diff --git a/lib/backend/backend.go b/lib/backend/backend.go
index 7506a605fd401..05453be5d04ec 100644
--- a/lib/backend/backend.go
+++ b/lib/backend/backend.go
@@ -189,18 +189,21 @@ func IterateRange(ctx context.Context, bk Backend, startKey, endKey Key, limit i
 // 2. allow individual backends to expose custom streaming methods s.t. the most performant
 // impl for a given backend may be used.
 func StreamRange(ctx context.Context, bk Backend, startKey, endKey Key, pageSize int) stream.Stream[Item] {
-	return stream.PageFunc[Item](func() ([]Item, error) {
-		if startKey.components == nil {
+	var done bool
+	return stream.PageFunc(func() ([]Item, error) {
+		if done {
 			return nil, io.EOF
 		}
-		rslt, err := bk.GetRange(ctx, startKey, endKey, pageSize)
+		rslt, err := bk.GetRange(ctx, startKey, endKey, pageSize+1)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, trace.Wrap(err)
 		}
-		if len(rslt.Items) < pageSize {
-			startKey = Key{}
+		if len(rslt.Items) > pageSize {
+			startKey = rslt.Items[pageSize].Key
+			clear(rslt.Items[pageSize:])
+			rslt.Items = rslt.Items[:pageSize]
 		} else {
-			startKey = nextKey(rslt.Items[pageSize-1].Key)
+			done = true
 		}
 		return rslt.Items, nil
 	})
@@ -320,10 +323,10 @@ func (p Params) GetString(key string) string {
 // NoLimit specifies no limits
 const NoLimit = 0
 
-// nextKey returns the next possible key.
-// If used with a key prefix, this will return
-// the end of the range for that key prefix.
-func nextKey(key Key) Key {
+const noEnd = "\x00"
+
+// RangeEnd returns end of the range for given key.
+func RangeEnd(key Key) Key {
 	end := make([]byte, len(key.s))
 	copy(end, key.s)
 	for i := len(end) - 1; i >= 0; i-- {
@@ -337,13 +340,6 @@ func nextKey(key Key) Key {
 	return Key{noEnd: true}
 }
 
-var noEnd = []byte{0}
-
-// RangeEnd returns end of the range for given key.
-func RangeEnd(key Key) Key {
-	return nextKey(key)
-}
-
 // HostID is a derivation of a KeyedItem that allows the host id
 // to be included in the key.
 type HostID interface {
diff --git a/lib/backend/key.go b/lib/backend/key.go
index 881704be2a254..ea79724e98eb5 100644
--- a/lib/backend/key.go
+++ b/lib/backend/key.go
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ func KeyFromString(s string) Key {
 		components: components,
 		s:          s,
 		exactKey:   s == SeparatorString || (s != "" && s[len(s)-1] == Separator),
-		noEnd:      s == string(noEnd),
+		noEnd:      s == noEnd,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ func (k Key) ExactKey() Key {
 // each component concatenated together via the [Separator].
 func (k Key) String() string {
 	if k.noEnd {
-		return string(noEnd)
+		return noEnd
 	}
 
 	return k.s
diff --git a/lib/backend/memory/memory_test.go b/lib/backend/memory/memory_test.go
index 442b97343a0ee..3d50435349a3e 100644
--- a/lib/backend/memory/memory_test.go
+++ b/lib/backend/memory/memory_test.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ package memory
 import (
 	"context"
 	"os"
+	"slices"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
@@ -128,3 +129,31 @@ func TestIterateRange(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	require.Equal(t, 20, scount)
 }
+
+func TestStreamRange(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	defer cancel()
+
+	m, err := New(Config{})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer m.Close()
+
+	const N = 10
+	for i := range 10 * N {
+		_, err := m.Put(ctx, backend.Item{
+			Key:   backend.NewKey("foo", strings.Repeat("a", i+1)),
+			Value: []byte("\x00"),
+		})
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+	}
+
+	var items []string
+	st := backend.StreamRange(ctx, m, backend.ExactKey("foo"), backend.RangeEnd(backend.ExactKey("foo")), N)
+	for st.Next() {
+		items = append(items, st.Item().Key.String())
+	}
+	require.NoError(t, st.Done())
+
+	require.Len(t, items, 10*N)
+	require.True(t, slices.IsSorted(items))
+}
diff --git a/lib/backend/sanitize.go b/lib/backend/sanitize.go
index f5c31d1ea6c09..e84a5006e4340 100644
--- a/lib/backend/sanitize.go
+++ b/lib/backend/sanitize.go
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ func IsKeySafe(key Key) bool {
 	components := key.Components()
 	for i, k := range components {
 		switch k {
-		case string(noEnd):
+		case noEnd:
 			continue
 		case ".", "..":
 			return false