diff --git a/src/meshcore/ble_cx.py b/src/meshcore/ble_cx.py
index b0f7db2..b478ab1 100644
--- a/src/meshcore/ble_cx.py
+++ b/src/meshcore/ble_cx.py
@@ -87,6 +87,23 @@ class BLEConnection:
         task.add_done_callback(self._background_tasks.discard)
         return task
 
+    async def _cleanup_stale_client(self):
+        """Best-effort disconnect of an existing self.client before it is replaced.
+
+        connect() always overwrites self.client with a fresh BleakClient on
+        reconnect. If the previous client's GATT notification subscription
+        (start_notify on UART_TX_CHAR_UUID) is never torn down, the stale
+        registration survives at the BlueZ D-Bus level and every future
+        notification fires twice: once for the stale registration, once for
+        the new one.
+        """
+        if self.client is not None:
+            try:
+                if self.client.is_connected:
+                    await self.client.disconnect()
+            except Exception:
+                logger.debug("Best-effort cleanup of stale BLE client failed", exc_info=True)
+
     async def connect(self):
         """
         Connects to the device.
@@ -99,6 +116,8 @@ class BLEConnection:
         """
         logger.debug(f"Connecting with client: {self.client}, address: {self.address}, device: {self.device}")
 
+        await self._cleanup_stale_client()
+
         if self.client:
             logger.debug("Using pre-configured BleakClient.")
             assert isinstance(self.client, BleakClient)
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_ble_reconnect_cleanup.py b/tests/unit/test_ble_reconnect_cleanup.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..abeff3f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/test_ble_reconnect_cleanup.py
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+"""
+Regression test for GH #97: after a BLE reconnect, the previous client's GATT
+notification subscription was never torn down, so every notification fired
+twice (once for the stale registration, once for the new one).
+
+connect() must disconnect any existing self.client before overwriting it with
+a fresh BleakClient.
+"""
+
+from unittest.mock import AsyncMock, MagicMock, patch
+
+import pytest
+
+from meshcore.ble_cx import BLEConnection, UART_RX_CHAR_UUID
+
+
+class _FakeBleakClient:
+    """Stand-in for BleakClient whose constructor hands out pre-built
+    instances, so tests can assert on a specific client object while
+    connect()'s `isinstance(self.client, BleakClient)` check still holds."""
+
+    _queue = []
+
+    def __new__(cls, *args, **kwargs):
+        return cls._queue.pop(0)
+
+
+def _make_mock_client(address):
+    """Build a mock client instance (bypassing __new__'s queue pop)."""
+    client = object.__new__(_FakeBleakClient)
+    client.address = address
+    client.is_connected = True
+    client.connect = AsyncMock()
+    client.start_notify = AsyncMock()
+
+    async def _disconnect():
+        # Mirrors real BleakClient: once disconnected, is_connected flips.
+        client.is_connected = False
+
+    client.disconnect = AsyncMock(side_effect=_disconnect)
+
+    mock_service = MagicMock()
+    mock_char = MagicMock()
+    mock_char.uuid = UART_RX_CHAR_UUID
+    mock_service.get_characteristic.return_value = mock_char
+    client.services = MagicMock()
+    client.services.get_service.return_value = mock_service
+
+    return client
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_reconnect_disconnects_previous_client_before_replacing_it():
+    """Calling connect() twice in a row (as happens on a BLE reconnect) must
+    disconnect the first client before the second one is constructed, so its
+    stale notify registration doesn't linger alongside the new one."""
+    address = "00:11:22:33:44:55"
+    first_client = _make_mock_client(address)
+    second_client = _make_mock_client(address)
+    _FakeBleakClient._queue = [first_client, second_client]
+
+    with patch("meshcore.ble_cx.BleakClient", _FakeBleakClient):
+        ble_conn = BLEConnection(address=address)
+
+        result = await ble_conn.connect()
+        assert result == address
+        assert ble_conn.client is first_client
+        first_client.disconnect.assert_not_awaited()
+
+        result = await ble_conn.connect()
+        assert result == address
+        assert ble_conn.client is second_client
+
+        # The stale first client must be disconnected before the second
+        # client is used, so its GATT notify subscription doesn't survive
+        # alongside the new one.
+        first_client.disconnect.assert_awaited_once()
+        second_client.start_notify.assert_awaited_once()
+
+        assert _FakeBleakClient._queue == []