band for priority %d: %w", key.Priority, err)
-		logger.Error(finalErr, "Rejecting item.")
-		item.Finalize(types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther, fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", types.ErrRejected, finalErr))
+		sp.logger.Error(finalErr, "Rejecting item.", "flowKey", key, "reqID", req.ID())
+		item.FinalizeWithOutcome(types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther, fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", types.ErrRejected, finalErr))
 		return
 	}
-	logger = logger.WithValues("priorityName", band.PriorityName())
 
+	// --- Capacity Check ---
+	// This check is safe because it is performed by the single-writer Run goroutine.
 	if !sp.hasCapacity(key.Priority, req.ByteSize()) {
-		// This is an expected outcome, not a system error. Log at the default level with rich context.
-		stats := sp.shard.Stats()
-		bandStats := stats.PerPriorityBandStats[key.Priority]
-		logger.V(logutil.DEFAULT).Info("Rejecting request, queue at capacity",
-			"outcome", types.QueueOutcomeRejectedCapacity,
-			"shardTotalBytes", stats.TotalByteSize,
-			"shardCapacityBytes", stats.TotalCapacityBytes,
-			"bandTotalBytes", bandStats.ByteSize,
-			"bandCapacityBytes", bandStats.CapacityBytes,
-		)
-		item.Finalize(types.QueueOutcomeRejectedCapacity, fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", types.ErrRejected, types.ErrQueueAtCapacity))
-		return
-	}
-
-	// This is an optimistic check to prevent a needless add/remove cycle for an item that was finalized (e.g., context
-	// cancelled) during the handoff to this processor. A race condition still exists where an item can be finalized
-	// after this check but before the `Add` call completes.
-	//
-	// This is considered acceptable because:
-	//  1. The race window is extremely small.
-	//  2. The background `runExpiryCleanup` goroutine acts as the ultimate guarantor of correctness, as it will
-	//     eventually find and evict any finalized item that slips through this check and is added to a queue.
-	if item.isFinalized() {
-		finalState := item.finalState
-		outcome, err := finalState.Outcome, finalState.Err
-		logger.V(logutil.VERBOSE).Info("Item finalized before adding to queue, ignoring.", "outcome", outcome, "err", err)
+		sp.logger.V(logutil.DEBUG).Info("Rejecting request, queue at capacity",
+			"flowKey", key, "reqID", req.ID(), "priorityName", band.PriorityName(), "reqByteSize", req.ByteSize())
+		item.FinalizeWithOutcome(types.QueueOutcomeRejectedCapacity, fmt.Errorf("%w: %w",
+			types.ErrRejected, types.ErrQueueAtCapacity))
 		return
 	}
 
-	// This is the point of commitment. After this call, the item is officially in the queue and is the responsibility of
-	// the dispatch or cleanup loops to finalize.
+	// --- Commitment Point ---
+	// The item is admitted. The ManagedQueue.Add implementation is responsible for calling item.SetHandle() atomically.
 	if err := managedQ.Add(item); err != nil {
 		finalErr := fmt.Errorf("failed to add item to queue for flow key %s: %w", key, err)
-		logger.Error(finalErr, "Rejecting item.")
-		item.Finalize(types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther, fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", types.ErrRejected, finalErr))
+		sp.logger.Error(finalErr, "Rejecting item post-admission.",
+			"flowKey", key, "reqID", req.ID(), "priorityName", band.PriorityName())
+		item.FinalizeWithOutcome(types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther, fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", types.ErrRejected, finalErr))
 		return
 	}
-	logger.V(logutil.TRACE).Info("Item enqueued.")
+	sp.logger.V(logutil.TRACE).Info("Item enqueued.",
+		"flowKey", key, "reqID", req.ID(), "priorityName", band.PriorityName())
 }
 
 // hasCapacity checks if the shard and the specific priority band have enough capacity to accommodate an item of a given
@@ -414,145 +407,102 @@ func (sp *ShardProcessor) dispatchItem(itemAcc types.QueueItemAccessor, logger l
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to remove item %q from queue for flow %s: %w", req.ID(), req.FlowKey(), err)
 	}
 
-	// Final check for expiry/cancellation right before dispatch.
 	removedItem := removedItemAcc.(*FlowItem)
-	isExpired, outcome, expiryErr := checkItemExpiry(removedItem, sp.clock.Now())
-	if isExpired {
-		// Ensure we always have a non-nil error to wrap for consistent logging and error handling.
-		finalErr := expiryErr
-		if finalErr == nil {
-			finalErr = errors.New("item finalized before dispatch")
-		}
-		logger.V(logutil.VERBOSE).Info("Item expired at time of dispatch, evicting", "outcome", outcome,
-			"err", finalErr)
-		removedItem.Finalize(outcome, fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", types.ErrEvicted, finalErr))
-		// Return an error to signal that the dispatch did not succeed.
-		return fmt.Errorf("item %q expired before dispatch: %w", req.ID(), finalErr)
-	}
-
-	// Finalize the item as dispatched.
-	removedItem.Finalize(types.QueueOutcomeDispatched, nil)
-	logger.V(logutil.TRACE).Info("Item dispatched.")
+	sp.logger.V(logutil.TRACE).Info("Item dispatched.", "flowKey", req.FlowKey(), "reqID", req.ID())
+	removedItem.FinalizeWithOutcome(types.QueueOutcomeDispatched, nil)
 	return nil
 }
 
-// checkItemExpiry provides the authoritative check to determine if an item should be evicted due to TTL expiry or
-// context cancellation.
-//
-// It serves as a safeguard against race conditions. Its first action is to check if the item has already been finalized
-// by a competing goroutine (e.g., the cleanup loop finalizing an item the dispatch loop is trying to process).=
-// This ensures that the final outcome is decided exactly once.
-func checkItemExpiry(
-	itemAcc types.QueueItemAccessor,
-	now time.Time,
-) (isExpired bool, outcome types.QueueOutcome, err error) {
-	item := itemAcc.(*FlowItem)
-
-	// This check is a critical defense against race conditions. If another goroutine (e.g., the cleanup loop) has
-	// already finalized this item, we must respect that outcome.
-	if item.isFinalized() {
-		finalState := item.finalState
-		return true, finalState.Outcome, finalState.Err
-	}
-
-	// Check if the request's context has been cancelled.
-	if ctxErr := item.OriginalRequest().Context().Err(); ctxErr != nil {
-		return true, types.QueueOutcomeEvictedContextCancelled, fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", types.ErrContextCancelled, ctxErr)
-	}
-
-	// Check if the item has outlived its TTL.
-	if item.EffectiveTTL() > 0 && now.Sub(item.EnqueueTime()) > item.EffectiveTTL() {
-		return true, types.QueueOutcomeEvictedTTL, types.ErrTTLExpired
-	}
-
-	return false, types.QueueOutcomeNotYetFinalized, nil
-}
-
-// runExpiryCleanup starts a background goroutine that periodically scans all queues on the shard for expired items.
-func (sp *ShardProcessor) runExpiryCleanup(ctx context.Context) {
+// runCleanupSweep starts a background goroutine that periodically scans all queues for externally finalized items
+// ("zombie" items) and removes them in batches.
+func (sp *ShardProcessor) runCleanupSweep(ctx context.Context) {
 	defer sp.wg.Done()
-	logger := sp.logger.WithName("runExpiryCleanup")
-	logger.V(logutil.DEFAULT).Info("Shard expiry cleanup goroutine starting.")
-	defer logger.V(logutil.DEFAULT).Info("Shard expiry cleanup goroutine stopped.")
+	logger := sp.logger.WithName("runCleanupSweep")
+	logger.V(logutil.DEFAULT).Info("Shard cleanup sweep goroutine starting.")
+	defer logger.V(logutil.DEFAULT).Info("Shard cleanup sweep goroutine stopped.")
 
-	ticker := time.NewTicker(sp.expiryCleanupInterval)
+	ticker := sp.clock.NewTicker(sp.cleanupSweepInterval)
 	defer ticker.Stop()
 
 	for {
 		select {
 		case <-ctx.Done():
 			return
-		case now := <-ticker.C:
-			sp.cleanupExpired(now)
+		case <-ticker.C():
+			sp.sweepFinalizedItems()
 		}
 	}
 }
 
-// cleanupExpired performs a single scan of all queues on the shard, removing and finalizing any items that have
-// expired.
-func (sp *ShardProcessor) cleanupExpired(now time.Time) {
-	processFn := func(managedQ contracts.ManagedQueue, queueLogger logr.Logger) {
-		// This predicate identifies items to be removed by the Cleanup call.
-		predicate := func(item types.QueueItemAccessor) bool {
-			isExpired, _, _ := checkItemExpiry(item, now)
-			return isExpired
+// sweepFinalizedItems performs a single scan of all queues, removing finalized items in batch and releasing their
+// memory.
+func (sp *ShardProcessor) sweepFinalizedItems() {
+	processFn := func(managedQ contracts.ManagedQueue, logger logr.Logger) {
+		key := managedQ.FlowQueueAccessor().FlowKey()
+		predicate := func(itemAcc types.QueueItemAccessor) bool {
+			return itemAcc.(*FlowItem).FinalState() != nil
 		}
-
 		removedItems, err := managedQ.Cleanup(predicate)
 		if err != nil {
-			queueLogger.Error(err, "Error during ManagedQueue Cleanup")
+			logger.Error(err, "Error during ManagedQueue Cleanup", "flowKey", key)
 		}
-
-		// Finalize all the items that were removed.
-		sp.finalizeExpiredItems(removedItems, now, queueLogger)
+		logger.V(logutil.DEBUG).Info("Swept finalized items and released capacity.",
+			"flowKey", key, "count", len(removedItems))
 	}
-	sp.processAllQueuesConcurrently("cleanupExpired", processFn)
+	sp.processAllQueuesConcurrently("sweepFinalizedItems", processFn)
 }
 
-// shutdown handles the graceful termination of the processor, ensuring any pending items in the enqueue channel or in
-// the queues are finalized correctly.
+// shutdown handles the graceful termination of the processor, ensuring all pending items (in channel and queues) are
+// Finalized.
 func (sp *ShardProcessor) shutdown() {
 	sp.shutdownOnce.Do(func() {
-		// Set the atomic bool so that any new calls to Enqueue will fail fast.
 		sp.isShuttingDown.Store(true)
 		sp.logger.V(logutil.DEFAULT).Info("Shard processor shutting down.")
 
-		// Drain the channel BEFORE closing it. This prevents a panic from any goroutine that is currently blocked trying to
-		// send to the channel. We read until it's empty.
-	DrainLoop:
+	DrainLoop: // Drain the enqueueChan to finalize buffered items.
 		for {
 			select {
 			case item := <-sp.enqueueChan:
-				if item == nil { // This is a safeguard against logic errors in the distributor.
+				if item == nil {
 					continue
 				}
-				item.Finalize(types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther,
+				// Finalize buffered items.
+				item.FinalizeWithOutcome(types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther,
 					fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", types.ErrRejected, types.ErrFlowControllerNotRunning))
 			default:
-				// The channel is empty, we can now safely close it.
 				break DrainLoop
 			}
 		}
-		close(sp.enqueueChan)
-
-		// Evict all remaining items from the queues.
+		// We do not close enqueueChan because external goroutines (Controller) send on it.
+		// The channel will be garbage collected when the processor terminates.
 		sp.evictAll()
 	})
 }
 
-// evictAll drains all queues on the shard and finalizes every item with a shutdown error.
+// evictAll drains all queues on the shard, finalizes every item, and releases their memory.
 func (sp *ShardProcessor) evictAll() {
-	processFn := func(managedQ contracts.ManagedQueue, queueLogger logr.Logger) {
+	processFn := func(managedQ contracts.ManagedQueue, logger logr.Logger) {
+		key := managedQ.FlowQueueAccessor().FlowKey()
 		removedItems, err := managedQ.Drain()
 		if err != nil {
-			queueLogger.Error(err, "Error during ManagedQueue Drain")
+			logger.Error(err, "Error during ManagedQueue Drain", "flowKey", key)
 		}
 
-		// Finalize all the items that were removed.
-		getOutcome := func(_ types.QueueItemAccessor) (types.QueueOutcome, error) {
-			return types.QueueOutcomeEvictedOther, fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", types.ErrEvicted, types.ErrFlowControllerNotRunning)
+		outcome := types.QueueOutcomeEvictedOther
+		errShutdown := fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", types.ErrEvicted, types.ErrFlowControllerNotRunning)
+		for _, i := range removedItems {
+			item, ok := i.(*FlowItem)
+			if !ok {
+				logger.Error(fmt.Errorf("internal error: unexpected type %T", i),
+					"Panic condition detected during shutdown", "flowKey", key)
+				continue
+			}
+
+			// Finalization is idempotent; safe to call even if already finalized externally.
+			item.FinalizeWithOutcome(outcome, errShutdown)
+			logger.V(logutil.TRACE).Info("Item evicted during shutdown.",
+				"flowKey", key, "reqID", item.OriginalRequest().ID())
 		}
-		sp.finalizeItems(removedItems, queueLogger, getOutcome)
 	}
 	sp.processAllQueuesConcurrently("evictAll", processFn)
 }
@@ -620,38 +570,3 @@ func (sp *ShardProcessor) processAllQueuesConcurrently(
 	close(tasks) // Close the channel to signal workers to exit.
 	wg.Wait()    // Wait for all workers to finish.
 }
-
-// finalizeItems is a helper to iterate over a slice of items, safely cast them, and finalize them with an outcome
-// determined by the `getOutcome` function.
-func (sp *ShardProcessor) finalizeItems(
-	items []types.QueueItemAccessor,
-	logger logr.Logger,
-	getOutcome func(item types.QueueItemAccessor) (types.QueueOutcome, error),
-) {
-	for _, i := range items {
-		item, ok := i.(*FlowItem)
-		if !ok {
-			unexpectedItemErr := fmt.Errorf("internal error: item %q of type %T is not a *FlowItem",
-				i.OriginalRequest().ID(), i)
-			logger.Error(unexpectedItemErr, "Panic condition detected during finalization", "item", i)
-			continue
-		}
-
-		outcome, err := getOutcome(i)
-		item.Finalize(outcome, err)
-		logger.V(logutil.TRACE).Info("Item finalized", "reqID", item.OriginalRequest().ID(),
-			"outcome", outcome, "err", err)
-	}
-}
-
-// finalizeExpiredItems is a specialized version of finalizeItems for items that are known to be expired.
-// It determines the precise reason for expiry and finalizes the item accordingly.
-func (sp *ShardProcessor) finalizeExpiredItems(items []types.QueueItemAccessor, now time.Time, logger logr.Logger) {
-	getOutcome := func(item types.QueueItemAccessor) (types.QueueOutcome, error) {
-		// We don't need the `isExpired` boolean here because we know it's true, but this function conveniently returns the
-		// precise outcome and error.
-		_, outcome, expiryErr := checkItemExpiry(item, now)
-		return outcome, fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", types.ErrEvicted, expiryErr)
-	}
-	sp.finalizeItems(items, logger, getOutcome)
-}
diff --git a/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/types/mocks/mocks.go b/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/types/mocks/mocks.go
index c52c5c2..5fabf36 100644
--- a/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/types/mocks/mocks.go
+++ b/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/types/mocks/mocks.go
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ limitations under the License.
 package mocks
 
 import (
-	"context"
 	"time"
 
 	"sigs.k8s.io/gateway-api-inference-extension/pkg/epp/backend/metrics"
@@ -28,7 +27,6 @@ import (
 
 // MockFlowControlRequest provides a mock implementation of the `types.FlowControlRequest` interface.
 type MockFlowControlRequest struct {
-	Ctx                         context.Context
 	FlowKeyV                    types.FlowKey
 	ByteSizeV                   uint64
 	InitialEffectiveTTLV        time.Duration
@@ -41,20 +39,14 @@ func NewMockFlowControlRequest(
 	byteSize uint64,
 	id string,
 	key types.FlowKey,
-	ctx context.Context,
 ) *MockFlowControlRequest {
-	if ctx == nil {
-		ctx = context.Background()
-	}
 	return &MockFlowControlRequest{
 		ByteSizeV: byteSize,
 		IDV:       id,
 		FlowKeyV:  key,
-		Ctx:       ctx,
 	}
 }
 
-func (m *MockFlowControlRequest) Context() context.Context           { return m.Ctx }
 func (m *MockFlowControlRequest) FlowKey() types.FlowKey             { return m.FlowKeyV }
 func (m *MockFlowControlRequest) ByteSize() uint64                   { return m.ByteSizeV }
 func (m *MockFlowControlRequest) InitialEffectiveTTL() time.Duration { return m.InitialEffectiveTTLV }
@@ -114,7 +106,6 @@ func NewMockQueueItemAccessor(byteSize uint64, reqID string, key types.FlowKey)
 			byteSize,
 			reqID,
 			key,
-			context.Background(),
 		),
 		HandleV: &MockQueueItemHandle{},
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/types/request.go b/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/types/request.go
index 255d3bc..e427b0a 100644
--- a/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/types/request.go
+++ b/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/types/request.go
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ limitations under the License.
 package types
 
 import (
-	"context"
 	"time"
 
 	"sigs.k8s.io/gateway-api-inference-extension/pkg/epp/backend/metrics"
@@ -30,11 +29,6 @@ import (
 // wraps this object with its own internal structures (which implement `QueueItemAccessor`) to manage the request's
 // lifecycle without modifying the original.
 type FlowControlRequest interface {
-	// Context returns the request's context. The `controller.FlowController` uses this for monitoring cancellation (e.g.,
-	// if the client disconnects or a request-scoped timeout occurs), which can lead to the request being evicted from a
-	// queue.
-	Context() context.Context
-
 	// FlowKey returns the composite key that uniquely identifies the flow instance this request belongs to.
 	// The `controller.FlowController` uses this key as the primary identifier to look up the correct
 	// `contracts.ManagedQueue` and configured `framework.IntraFlowDispatchPolicy` from a `contracts.RegistryShard`.
diff --git a/pkg/epp/metrics/metrics.go b/pkg/epp/metrics/metrics.go
index cefc4d4..db361a4 100644
--- a/pkg/epp/metrics/metrics.go
+++ b/pkg/epp/metrics/metrics.go
@@ -235,6 +235,28 @@ var (
 		},
 		[]string{"commit", "build_ref"},
 	)
+
+	// Flow Control Metrics
+	flowControlRequestQueueDuration = prometheus.NewHistogramVec(
+		prometheus.HistogramOpts{
+			Subsystem: InferenceExtension,
+			Name:      "flow_control_request_queue_duration_seconds",
+			Help:      metricsutil.HelpMsgWithStability("Distribution of the total time requests spend in the EPP flow control layer, measured from the start of the EnqueueAndWait call until a final outcome is reached.", compbasemetrics.ALPHA),
+			Buckets: []float64{
+				0.0001, 0.0005, 0.001, 0.005, 0.01, 0.025, 0.05, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, 5.0, 10.0, 30.0, 60.0,
+			},
+		},
+		[]string{"fairness_id", "priority", "outcome"},
+	)
+
+	flowControlQueueSize = prometheus.NewGaugeVec(
+		prometheus.GaugeOpts{
+			Subsystem: InferenceExtension,
+			Name:      "flow_control_queue_size",
+			Help:      metricsutil.HelpMsgWithStability("Current number of requests being actively managed by the EPP flow control layer, from the start of the EnqueueAndWait call until a final outcome is reached.", compbasemetrics.ALPHA),
+		},
+		[]string{"fairness_id", "priority"},
+	)
 )
 
 var registerMetrics sync.Once
@@ -260,6 +282,8 @@ func Register(customCollectors ...prometheus.Collector) {
 		metrics.Registry.MustRegister(PrefixCacheSize)
 		metrics.Registry.MustRegister(PrefixCacheHitRatio)
 		metrics.Registry.MustRegister(PrefixCacheHitLength)
+		metrics.Registry.MustRegister(flowControlRequestQueueDuration)
+		metrics.Registry.MustRegister(flowControlQueueSize)
 		for _, collector := range customCollectors {
 			metrics.Registry.MustRegister(collector)
 		}
@@ -286,6 +310,8 @@ func Reset() {
 	PrefixCacheSize.Reset()
 	PrefixCacheHitRatio.Reset()
 	PrefixCacheHitLength.Reset()
+	flowControlRequestQueueDuration.Reset()
+	flowControlQueueSize.Reset()
 }
 
 // RecordRequstCounter records the number of requests.
@@ -414,3 +440,18 @@ func RecordPrefixCacheMatch(matchedLength, totalLength int) {
 func RecordInferenceExtensionInfo(commitSha, buildRef string) {
 	InferenceExtensionInfo.WithLabelValues(commitSha, buildRef).Set(1)
 }
+
+// RecordFlowControlRequestQueueDuration records the duration a request spent in the Flow Control layer.
+func RecordFlowControlRequestQueueDuration(fairnessID, priority, outcome string, duration time.Duration) {
+	flowControlRequestQueueDuration.WithLabelValues(fairnessID, priority, outcome).Observe(duration.Seconds())
+}
+
+// IncFlowControlQueueSize increments the Flow Control queue size gauge.
+func IncFlowControlQueueSize(fairnessID, priority string) {
+	flowControlQueueSize.WithLabelValues(fairnessID, priority).Inc()
+}
+
+// DecFlowControlQueueSize decrements the Flow Control queue size gauge.
+func DecFlowControlQueueSize(fairnessID, priority string) {
+	flowControlQueueSize.WithLabelValues(fairnessID, priority).Dec()
+}
diff --git a/pkg/epp/requestcontrol/admission.go b/pkg/epp/requestcontrol/admission.go
index 383d284..69fd5ad 100644
--- a/pkg/epp/requestcontrol/admission.go
+++ b/pkg/epp/requestcontrol/admission.go
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ type saturationDetector interface {
 // flowController defines the minimal interface required by FlowControlAdmissionController for enqueuing requests and
 // waiting for an admission outcome.
 type flowController interface {
-	EnqueueAndWait(req types.FlowControlRequest) (types.QueueOutcome, error)
+	EnqueueAndWait(ctx context.Context, req types.FlowControlRequest) (types.QueueOutcome, error)
 }
 
 // rejectIfSheddableAndSaturated checks if a request should be immediately rejected because it's sheddable
@@ -157,7 +157,6 @@ func (fcac *FlowControlAdmissionController) Admit(
 	logger.V(logutil.TRACE).Info("Request proceeding to flow control", "requestID", reqCtx.SchedulingRequest.RequestId)
 
 	fcReq := &flowControlRequest{
-		ctx:             ctx,
 		requestID:       reqCtx.SchedulingRequest.RequestId,
 		fairnessID:      reqCtx.FairnessID,
 		priority:        priority,
@@ -165,7 +164,7 @@ func (fcac *FlowControlAdmissionController) Admit(
 		candidatePods:   candidatePods,
 	}
 
-	outcome, err := fcac.flowController.EnqueueAndWait(fcReq)
+	outcome, err := fcac.flowController.EnqueueAndWait(ctx, fcReq)
 	logger.V(logutil.DEBUG).Info("Flow control outcome",
 		"requestID", reqCtx.SchedulingRequest.RequestId, "outcome", outcome, "error", err)
 	return translateFlowControlOutcome(outcome, err)
@@ -173,7 +172,6 @@ func (fcac *FlowControlAdmissionController) Admit(
 
 // flowControlRequest is an adapter that implements the types.FlowControlRequest interface.
 type flowControlRequest struct {
-	ctx             context.Context
 	requestID       string
 	fairnessID      string
 	priority        int
@@ -183,7 +181,6 @@ type flowControlRequest struct {
 
 var _ types.FlowControlRequest = &flowControlRequest{}
 
-func (r *flowControlRequest) Context() context.Context           { return r.ctx }
 func (r *flowControlRequest) ID() string                         { return r.requestID }
 func (r *flowControlRequest) InitialEffectiveTTL() time.Duration { return 0 } // Use controller default.
 func (r *flowControlRequest) ByteSize() uint64                   { return r.requestByteSize }
diff --git a/pkg/epp/scheduling/framework/plugins/multi/prefix/plugin.go b/pkg/epp/scheduling/framework/plugins/multi/prefix/plugin.go
index 16af272..eb45ede 100644
--- a/pkg/epp/scheduling/framework/plugins/multi/prefix/plugin.go
+++ b/pkg/epp/scheduling/framework/plugins/multi/prefix/plugin.go
@@ -61,10 +61,13 @@ const (
 
 const (
 	PodActiveCheckInterval = 2 * time.Minute
+
+	// An estimated average characters per token, used since the request we cached is not tokenized.
+	averageCharactersPerToken = 4
 )
 
 var DefaultConfig = Config{
-	BlockSize:              DefaultBlockSize,
+	DefaultBlockSize:       DefaultBlockSize,
 	MaxPrefixBlocksToMatch: DefaultMaxPrefixBlocks,
 	LRUCapacityPerServer:   DefaultLRUCapacityPerServer,
 }
@@ -72,7 +75,7 @@ var DefaultConfig = Config{
 type Config struct {
 	// The input prompt is broken into sizes of BlockSize to calculate block hashes . Requests
 	// with length shorter than the block size will be ignored.
-	BlockSize int `json:"blockSize"`
+	DefaultBlockSize int `json:"blockSize"`
 	// MaxPrefixBlocksToMatch is the maximum number of prefix blocks to match. Input beyond this limit will
 	// be ignored.
 	MaxPrefixBlocksToMatch int `json:"maxPrefixBlocksToMatch"`
@@ -141,7 +144,7 @@ var (
 // PrefixCachePluginFactory defines the factory function for Prefix plugin.
 func PrefixCachePluginFactory(name string, rawParameters json.RawMessage, handle plugins.Handle) (plugins.Plugin, error) {
 	parameters := Config{
-		BlockSize:              DefaultBlockSize,
+		DefaultBlockSize:       DefaultBlockSize,
 		MaxPrefixBlocksToMatch: DefaultMaxPrefixBlocks,
 		LRUCapacityPerServer:   DefaultLRUCapacityPerServer,
 	}
@@ -190,7 +193,7 @@ func (p *Plugin) WithName(name string) *Plugin {
 // Score returns the scoring result for the given list of pods based on context.
 func (p *Plugin) Score(ctx context.Context, cycleState *types.CycleState, request *types.LLMRequest, pods []types.Pod) map[types.Pod]float64 {
 	// pre score step, hashing prompt and find longest prefix match.
-	hashes := hashPrompt(ctx, request, p.config.BlockSize, p.config.MaxPrefixBlocksToMatch)
+	hashes := hashPrompt(ctx, request, getBlockSize(pods, p.config.DefaultBlockSize), p.config.MaxPrefixBlocksToMatch)
 	state := &SchedulingContextState{
 		PrefixHashes:       hashes,
 		PrefixCacheServers: p.matchLongestPrefix(ctx, hashes),
@@ -241,7 +244,9 @@ func (p *Plugin) PreRequest(ctx context.Context, request *types.LLMRequest, sche
 
 	total := len(state.PrefixHashes)
 	matchLen := state.PrefixCacheServers[ServerID(targetPod.NamespacedName)]
-	metrics.RecordPrefixCacheMatch(matchLen*p.config.BlockSize, total*p.config.BlockSize)
+
+	blockSize := getBlockSize(primaryProfileResult.TargetPods, p.config.DefaultBlockSize)
+	metrics.RecordPrefixCacheMatch(matchLen*blockSize, total*blockSize)
 }
 
