diff --git a/usage/src/main/java/com/cloud/usage/UsageManagerImpl.java b/usage/src/main/java/com/cloud/usage/UsageManagerImpl.java
index 8d278056aa85..bed0ed944036 100644
--- a/usage/src/main/java/com/cloud/usage/UsageManagerImpl.java
+++ b/usage/src/main/java/com/cloud/usage/UsageManagerImpl.java
@@ -1126,6 +1126,26 @@ private void createVMHelperEvent(UsageEventVO event) {
                 Long templateId = event.getTemplateId();
                 String hypervisorType = event.getResourceType();
 
+
+
+            SearchCriteria<UsageVMInstanceVO> runningSc =
+                _usageInstanceDao.createSearchCriteria();
+runningSc.addAnd("vmInstanceId", SearchCriteria.Op.EQ, vmId);
+runningSc.addAnd("usageType", SearchCriteria.Op.EQ, UsageTypes.RUNNING_VM);
+runningSc.addAnd("endDate", SearchCriteria.Op.NULL);
+
+List<UsageVMInstanceVO> existingRunning =
+        _usageInstanceDao.search(runningSc, null);
+
+if (existingRunning != null && !existingRunning.isEmpty()) {
+    logger.warn(String.format(
+        "Duplicate VM.START event detected for VM [%d] at [%s], skipping helper record creation.",
+        vmId, event.getCreateDate()));
+    return;
+}
+
+
+
                 // add this VM to the usage helper table
                 UsageVMInstanceVO usageInstanceNew =
                         new UsageVMInstanceVO(UsageTypes.RUNNING_VM, zoneId, event.getAccountId(), vmId, vmName, soId, templateId, hypervisorType, event.getCreateDate(),
diff --git a/usage/src/test/java/com/cloud/usage/UsageManagerImplTest.java b/usage/src/test/java/com/cloud/usage/UsageManagerImplTest.java
index 03939e430d25..555b3cee04de 100644
--- a/usage/src/test/java/com/cloud/usage/UsageManagerImplTest.java
+++ b/usage/src/test/java/com/cloud/usage/UsageManagerImplTest.java
@@ -36,6 +36,15 @@
 import com.cloud.user.dao.AccountDao;
 import org.mockito.junit.MockitoJUnitRunner;
 
+
+import java.util.Date;
+
+import com.cloud.usage.dao.UsageVMInstanceDao;
+import com.cloud.utils.db.SearchCriteria;
+
+import org.springframework.test.util.ReflectionTestUtils;
+
+
 @RunWith(MockitoJUnitRunner.class)
 public class UsageManagerImplTest {
 
@@ -243,4 +252,41 @@ public void handleVMSnapshotEventTestEventIsNeitherAddNorRemove() {
         Mockito.verify(usageManagerImpl, Mockito.never()).createUsageVpnUser(usageEventVOMock,accountMock);
         Mockito.verify(usageManagerImpl, Mockito.never()).deleteUsageVpnUser(usageEventVOMock, accountMock);
     }
+
+
+    @Test
+    public void testDuplicateVmStartDoesNotCreateNewRunningUsage() {
+
+        UsageVMInstanceDao usageInstanceDao = Mockito.mock(UsageVMInstanceDao.class);
+        ReflectionTestUtils.setField(usageManagerImpl, "_usageInstanceDao", usageInstanceDao);
+
+        Mockito.doNothing()
+            .when(usageEventDetailsDao)
+            .persist(Mockito.any());
+
+        long vmId = 100L;
+
+        UsageEventVO event = Mockito.mock(UsageEventVO.class);
+        Mockito.when(event.getType()).thenReturn(EventTypes.EVENT_VM_START);
+        Mockito.when(event.getResourceId()).thenReturn(vmId);
+        Mockito.when(event.getZoneId()).thenReturn(1L);
+        Mockito.when(event.getAccountId()).thenReturn(1L);
+        Mockito.when(event.getCreateDate()).thenReturn(new Date());
+
+        UsageVMInstanceVO existing = Mockito.mock(UsageVMInstanceVO.class);
+        List<UsageVMInstanceVO> existingList = List.of(existing);
+
+        SearchCriteria<UsageVMInstanceVO> sc = Mockito.mock(SearchCriteria.class);
+        Mockito.when(usageInstanceDao.createSearchCriteria()).thenReturn(sc);
+        Mockito.when(usageInstanceDao.search(Mockito.any(), Mockito.isNull()))
+            .thenReturn(existingList);
+
+        usageManagerImpl.handleEvent(event);
+
+        Mockito.verify(usageInstanceDao, Mockito.never())
+            .persist(Mockito.any(UsageVMInstanceVO.class));
+    }
+
+
+
 }