diff --git a/lib/backend/backend.go b/lib/backend/backend.go
index 1b243ffc48758..286550189584d 100644
--- a/lib/backend/backend.go
+++ b/lib/backend/backend.go
@@ -167,18 +167,21 @@ 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 == 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 = nil
+		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
 	})
@@ -298,10 +301,10 @@ 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))
 	copy(end, key)
 	for i := len(end) - 1; i >= 0; i-- {
@@ -312,14 +315,7 @@ func nextKey(key Key) Key {
 		}
 	}
 	// next key does not exist (e.g., 0xffff);
-	return noEnd
-}
-
-var noEnd = Key{0}
-
-// RangeEnd returns end of the range for given key.
-func RangeEnd(key Key) Key {
-	return nextKey(key)
+	return Key(noEnd)
 }
 
 // HostID is a derivation of a KeyedItem that allows the host id
@@ -339,7 +335,7 @@ type KeyedItem interface {
 // have the HostID part.
 func NextPaginationKey(ki KeyedItem) string {
 	key := GetPaginationKey(ki)
-	return string(nextKey(Key(key)))
+	return string(RangeEnd(Key(key)))
 }
 
 // GetPaginationKey returns the pagination key given item.
diff --git a/lib/backend/memory/memory_test.go b/lib/backend/memory/memory_test.go
index 625baf9aadf2c..8103653b25b6f 100644
--- a/lib/backend/memory/memory_test.go
+++ b/lib/backend/memory/memory_test.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"slices"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -127,3 +128,31 @@ 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))
+}