 // matchLongestPrefix returns a map of servers and length of prefix that each server caches.
@@ -353,3 +358,19 @@ func getUserInputBytes(request *types.LLMRequest) ([]byte, error) {
 	// must be chat-completions request at this point, return bytes of entire messages
 	return json.Marshal(request.Body.ChatCompletions.Messages)
 }
+
+func getBlockSize(pods []types.Pod, defaultBlockSize int) int {
+	if len(pods) == 0 {
+		return defaultBlockSize
+	}
+
+	// Since all PODs originate from the same inference pool, they are considered to have identical configurations.
+	// Therefore, using the CacheBlockSize value from the first POD suffices.
+	if pod := pods[0]; pod.GetMetrics() != nil {
+		cacheBlockSize := pod.GetMetrics().CacheBlockSize
+		if cacheBlockSize > 0 {
+			return cacheBlockSize * averageCharactersPerToken
+		}
+	}
+	return defaultBlockSize
+}
diff --git a/pkg/epp/server/runserver.go b/pkg/epp/server/runserver.go
index 1d9d1d1..c303717 100644
--- a/pkg/epp/server/runserver.go
+++ b/pkg/epp/server/runserver.go
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ const (
 	DefaultTotalQueuedRequestsMetric        = "vllm:num_requests_waiting"   // default for --total-queued-requests-metric
 	DefaultKvCacheUsagePercentageMetric     = "vllm:gpu_cache_usage_perc"   // default for --kv-cache-usage-percentage-metric
 	DefaultLoraInfoMetric                   = "vllm:lora_requests_info"     // default for --lora-info-metric
+	DefaultCacheInfoMetric                  = "vllm:cache_config_info"      // default for --cache-info-metric
 	DefaultCertPath                         = ""                            // default for --cert-path
 	DefaultConfigFile                       = ""                            // default for --config-file
 	DefaultConfigText                       = ""                            // default for --config-text
diff --git a/site-src/_includes/bbr.md b/site-src/_includes/bbr.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bfbbfd4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/site-src/_includes/bbr.md
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+### Deploy the Body Based Router Extension (Optional)
+
+This guide has shown how to get started with serving a single base model type per L7 URL path. If after this exercise, you wish to continue on to exercise model-aware routing such that more than 1 base model is served at the same L7 url path, that requires use of the (optional) Body Based Routing (BBR) extension which is described in a separate section of the documentation, namely the [`Serving Multiple GenAI Models`](serve-multiple-genai-models.md) section. If you wish to exercise that function, then retain the setup you have deployed so far from this guide and move on to the additional steps described in [that guide](serve-multiple-genai-models.md) or else move on to the following section to cleanup your setup. 
diff --git a/site-src/_includes/epp.md b/site-src/_includes/epp.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..69c5f42
--- /dev/null
+++ b/site-src/_includes/epp.md
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+=== "GKE"
+
+      ```bash
+      export GATEWAY_PROVIDER=gke
+      helm install vllm-llama3-8b-instruct \
+      --set inferencePool.modelServers.matchLabels.app=vllm-llama3-8b-instruct \
+      --set provider.name=$GATEWAY_PROVIDER \
+      --version $IGW_CHART_VERSION \
+      oci://registry.k8s.io/gateway-api-inference-extension/charts/inferencepool
+      ```
+
+=== "Istio"
+
+      ```bash
+      export GATEWAY_PROVIDER=istio
+      helm install vllm-llama3-8b-instruct \
+      --set inferencePool.modelServers.matchLabels.app=vllm-llama3-8b-instruct \
+      --set provider.name=$GATEWAY_PROVIDER \
+      --version $IGW_CHART_VERSION \
+      oci://registry.k8s.io/gateway-api-inference-extension/charts/inferencepool
+      ```
+
+=== "Kgateway"
+
+      ```bash
+      export GATEWAY_PROVIDER=none
+      helm install vllm-llama3-8b-instruct \
+      --set inferencePool.modelServers.matchLabels.app=vllm-llama3-8b-instruct \
+      --set provider.name=$GATEWAY_PROVIDER \
+      --version $IGW_CHART_VERSION \
+      oci://registry.k8s.io/gateway-api-inference-extension/charts/inferencepool
+      ```
+
+=== "Agentgateway"
+
+      ```bash
+      export GATEWAY_PROVIDER=none
+      helm install vllm-llama3-8b-instruct \
+      --set inferencePool.modelServers.matchLabels.app=vllm-llama3-8b-instruct \
+      --set provider.name=$GATEWAY_PROVIDER \
+      --version $IGW_CHART_VERSION \
+      oci://registry.k8s.io/gateway-api-inference-extension/charts/inferencepool
+      ```
diff --git a/site-src/_includes/infobj.md b/site-src/_includes/infobj.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c71b498
--- /dev/null
+++ b/site-src/_includes/infobj.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+??? example "Experimental"
+
+    This project is still in an alpha state and breaking changes may occur in the future.
+
+This quickstart guide is intended for engineers familiar with k8s and model servers (vLLM in this instance). The goal of this guide is to get an Inference Gateway up and running!
diff --git a/site-src/_includes/intro.md b/site-src/_includes/intro.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c71b498
--- /dev/null
+++ b/site-src/_includes/intro.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+??? example "Experimental"
+
+    This project is still in an alpha state and breaking changes may occur in the future.
+
+This quickstart guide is intended for engineers familiar with k8s and model servers (vLLM in this instance). The goal of this guide is to get an Inference Gateway up and running!
diff --git a/site-src/_includes/model-server-cpu.md b/site-src/_includes/model-server-cpu.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c2cf00b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/site-src/_includes/model-server-cpu.md
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+=== "CPU-Based Model Server"
+
+    ???+ warning
+
+        CPU deployment can be unreliable i.e. the pods may crash/restart because of resource contraints.
+
+    This setup is using the formal `vllm-cpu` image, which according to the documentation can run vLLM on x86 CPU platform.
+    For this setup, we use approximately 9.5GB of memory and 12 CPUs for each replica.
+
+    While it is possible to deploy the model server with less resources, this is not recommended. For example, in our tests, loading the model using 8GB of memory and 1 CPU was possible but took almost 3.5 minutes and inference requests took unreasonable time. In general, there is a tradeoff between the memory and CPU we allocate to our pods and the performance. The more memory and CPU we allocate the better performance we can get.
+
+    After running multiple configurations of these values we decided in this sample to use 9.5GB of memory and 12 CPUs for each replica, which gives reasonable response times. You can increase those numbers and potentially may even get better response times. For modifying the allocated resources, adjust the numbers in [cpu-deployment.yaml](https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/vllm/cpu-deployment.yaml) as needed.
+
+    Deploy a sample vLLM deployment with the proper protocol to work with the LLM Instance Gateway.
diff --git a/site-src/_includes/model-server-gpu.md b/site-src/_includes/model-server-gpu.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f2d6e6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/site-src/_includes/model-server-gpu.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+=== "GPU-Based Model Server"
+
+    For this setup, you will need 3 GPUs to run the sample model server. Adjust the number of replicas as needed.
+    Create a Hugging Face secret to download the model [meta-llama/Llama-3.1-8B-Instruct](https://huggingface.co/meta-llama/Llama-3.1-8B-Instruct).
+    Ensure that the token grants access to this model.
+
+    Deploy a sample vLLM deployment with the proper protocol to work with the LLM Instance Gateway.
diff --git a/site-src/_includes/model-server-sim.md b/site-src/_includes/model-server-sim.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3c1a7a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/site-src/_includes/model-server-sim.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+=== "vLLM Simulator Model Server"
+
+    This option uses the [vLLM simulator](https://github.com/llm-d/llm-d-inference-sim/tree/main) to simulate a backend model server.
+    This setup uses the least amount of compute resources, does not require GPU's, and is ideal for test/dev environments.
+
+    To deploy the vLLM simulator, run the following command.
diff --git a/site-src/_includes/model-server.md b/site-src/_includes/model-server.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..47d8e54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/site-src/_includes/model-server.md
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+   Three options are supported for running the model server:
+
+   1. GPU-based model server.
+      Requirements: a Hugging Face access token that grants access to the model [meta-llama/Llama-3.1-8B-Instruct](https://huggingface.co/meta-llama/Llama-3.1-8B-Instruct).
+
+   1. CPU-based model server (not using GPUs).
+      The sample uses the model [Qwen/Qwen2.5-1.5B-Instruct](https://huggingface.co/Qwen/Qwen2.5-1.5B-Instruct).
+
+   1. [vLLM Simulator](https://github.com/llm-d/llm-d-inference-sim/tree/main) model server (not using GPUs).
+      The sample is configured to simulate the [meta-llama/Llama-3.1-8B-Instruct](https://huggingface.co/meta-llama/Llama-3.1-8B-Instruct) model.
+
+   Choose one of these options and follow the steps below. Please do not deploy more than one, as the deployments have the same name and will override each other.
+
+=== "GPU-Based Model Server"
+
+    For this setup, you will need 3 GPUs to run the sample model server. Adjust the number of replicas in `./config/manifests/vllm/gpu-deployment.yaml` as needed.
+    Create a Hugging Face secret to download the model [meta-llama/Llama-3.1-8B-Instruct](https://huggingface.co/meta-llama/Llama-3.1-8B-Instruct). Ensure that the token grants access to this model.
+
+    Deploy a sample vLLM deployment with the proper protocol to work with the LLM Instance Gateway.
diff --git a/site-src/_includes/prereqs.md b/site-src/_includes/prereqs.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..47436cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/site-src/_includes/prereqs.md
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+A cluster with:
+
+- Support for services of type `LoadBalancer`. For kind clusters, follow [this guide](https://kind.sigs.k8s.io/docs/user/loadbalancer)
+  to get services of type LoadBalancer working.
+- Support for [sidecar containers](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/workloads/pods/sidecar-containers/) (enabled by default since Kubernetes v1.29)
+  to run the model server deployment.
+
+Tooling:
+
+- [Helm](https://helm.sh/docs/intro/install/) installed.
diff --git a/site-src/_includes/test.md b/site-src/_includes/test.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0fbdd2c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/site-src/_includes/test.md
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+### Try it out
+
+   Wait until the gateway is ready.
+
+   ```bash
+   IP=$(kubectl get gateway/inference-gateway -o jsonpath='{.status.addresses[0].value}')
+   PORT=80
+
+   curl -i ${IP}:${PORT}/v1/completions -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{
+   "model": "food-review-1",
+   "prompt": "Write as if you were a critic: San Francisco",
+   "max_tokens": 100,
+   "temperature": 0
+   }'
+   ```
diff --git a/site-src/guides/ga-migration.md b/site-src/guides/ga-migration.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c56dea2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/site-src/guides/ga-migration.md
@@ -0,0 +1,274 @@
+# Inference Gateway: Migrating from v1alpha2 to v1 API
+
+## Introduction
+
+This guide provides a comprehensive walkthrough for migrating your Inference Gateway setup from the alpha `v1alpha2` API to the generally available `v1` API.
+This document is intended for platform administrators and networking specialists
+who are currently using the `v1alpha2` version of the Inference Gateway and
+want to upgrade to the `v1` version to leverage the latest features and improvements.
+
+Before you start the migration, ensure you are familiar with the concepts and deployment of the Inference Gateway.
+
+***
+
+## Before you begin
+
+Before starting the migration, it's important to determine if this guide is necessary for your setup.
+
+### Checking for Existing v1alpha2 APIs
+
+To check if you are actively using the `v1alpha2` Inference Gateway APIs, run the following command:
+
+```bash
+kubectl get inferencepools.inference.networking.x-k8s.io --all-namespaces
+```
+
+* If this command returns one or more `InferencePool` resources, you are using the `v1alpha2` API and should proceed with this migration guide.
+* If the command returns `No resources found`, you are not using the `v1alpha2` `InferencePool` and do not need to follow this migration guide. You can proceed with a fresh installation of the `v1` Inference Gateway.
+
+***
+
+## Migration Paths
+
+There are two paths for migrating from `v1alpha2` to `v1`:
+
+1.  **Simple Migration (with downtime):** This path is for users who can afford a short period of downtime. It involves deleting the old `v1alpha2` resources and CRDs before installing the new `v1` versions.
+2.  **Zero-Downtime Migration:** This path is for users who need to migrate without any service interruption. It involves running both `v1alpha2` and `v1` stacks side-by-side and gradually shifting traffic.
+
+***
+
+## Simple Migration (with downtime)
+
+This approach is faster and simpler but will result in a brief period of downtime while the resources are being updated. It is the recommended path if you do not require a zero-downtime migration.
+
+### 1. Delete Existing v1alpha2 Resources
+
+**Option a: Uninstall using Helm.**
+
+```bash
+helm uninstall <helm_alpha_inferencepool_name>
+```
+
+**Option b: Manually delete alpha `InferencePool` resources.**
+
+If you are not using Helm, you will need to manually delete all resources associated with your `v1alpha2` deployment. The key is to remove the `HTTPRoute`'s reference to the old `InferencePool` and then delete the `v1alpha2` resources themselves.
+
+1.  **Update or Delete the `HTTPRoute`**: Modify the `HTTPRoute` to remove the `backendRef` that points to the `v1alpha2` `InferencePool`.
+2.  **Delete the `InferencePool` and associated resources**: You must delete the `v1alpha2` `InferencePool`, any `InferenceModel` (or 'InferenceObjective') resources that point to it, and the corresponding Endpoint Picker (EPP) Deployment and Service.
+3.  **Delete the `v1alpha2` CRDs**: Once all `v1alpha2` custom resources are deleted, you can remove the CRD definitions from your cluster.
+    ```bash
+    # You can change the version to the one you installed `v1alpha2` CRDs
+    export VERSION="v0.3.0" 
+    kubectl delete -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/releases/download/${VERSION}/manifests.yaml
+    ```
+
+### 2. Install v1 Resources
+
+After cleaning up the old resources, you can proceed with a fresh installation of the `v1` Inference Gateway. 
+This involves deploying a new EPP image compatible with the `v1` API and installing the new `v1` CRDs. 
+You can then create a new v1 InferencePool with its corresponding InferenceObjective resources, and a new HTTPRoute that directs traffic to your new `v1` InferencePool.
+
+
+### 3. Verify the Deployment
+
+After a few minutes, verify that your new `v1` stack is correctly serving traffic. You should have a **`PROGRAMMED`** gateway.
+
+```bash
+❯ kubectl get gateway -o wide
+NAME                               CLASS            ADDRESS         PROGRAMMED   AGE
+<YOUR_INFERENCE_GATEWAY_NAME>   inference-gateway   <IP_ADDRESS>    True         10m
+```
+
+Curl the endpoint to make sure you are getting a successful response with a **200** response code.
+
+```bash
+IP=$(kubectl get gateway/<YOUR_INFERENCE_GATEWAY_NAME> -o jsonpath='{.status.addresses[0].value}')
+PORT=80
+
+curl -i ${IP}:${PORT}/v1/completions -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{
+"model": "<your_model>",
+"prompt": "<your_prompt>",
+"max_tokens": 100,
+"temperature": 0
+}'
+```
+
+***
+
+## Zero-Downtime Migration
+
+This migration path is designed for users who cannot afford any service interruption. Assuming you already have the following stack shown in the diagram
+
+<img src="/images/alpha-stage.png" alt="Inference Gateway Alpha Stage" class="center" />
+
+### A Note on Interacting with Multiple API Versions
+
+During the zero-downtime migration, both `v1alpha2` and `v1` CRDs will be installed on your cluster. This can create ambiguity when using `kubectl` to query for `InferencePool` resources. To ensure you are interacting with the correct version, you **must** use the full resource name:
+
+* **For v1alpha2**: `kubectl get inferencepools.inference.networking.x-k8s.io`
+* **For v1**: `kubectl get inferencepools.inference.networking.k8s.io`
+
+The `v1` API also provides a convenient short name, `infpool`, which can be used to query `v1` resources specifically:
+
+```bash
+kubectl get infpool
+```
+
+This guide will use these full names or the short name for `v1` to avoid ambiguity.
+
+***
+
+### Stage 1: Side-by-side v1 Deployment
+
+In this stage, you will deploy the new `v1` `InferencePool` stack alongside the existing `v1alpha2` stack. This allows for a safe, gradual migration.
+
+After finishing all the steps in this stage, you’ll have the following infrastructure shown in the following diagram
+
+<img src="/images/migration-stage.png" alt="Inference Gateway Migration Stage" class="center" />
+
+**1. Install v1 CRDs**
+
+```bash
+RELEASE=v1.0.0
+kubectl apply -f [https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/$RELEASE/config/crd/bases/inference.networking.x-k8s.io_inferenceobjectives.yaml](https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/$RELEASE/config/crd/bases/inference.networking.x-k8s.io_inferenceobjectives.yaml)
+```
+
+**2. Install the v1 `InferencePool`**
+
+Use Helm to install a new `v1` `InferencePool` with a distinct release name (e.g., `vllm-llama3-8b-instruct-ga`).
+
+```bash
+helm install vllm-llama3-8b-instruct-ga \
+  --set inferencePool.modelServers.matchLabels.app=<the_label_you_used_for_the_model_server_deployment> \
+  --set provider.name=<YOUR_PROVIDER> \
+  --version $RELEASE \
+  oci://registry.k8s.io/gateway-api-inference-extension/charts/inferencepool
+```
+
+**3. Create the v1 `InferenceObjective`**
+
+The `v1` API replaces `InferenceModel` with `InferenceObjective`. Create the new resources, referencing the new `v1` `InferencePool`.
+
+```yaml
+kubectl apply -f - <<EOF
+---
+apiVersion: inference.networking.x-k8s.io/v1alpha2
+kind: InferenceObjective
+metadata:
+  name: food-review
+spec:
+  priority: 1
+  poolRef:
+    group: inference.networking.k8s.io
+    name: vllm-llama3-8b-instruct-ga
+---
+apiVersion: inference.networking.x-k8s.io/v1alpha2
+kind: InferenceObjective
+metadata:
+  name: base-model
+spec:
+  priority: 2
+  poolRef:
+    group: inference.networking.k8s.io
+    name: vllm-llama3-8b-instruct-ga
+---
+EOF
+```
+
+***
+
+### Stage 2: Traffic Shifting
+
+With both stacks running, you can start shifting traffic from `v1alpha2` to `v1` by updating the `HTTPRoute` to split traffic. This example shows a 50/50 split.
+
+**1. Update `HTTPRoute` for Traffic Splitting**
+
+```yaml
+kubectl apply -f - <<EOF
+---
+apiVersion: gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1
+kind: HTTPRoute
+metadata:
+  name: llm-route
+spec:
+  parentRefs:
+  - group: gateway.networking.k8s.io
+    kind: Gateway
+    name: inference-gateway
+  rules:
+  - backendRefs:
+    - group: inference.networking.x-k8s.io
+      kind: InferencePool
+      name: vllm-llama3-8b-instruct-alpha
+      weight: 50
+    - group: inference.networking.k8s.io
+      kind: InferencePool
+      name: vllm-llama3-8b-instruct-ga
+      weight: 50
+---
+EOF
+```
+
+**2. Verify and Monitor**
+
+After applying the changes, monitor the performance and stability of the new `v1` stack. Make sure the `inference-gateway` status `PROGRAMMED` is `True`.
+
+***
+
+### Stage 3: Finalization and Cleanup
+
+Once you have verified that the `v1` `InferencePool` is stable, you can direct all traffic to it and decommission the old `v1alpha2` resources.
+
+**1. Shift 100% of Traffic to the v1 `InferencePool`**
+
+Update the `HTTPRoute` to send all traffic to the `v1` pool.
+
+```yaml
+kubectl apply -f - <<EOF
+apiVersion: gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1
+kind: HTTPRoute
+metadata:
+  name: llm-route
+spec:
+  parentRefs:
+  - group: gateway.networking.k8s.io
+    kind: Gateway
+    name: inference-gateway
+  rules:
+  - backendRefs:
+    - group: inference.networking.k8s.io
+      kind: InferencePool
+      name: vllm-llama3-8b-instruct-ga
+      weight: 100
+EOF
+```
+
+**2. Final Verification**
+
+Send test requests to ensure your `v1` stack is handling all traffic as expected.
+
+<img src="/images/ga-stage.png" alt="Inference Gateway GA Stage" class="center" />
+
+You should have a **`PROGRAMMED`** gateway:
+```bash
+❯ kubectl get gateway -o wide
+NAME                  CLASS                                ADDRESS         PROGRAMMED   AGE
+inference-gateway   inference-gateway   <IP_ADDRESS>    True         10m
+```
+
+Curl the endpoint and verify a **200** response code:
+```bash
+IP=$(kubectl get gateway/inference-gateway -o jsonpath='{.status.addresses[0].value}')
+PORT=80
+
+curl -i ${IP}:${PORT}/v1/completions -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{
+"model": "<your_model>",
+"prompt": "<your_prompt>",
+"max_tokens": 100,
+"temperature": 0
+}'
+```
+
+**3. Clean Up v1alpha2 Resources**
+
+After confirming the `v1` stack is fully operational, safely remove the old `v1alpha2` resources.
diff --git a/site-src/guides/getting-started-latest.md b/site-src/guides/getting-started-latest.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a11e70f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/site-src/guides/getting-started-latest.md
@@ -0,0 +1,361 @@
+# Getting started with an Inference Gateway
+
+!!! warning "Unreleased/main branch"
+    This guide tracks **main**. It is intended for users who want the very latest features and fixes and are comfortable with potential breakage.
+    For the stable, tagged experience, see **Getting started (Released)**.
+
+--8<-- "site-src/_includes/intro.md"
+
+## **Prerequisites**
+
+--8<-- "site-src/_includes/prereqs.md"
+
+## **Steps**
+
+### Deploy Sample Model Server
+
+--8<-- "site-src/_includes/model-server-intro.md"
+
+--8<-- "site-src/_includes/model-server-gpu.md"
+
+    ```bash
+    kubectl create secret generic hf-token --from-literal=token=$HF_TOKEN # Your Hugging Face Token with access to the set of Llama models
+    kubectl apply -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/vllm/gpu-deployment.yaml
+    ```
+
+--8<-- "site-src/_includes/model-server-cpu.md"
+
+    ```bash
+    kubectl apply -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/vllm/sim-deployment.yaml
+    ```
+
+--8<-- "site-src/_includes/model-server-sim.md"
+
+    ```bash
+    kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/refs/tags/v1.0.0/config/manifests/vllm/sim-deployment.yaml
+    ```
+
+### Install the Inference Extension CRDs
+
+```bash
+kubectl apply -k https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/config/crd
+```
+
+### Deploy the InferencePool and Endpoint Picker Extension
+
+   Install an InferencePool named `vllm-llama3-8b-instruct` that selects from endpoints with label `app: vllm-llama3-8b-instruct` and listening on port 8000. The Helm install command automatically installs the endpoint-picker, InferencePool along with provider specific resources.
+
+   Set the chart version and then select a tab to follow the provider-specific instructions.
+
+   ```bash
+   export IGW_CHART_VERSION=v0
+   ```
+
+--8<-- "site-src/_includes/epp.md"
+
+### Deploy an Inference Gateway
+
+   Choose one of the following options to deploy an Inference Gateway.
+
+=== "GKE"
+
+      1. Enable the Google Kubernetes Engine API, Compute Engine API, the Network Services API and configure proxy-only subnets when necessary. 
+         See [Deploy Inference Gateways](https://cloud.google.com/kubernetes-engine/docs/how-to/deploy-gke-inference-gateway)
+         for detailed instructions.
+
+      2. Deploy Inference Gateway:
+
+         ```bash
+         kubectl apply -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/gke/gateway.yaml
+         ```
+
+         Confirm that the Gateway was assigned an IP address and reports a `Programmed=True` status:
+
+         ```bash
+         $ kubectl get gateway inference-gateway
+         NAME                CLASS               ADDRESS         PROGRAMMED   AGE
+         inference-gateway   inference-gateway   <MY_ADDRESS>    True         22s
+         ```
+      3. Deploy the HTTPRoute
+
+         ```bash
+         kubectl apply -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/gke/httproute.yaml
+         ```
+
+      4. Confirm that the HTTPRoute status conditions include `Accepted=True` and `ResolvedRefs=True`:
+
+         ```bash
+         kubectl get httproute llm-route -o yaml
+         ```
+
+=== "Istio"
+
+      Please note that this feature is currently in an experimental phase and is not intended for production use.
+      The implementation and user experience are subject to changes as we continue to iterate on this project.
+
+      1.  Requirements
+
+         - Gateway API [CRDs](https://gateway-api.sigs.k8s.io/guides/#installing-gateway-api) installed.
+
+      2. Install Istio
+
+         ```
+         TAG=$(curl https://storage.googleapis.com/istio-build/dev/1.28-dev)
+         # on Linux
+         wget https://storage.googleapis.com/istio-build/dev/$TAG/istioctl-$TAG-linux-amd64.tar.gz
+         tar -xvf istioctl-$TAG-linux-amd64.tar.gz
+         # on macOS
+         wget https://storage.googleapis.com/istio-build/dev/$TAG/istioctl-$TAG-osx.tar.gz
+         tar -xvf istioctl-$TAG-osx.tar.gz
+         # on Windows
+         wget https://storage.googleapis.com/istio-build/dev/$TAG/istioctl-$TAG-win.zip
+         unzip istioctl-$TAG-win.zip
+
+         ./istioctl install --set tag=$TAG --set hub=gcr.io/istio-testing --set values.pilot.env.ENABLE_GATEWAY_API_INFERENCE_EXTENSION=true
+         ```
+
+      3. If your EPP uses secure serving with self-signed certs (default), temporarily bypass TLS verification:
+
+         ```bash
+         kubectl apply -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/istio/destination-rule.yaml
+         ```
+ 
+      4. Deploy Gateway
+
+         ```bash
+         kubectl apply -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/istio/gateway.yaml
+         ```
+
+         Confirm that the Gateway was assigned an IP address and reports a `Programmed=True` status:
+         ```bash
+         $ kubectl get gateway inference-gateway
+         NAME                CLASS               ADDRESS         PROGRAMMED   AGE
+         inference-gateway   inference-gateway   <MY_ADDRESS>    True         22s
+         ```
+
+      5. Deploy the HTTPRoute
+
+         ```bash
+         kubectl apply -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/istio/httproute.yaml
+         ```
+
+      6. Confirm that the HTTPRoute status conditions include `Accepted=True` and `ResolvedRefs=True`:
+
+         ```bash
+         kubectl get httproute llm-route -o yaml
+         ```
+
+=== "Kgateway"
+
+      [Kgateway](https://kgateway.dev/) added Inference Gateway support as a **technical preview** in the
+      [v2.0.0 release](https://github.com/kgateway-dev/kgateway/releases/tag/v2.0.0). InferencePool v1.0.1 is currently supported in the latest [rolling release](https://github.com/kgateway-dev/kgateway/releases/tag/v2.1.0-main), which includes the latest changes but may be unstable until the [v2.1.0 release](https://github.com/kgateway-dev/kgateway/milestone/58) is published.
+
+      1. Requirements
+
+         - [Helm](https://helm.sh/docs/intro/install/) installed.
+         - Gateway API [CRDs](https://gateway-api.sigs.k8s.io/guides/#installing-gateway-api) installed.
+
+      2. Set the Kgateway version and install the Kgateway CRDs.
+
+         ```bash
+         KGTW_VERSION=v2.1.0-main
+         helm upgrade -i --create-namespace --namespace kgateway-system --version $KGTW_VERSION kgateway-crds oci://cr.kgateway.dev/kgateway-dev/charts/kgateway-crds
+         ```
+
+      3. Install Kgateway
+
+         ```bash
+         helm upgrade -i --namespace kgateway-system --version $KGTW_VERSION kgateway oci://cr.kgateway.dev/kgateway-dev/charts/kgateway --set inferenceExtension.enabled=true
+         ```
+
+      4. Deploy the Gateway
+
+         ```bash
+         kubectl apply -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/kgateway/gateway.yaml
+         ```
+
+         Confirm that the Gateway was assigned an IP address and reports a `Programmed=True` status:
+         ```bash
+         $ kubectl get gateway inference-gateway
+         NAME                CLASS               ADDRESS         PROGRAMMED   AGE
+         inference-gateway   kgateway            <MY_ADDRESS>    True         22s
+         ```
+
+      5. Deploy the HTTPRoute
+
+         ```bash
+         kubectl apply -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/kgateway/httproute.yaml
+         ```
+
+      6. Confirm that the HTTPRoute status conditions include `Accepted=True` and `ResolvedRefs=True`:
+
+         ```bash
+         kubectl get httproute llm-route -o yaml
+         ```
+
+=== "Agentgateway"
+
+      [Agentgateway](https://agentgateway.dev/) is a purpose-built proxy designed for AI workloads, and comes with native support for Inference Gateway. Agentgateway integrates with [Kgateway](https://kgateway.dev/) as it's control plane. InferencePool v1.0.0 is currently supported in the latest [rolling release](https://github.com/kgateway-dev/kgateway/releases/tag/v2.1.0-main), which includes the latest changes but may be unstable until the [v2.1.0 release](https://github.com/kgateway-dev/kgateway/milestone/58) is published.
+
+      1. Requirements
+
+         - [Helm](https://helm.sh/docs/intro/install/) installed.
+         - Gateway API [CRDs](https://gateway-api.sigs.k8s.io/guides/#installing-gateway-api) installed.
+
+      2. Set the Kgateway version and install the Kgateway CRDs.
+
+         ```bash
+         KGTW_VERSION=v2.1.0-main
+         helm upgrade -i --create-namespace --namespace kgateway-system --version $KGTW_VERSION kgateway-crds oci://cr.kgateway.dev/kgateway-dev/charts/kgateway-crds
+         ```
+
+      3. Install Kgateway
+
+         ```bash
+         helm upgrade -i --namespace kgateway-system --version $KGTW_VERSION kgateway oci://cr.kgateway.dev/kgateway-dev/charts/kgateway --set inferenceExtension.enabled=true --set agentGateway.enabled=true
+         ```
+
+      4. Deploy the Gateway
+
+         ```bash
+         kubectl apply -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/agentgateway/gateway.yaml
+         ```
+
+         Confirm that the Gateway was assigned an IP address and reports a `Programmed=True` status:
+         ```bash
+         $ kubectl get gateway inference-gateway
+         NAME                CLASS               ADDRESS         PROGRAMMED   AGE
+         inference-gateway   agentgateway        <MY_ADDRESS>    True         22s
+         ```
+
+      5. Deploy the HTTPRoute
+
+         ```bash
+         kubectl apply -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/agentgateway/httproute.yaml
+         ```
+
+      6. Confirm that the HTTPRoute status conditions include `Accepted=True` and `ResolvedRefs=True`:
+
+         ```bash
+         kubectl get httproute llm-route -o yaml
+         ```
+
+### Deploy InferenceObjective (Optional)
+
+Deploy the sample InferenceObjective which allows you to specify priority of requests.
+
+   ```bash
+   kubectl apply -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/inferenceobjective.yaml
+   ```
+
+--8<-- "site-src/_includes/test.md"
+
+--8<-- "site-src/_includes/bbr.md"
+
+### Cleanup
+
+   The following instructions assume you would like to cleanup ALL resources that were created in this quickstart guide.
+   Please be careful not to delete resources you'd like to keep.
+
+   1. Uninstall the InferencePool, InferenceObjective and model server resources
+
+      ```bash
+      helm uninstall vllm-llama3-8b-instruct
+      kubectl delete -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/inferenceobjective.yaml --ignore-not-found
+      kubectl delete -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/vllm/cpu-deployment.yaml --ignore-not-found
+      kubectl delete -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/vllm/gpu-deployment.yaml --ignore-not-found
+      kubectl delete -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/vllm/sim-deployment.yaml --ignore-not-found
+      kubectl delete secret hf-token --ignore-not-found
+      ```
+
+   1. Uninstall the Gateway API Inference Extension CRDs
+
+      ```bash
+      kubectl delete -k https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/config/crd --ignore-not-found
+      ```
+      
+   1. Choose one of the following options to cleanup the Inference Gateway.
+
+=== "GKE"
+
+      ```bash
+      kubectl delete -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/gke/gateway.yaml --ignore-not-found
+      kubectl delete -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/gke/httproute.yaml --ignore-not-found
+      ```
+
+=== "Istio"
+
+      ```bash
+      kubectl delete -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/istio/gateway.yaml --ignore-not-found
+      kubectl delete -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/istio/destination-rule.yaml --ignore-not-found
+      kubectl delete -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/istio/httproute.yaml --ignore-not-found
+
+      ```
+
+      The following steps assume you would like to clean up ALL Istio resources that were created in this quickstart guide.
+
+      1. Uninstall All Istio resources
+
+         ```bash
+         istioctl uninstall -y --purge
+         ```
+
+      2. Remove the Istio namespace
+
+         ```bash
+         kubectl delete ns istio-system
+         ```
+
+=== "Kgateway"
+
+      ```bash
+      kubectl delete -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/kgateway/gateway.yaml --ignore-not-found
+      kubectl delete -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/kgateway/httproute.yaml --ignore-not-found
+      ```
+
+      The following steps assume you would like to cleanup ALL Kgateway resources that were created in this quickstart guide.
+
+      1. Uninstall Kgateway
+
+         ```bash
+         helm uninstall kgateway -n kgateway-system
+         ```
+
+      2. Uninstall the Kgateway CRDs.
+
+         ```bash
+         helm uninstall kgateway-crds -n kgateway-system
+         ```
+
+      3. Remove the Kgateway namespace.
+
+         ```bash
+         kubectl delete ns kgateway-system
+         ```
+
+=== "Agentgateway"
+
+      ```bash
+      kubectl delete -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/agentgateway/gateway.yaml --ignore-not-found
+      kubectl delete -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/agentgateway/httproute.yaml --ignore-not-found
+      ```
+
+      The following steps assume you would like to cleanup ALL Kgateway resources that were created in this quickstart guide.
+
+      1. Uninstall Kgateway
+
+         ```bash
+         helm uninstall kgateway -n kgateway-system
+         ```
+
+      2. Uninstall the Kgateway CRDs.
+
+         ```bash
+         helm uninstall kgateway-crds -n kgateway-system
+         ```
+
+      3. Remove the Kgateway namespace.
+
+         ```bash
+         kubectl delete ns kgateway-system
+         ```
diff --git a/site-src/guides/index.md b/site-src/guides/index.md
index b0faa49..be1f685 100644
--- a/site-src/guides/index.md
+++ b/site-src/guides/index.md
@@ -1,139 +1,53 @@
 # Getting started with an Inference Gateway
 
