diff --git a/codecarbon/emissions_tracker.py b/codecarbon/emissions_tracker.py
index 96ed00c91..f7520bc71 100644
--- a/codecarbon/emissions_tracker.py
+++ b/codecarbon/emissions_tracker.py
@@ -268,6 +268,12 @@ def _resolve_output_methods(
 
     def _initialize_runtime_state(self) -> None:
         self._start_time: Optional[float] = None
+        # Timestamp of the last stop(); None while the tracker is running.
+        # This is the single start/stop state flag: `_start_time is None` means
+        # never started, `_stopped_at is not None` means stopped.
+        self._stopped_at: Optional[float] = None
+        self.final_emissions: Optional[float] = None
+        self.final_emissions_data: Optional[EmissionsData] = None
         self._last_measured_time: float = time.perf_counter()
         self._total_energy: Energy = Energy.from_energy(kWh=0)
         self._total_emissions: float = 0.0
@@ -899,12 +905,17 @@ def stop(self) -> Optional[float]:
                 "Another instance of codecarbon is already running. Exiting."
             )
             return
-        if not self._allow_multiple_runs:
-            # Release the lock
-            self._lock.release()
         if self._start_time is None:
             logger.error("You first need to start the tracker.")
             return None
+        if self._stopped_at is not None:
+            logger.warning("Tracker already stopped !")
+            return self.final_emissions
+        self._stopped_at = time.perf_counter()
+
+        if not self._allow_multiple_runs:
+            # Release the lock
+            self._lock.release()
 
         if self._scheduler:
             self._scheduler.stop()
@@ -912,8 +923,6 @@ def stop(self) -> Optional[float]:
         if self._scheduler_monitor_power:
             self._scheduler_monitor_power.stop()
             self._scheduler_monitor_power = None
-        else:
-            logger.warning("Tracker already stopped !")
         for task_name in self._tasks:
             if self._tasks[task_name].is_active:
                 self.stop_task(task_name=task_name)
diff --git a/codecarbon/lock.py b/codecarbon/lock.py
index 38d112324..47ed53bb8 100644
--- a/codecarbon/lock.py
+++ b/codecarbon/lock.py
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ def release(self):
             try:
                 # Remove the lock file only if it was created by this instance
                 if self._has_created_lock:
+                    self._has_created_lock = False
                     os.remove(LOCKFILE)
             except OSError as e:
                 logger.debug(f"Error: {e}")
diff --git a/tests/test_emissions_tracker.py b/tests/test_emissions_tracker.py
index 8ab12e5d8..52f5d52e2 100644
--- a/tests/test_emissions_tracker.py
+++ b/tests/test_emissions_tracker.py
@@ -633,6 +633,62 @@ def test_offline_tracker_country_name(
         self.assertEqual("United States", emissions_df["country_name"].values[0])
         self.assertEqual("USA", emissions_df["country_iso_code"].values[0])
 
+    def test_offline_tracker_stop_is_idempotent(
+        self,
+        mock_cli_setup,
+        mock_log_values,
+        mocked_get_gpu_details,
+        mocked_env_cloud_details,
+        mocked_get_gpu_utilization_list,
+        mocked_is_gpu_details_available,
+        mocked_is_nvidia_system,
+    ):
+        tracker = OfflineEmissionsTracker(
+            country_iso_code="USA",
+            output_dir=self.temp_path,
+            experiment_id="test",
+        )
+        tracker.start()
+        heavy_computation(run_time_secs=1)
+        first_emissions = tracker.stop()
+        second_emissions = tracker.stop()
+
+        self.assertEqual(first_emissions, second_emissions)
+        self.verify_output_file(self.emissions_file_path, 2)
+
+    def test_stop_releases_the_lock_only_once(
+        self,
+        mock_cli_setup,
+        mock_log_values,
+        mocked_get_gpu_details,
+        mocked_env_cloud_details,
+        mocked_get_gpu_utilization_list,
+        mocked_is_gpu_details_available,
+        mocked_is_nvidia_system,
+    ):
+        with mock.patch("codecarbon.emissions_tracker.Lock") as mock_lock_class:
+            tracker = OfflineEmissionsTracker(
+                country_iso_code="USA",
+                output_dir=self.temp_path,
+                experiment_id="test",
+                allow_multiple_runs=False,
+            )
+            lock = mock_lock_class.return_value
+            lock.acquire.assert_called_once()
+
+            tracker.start()
+            heavy_computation(run_time_secs=1)
+            first_emissions = tracker.stop()
+            lock.release.assert_called_once()
+
+            # A second stop() is a no-op: it must not touch the lock again, which
+            # by then may belong to another tracker.
+            second_emissions = tracker.stop()
+            lock.release.assert_called_once()
+
+        self.assertEqual(first_emissions, second_emissions)
+        self.verify_output_file(self.emissions_file_path, 2)
+
     def test_offline_tracker_invalid_headers(
         self,
         mock_cli_setup,
diff --git a/tests/test_lock.py b/tests/test_lock.py
index aafb46a1b..3a6ae2c70 100644
--- a/tests/test_lock.py
+++ b/tests/test_lock.py
@@ -30,6 +30,17 @@ def test_release_removes_lock_file(self, mock_file, mock_remove):
         self.lock.release()
         mock_remove.assert_called_once_with(LOCKFILE)
 
+    @patch("codecarbon.lock.os.remove")
+    @patch("codecarbon.lock.open", new_callable=mock_open)
+    def test_release_is_idempotent(self, mock_file, mock_remove):
+        # A second release() must not delete the lock file again: by then it may
+        # have been re-created by another instance of codecarbon.
+        self.lock.acquire()
+        self.lock.release()
+        self.lock.release()
+        mock_remove.assert_called_once_with(LOCKFILE)
+        self.assertFalse(self.lock._has_created_lock)
+
     @patch("codecarbon.lock.os.remove")
     @patch("codecarbon.lock.open", new_callable=mock_open)
     def test_release_does_not_release_when_not_created_by_this_instance(