-??? example "Experimental"
-
-    This project is still in an alpha state and breaking changes may occur in the future.
-
-
-This quickstart guide is intended for engineers familiar with k8s and model servers (vLLM in this instance). The goal of this guide is to get an Inference Gateway up and running!
+--8<-- "site-src/_includes/intro.md"
 
 ## **Prerequisites**
 
-A cluster with:
-  - Support for services of type `LoadBalancer`. For kind clusters, follow [this guide](https://kind.sigs.k8s.io/docs/user/loadbalancer)
-  to get services of type LoadBalancer working.
-  - Support for [sidecar containers](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/workloads/pods/sidecar-containers/) (enabled by default since Kubernetes v1.29)
-  to run the model server deployment.
-
-Tooling:
-  - [Helm](https://helm.sh/docs/intro/install/) installed
+--8<-- "site-src/_includes/prereqs.md"
 
 ## **Steps**
 
 ### Deploy Sample Model Server
 
-   Three options are supported for running the model server:
-
-   1. GPU-based model server.
-      Requirements: a Hugging Face access token that grants access to the model [meta-llama/Llama-3.1-8B-Instruct](https://huggingface.co/meta-llama/Llama-3.1-8B-Instruct).
-
-   1. CPU-based model server (not using GPUs).
-      The sample uses the model [Qwen/Qwen2.5-1.5B-Instruct](https://huggingface.co/Qwen/Qwen2.5-1.5B-Instruct).
-
-   1. [vLLM Simulator](https://github.com/llm-d/llm-d-inference-sim/tree/main) model server (not using GPUs).
-      The sample is configured to simulate the [meta-llama/Llama-3.1-8B-Instruct](https://huggingface.co/meta-llama/Llama-3.1-8B-Instruct) model.
+--8<-- "site-src/_includes/model-server-intro.md"
 
-   Choose one of these options and follow the steps below. Please do not deploy more than one, as the deployments have the same name and will override each other.
-
-=== "GPU-Based Model Server"
-
-    For this setup, you will need 3 GPUs to run the sample model server. Adjust the number of replicas in `./config/manifests/vllm/gpu-deployment.yaml` as needed.
-    Create a Hugging Face secret to download the model [meta-llama/Llama-3.1-8B-Instruct](https://huggingface.co/meta-llama/Llama-3.1-8B-Instruct). Ensure that the token grants access to this model.
-
-    Deploy a sample vLLM deployment with the proper protocol to work with the LLM Instance Gateway.
+--8<-- "site-src/_includes/model-server-gpu.md"
 
     ```bash
     kubectl create secret generic hf-token --from-literal=token=$HF_TOKEN # Your Hugging Face Token with access to the set of Llama models
-    kubectl apply -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/vllm/gpu-deployment.yaml
+    kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/refs/tags/v1.0.1/config/manifests/vllm/gpu-deployment.yaml
     ```
 
-=== "CPU-Based Model Server"
-
-    ???+ warning
-
-        CPU deployment can be unreliable i.e. the pods may crash/restart because of resource contraints.
-
-    This setup is using the formal `vllm-cpu` image, which according to the documentation can run vLLM on x86 CPU platform.
-    For this setup, we use approximately 9.5GB of memory and 12 CPUs for each replica.
-
-    While it is possible to deploy the model server with less resources, this is not recommended. For example, in our tests, loading the model using 8GB of memory and 1 CPU was possible but took almost 3.5 minutes and inference requests took unreasonable time. In general, there is a tradeoff between the memory and CPU we allocate to our pods and the performance. The more memory and CPU we allocate the better performance we can get.
-
-    After running multiple configurations of these values we decided in this sample to use 9.5GB of memory and 12 CPUs for each replica, which gives reasonable response times. You can increase those numbers and potentially may even get better response times. For modifying the allocated resources, adjust the numbers in [cpu-deployment.yaml](https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/vllm/cpu-deployment.yaml) as needed.
-
-    Deploy a sample vLLM deployment with the proper protocol to work with the LLM Instance Gateway.
+--8<-- "site-src/_includes/model-server-cpu.md"
 
     ```bash
-    kubectl apply -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/vllm/cpu-deployment.yaml
+    kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/refs/tags/v1.0.1/config/manifests/vllm/cpu-deployment.yaml
     ```
 
-=== "vLLM Simulator Model Server"
-
-    This option uses the [vLLM simulator](https://github.com/llm-d/llm-d-inference-sim/tree/main) to simulate a backend model server.
-    This setup uses the least amount of compute resources, does not require GPU's, and is ideal for test/dev environments.
-
-    To deploy the vLLM simulator, run the following command.
+--8<-- "site-src/_includes/model-server-sim.md"
 
     ```bash
-    kubectl apply -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/vllm/sim-deployment.yaml
+    kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/refs/tags/v1.0.1/config/manifests/vllm/sim-deployment.yaml
     ```
 
 ### Install the Inference Extension CRDs
 
-   ```bash
-   kubectl apply -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/releases/latest/download/manifests.yaml
-   ```
+```bash
+kubectl apply -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/releases/download/v1.0.1/manifests.yaml
+```
 
 ### Deploy the InferencePool and Endpoint Picker Extension
 
-   Install an InferencePool named `vllm-llama3-8b-instruct` that selects from endpoints with label `app: vllm-llama3-8b-instruct` and listening on port 8000. The Helm install command automatically installs the endpoint-picker, inferencepool along with provider specific resources.
+   Install an InferencePool named `vllm-llama3-8b-instruct` that selects from endpoints with label `app: vllm-llama3-8b-instruct` and listening on port 8000. The Helm install command automatically installs the endpoint-picker, InferencePool along with provider specific resources.
 
-=== "GKE"
+   Set the chart version and then select a tab to follow the provider-specific instructions.
 
-      ```bash
-      export GATEWAY_PROVIDER=gke
-      export IGW_CHART_VERSION=v1.0.1
-      helm install vllm-llama3-8b-instruct \
-      --set inferencePool.modelServers.matchLabels.app=vllm-llama3-8b-instruct \
-      --set provider.name=$GATEWAY_PROVIDER \
-      --version $IGW_CHART_VERSION \
-      oci://registry.k8s.io/gateway-api-inference-extension/charts/inferencepool
-      ```
-
-=== "Istio"
-
-      ```bash
-      export GATEWAY_PROVIDER=istio
-      export IGW_CHART_VERSION=v1.0.1
-      helm install vllm-llama3-8b-instruct \
-      --set inferencePool.modelServers.matchLabels.app=vllm-llama3-8b-instruct \
-      --set provider.name=$GATEWAY_PROVIDER \
-      --version $IGW_CHART_VERSION \
-      oci://registry.k8s.io/gateway-api-inference-extension/charts/inferencepool
-      ```
-
-=== "Kgateway"
-
-      ```bash
-      export GATEWAY_PROVIDER=none
-      export IGW_CHART_VERSION=v1.0.1
-      helm install vllm-llama3-8b-instruct \
-      --set inferencePool.modelServers.matchLabels.app=vllm-llama3-8b-instruct \
-      --set provider.name=$GATEWAY_PROVIDER \
-      --version $IGW_CHART_VERSION \
-      oci://registry.k8s.io/gateway-api-inference-extension/charts/inferencepool
-      ```
-
-=== "Agentgateway"
+   ```bash
+   export IGW_CHART_VERSION=v1.0.1
+   ```
 
-      ```bash
-      export GATEWAY_PROVIDER=none
-      export IGW_CHART_VERSION=v1.0.1
-      helm install vllm-llama3-8b-instruct \
-      --set inferencePool.modelServers.matchLabels.app=vllm-llama3-8b-instruct \
-      --set provider.name=$GATEWAY_PROVIDER \
-      --version $IGW_CHART_VERSION \
-      oci://registry.k8s.io/gateway-api-inference-extension/charts/inferencepool
-      ```
+--8<-- "site-src/_includes/epp.md"
 
 ### Deploy an Inference Gateway
 
@@ -148,7 +62,7 @@ Tooling:
       2. Deploy Inference Gateway:
 
          ```bash
-         kubectl apply -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/gke/gateway.yaml
+         kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/refs/tags/v1.0.1/config/manifests/gateway/gke/gateway.yaml
          ```
 
          Confirm that the Gateway was assigned an IP address and reports a `Programmed=True` status:
@@ -161,7 +75,7 @@ Tooling:
       3. Deploy the HTTPRoute
 
          ```bash
-         kubectl apply -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/gke/httproute.yaml
+         kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/refs/tags/v1.0.1/config/manifests/gateway/gke/httproute.yaml
          ```
 
       4. Confirm that the HTTPRoute status conditions include `Accepted=True` and `ResolvedRefs=True`:
@@ -169,7 +83,7 @@ Tooling:
          ```bash
          kubectl get httproute llm-route -o yaml
          ```
-   
+
 === "Istio"
 
       Please note that this feature is currently in an experimental phase and is not intended for production use.
@@ -196,7 +110,13 @@ Tooling:
          ./istioctl install --set tag=$TAG --set hub=gcr.io/istio-testing --set values.pilot.env.ENABLE_GATEWAY_API_INFERENCE_EXTENSION=true
          ```
 
-      3. Deploy Gateway
+      3. If your EPP uses secure serving with self-signed certs (default), temporarily bypass TLS verification:
+
+         ```bash
+         kubectl apply -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/istio/destination-rule.yaml
+         ```
+
+      4. Deploy Gateway
 
          ```bash
          kubectl apply -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/istio/gateway.yaml
@@ -209,13 +129,13 @@ Tooling:
          inference-gateway   inference-gateway   <MY_ADDRESS>    True         22s
          ```
 
-      4. Deploy the HTTPRoute
+      5. Deploy the HTTPRoute
 
          ```bash
          kubectl apply -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/istio/httproute.yaml
          ```
 
-      5. Confirm that the HTTPRoute status conditions include `Accepted=True` and `ResolvedRefs=True`:
+      6. Confirm that the HTTPRoute status conditions include `Accepted=True` and `ResolvedRefs=True`:
 
          ```bash
          kubectl get httproute llm-route -o yaml
@@ -224,7 +144,7 @@ Tooling:
 === "Kgateway"
 
       [Kgateway](https://kgateway.dev/) added Inference Gateway support as a **technical preview** in the
-      [v2.0.0 release](https://github.com/kgateway-dev/kgateway/releases/tag/v2.0.0). InferencePool v1.0.0 is currently supported in the latest [rolling release](https://github.com/kgateway-dev/kgateway/releases/tag/v2.1.0-main), which includes the latest changes but may be unstable until the [v2.1.0 release](https://github.com/kgateway-dev/kgateway/milestone/58) is published.
+      [v2.0.0 release](https://github.com/kgateway-dev/kgateway/releases/tag/v2.0.0). InferencePool v1.0.1 is currently supported in the latest [rolling release](https://github.com/kgateway-dev/kgateway/releases/tag/v2.1.0-main), which includes the latest changes but may be unstable until the [v2.1.0 release](https://github.com/kgateway-dev/kgateway/milestone/58) is published.
 
       1. Requirements
 
@@ -247,7 +167,7 @@ Tooling:
       4. Deploy the Gateway
 
          ```bash
-         kubectl apply -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/kgateway/gateway.yaml
+         kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/refs/tags/v1.0.1/config/manifests/gateway/kgateway/gateway.yaml
          ```
 
          Confirm that the Gateway was assigned an IP address and reports a `Programmed=True` status:
@@ -260,7 +180,7 @@ Tooling:
       5. Deploy the HTTPRoute
 
          ```bash
-         kubectl apply -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/kgateway/httproute.yaml
+         kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/refs/tags/v1.0.1/config/manifests/gateway/kgateway/httproute.yaml
          ```
 
       6. Confirm that the HTTPRoute status conditions include `Accepted=True` and `ResolvedRefs=True`:
@@ -271,7 +191,7 @@ Tooling:
 
 === "Agentgateway"
 
-      [Agentgateway](https://agentgateway.dev/) is a purpose-built proxy designed for AI workloads, and comes with native support for Inference Gateway. Agentgateway integrates with [Kgateway](https://kgateway.dev/) as it's control plane. InferencePool v1.0.0 is currently supported in the latest [rolling release](https://github.com/kgateway-dev/kgateway/releases/tag/v2.1.0-main), which includes the latest changes but may be unstable until the [v2.1.0 release](https://github.com/kgateway-dev/kgateway/milestone/58) is published.
+      [Agentgateway](https://agentgateway.dev/) is a purpose-built proxy designed for AI workloads, and comes with native support for Inference Gateway. Agentgateway integrates with [Kgateway](https://kgateway.dev/) as it's control plane. InferencePool v1.0.1 is currently supported in the latest [rolling release](https://github.com/kgateway-dev/kgateway/releases/tag/v2.1.0-main), which includes the latest changes but may be unstable until the [v2.1.0 release](https://github.com/kgateway-dev/kgateway/milestone/58) is published.
 
       1. Requirements
 
@@ -294,7 +214,7 @@ Tooling:
       4. Deploy the Gateway
 
          ```bash
-         kubectl apply -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/agentgateway/gateway.yaml
+         kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/refs/tags/v1.0.1/config/manifests/gateway/agentgateway/gateway.yaml
          ```
 
          Confirm that the Gateway was assigned an IP address and reports a `Programmed=True` status:
@@ -307,7 +227,7 @@ Tooling:
       5. Deploy the HTTPRoute
 
          ```bash
-         kubectl apply -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/agentgateway/httproute.yaml
+         kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/refs/tags/v1.0.1/config/manifests/gateway/agentgateway/httproute.yaml
          ```
 
       6. Confirm that the HTTPRoute status conditions include `Accepted=True` and `ResolvedRefs=True`:
@@ -321,28 +241,12 @@ Tooling:
 Deploy the sample InferenceObjective which allows you to specify priority of requests.
 
    ```bash
-   kubectl apply -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/inferenceobjective.yaml
+   kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/refs/tags/v1.0.1/config/manifests/inferenceobjective.yaml
    ```
 
-### Try it out
+--8<-- "site-src/_includes/test.md"
 
-   Wait until the gateway is ready.
-
-   ```bash
-   IP=$(kubectl get gateway/inference-gateway -o jsonpath='{.status.addresses[0].value}')
-   PORT=80
-
-   curl -i ${IP}:${PORT}/v1/completions -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{
-   "model": "food-review-1",
-   "prompt": "Write as if you were a critic: San Francisco",
-   "max_tokens": 100,
-   "temperature": 0
-   }'
-   ```
-
-### Deploy the Body Based Router Extension (Optional)
-
-This guide has shown how to get started with serving a single base model type per L7 URL path. If after this exercise, you wish to continue on to exercise model-aware routing such that more than 1 base model is served at the same L7 url path, that requires use of the (optional) Body Based Routing (BBR) extension which is described in a separate section of the documentation, namely the [`Serving Multiple GenAI Models`](serve-multiple-genai-models.md) section. If you wish to exercise that function, then retain the setup you have deployed so far from this guide and move on to the additional steps described in [that guide](serve-multiple-genai-models.md) or else move on to the following section to cleanup your setup. 
+--8<-- "site-src/_includes/bbr.md"
 
 ### Cleanup
 
@@ -353,17 +257,17 @@ This guide has shown how to get started with serving a single base model type pe
 
       ```bash
       helm uninstall vllm-llama3-8b-instruct
-      kubectl delete -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/inferenceobjective.yaml --ignore-not-found
-      kubectl delete -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/vllm/cpu-deployment.yaml --ignore-not-found
-      kubectl delete -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/vllm/gpu-deployment.yaml --ignore-not-found
-      kubectl delete -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/vllm/sim-deployment.yaml --ignore-not-found
+      kubectl delete -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/refs/tags/v1.0.1/config/manifests/inferenceobjective.yaml --ignore-not-found
+      kubectl delete -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/refs/tags/v1.0.1/config/manifests/vllm/cpu-deployment.yaml --ignore-not-found
+      kubectl delete -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/refs/tags/v1.0.1/config/manifests/vllm/gpu-deployment.yaml --ignore-not-found
+      kubectl delete -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/refs/tags/v1.0.1/config/manifests/vllm/sim-deployment.yaml --ignore-not-found
       kubectl delete secret hf-token --ignore-not-found
       ```
 
    1. Uninstall the Gateway API Inference Extension CRDs
 
       ```bash
-      kubectl delete -k https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/config/crd --ignore-not-found
+      kubectl delete -k https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/releases/download/v1.0.1/manifests.yaml --ignore-not-found
       ```
       
    1. Choose one of the following options to cleanup the Inference Gateway.
@@ -371,18 +275,18 @@ This guide has shown how to get started with serving a single base model type pe
 === "GKE"
 
       ```bash
-      kubectl delete -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/gke/gateway.yaml --ignore-not-found
-      kubectl delete -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/gke/healthcheck.yaml --ignore-not-found
-      kubectl delete -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/gke/gcp-backend-policy.yaml --ignore-not-found
-      kubectl delete -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/gke/httproute.yaml --ignore-not-found
+      kubectl delete -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/refs/tags/v1.0.1/config/manifests/gateway/gke/gateway.yaml --ignore-not-found
+      kubectl delete -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/refs/tags/v1.0.1/config/manifests/gateway/gke/healthcheck.yaml --ignore-not-found
+      kubectl delete -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/refs/tags/v1.0.1/config/manifests/gateway/gke/gcp-backend-policy.yaml --ignore-not-found
+      kubectl delete -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/refs/tags/v1.0.1/config/manifests/gateway/gke/httproute.yaml --ignore-not-found
       ```
 
 === "Istio"
 
       ```bash
-      kubectl delete -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/istio/gateway.yaml --ignore-not-found
-      kubectl delete -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/istio/destination-rule.yaml --ignore-not-found
-      kubectl delete -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/istio/httproute.yaml --ignore-not-found
+      kubectl delete -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/refs/tags/v1.0.1/config/manifests/gateway/istio/gateway.yaml --ignore-not-found
+      kubectl delete -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/refs/tags/v1.0.1/config/manifests/gateway/istio/destination-rule.yaml --ignore-not-found
+      kubectl delete -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/refs/tags/v1.0.1/config/manifests/gateway/istio/httproute.yaml --ignore-not-found
       ```
 
       The following steps assume you would like to clean up ALL Istio resources that were created in this quickstart guide.
@@ -393,7 +297,7 @@ This guide has shown how to get started with serving a single base model type pe
          istioctl uninstall -y --purge
          ```
 
-      1. Remove the Istio namespace
+      2. Remove the Istio namespace
 
          ```bash
          kubectl delete ns istio-system
@@ -402,8 +306,8 @@ This guide has shown how to get started with serving a single base model type pe
 === "Kgateway"
 
       ```bash
-      kubectl delete -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/kgateway/gateway.yaml --ignore-not-found
-      kubectl delete -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/kgateway/httproute.yaml --ignore-not-found
+      kubectl delete -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/refs/tags/v1.0.1/config/manifests/gateway/kgateway/gateway.yaml --ignore-not-found
+      kubectl delete -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/refs/tags/v1.0.1/config/manifests/gateway/kgateway/httproute.yaml --ignore-not-found
       ```
 
       The following steps assume you would like to cleanup ALL Kgateway resources that were created in this quickstart guide.
@@ -414,13 +318,13 @@ This guide has shown how to get started with serving a single base model type pe
          helm uninstall kgateway -n kgateway-system
          ```
 
-      1. Uninstall the Kgateway CRDs.
+      2. Uninstall the Kgateway CRDs.
 
          ```bash
          helm uninstall kgateway-crds -n kgateway-system
          ```
 
-      1. Remove the Kgateway namespace.
+      3. Remove the Kgateway namespace.
 
          ```bash
          kubectl delete ns kgateway-system
@@ -429,8 +333,8 @@ This guide has shown how to get started with serving a single base model type pe
 === "Agentgateway"
 
       ```bash
-      kubectl delete -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/kgateway/gateway.yaml --ignore-not-found
-      kubectl delete -f https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/raw/main/config/manifests/gateway/kgateway/httproute.yaml --ignore-not-found
+      kubectl delete -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/refs/tags/v1.0.1/config/manifests/gateway/agentgateway/gateway.yaml --ignore-not-found
+      kubectl delete -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-sigs/gateway-api-inference-extension/refs/tags/v1.0.1/config/manifests/gateway/agentgateway/httproute.yaml --ignore-not-found
       ```
 
       The following steps assume you would like to cleanup ALL Kgateway resources that were created in this quickstart guide.
diff --git a/site-src/guides/metrics-and-observability.md b/site-src/guides/metrics-and-observability.md
index 5e1f02e..8bcd952 100644
--- a/site-src/guides/metrics-and-observability.md
+++ b/site-src/guides/metrics-and-observability.md
@@ -53,6 +53,15 @@ This guide describes the current state of exposed metrics and how to scrape them
 |:---------------------------|:-----------------|:-------------------------------------------------|:------------------------------------------|:------------|
 | lora_syncer_adapter_status | Gauge            | Status of LoRA adapters (1=loaded, 0=not_loaded) | `adapter_name`=&lt;adapter-id&gt;         | ALPHA       |
 
+### Flow Control Metrics (Experimental)
+
+These metrics provide insights into the experimental flow control layer within the EPP.
+
+| **Metric name** | **Metric Type**  | <div style="width:200px">**Description**</div>  | <div style="width:250px">**Labels**</div> | **Status**  |
+|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
+| inference_extension_flow_control_request_queue_duration_seconds | Distribution | Distribution of the total time requests spend in the flow control layer. This is measured from the moment a request enters the `EnqueueAndWait` function until it reaches a final outcome (e.g., Dispatched, Rejected, Evicted). | `fairness_id`=&lt;flow-id&gt; <br> `priority`=&lt;flow-priority&gt; <br> `outcome`=&lt;QueueOutcome&gt; | ALPHA |
+| inference_extension_flow_control_queue_size | Gauge | The current number of requests being actively managed by the flow control layer. This counts requests from the moment they enter the `EnqueueAndWait` function until they reach a final outcome. | `fairness_id`=&lt;flow-id&gt; <br> `priority`=&lt;flow-priority&gt; | ALPHA |
+
 ## Scrape Metrics & Pprof profiles
 
 The metrics endpoints are exposed on different ports by default:
diff --git a/site-src/images/alpha-stage.png b/site-src/images/alpha-stage.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7ba1ca5
Binary files /dev/null and b/site-src/images/alpha-stage.png differ
diff --git a/site-src/images/ga-stage.png b/site-src/images/ga-stage.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5448c29
Binary files /dev/null and b/site-src/images/ga-stage.png differ
diff --git a/site-src/images/migration-stage.png b/site-src/images/migration-stage.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9adac2f
Binary files /dev/null and b/site-src/images/migration-stage.png differ


Test patch:
diff --git a/conformance/tests/epp_unavailable_fail_open.yaml b/conformance/tests/epp_unavailable_fail_open.yaml
index 9388a01..df3a6f0 100644
--- a/conformance/tests/epp_unavailable_fail_open.yaml
+++ b/conformance/tests/epp_unavailable_fail_open.yaml
@@ -2,13 +2,13 @@ apiVersion: gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1
 kind: HTTPRoute
 metadata:
   name: httproute-for-failopen-pool-gw
-  namespace: gateway-conformance-app-backend
+  namespace: inference-conformance-app-backend
 spec:
   parentRefs:
   - group: gateway.networking.k8s.io
     kind: Gateway
     name: conformance-secondary
-    namespace: gateway-conformance-infra
+    namespace: inference-conformance-infra
     sectionName: http
   hostnames:
   - "secondary.example.com"
diff --git a/conformance/tests/gateway_following_epp_routing.yaml b/conformance/tests/gateway_following_epp_routing.yaml
index c4db638..d0f441a 100644
--- a/conformance/tests/gateway_following_epp_routing.yaml
+++ b/conformance/tests/gateway_following_epp_routing.yaml
@@ -2,13 +2,13 @@ apiVersion: gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1
 kind: HTTPRoute
 metadata:
   name: httproute-for-primary-gw
-  namespace: gateway-conformance-app-backend
+  namespace: inference-conformance-app-backend
 spec:
   parentRefs:
   - group: gateway.networking.k8s.io
     kind: Gateway
     name: conformance-primary
-    namespace: gateway-conformance-infra
+    namespace: inference-conformance-infra
     sectionName: http
   hostnames:
   - "primary.example.com"
@@ -21,4 +21,3 @@ spec:
     - path:
         type: PathPrefix
         value: /primary-gateway-test
-  
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/conformance/tests/httproute_invalid_inferencepool_ref.yaml b/conformance/tests/httproute_invalid_inferencepool_ref.yaml
index 15e7ad5..a0954cd 100644
--- a/conformance/tests/httproute_invalid_inferencepool_ref.yaml
+++ b/conformance/tests/httproute_invalid_inferencepool_ref.yaml
@@ -2,13 +2,13 @@ apiVersion: gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1
 kind: HTTPRoute
 metadata:
   name: httproute-to-non-existent-pool
-  namespace: gateway-conformance-app-backend
+  namespace: inference-conformance-app-backend
 spec:
   parentRefs:
   - group: gateway.networking.k8s.io
     kind: Gateway
     name: conformance-primary
-    namespace: gateway-conformance-infra
+    namespace: inference-conformance-infra
     sectionName: http
   rules:
   - backendRefs:
diff --git a/conformance/tests/httproute_multiple_gateways_different_pools.yaml b/conformance/tests/httproute_multiple_gateways_different_pools.yaml
index caded16..17bf494 100644
--- a/conformance/tests/httproute_multiple_gateways_different_pools.yaml
+++ b/conformance/tests/httproute_multiple_gateways_different_pools.yaml
@@ -3,12 +3,12 @@ apiVersion: gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1
 kind: HTTPRoute
 metadata:
   name: route-for-primary-gateway
-  namespace: gateway-conformance-app-backend
+  namespace: inference-conformance-app-backend
 spec:
   parentRefs:
   - kind: Gateway
     name: conformance-primary
-    namespace: gateway-conformance-infra
+    namespace: inference-conformance-infra
   hostnames:
   - "primary.example.com"
   rules:
@@ -25,12 +25,12 @@ apiVersion: gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1
 kind: HTTPRoute
 metadata:
   name: route-for-secondary-gateway
-  namespace: gateway-conformance-app-backend
+  namespace: inference-conformance-app-backend
 spec:
   parentRefs:
   - kind: Gateway
     name: conformance-secondary
-    namespace: gateway-conformance-infra
+    namespace: inference-conformance-infra
   hostnames:
   - "secondary.example.com"
   rules:
diff --git a/conformance/tests/inferencepool_accepted.yaml b/conformance/tests/inferencepool_accepted.yaml
index 59710ba..b155ae2 100644
--- a/conformance/tests/inferencepool_accepted.yaml
+++ b/conformance/tests/inferencepool_accepted.yaml
@@ -3,20 +3,20 @@ apiVersion: gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1
 kind: HTTPRoute
 metadata:
   name: httproute-for-inferencepool-accepted
-  namespace: gateway-conformance-app-backend
+  namespace: inference-conformance-app-backend
 spec:
   parentRefs:
   - group: gateway.networking.k8s.io
     kind: Gateway
     name: conformance-primary
-    namespace: gateway-conformance-infra
+    namespace: inference-conformance-infra
     sectionName: http
   rules:
   - backendRefs:
     - group: inference.networking.k8s.io
       kind: InferencePool
       name: primary-inference-pool
-      # namespace: gateway-conformance-app-backend - is omitted since it is in the same namespace as HTTPRoute
+      # namespace: inference-conformance-app-backend - is omitted since it is in the same namespace as HTTPRoute
     matches:
     - path:
         type: PathPrefix
diff --git a/conformance/tests/inferencepool_httproute_port_validation.yaml b/conformance/tests/inferencepool_httproute_port_validation.yaml
index 9c78117..53d8455 100644
--- a/conformance/tests/inferencepool_httproute_port_validation.yaml
+++ b/conformance/tests/inferencepool_httproute_port_validation.yaml
@@ -4,13 +4,13 @@ apiVersion: gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1
 kind: HTTPRoute
 metadata:
   name: httproute-pool-port-unspecified
-  namespace: gateway-conformance-app-backend
+  namespace: inference-conformance-app-backend
 spec:
   parentRefs:
   - group: gateway.networking.k8s.io
     kind: Gateway
     name: conformance-primary
-    namespace: gateway-conformance-infra
+    namespace: inference-conformance-infra
     sectionName: http
   hostnames:
   - "port-unspecified.example.com"
@@ -30,13 +30,13 @@ apiVersion: gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1
 kind: HTTPRoute
 metadata:
   name: httproute-pool-port-matching
-  namespace: gateway-conformance-app-backend
+  namespace: inference-conformance-app-backend
 spec:
   parentRefs:
   - group: gateway.networking.k8s.io
     kind: Gateway
     name: conformance-primary
-    namespace: gateway-conformance-infra
+    namespace: inference-conformance-infra
     sectionName: http
   hostnames:
   - "port-matching.example.com"
@@ -56,13 +56,13 @@ apiVersion: gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1
 kind: HTTPRoute
 metadata:
   name: httproute-pool-port-non-matching
-  namespace: gateway-conformance-app-backend
+  namespace: inference-conformance-app-backend
 spec:
   parentRefs:
   - group: gateway.networking.k8s.io
     kind: Gateway
     name: conformance-primary
-    namespace: gateway-conformance-infra
+    namespace: inference-conformance-infra
     sectionName: http
   hostnames:
   - "port-non-matching.example.com"
diff --git a/conformance/tests/inferencepool_invalid_epp_service.yaml b/conformance/tests/inferencepool_invalid_epp_service.yaml
index b3dc70e..3f3b8c4 100644
--- a/conformance/tests/inferencepool_invalid_epp_service.yaml
+++ b/conformance/tests/inferencepool_invalid_epp_service.yaml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ apiVersion: inference.networking.k8s.io/v1
 kind: InferencePool
 metadata:
   name: pool-with-invalid-epp
-  namespace: gateway-conformance-app-backend
+  namespace: inference-conformance-app-backend
 spec:
   selector:
     matchLabels:
@@ -19,11 +19,11 @@ apiVersion: gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1
 kind: HTTPRoute
 metadata:
   name: httproute-for-invalid-epp-pool
-  namespace: gateway-conformance-app-backend
+  namespace: inference-conformance-app-backend
 spec:
   parentRefs:
   - name: conformance-primary
-    namespace: gateway-conformance-infra
+    namespace: inference-conformance-infra
   rules:
   - backendRefs:
     - name: pool-with-invalid-epp
diff --git a/conformance/tests/inferencepool_multiple_rules_different_pools.yaml b/conformance/tests/inferencepool_multiple_rules_different_pools.yaml
index 2dd8f4a..0539a11 100644
--- a/conformance/tests/inferencepool_multiple_rules_different_pools.yaml
+++ b/conformance/tests/inferencepool_multiple_rules_different_pools.yaml
@@ -3,11 +3,11 @@ apiVersion: gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1
 kind: HTTPRoute
 metadata:
   name: httproute-multiple-rules-different-pools
-  namespace: gateway-conformance-app-backend
+  namespace: inference-conformance-app-backend
 spec:
   parentRefs:
     - name: conformance-primary
-      namespace: gateway-conformance-infra
+      namespace: inference-conformance-infra
   rules:
     - matches:
         - path:
diff --git a/conformance/tests/inferencepool_resolvedrefs_condition.yaml b/conformance/tests/inferencepool_resolvedrefs_condition.yaml
index 8947168..05a2318 100644
--- a/conformance/tests/inferencepool_resolvedrefs_condition.yaml
+++ b/conformance/tests/inferencepool_resolvedrefs_condition.yaml
@@ -8,13 +8,13 @@ apiVersion: gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1
 kind: HTTPRoute
 metadata:
   name: httproute-for-primary-gw
-  namespace: gateway-conformance-app-backend
+  namespace: inference-conformance-app-backend
 spec:
   parentRefs:
   - group: gateway.networking.k8s.io
     kind: Gateway
     name: conformance-primary
-    namespace: gateway-conformance-infra
+    namespace: inference-conformance-infra
     sectionName: http
   hostnames:
   - "primary.example.com"
@@ -33,13 +33,13 @@ apiVersion: gateway.networking.k8s.io/v1
 kind: HTTPRoute
 metadata:
   name: httproute-for-secondary-gw
-  namespace: gateway-conformance-app-backend
+  namespace: inference-conformance-app-backend
 spec:
   parentRefs:
   - group: gateway.networking.k8s.io
     kind: Gateway
     name: conformance-secondary
-    namespace: gateway-conformance-infra
+    namespace: inference-conformance-infra
     sectionName: http
   hostnames:
   - "secondary.example.com"
diff --git a/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/controller/controller_test.go b/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/controller/controller_test.go
index c832e2d..74802f2 100644
--- a/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/controller/controller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/controller/controller_test.go
@@ -14,6 +14,12 @@ See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 limitations under the License.
 */
 
+// Note on Time-Based Lifecycle Tests:
+// Tests validating the controller's handling of request TTLs (e.g., OnReqCtxTimeout*) rely on real-time timers
+// (context.WithDeadline). The injected testclock.FakeClock is used to control the timing of internal loops (like
+// reconciliation), but it cannot manipulate the timers used by the standard context package. Therefore, these specific
+// tests use time.Sleep or assertions on real-time durations.
+
 package controller
 
 import (
@@ -68,23 +74,40 @@ func withShardProcessorFactory(factory shardProcessorFactory) flowControllerOpti
 
 // testHarness holds the `FlowController` and its dependencies under test.
 type testHarness struct {
-	fc                   *FlowController
-	cfg                  Config
-	mockRegistry         *mockRegistryClient
-	mockDetector         *mocks.MockSaturationDetector
+	fc  *FlowController
+	cfg Config
+	// clock is the clock interface used by the controller.
+	clock        clock.WithTicker
+	mockRegistry *mockRegistryClient
+	mockDetector *mocks.MockSaturationDetector
+	// mockClock provides access to FakeClock methods (Step, HasWaiters) if and only if the underlying clock is a
+	// FakeClock.
 	mockClock            *testclock.FakeClock
 	mockProcessorFactory *mockShardProcessorFactory
 }
 
 // newUnitHarness creates a test environment with a mock processor factory, suitable for focused unit tests of the
-// controller's logic. It starts the controller's run loop and returns a cancel function to stop it.
+// controller's logic. It starts the controller's run loop using the provided context for lifecycle management.
 func newUnitHarness(t *testing.T, ctx context.Context, cfg Config, registry *mockRegistryClient) *testHarness {
 	t.Helper()
 	mockDetector := &mocks.MockSaturationDetector{}
+
+	// Initialize the FakeClock with the current system time.
+	// The controller implementation uses the injected clock to calculate the deadline timestamp,vbut uses the standard
+	// context.WithDeadline (which relies on the system clock) to enforce it.
+	// If the FakeClock's time is far from the system time, deadlines calculated based on the FakeClockvmight already be
+	// expired according to the system clock, causing immediate TTL failures.
 	mockClock := testclock.NewFakeClock(time.Now())
+
 	mockProcessorFactory := &mockShardProcessorFactory{
 		processors: make(map[string]*mockShardProcessor),
 	}
+
+	// Default the registry if nil, simplifying tests that don't focus on registry interaction.
+	if registry == nil {
+		registry = &mockRegistryClient{}
+	}
+
 	opts := []flowControllerOption{
 		withRegistryClient(registry),
 		withClock(mockClock),
@@ -96,6 +119,7 @@ func newUnitHarness(t *testing.T, ctx context.Context, cfg Config, registry *moc
 	h := &testHarness{
 		fc:                   fc,
 		cfg:                  cfg,
+		clock:                mockClock,
 		mockRegistry:         registry,
 		mockDetector:         mockDetector,
 		mockClock:            mockClock,
@@ -109,7 +133,13 @@ func newUnitHarness(t *testing.T, ctx context.Context, cfg Config, registry *moc
 func newIntegrationHarness(t *testing.T, ctx context.Context, cfg Config, registry *mockRegistryClient) *testHarness {
 	t.Helper()
 	mockDetector := &mocks.MockSaturationDetector{}
+	// Align FakeClock with system time. See explanation in newUnitHarness.
+
 	mockClock := testclock.NewFakeClock(time.Now())
+	if registry == nil {
+		registry = &mockRegistryClient{}
+	}
+
 	opts := []flowControllerOption{
 		withRegistryClient(registry),
 		withClock(mockClock),
@@ -120,6 +150,7 @@ func newIntegrationHarness(t *testing.T, ctx context.Context, cfg Config, regist
 	h := &testHarness{
 		fc:           fc,
 		cfg:          cfg,
+		clock:        mockClock,
 		mockRegistry: registry,
 		mockDetector: mockDetector,
 		mockClock:    mockClock,
@@ -166,9 +197,11 @@ func (m *mockRegistryClient) ShardStats() []contracts.ShardStats {
 type mockShardProcessor struct {
 	SubmitFunc        func(item *internal.FlowItem) error
 	SubmitOrBlockFunc func(ctx context.Context, item *internal.FlowItem) error
-	runCtx            context.Context
-	runCtxMu          sync.RWMutex
-	runStarted        chan struct{}
+	// runCtx captures the context provided to the Run method for lifecycle assertions.
+	runCtx   context.Context
+	runCtxMu sync.RWMutex
+	// runStarted is closed when the Run method is called, allowing tests to synchronize with worker startup.
+	runStarted chan struct{}
 }
 
 func (m *mockShardProcessor) Submit(item *internal.FlowItem) error {
@@ -192,9 +225,11 @@ func (m *mockShardProcessor) Run(ctx context.Context) {
 	if m.runStarted != nil {
 		close(m.runStarted)
 	}
+	// Block until the context is cancelled, simulating a running worker.
 	<-ctx.Done()
 }
 
+// Context returns the context captured during the Run method call.
 func (m *mockShardProcessor) Context() context.Context {
 	m.runCtxMu.RLock()
 	defer m.runCtxMu.RUnlock()
@@ -207,10 +242,12 @@ type mockShardProcessorFactory struct {
 	processors map[string]*mockShardProcessor
 }
 
+// new is the factory function conforming to the `shardProcessorFactory` signature.
 func (f *mockShardProcessorFactory) new(
+	_ context.Context, // The factory does not use the lifecycle context; it's passed to the processor's Run method later.
 	shard contracts.RegistryShard,
 	_ contracts.SaturationDetector,
-	_ clock.Clock,
+	_ clock.WithTicker,
 	_ time.Duration,
 	_ int,
 	_ logr.Logger,
@@ -220,7 +257,7 @@ func (f *mockShardProcessorFactory) new(
 	if proc, ok := f.processors[shard.ID()]; ok {
 		return proc
 	}
-	// Return a default mock processor if one is not registered.
+	// Return a default mock processor if one is not explicitly registered by the test.
 	return &mockShardProcessor{}
 }
 
@@ -262,9 +299,8 @@ func (b *mockShardBuilder) build() contracts.RegistryShard {
 
 var defaultFlowKey = types.FlowKey{ID: "test-flow", Priority: 100}
 
-func newTestRequest(ctx context.Context, key types.FlowKey) *typesmocks.MockFlowControlRequest {
+func newTestRequest(key types.FlowKey) *typesmocks.MockFlowControlRequest {
 	return &typesmocks.MockFlowControlRequest{
-		Ctx:       ctx,
 		FlowKeyV:  key,
 		ByteSizeV: 100,
 		IDV:       "req-" + key.ID,
@@ -273,6 +309,8 @@ func newTestRequest(ctx context.Context, key types.FlowKey) *typesmocks.MockFlow
 
 // --- Test Cases ---
 
+// TestFlowController_EnqueueAndWait covers the primary API entry point, focusing on validation, distribution logic,
+// retries, and the request lifecycle (including post-distribution cancellation/timeout).
 func TestFlowController_EnqueueAndWait(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
@@ -281,37 +319,80 @@ func TestFlowController_EnqueueAndWait(t *testing.T) {
 
 		t.Run("OnNilRequest", func(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Parallel()
-			h := newUnitHarness(t, t.Context(), Config{}, &mockRegistryClient{})
+			h := newUnitHarness(t, t.Context(), Config{}, nil)
 
-			outcome, err := h.fc.EnqueueAndWait(nil)
+			outcome, err := h.fc.EnqueueAndWait(context.Background(), nil)
 			require.Error(t, err, "EnqueueAndWait must reject a nil request")
-			assert.Equal(t, "request cannot be nil", err.Error())
-			assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther, outcome, "outcome should be QueueOutcomeRejectedOther")
+			assert.Equal(t, "request cannot be nil", err.Error(), "error message must be specific")
+			assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther, outcome,
+				"outcome should be QueueOutcomeRejectedOther for invalid inputs")
 		})
 
+		t.Run("OnReqCtxExpiredBeforeDistribution", func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+			// Test that if the request context provided to EnqueueAndWait is already expired, it returns immediately.
+			h := newUnitHarness(t, t.Context(), Config{DefaultRequestTTL: 1 * time.Minute}, nil)
+
+			// Configure registry to return a shard.
+			shardA := newMockShard("shard-A").build()
+			h.mockRegistry.WithConnectionFunc = func(_ types.FlowKey, fn func(_ contracts.ActiveFlowConnection) error) error {
+				return fn(&mockActiveFlowConnection{ActiveShardsV: []contracts.RegistryShard{shardA}})
+			}
+			// Configure processor to block until context expiry.
+			h.mockProcessorFactory.processors["shard-A"] = &mockShardProcessor{
+				SubmitFunc: func(_ *internal.FlowItem) error { return internal.ErrProcessorBusy },
+				SubmitOrBlockFunc: func(ctx context.Context, _ *internal.FlowItem) error {
+					<-ctx.Done()              // Wait for the context to be done.
+					return context.Cause(ctx) // Return the cause.
+				},
+			}
+
+			req := newTestRequest(defaultFlowKey)
+			// Use a context with a deadline in the past.
+			reqCtx, cancel := context.WithDeadlineCause(
+				context.Background(),
+				h.clock.Now().Add(-1*time.Second),
+				types.ErrTTLExpired)
+			defer cancel()
+
+			outcome, err := h.fc.EnqueueAndWait(reqCtx, req)
+			require.Error(t, err, "EnqueueAndWait must fail if request context deadline is exceeded")
+			assert.ErrorIs(t, err, types.ErrRejected, "error should wrap ErrRejected")
+			assert.ErrorIs(t, err, types.ErrTTLExpired, "error should wrap types.ErrTTLExpired from the context cause")
+			assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther, outcome, "outcome should be QueueOutcomeRejectedOther")
+		})
 		t.Run("OnControllerShutdown", func(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Parallel()
+			// Create a context specifically for the controller's lifecycle.
 			ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(t.Context())
-			h := newUnitHarness(t, ctx, Config{}, &mockRegistryClient{})
+			h := newUnitHarness(t, ctx, Config{}, nil)
 			cancel() // Immediately stop the controller.
 
-			req := newTestRequest(context.Background(), defaultFlowKey)
-			outcome, err := h.fc.EnqueueAndWait(req)
+			// Wait for the controller's run loop and all workers (none in this case) to exit.
+			// We need to wait because the shutdown process is asynchronous.
+			h.fc.wg.Wait()
+
+			req := newTestRequest(defaultFlowKey)
+			// The request context is valid, but the controller itself is stopped.
+			outcome, err := h.fc.EnqueueAndWait(context.Background(), req)
 			require.Error(t, err, "EnqueueAndWait must reject requests if controller is not running")
 			assert.ErrorIs(t, err, types.ErrRejected, "error should wrap ErrRejected")
 			assert.ErrorIs(t, err, types.ErrFlowControllerNotRunning, "error should wrap ErrFlowControllerNotRunning")
-			assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther, outcome, "outcome should be QueueOutcomeRejectedOther")
+			assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther, outcome,
+				"outcome should be QueueOutcomeRejectedOther on shutdown")
 		})
 
 		t.Run("OnNoShardsAvailable", func(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Parallel()
-			h := newUnitHarness(t, t.Context(), Config{}, &mockRegistryClient{})
+			// The default mockRegistryClient returns an empty list of ActiveShards.
+			h := newUnitHarness(t, t.Context(), Config{}, nil)
 
-			req := newTestRequest(context.Background(), defaultFlowKey)
-			outcome, err := h.fc.EnqueueAndWait(req)
+			req := newTestRequest(defaultFlowKey)
+			outcome, err := h.fc.EnqueueAndWait(context.Background(), req)
 			require.Error(t, err, "EnqueueAndWait must reject requests if no shards are available")
 			assert.ErrorIs(t, err, types.ErrRejected, "error should wrap ErrRejected")
-			assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeRejectedCapacity, outcome, "outcome should be QueueOutcomeRejectedCapacity")
+			assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeRejectedCapacity, outcome,
+				"outcome should be QueueOutcomeRejectedCapacity when no shards exist for the flow")
 		})
 
 		t.Run("OnRegistryConnectionError", func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -319,7 +400,8 @@ func TestFlowController_EnqueueAndWait(t *testing.T) {
 			mockRegistry := &mockRegistryClient{}
 			h := newUnitHarness(t, t.Context(), Config{}, mockRegistry)
 
-			expectedErr := errors.New("connection failed")
+			expectedErr := errors.New("simulated connection failure")
+			// Configure the registry to fail when attempting to retrieve ActiveFlowConnection.
 			mockRegistry.WithConnectionFunc = func(
 				_ types.FlowKey,
 				_ func(conn contracts.ActiveFlowConnection) error,
@@ -327,23 +409,27 @@ func TestFlowController_EnqueueAndWait(t *testing.T) {
 				return expectedErr
 			}
 
-			req := newTestRequest(context.Background(), defaultFlowKey)
-			outcome, err := h.fc.EnqueueAndWait(req)
+			req := newTestRequest(defaultFlowKey)
+			outcome, err := h.fc.EnqueueAndWait(context.Background(), req)
 			require.Error(t, err, "EnqueueAndWait must reject requests if registry connection fails")
 			assert.ErrorIs(t, err, types.ErrRejected, "error should wrap ErrRejected")
 			assert.ErrorIs(t, err, expectedErr, "error should wrap the underlying connection error")
-			assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther, outcome, "outcome should be QueueOutcomeRejectedOther")
+			assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther, outcome,
+				"outcome should be QueueOutcomeRejectedOther for transient registry errors")
 		})
 
+		// This test validates the documented invariant handling in distributeRequest.
 		t.Run("PanicsOnManagedQueueError", func(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Parallel()
 			mockRegistry := &mockRegistryClient{}
 			h := newUnitHarness(t, t.Context(), Config{}, mockRegistry)
 
+			// Create a faulty shard that successfully leases the flow but fails to return the
+			// ManagedQueue.
 			faultyShard := &mocks.MockRegistryShard{
 				IDFunc: func() string { return "faulty-shard" },
 				ManagedQueueFunc: func(_ types.FlowKey) (contracts.ManagedQueue, error) {
-					return nil, errors.New("queue retrieval failed")
+					return nil, errors.New("invariant violation: queue retrieval failed")
 				},
 			}
 			mockRegistry.WithConnectionFunc = func(
@@ -353,22 +439,30 @@ func TestFlowController_EnqueueAndWait(t *testing.T) {
 				return fn(&mockActiveFlowConnection{ActiveShardsV: []contracts.RegistryShard{faultyShard}})
 			}
 
-			req := newTestRequest(context.Background(), defaultFlowKey)
+			req := newTestRequest(defaultFlowKey)
 			assert.Panics(t, func() {
-				_, _ = h.fc.EnqueueAndWait(req)
-			}, "EnqueueAndWait did not panic as expected on a ManagedQueue error")
+				_, _ = h.fc.EnqueueAndWait(context.Background(), req)
+			}, "EnqueueAndWait must panic when a registry implementation violates the ManagedQueue contract")
 		})
 	})
 
+	// Distribution tests validate the JSQ-Bytes algorithm, the two-phase submission strategy, and error handling during
+	// the handoff, including time-based failures during blocking fallback.
 	t.Run("Distribution", func(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Parallel()
 
+		// Define a long default TTL to prevent unexpected timeouts unless a test case explicitly sets a shorter one.
+		const defaultTestTTL = 5 * time.Second
+
 		testCases := []struct {
 			name            string
 			shards          []contracts.RegistryShard
 			setupProcessors func(t *testing.T, h *testHarness)
+			// requestTTL overrides the default TTL for time-sensitive tests.
+			requestTTL      time.Duration
 			expectedOutcome types.QueueOutcome
 			expectErr       bool
+			expectErrIs     error
 		}{
 			{
 				name:   "SubmitSucceeds_NonBlocking_WithSingleActiveShard",
@@ -376,7 +470,8 @@ func TestFlowController_EnqueueAndWait(t *testing.T) {
 				setupProcessors: func(t *testing.T, h *testHarness) {
 					h.mockProcessorFactory.processors["shard-A"] = &mockShardProcessor{
 						SubmitFunc: func(item *internal.FlowItem) error {
-							go item.Finalize(types.QueueOutcomeDispatched, nil)
+							// Simulate asynchronous processing and successful dispatch.
+							go item.FinalizeWithOutcome(types.QueueOutcomeDispatched, nil)
 							return nil
 						},
 					}
@@ -386,19 +481,20 @@ func TestFlowController_EnqueueAndWait(t *testing.T) {
 			{
 				name: "DistributesToLeastLoadedShard_WithMultipleActiveShards",
 				shards: []contracts.RegistryShard{
-					newMockShard("shard-A").withByteSize(1000).build(),
-					newMockShard("shard-B").withByteSize(100).build(),
+					newMockShard("shard-A").withByteSize(1000).build(), // More loaded
+					newMockShard("shard-B").withByteSize(100).build(),  // Least loaded
 				},
 				setupProcessors: func(t *testing.T, h *testHarness) {
 					h.mockProcessorFactory.processors["shard-A"] = &mockShardProcessor{
 						SubmitFunc: func(_ *internal.FlowItem) error {
-							t.Error("Submit was called on the more loaded shard (shard-A), which is incorrect")
+							t.Error("Submit was called on the more loaded shard (shard-A); JSQ-Bytes algorithm failed")
 							return internal.ErrProcessorBusy
 						},
 					}
 					h.mockProcessorFactory.processors["shard-B"] = &mockShardProcessor{
 						SubmitFunc: func(item *internal.FlowItem) error {
-							go item.Finalize(types.QueueOutcomeDispatched, nil)
+							item.SetHandle(&typesmocks.MockQueueItemHandle{})
+							go item.FinalizeWithOutcome(types.QueueOutcomeDispatched, nil)
 							return nil
 						},
 					}
@@ -412,13 +508,16 @@ func TestFlowController_EnqueueAndWait(t *testing.T) {
 					newMockShard("shard-B").withByteSize(100).build(),
 				},
 				setupProcessors: func(t *testing.T, h *testHarness) {
+					// Both processors reject the initial non-blocking Submit.
 					h.mockProcessorFactory.processors["shard-A"] = &mockShardProcessor{
 						SubmitFunc: func(_ *internal.FlowItem) error { return internal.ErrProcessorBusy },
 					}
+					// Shard-B is the least loaded, so it should receive the blocking fallback (SubmitOrBlock).
 					h.mockProcessorFactory.processors["shard-B"] = &mockShardProcessor{
 						SubmitFunc: func(_ *internal.FlowItem) error { return internal.ErrProcessorBusy },
 						SubmitOrBlockFunc: func(_ context.Context, item *internal.FlowItem) error {
-							go item.Finalize(types.QueueOutcomeDispatched, nil)
+							// The blocking call succeeds.
+							go item.FinalizeWithOutcome(types.QueueOutcomeDispatched, nil)
 							return nil
 						},
 					}
@@ -426,24 +525,78 @@ func TestFlowController_EnqueueAndWait(t *testing.T) {
 				expectedOutcome: types.QueueOutcomeDispatched,
 			},
 			{
-				name:   "Rejects_AfterBlocking_WithAllProcessorsRemainingBusy",
+				// Validates the scenario where the request's TTL expires while the controller is blocked waiting for capacity.
+				// NOTE: This relies on real time passing, as context.WithDeadline timers cannot be controlled by FakeClock.
+				name:       "Rejects_AfterBlocking_WhenTTL_Expires",
+				shards:     []contracts.RegistryShard{newMockShard("shard-A").build()},
+				requestTTL: 50 * time.Millisecond, // Short TTL to keep the test fast.
+				setupProcessors: func(t *testing.T, h *testHarness) {
+					h.mockProcessorFactory.processors["shard-A"] = &mockShardProcessor{
+						// Reject the non-blocking attempt.
+						SubmitFunc: func(_ *internal.FlowItem) error { return internal.ErrProcessorBusy },
+						// Block the fallback attempt until the context (carrying the TTL deadline) expires.
+						SubmitOrBlockFunc: func(ctx context.Context, _ *internal.FlowItem) error {
+							<-ctx.Done()
+							return ctx.Err()
+						},
+					}
+				},
+				// No runActions needed; we rely on the real-time timer to expire.
+				// When the blocking call fails due to context expiry, the outcome is RejectedOther.
+				expectedOutcome: types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther,
+				expectErr:       true,
+				// The error must reflect the specific cause of the context cancellation (ErrTTLExpired).
+				expectErrIs: types.ErrTTLExpired,
+			},
+			{
+				name:   "Rejects_OnProcessorShutdownDuringSubmit",
 				shards: []contracts.RegistryShard{newMockShard("shard-A").build()},
 				setupProcessors: func(t *testing.T, h *testHarness) {
 					h.mockProcessorFactory.processors["shard-A"] = &mockShardProcessor{
-						SubmitFunc:        func(_ *internal.FlowItem) error { return internal.ErrProcessorBusy },
-						SubmitOrBlockFunc: func(_ context.Context, _ *internal.FlowItem) error { return context.DeadlineExceeded },
+						// Simulate the processor shutting down during the non-blocking handoff.
+						SubmitFunc: func(_ *internal.FlowItem) error { return types.ErrFlowControllerNotRunning },
+						SubmitOrBlockFunc: func(_ context.Context, _ *internal.FlowItem) error {
+							return types.ErrFlowControllerNotRunning
+						},
 					}
 				},
-				expectedOutcome: types.QueueOutcomeRejectedCapacity,
+				expectedOutcome: types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther,
 				expectErr:       true,
+				expectErrIs:     types.ErrFlowControllerNotRunning,
+			},
+			{
+				name:   "Rejects_OnProcessorShutdownDuringSubmitOrBlock",
+				shards: []contracts.RegistryShard{newMockShard("shard-A").build()},
+				setupProcessors: func(t *testing.T, h *testHarness) {
+					h.mockProcessorFactory.processors["shard-A"] = &mockShardProcessor{
+						SubmitFunc: func(_ *internal.FlowItem) error { return internal.ErrProcessorBusy },
+						// Simulate the processor shutting down during the blocking handoff.
+						SubmitOrBlockFunc: func(_ context.Context, _ *internal.FlowItem) error {
+							return types.ErrFlowControllerNotRunning
+						},
+					}
+				},
+				expectedOutcome: types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther,
+				expectErr:       true,
+				expectErrIs:     types.ErrFlowControllerNotRunning,
 			},
 		}
 
 		for _, tc := range testCases {
 			t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 				t.Parallel()
+
+				// Arrange
 				mockRegistry := &mockRegistryClient{}
-				h := newUnitHarness(t, t.Context(), Config{}, mockRegistry)
+
+				// Configure the harness with the appropriate TTL.
+				harnessConfig := Config{DefaultRequestTTL: defaultTestTTL}
+				if tc.requestTTL > 0 {
+					harnessConfig.DefaultRequestTTL = tc.requestTTL
+				}
+				h := newUnitHarness(t, t.Context(), harnessConfig, mockRegistry)
+
+				// Configure the registry to return the specified shards.
 				mockRegistry.WithConnectionFunc = func(
 					_ types.FlowKey,
 					fn func(conn contracts.ActiveFlowConnection) error,
@@ -451,11 +604,33 @@ func TestFlowController_EnqueueAndWait(t *testing.T) {
 					return fn(&mockActiveFlowConnection{ActiveShardsV: tc.shards})
 				}
 				tc.setupProcessors(t, h)
-				outcome, err := h.fc.EnqueueAndWait(newTestRequest(context.Background(), defaultFlowKey))
+
+				// Act
+				var outcome types.QueueOutcome
+				var err error
+
+				startTime := time.Now() // Capture real start time for duration checks.
+				// Use a background context for the parent; the request lifecycle is governed by the config/derived context.
+				outcome, err = h.fc.EnqueueAndWait(context.Background(), newTestRequest(defaultFlowKey))
+
+				// Assert
 				if tc.expectErr {
-					require.Error(t, err, "expected an error but got nil")
+					require.Error(t, err, "expected an error during EnqueueAndWait but got nil")
+					assert.ErrorIs(t, err, tc.expectErrIs, "error should wrap the expected underlying cause")
+					// All failures during the distribution phase (capacity, timeout, shutdown) should result in a rejection.
+					assert.ErrorIs(t, err, types.ErrRejected, "rejection errors must wrap types.ErrRejected")
+
+					// Specific assertion for real-time TTL tests.
+					if errors.Is(tc.expectErrIs, types.ErrTTLExpired) {
+						duration := time.Since(startTime)
+						// Ensure the test didn't return instantly. Use a tolerance for CI environments.
+						// This validates that the real-time wait actually occurred.
+						assert.GreaterOrEqual(t, duration, tc.requestTTL-30*time.Millisecond,
+							"EnqueueAndWait returned faster than the TTL allows, indicating the timer did not function correctly")
+					}
+
 				} else {
-					require.NoError(t, err, "expected no error but got: %v", err)
+					require.NoError(t, err, "expected no error during EnqueueAndWait but got: %v", err)
 				}
 				assert.Equal(t, tc.expectedOutcome, outcome, "outcome did not match expected value")
 			})
@@ -465,6 +640,8 @@ func TestFlowController_EnqueueAndWait(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("Retry", func(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Parallel()
 
+		// This test specifically validates the behavior when the request context is cancelled externally while the
+		// controller is blocked in the SubmitOrBlock phase.
 		t.Run("Rejects_OnRequestContextCancelledWhileBlocking", func(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Parallel()
 			mockRegistry := &mockRegistryClient{
@@ -477,22 +654,34 @@ func TestFlowController_EnqueueAndWait(t *testing.T) {
 					})
 				},
 			}
-			h := newUnitHarness(t, t.Context(), Config{}, mockRegistry)
+			// Use a long TTL to ensure the failure is due to cancellation, not timeout.
+			h := newUnitHarness(t, t.Context(), Config{DefaultRequestTTL: 10 * time.Second}, mockRegistry)
 			h.mockProcessorFactory.processors["shard-A"] = &mockShardProcessor{
-				SubmitFunc:        func(_ *internal.FlowItem) error { return internal.ErrProcessorBusy },
-				SubmitOrBlockFunc: func(ctx context.Context, _ *internal.FlowItem) error { <-ctx.Done(); return ctx.Err() },
+				// Reject non-blocking attempt.
+				SubmitFunc: func(_ *internal.FlowItem) error { return internal.ErrProcessorBusy },
+				// Block the fallback attempt until the context is cancelled.
+				SubmitOrBlockFunc: func(ctx context.Context, _ *internal.FlowItem) error {
+					<-ctx.Done()
+					return ctx.Err()
+				},
 			}
+
+			// Create a cancellable context for the request.
 			reqCtx, cancelReq := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
-			go func() { time.Sleep(50 * time.Millisecond); cancelReq() }()
+			// Cancel the request shortly after starting the operation.
+			// We use real time sleep here as we are testing external cancellation signals interacting with the context.
+			go func() { time.Sleep(10 * time.Millisecond); cancelReq() }()
 
-			outcome, err := h.fc.EnqueueAndWait(newTestRequest(reqCtx, defaultFlowKey))
+			outcome, err := h.fc.EnqueueAndWait(reqCtx, newTestRequest(defaultFlowKey))
 
 			require.Error(t, err, "EnqueueAndWait must fail when context is cancelled during a blocking submit")
 			assert.ErrorIs(t, err, types.ErrRejected, "error should wrap ErrRejected")
-			assert.ErrorIs(t, err, context.Canceled, "error should wrap the underlying ctx.Err()")
-			assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeRejectedCapacity, outcome, "outcome should be QueueOutcomeRejectedCapacity")
+			assert.ErrorIs(t, err, context.Canceled, "error should wrap the underlying ctx.Err() (context.Canceled)")
+			assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther, outcome,
+				"outcome should be QueueOutcomeRejectedOther when cancelled during distribution")
 		})
 
+		// This test validates the retry mechanism when a processor reports that its shard is draining.
 		t.Run("RetriesAndSucceeds_OnProcessorReportsShardDraining", func(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Parallel()
 			var callCount atomic.Int32
@@ -504,106 +693,278 @@ func TestFlowController_EnqueueAndWait(t *testing.T) {
 					attempt := callCount.Add(1)
 					shardA := newMockShard("shard-A").withByteSize(100).build()
 					shardB := newMockShard("shard-B").withByteSize(1000).build()
+
 					if attempt == 1 {
+						// Attempt 1: Shard A is the least loaded and is selected.
 						return fn(&mockActiveFlowConnection{ActiveShardsV: []contracts.RegistryShard{shardA, shardB}})
 					}
+					// Attempt 2 (Retry): Assume Shard A is now draining and removed from the active set by the registry.
 					return fn(&mockActiveFlowConnection{ActiveShardsV: []contracts.RegistryShard{shardB}})
 				},
 			}
-			h := newUnitHarness(t, t.Context(), Config{}, mockRegistry)
+			// Use a long TTL to ensure retries don't time out.
+			h := newUnitHarness(t, t.Context(), Config{DefaultRequestTTL: 10 * time.Second}, mockRegistry)
+
+			// Configure Shard A's processor to reject the request due to draining.
 			h.mockProcessorFactory.processors["shard-A"] = &mockShardProcessor{
 				SubmitFunc: func(item *internal.FlowItem) error {
-					go item.Finalize(types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther, contracts.ErrShardDraining)
+					// The processor accepts the item but then asynchronously finalizes it with ErrShardDraining.
+					item.SetHandle(&typesmocks.MockQueueItemHandle{})
+					go item.FinalizeWithOutcome(types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther, contracts.ErrShardDraining)
 					return nil
 				},
 			}
+			// Configure Shard B's processor to successfully dispatch the request on the retry.
 			h.mockProcessorFactory.processors["shard-B"] = &mockShardProcessor{
 				SubmitFunc: func(item *internal.FlowItem) error {
-					go item.Finalize(types.QueueOutcomeDispatched, nil)
+					go item.FinalizeWithOutcome(types.QueueOutcomeDispatched, nil)
 					return nil
 				},
 			}
 
-			outcome, err := h.fc.EnqueueAndWait(newTestRequest(context.Background(), defaultFlowKey))
+			// Act
+			outcome, err := h.fc.EnqueueAndWait(context.Background(), newTestRequest(defaultFlowKey))
+
+			// Assert
 			require.NoError(t, err, "EnqueueAndWait must succeed after retrying on a healthy shard")
 			assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeDispatched, outcome, "outcome should be QueueOutcomeDispatched")
 			assert.Equal(t, int32(2), callCount.Load(), "registry must be consulted for Active shards on each retry attempt")
 		})
 	})
+
+	// Lifecycle covers the post-distribution phase, focusing on how the controller handles context cancellation and TTL
+	// expiry while the request is buffered or queued by the processor (Asynchronous Finalization).
+	t.Run("Lifecycle", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Parallel()
+
+		// Validates that the controller correctly initiates asynchronous finalization when the request context is cancelled
+		// after ownership has been transferred to the processor.
+		t.Run("OnReqCtxCancelledAfterDistribution", func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+			// Use a long TTL to ensure the failure is due to cancellation.
+			h := newUnitHarness(t, t.Context(), Config{DefaultRequestTTL: 10 * time.Second}, nil)
+
+			shardA := newMockShard("shard-A").build()
+			h.mockRegistry.WithConnectionFunc = func(_ types.FlowKey, fn func(_ contracts.ActiveFlowConnection) error) error {
+				return fn(&mockActiveFlowConnection{ActiveShardsV: []contracts.RegistryShard{shardA}})
+			}
+
+			// Channel for synchronization.
+			itemSubmitted := make(chan *internal.FlowItem, 1)
+
+			// Configure the processor to accept the item but never finalize it, simulating a queued request.
+			h.mockProcessorFactory.processors["shard-A"] = &mockShardProcessor{
+				SubmitFunc: func(item *internal.FlowItem) error {
+					item.SetHandle(&typesmocks.MockQueueItemHandle{})
+					itemSubmitted <- item
+					return nil
+				},
+			}
+
+			reqCtx, cancelReq := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+			req := newTestRequest(defaultFlowKey)
+
+			var outcome types.QueueOutcome
+			var err error
+			done := make(chan struct{})
+			go func() {
+				outcome, err = h.fc.EnqueueAndWait(reqCtx, req)
+				close(done)
+			}()
+
+			// 1. Wait for the item to be successfully distributed.
+			var item *internal.FlowItem
+			select {
+			case item = <-itemSubmitted:
+				// Success. Ownership has transferred. EnqueueAndWait is now in the select loop.
+			case <-time.After(1 * time.Second):
+				t.Fatal("timed out waiting for item to be submitted to the processor")
+			}
+
+			// 2. Cancel the request context.
+			cancelReq()
+
+			// 3. Wait for EnqueueAndWait to return.
+			select {
+			case <-done:
+				// Success. The controller detected the cancellation and unblocked the caller.
+			case <-time.After(1 * time.Second):
+				t.Fatal("timed out waiting for EnqueueAndWait to return after cancellation")
+			}
+
+			// 4. Assertions for EnqueueAndWait's return values.
+			require.Error(t, err, "EnqueueAndWait should return an error when the request is cancelled post-distribution")
+			// The outcome should be Evicted (as the handle was set).
+			assert.ErrorIs(t, err, types.ErrEvicted, "error should wrap ErrEvicted")
+			// The underlying cause must be propagated.
+			assert.ErrorIs(t, err, types.ErrContextCancelled, "error should wrap ErrContextCancelled")
+			assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeEvictedContextCancelled, outcome, "outcome should be EvictedContextCancelled")
+
+			// 5. Assert that the FlowItem itself was indeed finalized by the controller.
+			finalState := item.FinalState()
+			require.NotNil(t, finalState, "Item should have been finalized asynchronously by the controller")
+			assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeEvictedContextCancelled, finalState.Outcome,
+				"Item's internal outcome must match the returned outcome")
+		})
+
+		// Validates the asynchronous finalization path due to TTL expiry.
+		// Note: This relies on real time passing, as context.WithDeadline timers cannot be controlled by FakeClock.
+		t.Run("OnReqCtxTimeoutAfterDistribution", func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+			// Configure a short TTL to keep the test reasonably fast.
+			const requestTTL = 50 * time.Millisecond
+			h := newUnitHarness(t, t.Context(), Config{DefaultRequestTTL: requestTTL}, nil)
+
+			shardA := newMockShard("shard-A").build()
+			h.mockRegistry.WithConnectionFunc = func(_ types.FlowKey, fn func(_ contracts.ActiveFlowConnection) error) error {
+				return fn(&mockActiveFlowConnection{ActiveShardsV: []contracts.RegistryShard{shardA}})
+			}
+
+			itemSubmitted := make(chan *internal.FlowItem, 1)
+
+			// Configure the processor to accept the item but never finalize it.
+			h.mockProcessorFactory.processors["shard-A"] = &mockShardProcessor{
+				SubmitFunc: func(item *internal.FlowItem) error {
+					item.SetHandle(&typesmocks.MockQueueItemHandle{})
+					itemSubmitted <- item
+					return nil
+				},
+			}
+
+			req := newTestRequest(defaultFlowKey)
+			// Use a context for the call itself that won't time out independently.
+			enqueueCtx, enqueueCancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 2*time.Second)
+			defer enqueueCancel()
+
+			var outcome types.QueueOutcome
+			var err error
+			done := make(chan struct{})
+
+			startTime := time.Now() // Capture start time to validate duration.
+			go func() {
+				outcome, err = h.fc.EnqueueAndWait(enqueueCtx, req)
+				close(done)
+			}()
+
+			// 1. Wait for the item to be submitted.
+			var item *internal.FlowItem
+			select {
+			case item = <-itemSubmitted:
+			case <-time.After(1 * time.Second):
+				t.Fatal("timed out waiting for item to be submitted to the processor")
+			}
+
+			// 2.Wait for the TTL to expire (Real time). We do NOT call Step().
+			// Wait for EnqueueAndWait to return due to the TTL expiry.
+			select {
+			case <-done:
+				// Success. Now validate that enough time actually passed.
+				duration := time.Since(startTime)
+				assert.GreaterOrEqual(t, duration, requestTTL-30*time.Millisecond, // tolerance for CI environments
+					"EnqueueAndWait returned faster than the TTL allows, indicating the timer did not function correctly")
+			case <-time.After(1 * time.Second):
+				t.Fatal("timed out waiting for EnqueueAndWait to return after TTL expiry")
+			}
+
+			// 4. Assertions for EnqueueAndWait's return values.
+			require.Error(t, err, "EnqueueAndWait should return an error when TTL expires post-distribution")
+			assert.ErrorIs(t, err, types.ErrEvicted, "error should wrap ErrEvicted")
+			assert.ErrorIs(t, err, types.ErrTTLExpired, "error should wrap the underlying cause (types.ErrTTLExpired)")
+			assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeEvictedTTL, outcome, "outcome should be EvictedTTL")
+
+			// 5. Assert FlowItem final state.
+			finalState := item.FinalState()
+			require.NotNil(t, finalState, "Item should have been finalized asynchronously by the controller")
+			assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeEvictedTTL, finalState.Outcome,
+				"Item's internal outcome must match the returned outcome")
+		})
+	})
 }
 
-func TestFlowController_Lifecycle(t *testing.T) {
+// TestFlowController_WorkerManagement covers the lifecycle of the shard processors (workers), including startup,
+// reconciliation (garbage collection), and shutdown.
+func TestFlowController_WorkerManagement(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
+	// Reconciliation validates that the controller correctly identifies and shuts down workers whose shards no longer
+	// exist in the registry.
 	t.Run("Reconciliation", func(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Parallel()
 
+		// Setup: A registry that initially knows about "shard-A" and "stale-shard", but later only reports "shard-A".
 		mockRegistry := &mockRegistryClient{
-			// Configure the mock registry to report the new state without the stale shard.
 			ShardStatsFunc: func() []contracts.ShardStats {
+				// The current state of the world according to the registry.
 				return []contracts.ShardStats{{ID: "shard-A"}}
 			}}
 		h := newUnitHarness(t, t.Context(), Config{}, mockRegistry)
 
-		// Pre-populate the controller with initial workers.
+		// Pre-populate the controller with initial workers, simulating a previous state.
 		initialShards := []string{"shard-A", "stale-shard"}
 		for _, shardID := range initialShards {
 			currentShardID := shardID
+			// Initialize the processor mocks with the channel needed to synchronize startup.
 			h.mockProcessorFactory.processors[currentShardID] = &mockShardProcessor{runStarted: make(chan struct{})}
 			shard := &mocks.MockRegistryShard{IDFunc: func() string { return currentShardID }}
+			// Start the worker using the internal mechanism.
 			h.fc.getOrStartWorker(shard)
 		}
 		require.Len(t, h.mockProcessorFactory.processors, 2, "pre-condition: initial workers not set up correctly")
 
-		// Wait for all workers to have started and set their contexts before proceeding with the test.
+		// Wait for all worker goroutines to have started and captured their contexts.
 		for id, p := range h.mockProcessorFactory.processors {
 			proc := p
 			select {
 			case <-proc.runStarted:
-				// Success
+				// Worker is running.
 			case <-time.After(2 * time.Second):
 				t.Fatalf("timed out waiting for worker %s to start", id)
 			}
 		}
 
-		// Manually trigger the reconciliation loop logic.
+		// Act: Manually trigger the reconciliation logic.
 		h.fc.reconcileProcessors()
 
 		t.Run("StaleWorkerIsCancelled", func(t *testing.T) {
 			staleProc := h.mockProcessorFactory.processors["stale-shard"]
 			require.NotNil(t, staleProc.Context(), "precondition: stale processor context should have been captured")
+			// The context of the removed worker must be cancelled to signal shutdown.
 			select {
 			case <-staleProc.Context().Done():
-				// Success
+				// Success: Context was cancelled.
 			case <-time.After(100 * time.Millisecond):
-				t.Error("context of removed worker must be cancelled")
+				t.Error("context of the stale worker was not cancelled during reconciliation")
 			}
 		})
 
 		t.Run("ActiveWorkerIsNotCancelled", func(t *testing.T) {
 			activeProc := h.mockProcessorFactory.processors["shard-A"]
 			require.NotNil(t, activeProc.Context(), "precondition: active processor context should have been captured")
+			// The context of an active worker must remain open.
 			select {
 			case <-activeProc.Context().Done():
-				t.Error("context of remaining worker must not be cancelled")
+				t.Error("context of the active worker was incorrectly cancelled during reconciliation")
 			default:
-				// Success
+				// Success: Context is still active.
 			}
 		})
 
 		t.Run("WorkerMapIsUpdated", func(t *testing.T) {
+			// The stale worker must be removed from the controller's concurrent map.
 			_, ok := h.fc.workers.Load("stale-shard")
-			assert.False(t, ok, "stale worker must be removed from the controller's map")
+			assert.False(t, ok, "stale worker must be deleted from the controller's map")
 			_, ok = h.fc.workers.Load("shard-A")
 			assert.True(t, ok, "active worker must remain in the controller's map")
 		})
 	})
 
+	// Validates that the reconciliation loop runs periodically based on the configured interval.
 	t.Run("Reconciliation_IsTriggeredByTicker", func(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Parallel()
-		reconciliationInterval := 10 * time.Second
+		const reconciliationInterval = 10 * time.Second
 		mockRegistry := &mockRegistryClient{}
 
+		// Count the number of times the reconciliation logic (which calls ShardStats) runs.
 		var reconcileCount atomic.Int32
 		mockRegistry.ShardStatsFunc = func() []contracts.ShardStats {
 			reconcileCount.Add(1)
@@ -611,45 +972,55 @@ func TestFlowController_Lifecycle(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 
 		h := newUnitHarness(t, t.Context(), Config{ProcessorReconciliationInterval: reconciliationInterval}, mockRegistry)
+		// Ensure we are using the FakeClock specifically for this test, as we need Step/HasWaiters.
+		require.NotNil(t, h.mockClock, "This test requires the harness to be using FakeClock")
 
 		// Wait for the reconciliation loop to start and create the ticker.
-		// This prevents a race where the clock is stepped before the ticker is registered.
-		require.Eventually(t, h.mockClock.HasWaiters, time.Second, 10*time.Millisecond, "ticker was not created")
+		// This prevents a race where the clock is stepped before the ticker is registered with the FakeClock.
+		require.Eventually(t, h.mockClock.HasWaiters, time.Second, 10*time.Millisecond,
+			"reconciliation ticker was not created")
 
-		// Advance the clock to trigger the next reconciliation.
+		// Advance the clock to trigger the first reconciliation.
 		h.mockClock.Step(reconciliationInterval)
 
 		assert.Eventually(t, func() bool {
 			return reconcileCount.Load() == 1
-		}, time.Second, 10*time.Millisecond, "reconciliation was not triggered by the ticker")
+		}, time.Second, 10*time.Millisecond, "reconciliation was not triggered by the first ticker event")
 
 		// Advance the clock again to ensure it continues to fire.
 		h.mockClock.Step(reconciliationInterval)
 		assert.Eventually(t, func() bool {
 			return reconcileCount.Load() == 2
-		}, time.Second, 10*time.Millisecond, "reconciliation did not fire on the second tick")
+		}, time.Second, 10*time.Millisecond, "reconciliation did not fire on the second ticker event")
 	})
 
+	// Validates the atomicity of worker creation and ensures resource cleanup for the loser of the race.
 	t.Run("WorkerCreationRace", func(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Parallel()
 
-		// This test requires manual control over the shard processor factory to deterministically create a race.
+		// This test orchestrates a deterministic race condition.
 		factoryEntered := make(chan *mockShardProcessor, 2)
 		continueFactory := make(chan struct{})
+		// Map to store the construction context for each processor instance, allowing us to verify cleanup.
+		constructionContexts := sync.Map{}
 
-		h := newUnitHarness(t, t.Context(), Config{}, &mockRegistryClient{})
+		h := newUnitHarness(t, t.Context(), Config{}, nil)
+
+		// Inject a custom factory to control the timing of worker creation.
 		h.fc.shardProcessorFactory = func(
+			ctx context.Context, // The context created by getOrStartWorker for the potential new processor.
 			shard contracts.RegistryShard,
 			_ contracts.SaturationDetector,
-			_ clock.Clock,
+			_ clock.WithTicker,
 			_ time.Duration,
 			_ int,
 			_ logr.Logger,
 		) shardProcessor {
-			// This factory function will be called by `startNewWorker`.
-			// We use channels to pause execution here, allowing two goroutines to enter this function before one "wins"
-			// the `LoadOrStore` race.
+			// This function is called by getOrStartWorker before the LoadOrStore check.
 			proc := &mockShardProcessor{runStarted: make(chan struct{})}
+			constructionContexts.Store(proc, ctx) // Capture the construction context.
+
+			// Signal entry and then block, allowing another goroutine to enter.
 			factoryEntered <- proc
 			<-continueFactory
 			return proc
@@ -669,18 +1040,17 @@ func TestFlowController_Lifecycle(t *testing.T) {
 			h.fc.getOrStartWorker(shard)
 		}()
 
-		// Wait for both goroutines to have entered the factory and created a processor.
-		// This confirms they both missed the initial `workers.Load` check.
+		// 1. Wait for both goroutines to enter the factory and create their respective processor instances.
 		proc1 := <-factoryEntered
 		proc2 := <-factoryEntered
 
-		// Unblock both goroutines, allowing them to race to `workers.LoadOrStore`.
+		// 2. Unblock both goroutines, allowing them to race to workers.LoadOrStore.
 		close(continueFactory)
 		wg.Wait()
 
-		// One processor "won" and was stored, the other "lost" and should have been cancelled.
+		// 3. Identify the winner and the loser.
 		actual, ok := h.fc.workers.Load("race-shard")
-		require.True(t, ok, "a worker should have been stored in the map")
+		require.True(t, ok, "a worker must have been successfully stored in the map")
 
 		storedWorker := actual.(*managedWorker)
 		winnerProc := storedWorker.processor.(*mockShardProcessor)
@@ -692,16 +1062,17 @@ func TestFlowController_Lifecycle(t *testing.T) {
 			loserProc = proc1
 		}
 
-		// Wait for the `Run` method to be called on the winning processor to ensure its context is available.
+		// 4. Validate the state of the winning processor.
+		// Wait for the Run method to be called on the winner (only the winner should start).
 		select {
 		case <-winnerProc.runStarted:
-		// Success.
+			// Success.
 		case <-time.After(1 * time.Second):
-			t.Fatal("timed out waiting for winning worker to start")
+			t.Fatal("timed out waiting for the winning worker's Run method to be called")
 		}
 
 		// The winning processor's context must remain active.
-		require.NotNil(t, winnerProc.Context(), "winner's context should not be nil")
+		require.NotNil(t, winnerProc.Context(), "winner's context should not be nil (Run was called)")
 		select {
 		case <-winnerProc.Context().Done():
 			t.Error("context of the winning worker should not be cancelled")
@@ -709,49 +1080,61 @@ func TestFlowController_Lifecycle(t *testing.T) {
 			// Success
 		}
 
-		// The losing processor's `Run` method must not be called, and its context should be nil.
+		// 5. Validate the state of the losing processor and resource cleanup.
+		// The losing processor's Run method must NOT be called.
 		select {
 		case <-loserProc.runStarted:
-			t.Error("Run was called on the losing worker, but it should not have been")
+			t.Error("Run was incorrectly called on the losing worker")
 		default:
 			// Success
 		}
-		assert.Nil(t, loserProc.Context(), "loser's context should be nil as Run is never called")
+
+		// Verify the context created for the loser during construction was cancelled by getOrStartWorker.
+		loserCtxRaw, ok := constructionContexts.Load(loserProc)
+		require.True(t, ok, "loser processor construction context should have been captured")
+		loserCtx := loserCtxRaw.(context.Context)
+
+		select {
+		case <-loserCtx.Done():
+			// Success: Context was cancelled, preventing resource leaks.
+		case <-time.After(100 * time.Millisecond):
+			t.Error("context of the losing worker was not cancelled, this will leak resources")
+		}
 	})
 }
 
-func TestFlowController_Concurrency(t *testing.T) {
-	const (
-		numShards     = 4
-		numGoroutines = 50
-		numRequests   = 200
-	)
-
-	// Set up a realistic registry that vends real components to the processor.
+// Helper function to create a realistic mock registry environment for integration/concurrency tests.
+func setupRegistryForConcurrency(t *testing.T, numShards int, flowKey types.FlowKey) *mockRegistryClient {
+	t.Helper()
 	mockRegistry := &mockRegistryClient{}
 	shards := make([]contracts.RegistryShard, numShards)
-	queues := make(map[string]contracts.ManagedQueue)
+
+	// Configure the shards and their dependencies required by the real ShardProcessor implementation.
 	for i := range numShards {
+		// Capture loop variables for closures.
 		shardID := fmt.Sprintf("shard-%d", i)
-		queues[shardID] = &mocks.MockManagedQueue{FlowKeyV: defaultFlowKey} // Use the high-fidelity mock queue.
+		// Use high-fidelity mock queues (MockManagedQueue) that implement the necessary interfaces and synchronization.
+		currentQueue := &mocks.MockManagedQueue{FlowKeyV: flowKey}
+
 		shards[i] = &mocks.MockRegistryShard{
 			IDFunc: func() string { return shardID },
 			ManagedQueueFunc: func(_ types.FlowKey) (contracts.ManagedQueue, error) {
-				return queues[shardID], nil
+				return currentQueue, nil
 			},
-			AllOrderedPriorityLevelsFunc: func() []int { return []int{100} },
+			// Configuration required for ShardProcessor initialization and dispatch logic.
+			AllOrderedPriorityLevelsFunc: func() []int { return []int{flowKey.Priority} },
 			PriorityBandAccessorFunc: func(priority int) (framework.PriorityBandAccessor, error) {
-				if priority == 100 {
+				if priority == flowKey.Priority {
 					return &frameworkmocks.MockPriorityBandAccessor{
-						PriorityNameV: "high",
-						PriorityV:     100,
+						PriorityV: priority,
 						IterateQueuesFunc: func(f func(framework.FlowQueueAccessor) bool) {
-							f(queues[shardID].FlowQueueAccessor())
+							f(currentQueue.FlowQueueAccessor())
 						},
 					}, nil
 				}
 				return nil, fmt.Errorf("unexpected priority %d", priority)
 			},
+			// Configure dispatch policies (FIFO).
 			IntraFlowDispatchPolicyFunc: func(_ types.FlowKey) (framework.IntraFlowDispatchPolicy, error) {
 				return &frameworkmocks.MockIntraFlowDispatchPolicy{
 					SelectItemFunc: func(qa framework.FlowQueueAccessor) (types.QueueItemAccessor, error) {
@@ -762,26 +1145,29 @@ func TestFlowController_Concurrency(t *testing.T) {
 			InterFlowDispatchPolicyFunc: func(_ int) (framework.InterFlowDispatchPolicy, error) {
 				return &frameworkmocks.MockInterFlowDispatchPolicy{
 					SelectQueueFunc: func(band framework.PriorityBandAccessor) (framework.FlowQueueAccessor, error) {
-						return queues[shardID].FlowQueueAccessor(), nil
+						return currentQueue.FlowQueueAccessor(), nil
 					},
 				}, nil
 			},
+			// Configure stats reporting based on the live state of the mock queues.
 			StatsFunc: func() contracts.ShardStats {
 				return contracts.ShardStats{
 					ID:            shardID,
-					TotalLen:      uint64(queues[shardID].Len()),
-					TotalByteSize: queues[shardID].ByteSize(),
+					TotalLen:      uint64(currentQueue.Len()),
+					TotalByteSize: currentQueue.ByteSize(),
 					PerPriorityBandStats: map[int]contracts.PriorityBandStats{
-						100: {
-							Len:           uint64(queues[shardID].Len()),
-							ByteSize:      queues[shardID].ByteSize(),
-							CapacityBytes: 1e9, // Effectively unlimited capacity
+						flowKey.Priority: {
+							Len:           uint64(currentQueue.Len()),
+							ByteSize:      currentQueue.ByteSize(),
+							CapacityBytes: 1e9, // Effectively unlimited capacity to ensure dispatch success.
 						},
 					},
 				}
 			},
 		}
 	}
+
+	// Configure the registry connection.
 	mockRegistry.WithConnectionFunc = func(_ types.FlowKey, fn func(conn contracts.ActiveFlowConnection) error) error {
 		return fn(&mockActiveFlowConnection{ActiveShardsV: shards})
 	}
@@ -792,25 +1178,121 @@ func TestFlowController_Concurrency(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 		return stats
 	}
+	return mockRegistry
+}
+
+// TestFlowController_Concurrency_Distribution performs an integration test under high contention, using real
+// ShardProcessors.
+// It validates the thread-safety of the distribution logic and the overall system throughput.
+func TestFlowController_Concurrency_Distribution(t *testing.T) {
+	const (
+		numShards     = 4
+		numGoroutines = 50
+		numRequests   = 200
+	)
+
+	// Arrange
+	mockRegistry := setupRegistryForConcurrency(t, numShards, defaultFlowKey)
+
+	// Initialize the integration harness with real ShardProcessors.
 	h := newIntegrationHarness(t, t.Context(), Config{
-		// Use a generous buffer to prevent flakes in the test due to transient queuing delays.
+		// Use a generous buffer to focus the test on distribution logic rather than backpressure.
 		EnqueueChannelBufferSize: numRequests,
-		DefaultRequestTTL:        1 * time.Second,
+		DefaultRequestTTL:        5 * time.Second,
 		ExpiryCleanupInterval:    100 * time.Millisecond,
 	}, mockRegistry)
 
+	// Act: Hammer the controller concurrently.
 	var wg sync.WaitGroup
 	wg.Add(numGoroutines)
 	outcomes := make(chan types.QueueOutcome, numRequests)
-	for range numGoroutines {
+
+	for i := range numGoroutines {
+		goroutineID := i
 		go func() {
 			defer wg.Done()
-			for range numRequests / numGoroutines {
-				req := newTestRequest(logr.NewContext(context.Background(), logr.Discard()), defaultFlowKey)
-				outcome, err := h.fc.EnqueueAndWait(req)
+			for j := range numRequests / numGoroutines {
+				req := newTestRequest(defaultFlowKey)
+				req.IDV = fmt.Sprintf("req-distrib-%d-%d", goroutineID, j)
+
+				// Use a reasonable timeout for the individual request context.
+				reqCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(t.Context(), 5*time.Second)
+				defer cancel()
+
+				ctx := logr.NewContext(reqCtx, logr.Discard())
+				outcome, err := h.fc.EnqueueAndWait(ctx, req)
+				if err != nil {
+					// Use t.Errorf for concurrent tests to report failures without halting execution.
+					t.Errorf("EnqueueAndWait failed unexpectedly under load: %v", err)
+				}
+				outcomes <- outcome
+			}
+		}()
+	}
+
+	// Wait for all requests to complete.
+	wg.Wait()
+	close(outcomes)
+
+	// Assert: All requests should be successfully dispatched.
+	successCount := 0
+	for outcome := range outcomes {
+		if outcome == types.QueueOutcomeDispatched {
+			successCount++
+		}
+	}
+	require.Equal(t, numRequests, successCount,
+		"all concurrent requests must be dispatched successfully without errors or data races")
+}
+
+// TestFlowController_Concurrency_Backpressure specifically targets the blocking submission path (SubmitOrBlock) by
+// configuring the processors with zero buffer capacity.
+func TestFlowController_Concurrency_Backpressure(t *testing.T) {
+	if testing.Short() {
+		t.Skip("Skipping concurrency integration test in short mode.")
+	}
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	const (
+		numShards     = 2
+		numGoroutines = 20
+		// Fewer requests than the distribution test, as the blocking path is inherently slower.
+		numRequests = 40
+	)
+
+	// Arrange: Set up the registry environment.
+	mockRegistry := setupRegistryForConcurrency(t, numShards, defaultFlowKey)
+
+	// Use the integration harness with a configuration designed to induce backpressure.
+	h := newIntegrationHarness(t, t.Context(), Config{
+		// Zero buffer forces immediate use of SubmitOrBlock if the processor loop is busy.
+		EnqueueChannelBufferSize: 0,
+		// Generous TTL to ensure timeouts are not the cause of failure.
+		DefaultRequestTTL:     10 * time.Second,
+		ExpiryCleanupInterval: 100 * time.Millisecond,
+	}, mockRegistry)
+
+	// Act: Concurrently submit requests.
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	wg.Add(numGoroutines)
+	outcomes := make(chan types.QueueOutcome, numRequests)
+
+	for i := range numGoroutines {
+		goroutineID := i
+		go func() {
+			defer wg.Done()
+			for j := range numRequests / numGoroutines {
+				req := newTestRequest(defaultFlowKey)
+				req.IDV = fmt.Sprintf("req-backpressure-%d-%d", goroutineID, j)
+
+				// Use a reasonable timeout for the individual request context to ensure the test finishes promptly if a
+				// deadlock occurs.
+				reqCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(t.Context(), 5*time.Second)
+				defer cancel()
+
+				outcome, err := h.fc.EnqueueAndWait(logr.NewContext(reqCtx, logr.Discard()), req)
 				if err != nil {
-					// Use `t.Errorf` for concurrent tests to avoid halting execution on a single failure.
-					t.Errorf("EnqueueAndWait failed unexpectedly: %v", err)
+					t.Errorf("EnqueueAndWait failed unexpectedly under backpressure for request %s: %v", req.ID(), err)
 				}
 				outcomes <- outcome
 			}
@@ -819,11 +1301,13 @@ func TestFlowController_Concurrency(t *testing.T) {
 	wg.Wait()
 	close(outcomes)
 
+	// Assert: Verify successful dispatch despite high contention and zero buffer.
 	successCount := 0
 	for outcome := range outcomes {
 		if outcome == types.QueueOutcomeDispatched {
 			successCount++
 		}
 	}
-	require.Equal(t, numRequests, successCount, "all concurrent requests should be dispatched successfully")
+	require.Equal(t, numRequests, successCount,
+		"all concurrent requests should be dispatched successfully even under high contention and zero buffer capacity")
 }
diff --git a/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/controller/internal/item_test.go b/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/controller/internal/item_test.go
index 1f713e9..9b7b627 100644
--- a/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/controller/internal/item_test.go
+++ b/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/controller/internal/item_test.go
@@ -31,12 +31,16 @@ import (
 
 func TestFlowItem_New(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
-	req := typesmocks.NewMockFlowControlRequest(100, "req-1", types.FlowKey{}, context.Background())
+	req := typesmocks.NewMockFlowControlRequest(100, "req-1", types.FlowKey{})
 
-	item := NewItem(req, time.Minute, time.Now())
+	enqueueTime := time.Now()
+	item := NewItem(req, time.Minute, enqueueTime)
 
 	require.NotNil(t, item, "NewItem should not return a nil item")
-	assert.False(t, item.isFinalized(), "a new item must not be in a finalized state")
+	assert.Equal(t, enqueueTime, item.EnqueueTime(), "EnqueueTime should be populated")
+	assert.Equal(t, time.Minute, item.EffectiveTTL(), "EffectiveTTL should be populated")
+	assert.Same(t, req, item.OriginalRequest(), "OriginalRequest should be populated")
+	assert.Nil(t, item.FinalState(), "a new item must not have a final state")
 	select {
 	case <-item.Done():
 		t.Fatal("Done() channel for a new item must block, but it was closed")
@@ -55,21 +59,178 @@ func TestFlowItem_Handle(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestFlowItem_Finalize_Idempotency(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
-	req := typesmocks.NewMockFlowControlRequest(100, "req-1", types.FlowKey{}, context.Background())
-	item := NewItem(req, time.Minute, time.Now())
-	expectedErr := errors.New("first-error")
+	now := time.Now()
+	req := typesmocks.NewMockFlowControlRequest(100, "req-1", types.FlowKey{})
 
-	item.Finalize(types.QueueOutcomeEvictedTTL, expectedErr)
-	item.Finalize(types.QueueOutcomeDispatched, nil) // Should take no effect
+	testCases := []struct {
+		name            string
+		firstCall       func(item *FlowItem)
+		secondCall      func(item *FlowItem)
+		expectedOutcome types.QueueOutcome
+		expectedErrIs   error
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "Finalize then Finalize",
+			firstCall: func(item *FlowItem) {
+				item.Finalize(types.ErrTTLExpired)
+			},
+			secondCall: func(item *FlowItem) {
+				item.Finalize(context.Canceled)
+			},
+			expectedOutcome: types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther,
+			expectedErrIs:   types.ErrTTLExpired,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "Finalize then FinalizeWithOutcome",
+			firstCall: func(item *FlowItem) {
+				item.Finalize(types.ErrTTLExpired)
+			},
+			secondCall: func(item *FlowItem) {
+				item.FinalizeWithOutcome(types.QueueOutcomeDispatched, nil)
+			},
+			expectedOutcome: types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther,
+			expectedErrIs:   types.ErrTTLExpired,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "FinalizeWithOutcome then FinalizeWithOutcome",
+			firstCall: func(item *FlowItem) {
+				item.FinalizeWithOutcome(types.QueueOutcomeDispatched, nil)
+			},
+			secondCall: func(item *FlowItem) {
+				item.FinalizeWithOutcome(types.QueueOutcomeRejectedCapacity, errors.New("rejected"))
+			},
+			expectedOutcome: types.QueueOutcomeDispatched,
+			expectedErrIs:   nil,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "FinalizeWithOutcome then Finalize",
+			firstCall: func(item *FlowItem) {
+				item.FinalizeWithOutcome(types.QueueOutcomeDispatched, nil)
+			},
+			secondCall: func(item *FlowItem) {
+				item.Finalize(types.ErrTTLExpired)
+			},
+			expectedOutcome: types.QueueOutcomeDispatched,
+			expectedErrIs:   nil,
+		},
+	}
 
-	assert.True(t, item.isFinalized(), "item must be in a finalized state after a call to finalize()")
-	select {
-	case finalState, ok := <-item.Done():
-		require.True(t, ok, "Done() channel should be readable with a value, not just closed")
-		assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeEvictedTTL, finalState.Outcome,
-			"the outcome from Done() must match the first finalized outcome")
-		assert.Equal(t, expectedErr, finalState.Err, "the error from Done() must match the first finalized error")
-	case <-time.After(50 * time.Millisecond):
-		t.Fatal("Done() channel must not block after finalization")
+	for _, tc := range testCases {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+			item := NewItem(req, time.Minute, now)
+
+			// First call
+			tc.firstCall(item)
+
+			// Second call
+			tc.secondCall(item)
+
+			// Check FinalState()
+			finalState := item.FinalState()
+			require.NotNil(t, finalState, "FinalState should not be nil")
+			assert.Equal(t, tc.expectedOutcome, finalState.Outcome, "Outcome should match the first call")
+			if tc.expectedErrIs != nil {
+				assert.ErrorIs(t, finalState.Err, tc.expectedErrIs, "Error should match the first call")
+			} else {
+				assert.NoError(t, finalState.Err, "Error should be nil")
+			}
+
+			// Check Done channel
+			select {
+			case state, ok := <-item.Done():
+				require.True(t, ok, "Done channel should be readable")
+				assert.Equal(t, tc.expectedOutcome, state.Outcome, "Done channel outcome should match the first call")
+				if tc.expectedErrIs != nil {
+					assert.ErrorIs(t, state.Err, tc.expectedErrIs, "Done channel error should match the first call")
+				} else {
+					assert.NoError(t, state.Err, "Done channel error should be nil")
+				}
+			case <-time.After(50 * time.Millisecond):
+				t.Fatal("Done channel should have received the state")
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestFlowItem_Finalize_InferOutcome(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	now := time.Now()
+
+	testCases := []struct {
+		name          string
+		cause         error
+		isQueued      bool
+		expectOutcome types.QueueOutcome
+		expectErrIs   error
+	}{
+		{
+			name:          "queued TTL expired",
+			cause:         types.ErrTTLExpired,
+			isQueued:      true,
+			expectOutcome: types.QueueOutcomeEvictedTTL,
+			expectErrIs:   types.ErrTTLExpired,
+		},
+		{
+			name:          "queued context cancelled",
+			cause:         context.Canceled,
+			isQueued:      true,
+			expectOutcome: types.QueueOutcomeEvictedContextCancelled,
+			expectErrIs:   types.ErrContextCancelled,
+		},
+		{
+			name:          "queued other error",
+			cause:         errors.New("other cause"),
+			isQueued:      true,
+			expectOutcome: types.QueueOutcomeEvictedOther,
+			expectErrIs:   types.ErrEvicted,
+		},
+		{
+			name:          "not queued TTL expired",
+			cause:         types.ErrTTLExpired,
+			isQueued:      false,
+			expectOutcome: types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther,
+			expectErrIs:   types.ErrTTLExpired,
+		},
+		{
+			name:          "not queued context cancelled",
+			cause:         context.Canceled,
+			isQueued:      false,
+			expectOutcome: types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther,
+			expectErrIs:   types.ErrContextCancelled,
+		},
+		{
+			name:          "nil cause queued",
+			cause:         nil,
+			isQueued:      true,
+			expectOutcome: types.QueueOutcomeEvictedOther,
+			expectErrIs:   types.ErrEvicted,
+		},
+		{
+			name:          "nil cause not queued",
+			cause:         nil,
+			isQueued:      false,
+			expectOutcome: types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther,
+			expectErrIs:   types.ErrRejected,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range testCases {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+			req := typesmocks.NewMockFlowControlRequest(100, "req-1", types.FlowKey{})
+			item := NewItem(req, time.Minute, now)
+			if tc.isQueued {
+				item.SetHandle(&typesmocks.MockQueueItemHandle{})
+			}
+
+			item.Finalize(tc.cause)
+
+			finalState := item.FinalState()
+			require.NotNil(t, finalState, "FinalState should not be nil")
+			assert.Equal(t, tc.expectOutcome, finalState.Outcome, "Unexpected outcome")
+			require.Error(t, finalState.Err, "An error should be set")
+			assert.ErrorIs(t, finalState.Err, tc.expectErrIs, "Unexpected error type")
+		})
 	}
 }
diff --git a/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/controller/internal/processor_test.go b/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/controller/internal/processor_test.go
index 4c31d7a..2280b82 100644
--- a/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/controller/internal/processor_test.go
+++ b/pkg/epp/flowcontrol/controller/internal/processor_test.go
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ func newTestHarness(t *testing.T, expiryCleanupInterval time.Duration) *testHarn
 		queues:             make(map[types.FlowKey]*mocks.MockManagedQueue),
 		priorityFlows:      make(map[int][]types.FlowKey),
 	}
+	h.ctx, h.cancel = context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 
 	// Wire up the harness to provide the mock implementations for the shard's dependencies.
 	h.ManagedQueueFunc = h.managedQueue
@@ -118,7 +119,14 @@ func newTestHarness(t *testing.T, expiryCleanupInterval time.Duration) *testHarn
 		}
 	}
 
-	h.processor = NewShardProcessor(h, h.saturationDetector, h.clock, expiryCleanupInterval, 100, h.logger)
+	h.processor = NewShardProcessor(
+		h.ctx,
+		h,
+		h.saturationDetector,
+		h.clock,
+		expiryCleanupInterval,
+		100,
+		h.logger)
 	require.NotNil(t, h.processor, "NewShardProcessor should not return nil")
 
 	t.Cleanup(func() { h.Stop() })
@@ -170,8 +178,7 @@ func (h *testHarness) waitForFinalization(item *FlowItem) (types.QueueOutcome, e
 // newTestItem creates a new FlowItem for testing purposes.
 func (h *testHarness) newTestItem(id string, key types.FlowKey, ttl time.Duration) *FlowItem {
 	h.t.Helper()
-	ctx := log.IntoContext(context.Background(), h.logger)
-	req := typesmocks.NewMockFlowControlRequest(100, id, key, ctx)
+	req := typesmocks.NewMockFlowControlRequest(100, id, key)
 	return NewItem(req, ttl, h.clock.Now())
 }
 
@@ -365,61 +372,11 @@ func TestShardProcessor(t *testing.T) {
 			h.Start()
 			h.Go()
 			h.Stop() // Stop the processor, then immediately try to enqueue.
-			require.NoError(t, h.processor.Submit(item), "precondition: Submit should not fail, even on shutdown")
+			require.ErrorIs(t, h.processor.Submit(item), types.ErrFlowControllerNotRunning,
+				"Submit should return ErrFlowControllerNotRunning on shutdown")
 
 			// --- ASSERT ---
-			outcome, err := h.waitForFinalization(item)
-			assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther, outcome, "The outcome should be RejectedOther")
-			require.Error(t, err, "An eviction on shutdown should produce an error")
-			assert.ErrorIs(t, err, types.ErrFlowControllerNotRunning, "The error should be of type ErrFlowControllerNotRunning")
-		})
-
-		t.Run("should evict item on TTL expiry via background cleanup", func(t *testing.T) {
-			t.Parallel()
-			// --- ARRANGE ---
-			h := newTestHarness(t, testCleanupTick)
-			item := h.newTestItem("req-expired-evict", testFlow, testShortTTL)
-			h.addQueue(testFlow)
-
-			// --- ACT ---
-			h.Start()
-			require.NoError(t, h.processor.Submit(item), "precondition: Submit should not fail")
-			h.Go()
-
-			h.clock.Step(testShortTTL * 2) // Let time pass for the item to expire.
-			// Manually invoke the cleanup logic to simulate a tick of the cleanup loop deterministically.
-			h.processor.cleanupExpired(h.clock.Now())
-
-			// --- ASSERT ---
-			outcome, err := h.waitForFinalization(item)
-			assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeEvictedTTL, outcome, "The final outcome should be EvictedTTL")
-			require.Error(t, err, "A TTL eviction should produce an error")
-			assert.ErrorIs(t, err, types.ErrTTLExpired, "The error should be of type ErrTTLExpired")
-		})
-
-		t.Run("should evict item on context cancellation", func(t *testing.T) {
-			t.Parallel()
-			// --- ARRANGE ---
-			h := newTestHarness(t, testCleanupTick)
-			ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
-			req := typesmocks.NewMockFlowControlRequest(100, "req-ctx-cancel", testFlow, ctx)
-			item := NewItem(req, testTTL, h.clock.Now())
-			h.addQueue(testFlow)
-
-			// --- ACT ---
-			h.Start()
-			require.NoError(t, h.processor.Submit(item), "precondition: Submit should not fail")
-			h.Go()
-			cancel() // Cancel the context after the item is enqueued.
-			// Manually invoke the cleanup logic to deterministically check for the cancelled context.
-			h.processor.cleanupExpired(h.clock.Now())
-
-			// --- ASSERT ---
-			outcome, err := h.waitForFinalization(item)
-			assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeEvictedContextCancelled, outcome,
-				"The outcome should be EvictedContextCancelled")
-			require.Error(t, err, "A context cancellation eviction should produce an error")
-			assert.ErrorIs(t, err, types.ErrContextCancelled, "The error should be of type ErrContextCancelled")
+			assert.Nil(t, item.FinalState(), "Item should not be finalized by the processor")
 		})
 
 		t.Run("should evict a queued item on shutdown", func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -444,7 +401,8 @@ func TestShardProcessor(t *testing.T) {
 			outcome, err := h.waitForFinalization(item)
 			assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeEvictedOther, outcome, "The outcome should be EvictedOther")
 			require.Error(t, err, "An eviction on shutdown should produce an error")
-			assert.ErrorIs(t, err, types.ErrFlowControllerNotRunning, "The error should be of type ErrFlowControllerNotRunning")
+			assert.ErrorIs(t, err, types.ErrFlowControllerNotRunning,
+				"The error should be of type ErrFlowControllerNotRunning")
 		})
 
 		t.Run("should handle concurrent enqueues and dispatch all items", func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -454,7 +412,7 @@ func TestShardProcessor(t *testing.T) {
 			const numConcurrentItems = 20
 			q := h.addQueue(testFlow)
 			itemsToTest := make([]*FlowItem, 0, numConcurrentItems)
-			for i := 0; i < numConcurrentItems; i++ {
+			for i := range numConcurrentItems {
 				item := h.newTestItem(fmt.Sprintf("req-concurrent-%d", i), testFlow, testTTL)
 				itemsToTest = append(itemsToTest, item)
 			}
@@ -495,16 +453,26 @@ func TestShardProcessor(t *testing.T) {
 			// Use channels to pause the dispatch cycle right before it would remove the item.
 			policyCanProceed := make(chan struct{})
 			itemIsBeingDispatched := make(chan struct{})
+			var signalOnce sync.Once
+			var removedItem types.QueueItemAccessor
 
 			require.NoError(t, q.Add(item)) // Add the item directly to the queue.
 
 			// Override the queue's `RemoveFunc` to pause the dispatch goroutine at a critical moment.
 			q.RemoveFunc = func(h types.QueueItemHandle) (types.QueueItemAccessor, error) {
-				close(itemIsBeingDispatched) // 1. Signal that dispatch is happening.
-				<-policyCanProceed           // 2. Wait for the test to tell us to continue.
-				// 4. After we unblock, the item will have already been finalized by the cleanup logic, so we simulate the
-				//    real-world outcome of a failed remove.
-				return nil, fmt.Errorf("item with handle %v not found", h)
+				var err error
+				signalOnce.Do(func() {
+					removedItem = item
+					close(itemIsBeingDispatched) // 1. Signal that dispatch is happening.
+					<-policyCanProceed           // 2. Wait for the test to tell us to continue.
+					// 4. After we unblock, the item will have already been finalized by the cleanup logic.
+					// We simulate the item no longer being found.
+					err = fmt.Errorf("item with handle %v not found", h)
+				})
+				if removedItem == item {
+					return item, nil // Return the item on the first call
+				}
+				return nil, err // Return error on subsequent calls
 			}
 
 			// --- ACT ---
@@ -513,20 +481,23 @@ func TestShardProcessor(t *testing.T) {
 			h.Go()
 
 			// Wait for the dispatch cycle to select our item and pause inside our mock `RemoveFunc`.
-			<-itemIsBeingDispatched
+			select {
+			case <-itemIsBeingDispatched:
+			case <-time.After(testWaitTimeout):
+				t.Fatal("Timed out waiting for item to be dispatched")
+			}
 
 			// 3. The dispatch goroutine is now paused. We can now safely win the "race" by running cleanup logic.
 			h.clock.Step(testShortTTL * 2)
-			h.processor.cleanupExpired(h.clock.Now()) // This will remove and finalize the item.
+			item.Finalize(types.ErrTTLExpired) // This will finalize the item with RejectedOther.
 
-			// 5. Un-pause the dispatch goroutine. It will now fail to remove the item and the `dispatchCycle` will
-			//    correctly conclude without finalizing the item a second time.
+			// 5. Un-pause the dispatch goroutine.
 			close(policyCanProceed)
 
 			// --- ASSERT ---
-			// The item's final state should be from the cleanup logic (EvictedTTL), not the dispatch logic.
+			// The item's final state should be from the Finalize call above.
 			outcome, err := h.waitForFinalization(item)
-			assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeEvictedTTL, outcome, "The outcome should be EvictedTTL from the cleanup routine")
+			assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeEvictedTTL, outcome, "The outcome should be EvictedTTL from the Finalize call")
 			require.Error(t, err, "A TTL eviction should produce an error")
 			assert.ErrorIs(t, err, types.ErrTTLExpired, "The error should be of type ErrTTLExpired")
 		})
@@ -594,9 +565,10 @@ func TestShardProcessor(t *testing.T) {
 						h.ManagedQueueFunc = func(types.FlowKey) (contracts.ManagedQueue, error) { return nil, testErr }
 					},
 					assert: func(t *testing.T, h *testHarness, item *FlowItem) {
-						assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther, item.finalState.Outcome, "Outcome should be RejectedOther")
-						require.Error(t, item.finalState.Err, "An error should be returned")
-						assert.ErrorIs(t, item.finalState.Err, testErr, "The underlying error should be preserved")
+						assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther, item.FinalState().Outcome,
+							"Outcome should be RejectedOther")
+						require.Error(t, item.FinalState().Err, "An error should be returned")
+						assert.ErrorIs(t, item.FinalState().Err, testErr, "The underlying error should be preserved")
 					},
 				},
 				{
@@ -606,9 +578,10 @@ func TestShardProcessor(t *testing.T) {
 						h.PriorityBandAccessorFunc = func(int) (framework.PriorityBandAccessor, error) { return nil, testErr }
 					},
 					assert: func(t *testing.T, h *testHarness, item *FlowItem) {
-						assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther, item.finalState.Outcome, "Outcome should be RejectedOther")
-						require.Error(t, item.finalState.Err, "An error should be returned")
-						assert.ErrorIs(t, item.finalState.Err, testErr, "The underlying error should be preserved")
+						assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther, item.FinalState().Outcome,
+							"Outcome should be RejectedOther")
+						require.Error(t, item.FinalState().Err, "An error should be returned")
+						assert.ErrorIs(t, item.FinalState().Err, testErr, "The underlying error should be preserved")
 					},
 				},
 				{
@@ -618,9 +591,10 @@ func TestShardProcessor(t *testing.T) {
 						mockQueue.AddFunc = func(types.QueueItemAccessor) error { return testErr }
 					},
 					assert: func(t *testing.T, h *testHarness, item *FlowItem) {
-						assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther, item.finalState.Outcome, "Outcome should be RejectedOther")
-						require.Error(t, item.finalState.Err, "An error should be returned")
-						assert.ErrorIs(t, item.finalState.Err, testErr, "The underlying error should be preserved")
+						assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther, item.FinalState().Outcome,
+							"Outcome should be RejectedOther")
+						require.Error(t, item.FinalState().Err, "An error should be returned")
+						assert.ErrorIs(t, item.FinalState().Err, testErr, "The underlying error should be preserved")
 					},
 				},
 				{
@@ -640,13 +614,13 @@ func TestShardProcessor(t *testing.T) {
 					item: func() *FlowItem {
 						// Create a pre-finalized item.
 						item := newTestHarness(t, 0).newTestItem("req-finalized", testFlow, testTTL)
-						item.Finalize(types.QueueOutcomeDispatched, nil)
+						item.FinalizeWithOutcome(types.QueueOutcomeDispatched, nil)
 						return item
 					}(),
 					assert: func(t *testing.T, h *testHarness, item *FlowItem) {
 						// The item was already finalized, so its state should not change.
-						assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeDispatched, item.finalState.Outcome, "Outcome should remain unchanged")
-						assert.NoError(t, item.finalState.Err, "Error should remain unchanged")
+						assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeDispatched, item.FinalState().Outcome, "Outcome should remain unchanged")
+						assert.NoError(t, item.FinalState().Err, "Error should remain unchanged")
 					},
 				},
 			}
@@ -905,9 +879,9 @@ func TestShardProcessor(t *testing.T) {
 
 				// Verify all high-priority items are gone and low-priority items remain.
 				for _, item := range highPrioItems {
-					assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeDispatched, item.finalState.Outcome,
+					assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeDispatched, item.FinalState().Outcome,
 						"High-priority item should be dispatched")
-					assert.NoError(t, item.finalState.Err, "Dispatched high-priority item should not have an error")
+					assert.NoError(t, item.FinalState().Err, "Dispatched high-priority item should not have an error")
 				}
 				assert.Equal(t, numItems, qLow.Len(), "Low-priority queue should still be full")
 
@@ -967,11 +941,12 @@ func TestShardProcessor(t *testing.T) {
 				}
 			})
 
-			t.Run("should evict item that expires at moment of dispatch", func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Run("should not dispatch already finalized item", func(t *testing.T) {
 				t.Parallel()
 				// --- ARRANGE ---
 				h := newTestHarness(t, testCleanupTick)
-				item := h.newTestItem("req-expired-dispatch", testFlow, testShortTTL)
+				item := h.newTestItem("req-already-finalized", testFlow, testTTL)
+				item.FinalizeWithOutcome(types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther, errors.New("already done"))
 
 				h.ManagedQueueFunc = func(types.FlowKey) (contracts.ManagedQueue, error) {
 					return &mocks.MockManagedQueue{
@@ -982,43 +957,61 @@ func TestShardProcessor(t *testing.T) {
 				}
 
 				// --- ACT ---
-				h.clock.Step(testShortTTL * 2) // Make the item expire.
 				err := h.processor.dispatchItem(item, h.logger)
 
 				// --- ASSERT ---
-				// First, check the error returned by `dispatchItem`.
-				require.Error(t, err, "dispatchItem should return an error for an expired item")
-				assert.ErrorIs(t, err, types.ErrTTLExpired, "The error should be of type ErrTTLExpired")
-
-				// Second, check the final state of the item itself.
-				assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeEvictedTTL, item.finalState.Outcome,
-					"The item's final outcome should be EvictedTTL")
-				require.Error(t, item.finalState.Err, "The item's final state should contain an error")
-				assert.ErrorIs(t, item.finalState.Err, types.ErrTTLExpired,
-					"The item's final error should be of type ErrTTLExpired")
+				require.NoError(t, err, "dispatchItem should return no error for an already finalized item")
+
+				// Check the final state of the item itself - it should not have changed.
+				finalState := item.FinalState()
+				require.NotNil(t, finalState, "Item must be finalized")
+				assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther, finalState.Outcome,
+					"The item's final outcome should be RejectedOther")
+				assert.ErrorContains(t, finalState.Err, "already done",
+					"The error should be the one from the first Finalize call")
 			})
 		})
 
 		t.Run("cleanup and utility methods", func(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Parallel()
 
-			t.Run("should remove and finalize expired items", func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Run("should sweep externally finalized items", func(t *testing.T) {
 				t.Parallel()
 				// --- ARRANGE ---
 				h := newTestHarness(t, testCleanupTick)
-				// Create an item that is already expired relative to the cleanup time.
-				item := h.newTestItem("req-expired", testFlow, 1*time.Millisecond)
+				item := h.newTestItem("req-external-finalized", testFlow, testTTL)
 				q := h.addQueue(testFlow)
-				require.NoError(t, q.Add(item))
-				cleanupTime := h.clock.Now().Add(10 * time.Millisecond)
+				require.NoError(t, q.Add(item), "Failed to add item to queue")
+
+				// Externally finalize the item
+				item.Finalize(context.Canceled)
+				require.NotNil(t, item.FinalState(), "Item should be finalized")
 
 				// --- ACT ---
-				h.processor.cleanupExpired(cleanupTime)
+				h.processor.sweepFinalizedItems()
 
 				// --- ASSERT ---
-				assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeEvictedTTL, item.finalState.Outcome, "Item outcome should be EvictedTTL")
-				require.Error(t, item.finalState.Err, "Item should have an error")
-				assert.ErrorIs(t, item.finalState.Err, types.ErrTTLExpired, "Item error should be ErrTTLExpired")
+				assert.Equal(t, 0, q.Len(), "Queue should be empty after sweep")
+				finalState := item.FinalState()
+				assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeEvictedContextCancelled, finalState.Outcome,
+					"Outcome should be EvictedContextCancelled")
+				assert.ErrorIs(t, finalState.Err, types.ErrContextCancelled, "Error should be ErrContextCancelled")
+			})
+
+			t.Run("should not sweep items not finalized", func(t *testing.T) {
+				t.Parallel()
+				// --- ARRANGE ---
+				h := newTestHarness(t, testCleanupTick)
+				item := h.newTestItem("req-not-finalized", testFlow, testTTL)
+				q := h.addQueue(testFlow)
+				require.NoError(t, q.Add(item), "Failed to add item to queue")
+
+				// --- ACT ---
+				h.processor.sweepFinalizedItems()
+
+				// --- ASSERT ---
+				assert.Equal(t, 1, q.Len(), "Queue should still contain the item")
+				assert.Nil(t, item.FinalState(), "Item should not be finalized")
 			})
 
 			t.Run("should evict all items on shutdown", func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -1033,9 +1026,10 @@ func TestShardProcessor(t *testing.T) {
 				h.processor.evictAll()
 
 				// --- ASSERT ---
-				assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeEvictedOther, item.finalState.Outcome, "Item outcome should be EvictedOther")
-				require.Error(t, item.finalState.Err, "Item should have an error")
-				assert.ErrorIs(t, item.finalState.Err, types.ErrFlowControllerNotRunning,
+				assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeEvictedOther, item.FinalState().Outcome,
+					"Item outcome should be EvictedOther")
+				require.Error(t, item.FinalState().Err, "Item should have an error")
+				assert.ErrorIs(t, item.FinalState().Err, types.ErrFlowControllerNotRunning,
 					"Item error should be ErrFlowControllerNotRunning")
 			})
 
@@ -1055,25 +1049,6 @@ func TestShardProcessor(t *testing.T) {
 				}, "processAllQueuesConcurrently should not panic on registry errors")
 			})
 
-			t.Run("should handle items of an unexpected type gracefully during finalization", func(t *testing.T) {
-				t.Parallel()
-				// --- ARRANGE ---
-				h := newTestHarness(t, testCleanupTick)
-				item := &typesmocks.MockQueueItemAccessor{
-					OriginalRequestV: typesmocks.NewMockFlowControlRequest(0, "bad-item", testFlow, context.Background()),
-				}
-				items := []types.QueueItemAccessor{item}
-
-				// --- ACT & ASSERT ---
-				// The test passes if this call completes without panicking.
-				assert.NotPanics(t, func() {
-					getOutcome := func(types.QueueItemAccessor) (types.QueueOutcome, error) {
-						return types.QueueOutcomeEvictedOther, nil
-					}
-					h.processor.finalizeItems(items, h.logger, getOutcome)
-				}, "finalizeItems should not panic on unexpected item types")
-			})
-
 			t.Run("should process all queues with a worker pool", func(t *testing.T) {
 				t.Parallel()
 				// --- ARRANGE ---
@@ -1122,6 +1097,26 @@ func TestShardProcessor(t *testing.T) {
 				require.Error(t, err, "Submit must return an error when the channel is full")
 				assert.ErrorIs(t, err, ErrProcessorBusy, "The returned error must be ErrProcessorBusy")
 			})
+
+			t.Run("should return ErrFlowControllerNotRunning if lifecycleCtx is cancelled", func(t *testing.T) {
+				t.Parallel()
+				h := newTestHarness(t, testCleanupTick)
+				h.Start()
+				h.Go()     // Ensure the Run loop has started
+				h.cancel() // Cancel the lifecycle context
+				h.Stop()   // Wait for the processor to fully stop
+
+				item := h.newTestItem("item-ctx-cancel", testFlow, testTTL)
+				err := h.processor.Submit(item)
+				require.ErrorIs(t, err, types.ErrFlowControllerNotRunning,
+					"Submit must return ErrFlowControllerNotRunning when lifecycleCtx is cancelled")
+				assert.Nil(t, item.FinalState(), "Item should not be finalized by Submit")
+
+				err = h.processor.SubmitOrBlock(context.Background(), item)
+				require.ErrorIs(t, err, types.ErrFlowControllerNotRunning,
+					"SubmitOrBlock must return ErrFlowControllerNotRunning when lifecycleCtx is cancelled")
+				assert.Nil(t, item.FinalState(), "Item should not be finalized by SubmitOrBlock")
+			})
 		})
 
 		t.Run("SubmitOrBlock", func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -1195,114 +1190,9 @@ func TestShardProcessor(t *testing.T) {
 				require.Error(t, err, "SubmitOrBlock should return an error when shutting down")
 				assert.ErrorIs(t, err, types.ErrFlowControllerNotRunning, "The error should be ErrFlowControllerNotRunning")
 
-				outcome, err := h.waitForFinalization(item)
-				assert.Equal(t, types.QueueOutcomeRejectedOther, outcome, "The outcome should be RejectedOther")
-				require.Error(t, err, "Finalization should include an error")
-				assert.ErrorIs(t, err, types.ErrFlowControllerNotRunning,
-					"The finalization error should be ErrFlowControllerNotRunning")
+				// Item should not be finalized by the processor
+				assert.Nil(t, item.FinalState(), "Item should not be finalized by the processor")
 			})
 		})
 	})
 }
-
-func TestCheckItemExpiry(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Parallel()
-
-	// --- ARRANGE ---
-	now := time.Now()
-	ctxCancelled, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
-	cancel() // Cancel the context immediately.
-
-	testCases := []struct {
-		name          string
-		item          types.QueueItemAccessor
-		now           time.Time
-		expectExpired bool
-		expectOutcome types.QueueOutcome
-		expectErr     error
-	}{
-		{
-			name: "should not be expired if TTL is not reached and context is active",
-			item: NewItem(
-				typesmocks.NewMockFlowControlRequest(100, "req-not-expired", testFlow, context.Background()),
-				testTTL,
-				now),
-			now:           now.Add(30 * time.Second),
-			expectExpired: false,
-			expectOutcome: types.QueueOutcomeNotYetFinalized,
-			expectErr:     nil,
-		},
-		{
-			name: "should not be expired if TTL is disabled (0)",
-			item: NewItem(
-				typesmocks.NewMockFlowControlRequest(100, "req-not-expired-no-ttl", testFlow, context.Background()),
-				0,
-				now),
-			now:           now.Add(30 * time.Second),
-			expectExpired: false,
-			expectOutcome: types.QueueOutcomeNotYetFinalized,
-			expectErr:     nil,
-		},
-		{
-			name: "should be expired if TTL is exceeded",
-			item: NewItem(
-				typesmocks.NewMockFlowControlRequest(100, "req-ttl-expired", testFlow, context.Background()),
-				time.Second,
-				now),
-			now:           now.Add(2 * time.Second),
-			expectExpired: true,
-			expectOutcome: types.QueueOutcomeEvictedTTL,
-			expectErr:     types.ErrTTLExpired,
-		},
-		{
-			name: "should be expired if context is cancelled",
-			item: NewItem(
-				typesmocks.NewMockFlowControlRequest(100, "req-ctx-cancelled", testFlow, ctxCancelled),
-				testTTL,
-				now),
-			now:           now,
-			expectExpired: true,
-			expectOutcome: types.QueueOutcomeEvictedContextCancelled,
-			expectErr:     types.ErrContextCancelled,
-		},
-		{
-			name: "should be expired if already finalized",
-			item: func() types.QueueItemAccessor {
-				i := NewItem(
-					typesmocks.NewMockFlowControlRequest(100, "req-finalized", testFlow, context.Background()),
-					testTTL,
-					now)
-				i.Finalize(types.QueueOutcomeDispatched, nil)
-				return i
-			}(),
-			now:           now,
-			expectExpired: true,
-			expectOutcome: types.QueueOutcomeDispatched,
-			expectErr:     nil,
-		},
-	}
-
-	for _, tc := range testCases {
-		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			t.Parallel()
-			// --- ACT ---
-			isExpired, outcome, err := checkItemExpiry(tc.item, tc.now)
-
-			// --- ASSERT ---
-			assert.Equal(t, tc.expectExpired, isExpired, "Expired status should match expected value")
-			assert.Equal(t, tc.expectOutcome, outcome, "Outcome should match expected value")
-
-			if tc.expectErr != nil {
-				require.Error(t, err, "An error was expected")
-				// Use ErrorIs for sentinel errors, ErrorContains for general messages.
-				if errors.Is(tc.expectErr, types.ErrTTLExpired) || errors.Is(tc.expectErr, types.ErrContextCancelled) {
-					assert.ErrorIs(t, err, tc.expectErr, "The specific error type should be correct")
-				} else {
-					assert.ErrorContains(t, err, tc.expectErr.Error(), "The error message should contain the expected text")
-				}
-			} else {
-				assert.NoError(t, err, "No error was expected")
-			}
-		})
-	}
-}
diff --git a/pkg/epp/metrics/metrics_test.go b/pkg/epp/metrics/metrics_test.go
index 837fb8b..28f9416 100644
--- a/pkg/epp/metrics/metrics_test.go
+++ b/pkg/epp/metrics/metrics_test.go
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus"
+	dto "github.com/prometheus/client_model/go"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 	"k8s.io/component-base/metrics/testutil"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/metrics"
 
@@ -44,7 +47,14 @@ const (
 	PerPodQueueSizeMetrics             = InferencePoolComponent + "_per_pod_queue_size"
 )
 
+func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
+	// Register all metrics once for the entire test suite.
+	Register()
+	os.Exit(m.Run())
+}
+
 func TestRecordRequestCounterandSizes(t *testing.T) {
+	Reset()
 	type requests struct {
 		modelName       string
 		targetModelName string
@@ -78,7 +88,6 @@ func TestRecordRequestCounterandSizes(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 	}}
-	Register()
 	for _, scenario := range scenarios {
 		t.Run(scenario.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			for _, req := range scenario.reqs {
@@ -114,6 +123,7 @@ func TestRecordRequestCounterandSizes(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestRecordRequestErrorCounter(t *testing.T) {
+	Reset()
 	type requests struct {
 		modelName       string
 		targetModelName string
@@ -150,7 +160,6 @@ func TestRecordRequestErrorCounter(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 	}
-	Register()
 	for _, scenario := range scenarios {
 		t.Run(scenario.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			for _, req := range scenario.reqs {
@@ -174,6 +183,7 @@ func TestRecordRequestErrorCounter(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestRecordRequestLatencies(t *testing.T) {
+	Reset()
 	ctx := logutil.NewTestLoggerIntoContext(context.Background())
 	timeBaseline := time.Now()
 	type requests struct {
@@ -229,7 +239,6 @@ func TestRecordRequestLatencies(t *testing.T) {
 			invalid: true,
 		},
 	}
-	Register()
 	for _, scenario := range scenarios {
 		t.Run(scenario.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			for _, req := range scenario.reqs {
@@ -256,6 +265,7 @@ func TestRecordRequestLatencies(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestRecordNormalizedTimePerOutputToken(t *testing.T) {
+	Reset()
 	ctx := logutil.NewTestLoggerIntoContext(context.Background())
 	timeBaseline := time.Now()
 	type tokenRequests struct {
@@ -330,7 +340,6 @@ func TestRecordNormalizedTimePerOutputToken(t *testing.T) {
 			invalid: true,
 		},
 	}
-	Register()
 	for _, scenario := range scenarios {
 		t.Run(scenario.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			for _, req := range scenario.reqs {
@@ -357,6 +366,7 @@ func TestRecordNormalizedTimePerOutputToken(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestRecordResponseMetrics(t *testing.T) {
+	Reset()
 	type responses struct {
 		modelName       string
 		targetModelName string
@@ -400,7 +410,6 @@ func TestRecordResponseMetrics(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 	}}
-	Register()
 	for _, scenario := range scenarios {
 		t.Run(scenario.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			for _, resp := range scenario.resp {
@@ -451,6 +460,7 @@ func TestRecordResponseMetrics(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestRunningRequestsMetrics(t *testing.T) {
+	Reset()
 	type request struct {
 		modelName string
 		complete  bool // true -> request is completed, false -> running request
@@ -483,7 +493,6 @@ func TestRunningRequestsMetrics(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 
-	Register()
 	for _, scenario := range scenarios {
 		t.Run(scenario.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			for _, req := range scenario.requests {
@@ -511,6 +520,7 @@ func TestRunningRequestsMetrics(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestInferencePoolMetrics(t *testing.T) {
+	Reset()
 	scenarios := []struct {
 		name         string
 		poolName     string
@@ -524,7 +534,6 @@ func TestInferencePoolMetrics(t *testing.T) {
 			queueSizeAvg: 0.4,
 		},
 	}
-	Register()
 	for _, scenario := range scenarios {
 		t.Run(scenario.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			RecordInferencePoolAvgKVCache(scenario.poolName, scenario.kvCacheAvg)
@@ -560,6 +569,7 @@ func TestInferencePoolMetrics(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestPluginProcessingLatencies(t *testing.T) {
+	Reset()
 	type pluginLatency struct {
 		extensionPoint string
 		pluginType     string
@@ -600,7 +610,6 @@ func TestPluginProcessingLatencies(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 	}
-	Register()
 	for _, scenario := range scenarios {
 		t.Run(scenario.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			for _, latency := range scenario.latencies {
@@ -624,6 +633,7 @@ func TestPluginProcessingLatencies(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestSchedulerE2ELatency(t *testing.T) {
+	Reset()
 	scenarios := []struct {
 		name      string
 		durations []time.Duration
@@ -643,7 +653,6 @@ func TestSchedulerE2ELatency(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 	}
-	Register()
 	for _, scenario := range scenarios {
 		t.Run(scenario.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			for _, duration := range scenario.durations {
@@ -667,6 +676,7 @@ func TestSchedulerE2ELatency(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestPrefixCacheMetrics(t *testing.T) {
+	Reset()
 	const (
 		PrefixCacheSizeMetric      = InferenceExtension + "_prefix_indexer_size"
 		PrefixCacheHitRatioMetric  = InferenceExtension + "_prefix_indexer_hit_ratio"
@@ -713,7 +723,6 @@ func TestPrefixCacheMetrics(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 
-	Register()
 	t.Run(scenario.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 		// Record cache size metrics
 		for _, size := range scenario.cacheSizes {
@@ -768,3 +777,104 @@ func TestPrefixCacheMetrics(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	})
 }
+
+func getHistogramVecLabelValues(t *testing.T, h *prometheus.HistogramVec, labelValues ...string) (*dto.Histogram, error) {
+	t.Helper()
+	m, err := h.GetMetricWithLabelValues(labelValues...)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	metricDto := &dto.Metric{}
+	if err := m.(prometheus.Histogram).Write(metricDto); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return metricDto.GetHistogram(), nil
+}
+
+func TestFlowControlQueueDurationMetric(t *testing.T) {
+	Reset()
+
+	records := []struct {
+		fairnessID string
+		priority   string
+		outcome    string
+		duration   time.Duration
+	}{
+		{fairnessID: "user-a", priority: "100", outcome: "Dispatched", duration: 10 * time.Millisecond},
+		{fairnessID: "user-a", priority: "100", outcome: "Dispatched", duration: 20 * time.Millisecond},
+		{fairnessID: "user-b", priority: "100", outcome: "RejectedCapacity", duration: 5 * time.Millisecond},
+		{fairnessID: "user-a", priority: "50", outcome: "Dispatched", duration: 100 * time.Millisecond},
+	}
+
+	for _, rec := range records {
+		RecordFlowControlRequestQueueDuration(rec.fairnessID, rec.priority, rec.outcome, rec.duration)
+	}
+
+	testCases := []struct {
+		name        string
+		labels      prometheus.Labels
+		expectCount uint64
+		expectSum   float64
+	}{
+		{
+			name:        "user-a, prio 100, dispatched",
+			labels:      prometheus.Labels{"fairness_id": "user-a", "priority": "100", "outcome": "Dispatched"},
+			expectCount: 2,
+			expectSum:   0.03, // 0.01 + 0.02
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "user-b, prio 100, rejected",
+			labels:      prometheus.Labels{"fairness_id": "user-b", "priority": "100", "outcome": "RejectedCapacity"},
+			expectCount: 1,
+			expectSum:   0.005,
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "user-a, prio 50, dispatched",
+			labels:      prometheus.Labels{"fairness_id": "user-a", "priority": "50", "outcome": "Dispatched"},
+			expectCount: 1,
+			expectSum:   0.1,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range testCases {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			labels := []string{tc.labels["fairness_id"], tc.labels["priority"], tc.labels["outcome"]}
+			hist, err := getHistogramVecLabelValues(t, flowControlRequestQueueDuration, labels...)
+			require.NoError(t, err, "Failed to get histogram for labels %v", tc.labels)
+			require.Equal(t, tc.expectCount, hist.GetSampleCount(), "Sample count mismatch for labels %v", tc.labels)
+			require.InDelta(t, tc.expectSum, hist.GetSampleSum(), 0.00001, "Sample sum mismatch for labels %v", tc.labels)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestFlowControlQueueSizeMetric(t *testing.T) {
+	Reset()
+
+	// Basic Inc/Dec
+	IncFlowControlQueueSize("user-a", "100")
+	val, err := testutil.GetGaugeMetricValue(flowControlQueueSize.WithLabelValues("user-a", "100"))
+	require.NoError(t, err, "Failed to get gauge value for user-a/100 after Inc")
+	require.Equal(t, 1.0, val, "Gauge value should be 1 after Inc for user-a/100")
+
+	DecFlowControlQueueSize("user-a", "100")
+	val, err = testutil.GetGaugeMetricValue(flowControlQueueSize.WithLabelValues("user-a", "100"))
+	require.NoError(t, err, "Failed to get gauge value for user-a/100 after Dec")
+	require.Equal(t, 0.0, val, "Gauge value should be 0 after Dec for user-a/100")
+
+	// Multiple labels
+	IncFlowControlQueueSize("user-b", "200")
+	IncFlowControlQueueSize("user-b", "200")
+	val, err = testutil.GetGaugeMetricValue(flowControlQueueSize.WithLabelValues("user-b", "200"))
+	require.NoError(t, err, "Failed to get gauge value for user-b/200")
+	require.Equal(t, 2.0, val, "Gauge value should be 2 for user-b/200")
+
+	DecFlowControlQueueSize("user-b", "200")
+	val, err = testutil.GetGaugeMetricValue(flowControlQueueSize.WithLabelValues("user-b", "200"))
+	require.NoError(t, err, "Failed to get gauge value for user-b/200 after one Dec")
+	require.Equal(t, 1.0, val, "Gauge value should be 1 for user-b/200 after one Dec")
+
+	// Non-existent labels
+	val, err = testutil.GetGaugeMetricValue(flowControlQueueSize.WithLabelValues("user-c", "100"))
+	require.NoError(t, err, "Failed to get gauge value for non-existent user-c/100")
+	require.Equal(t, 0.0, val, "Gauge value for non-existent labels should be 0")
+}
diff --git a/pkg/epp/requestcontrol/admission_test.go b/pkg/epp/requestcontrol/admission_test.go
index 002c50f..0857782 100644
--- a/pkg/epp/requestcontrol/admission_test.go
+++ b/pkg/epp/requestcontrol/admission_test.go
@@ -48,7 +48,10 @@ type mockFlowController struct {
 	called  bool
 }
 
-func (m *mockFlowController) EnqueueAndWait(_ fctypes.FlowControlRequest) (fctypes.QueueOutcome, error) {
+func (m *mockFlowController) EnqueueAndWait(
+	_ context.Context,
+	_ fctypes.FlowControlRequest,
+) (fctypes.QueueOutcome, error) {
 	m.called = true
 	return m.outcome, m.err
 }
@@ -115,7 +118,6 @@ func TestLegacyAdmissionController_Admit(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestFlowControlRequestAdapter(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
-	ctx := context.Background()
 	candidatePods := []backendmetrics.PodMetrics{&backendmetrics.FakePodMetrics{}}
 
 	testCases := []struct {
@@ -140,7 +142,6 @@ func TestFlowControlRequestAdapter(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Parallel()
 			fcReq := &flowControlRequest{
-				ctx:             ctx,
 				requestID:       tc.requestID,
 				fairnessID:      tc.fairnessID,
 				priority:        tc.priority,
@@ -148,7 +149,6 @@ func TestFlowControlRequestAdapter(t *testing.T) {
 				candidatePods:   candidatePods,
 			}
 
-			assert.Equal(t, ctx, fcReq.Context(), "Context() mismatch")
 			assert.Equal(t, tc.requestID, fcReq.ID(), "ID() mismatch")
 			assert.Equal(t, tc.requestByteSize, fcReq.ByteSize(), "ByteSize() mismatch")
 			assert.Equal(t, candidatePods, fcReq.CandidatePodsForScheduling(), "CandidatePodsForScheduling() mismatch")
diff --git a/pkg/epp/scheduling/framework/plugins/multi/prefix/plugin_test.go b/pkg/epp/scheduling/framework/plugins/multi/prefix/plugin_test.go
index 54a00ab..1763937 100644
--- a/pkg/epp/scheduling/framework/plugins/multi/prefix/plugin_test.go
+++ b/pkg/epp/scheduling/framework/plugins/multi/prefix/plugin_test.go
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ package prefix
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
-	"math"
 	"math/rand"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
@@ -29,20 +28,21 @@ import (
 	k8stypes "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
 
 	"sigs.k8s.io/gateway-api-inference-extension/pkg/epp/backend"
+	backendmetrics "sigs.k8s.io/gateway-api-inference-extension/pkg/epp/backend/metrics"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/gateway-api-inference-extension/pkg/epp/plugins"
 	"sigs.k8s.io/gateway-api-inference-extension/pkg/epp/scheduling/types"
 )
 
 func TestPrefixPluginCompletion(t *testing.T) {
 	config := Config{
-		BlockSize:              4,
+		DefaultBlockSize:       4,
 		MaxPrefixBlocksToMatch: DefaultMaxPrefixBlocks,
 		LRUCapacityPerServer:   DefaultLRUCapacityPerServer,
 	}
 	plugin := New(context.Background(), config)
 
-	pod1 := &types.PodMetrics{Pod: &backend.Pod{NamespacedName: k8stypes.NamespacedName{Name: "pod1"}}}
-	pod2 := &types.PodMetrics{Pod: &backend.Pod{NamespacedName: k8stypes.NamespacedName{Name: "pod2"}}}
+	pod1 := &types.PodMetrics{Pod: &backend.Pod{NamespacedName: k8stypes.NamespacedName{Name: "pod1"}}, MetricsState: backendmetrics.NewMetricsState()}
+	pod2 := &types.PodMetrics{Pod: &backend.Pod{NamespacedName: k8stypes.NamespacedName{Name: "pod2"}}, MetricsState: backendmetrics.NewMetricsState()}
 	pods := []types.Pod{pod1, pod2}
 
 	// First request.
@@ -201,13 +201,13 @@ func TestPrefixPluginCompletion(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestPrefixPluginChatCompletions(t *testing.T) {
 	config := Config{
-		BlockSize:              4,
+		DefaultBlockSize:       4,
 		MaxPrefixBlocksToMatch: DefaultMaxPrefixBlocks,
 		LRUCapacityPerServer:   DefaultLRUCapacityPerServer,
 	}
 	plugin := New(context.Background(), config)
 
-	pod1 := &types.PodMetrics{Pod: &backend.Pod{NamespacedName: k8stypes.NamespacedName{Name: "pod1"}}}
+	pod1 := &types.PodMetrics{Pod: &backend.Pod{NamespacedName: k8stypes.NamespacedName{Name: "pod1"}}, MetricsState: &backendmetrics.MetricsState{}}
 	pods := []types.Pod{pod1}
 
 	// Test with chat completions request
@@ -235,14 +235,14 @@ func TestPrefixPluginChatCompletions(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestPrefixPluginChatCompletionsGrowth(t *testing.T) {
 	config := Config{
-		BlockSize:              8, // Use larger block size for more predictable JSON marshaling
+		DefaultBlockSize:       8, // Use larger block size for more predictable JSON marshaling
 		MaxPrefixBlocksToMatch: DefaultMaxPrefixBlocks,
 		LRUCapacityPerServer:   DefaultLRUCapacityPerServer,
 	}
 	plugin := New(context.Background(), config)
 
-	pod1 := &types.PodMetrics{Pod: &backend.Pod{NamespacedName: k8stypes.NamespacedName{Name: "pod1"}}}
-	pod2 := &types.PodMetrics{Pod: &backend.Pod{NamespacedName: k8stypes.NamespacedName{Name: "pod2"}}}
+	pod1 := &types.PodMetrics{Pod: &backend.Pod{NamespacedName: k8stypes.NamespacedName{Name: "pod1"}}, MetricsState: &backendmetrics.MetricsState{}}
+	pod2 := &types.PodMetrics{Pod: &backend.Pod{NamespacedName: k8stypes.NamespacedName{Name: "pod2"}}, MetricsState: &backendmetrics.MetricsState{}}
 	pods := []types.Pod{pod1, pod2}
 
 	// First request with initial conversation
@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ func BenchmarkPrefixPluginStress(b *testing.B) {
 	blockSize := 4
 	maxPrefixBlocks := 50000
 	config := Config{
-		BlockSize:              blockSize,
+		DefaultBlockSize:       blockSize,
 		MaxPrefixBlocksToMatch: maxPrefixBlocks,
 		LRUCapacityPerServer:   DefaultLRUCapacityPerServer,
 	}
@@ -357,49 +357,44 @@ func BenchmarkPrefixPluginStress(b *testing.B) {
 	plugin := New(context.Background(), config)
 	types.NewCycleState()
 	var promptLen []int
-	for i := 1; i <= 1024; i++ {
+	for i := 1; i <= 1024; {
 		promptLen = append(promptLen, i)
+		i += 10
 	}
 	promptLen = append(promptLen, 2048, 4096, 8192, 10000, 20000, 50000)
 
-	for _, i := range promptLen {
-		// Generate increasing-length random prompts
-		prompt := randomPrompt(4 + i)
-		pod := &types.PodMetrics{
-			Pod: &backend.Pod{
-				NamespacedName: k8stypes.NamespacedName{
-					Name: fmt.Sprintf("random-pod-%d", i),
+	for i, v := range promptLen {
+		b.Run(fmt.Sprintf("messages_%d_length_%d", i, v), func(b *testing.B) {
+			// Generate increasing-length random prompts
+			prompt := randomPrompt(4 + v)
+			pod := &types.PodMetrics{
+				Pod: &backend.Pod{
+					NamespacedName: k8stypes.NamespacedName{
+						Name: fmt.Sprintf("random-pod-%d", v),
+					},
 				},
-			},
-		}
-
-		pods := []types.Pod{pod}
-		req := &types.LLMRequest{
-			RequestId:   uuid.NewString(),
-			TargetModel: "model-stress",
-			Body: &types.LLMRequestBody{
-				Completions: &types.CompletionsRequest{
-					Prompt: prompt,
+			}
+
+			pods := []types.Pod{pod}
+			req := &types.LLMRequest{
+				RequestId:   uuid.NewString(),
+				TargetModel: "model-stress",
+				Body: &types.LLMRequestBody{
+					Completions: &types.CompletionsRequest{
+						Prompt: prompt,
+					},
 				},
-			},
-		}
-
-		// First cycle: simulate scheduling and insert prefix info into the cache
-		plugin.Score(context.Background(), types.NewCycleState(), req, pods)
-		schedulingResult := &types.SchedulingResult{
-			PrimaryProfileName: "default",
-			ProfileResults: map[string]*types.ProfileRunResult{
-				"default": {TargetPods: []types.Pod{pod}},
-			},
-		}
-		plugin.PreRequest(context.Background(), req, schedulingResult, 0)
-		plugin.wg.Wait()
-
-		// Second cycle: validate internal state
-		state, err := plugins.ReadPluginStateKey[*SchedulingContextState](plugin.pluginState, req.RequestId, plugins.StateKey(plugin.TypedName().String()))
-		assert.NoError(b, err)
-		expectedHashes := int(math.Min(float64(maxPrefixBlocks), float64(len(req.Body.Completions.Prompt)/blockSize)))
-		assert.Equal(b, expectedHashes, len(state.PrefixHashes), "number of hashes is incorrect")
+			}
+
+			b.ResetTimer()
+			// Benchmark the scoring operation
+			scores := plugin.Score(context.Background(), types.NewCycleState(), req, pods)
+			_ = scores // Use the result to prevent optimization
+
+			// Clean up state for next iteration
+			plugin.pluginState.Delete(req.RequestId)
+		})
+
 	}
 }
 
@@ -418,11 +413,10 @@ func BenchmarkPrefixPluginChatCompletionsStress(b *testing.B) {
 	blockSize := 8
 	maxPrefixBlocks := 50000
 	config := Config{
-		BlockSize:              blockSize,
+		DefaultBlockSize:       blockSize,
 		MaxPrefixBlocksToMatch: maxPrefixBlocks,
 		LRUCapacityPerServer:   DefaultLRUCapacityPerServer,
 	}
-
 	plugin := New(context.Background(), config)
 
 	// Test scenarios: varying number of messages and message lengths
@@ -476,7 +470,7 @@ func BenchmarkPrefixPluginChatCompletionsStress(b *testing.B) {
 			b.ResetTimer()
 			for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
 				// Benchmark the scoring operation
-				scores := plugin.Score(context.Background(), nil, req, pods)
+				scores := plugin.Score(context.Background(), types.NewCycleState(), req, pods)
 				_ = scores // Use the result to prevent optimization
 
 				// Clean up state for next iteration