diff --git a/src/util-hash.c b/src/util-hash.c
index bdfc1c6f74..da9b6413ed 100644
--- a/src/util-hash.c
+++ b/src/util-hash.c
@@ -75,22 +75,38 @@ error:
     return NULL;
 }
 
-void HashTableFree(HashTable *ht)
+/**
+ *  \brief Free a HashTableBucket and return the next bucket
+ *  \param ht Pointer to the HashTable
+ *  \param htb Pointer to the HashTableBucket to free
+ *  \return HashTableBucket* Pointer to the next HashTableBucket or NULL
+ */
+static HashTableBucket *HashTableBucketFree(HashTable *ht, HashTableBucket *htb)
 {
-    uint32_t i = 0;
+    HashTableBucket *next_hashbucket = htb->next;
+    if (ht->Free != NULL)
+        ht->Free(htb->data);
+    SCFree(htb);
+    return next_hashbucket;
+}
 
+/**
+ *  \brief Free a HashTable and all its contents
+ *  \details This function will free all the buckets and the array of buckets.
+ *  \note If the Free function is set, it will be called for each data item in the hash table.
+ *  \param ht Pointer to the HashTable to free
+ *  \return void
+ */
+void HashTableFree(HashTable *ht)
+{
     if (ht == NULL)
         return;
 
     /* free the buckets */
-    for (i = 0; i < ht->array_size; i++) {
+    for (uint32_t i = 0; i < ht->array_size; i++) {
         HashTableBucket *hashbucket = ht->array[i];
         while (hashbucket != NULL) {
-            HashTableBucket *next_hashbucket = hashbucket->next;
-            if (ht->Free != NULL)
-                ht->Free(hashbucket->data);
-            SCFree(hashbucket);
-            hashbucket = next_hashbucket;
+            hashbucket = HashTableBucketFree(ht, hashbucket);
         }
     }
 
@@ -138,44 +154,27 @@ error:
         SCFree(hb);
     return -1;
 }
-
+/**
+ *  \brief Remove an item from the hash table
+ *  \details This function will search for the item in the hash table and remove it if found
+ *  \note If the Free function is set, it will be called for the data item being removed.
+ *  \param ht Pointer to the HashTable
+ *  \param data Pointer to the data to remove
+ *  \param datalen Length of the data to remove
+ *  \return int 0 on success, -1 if the item was not found or an error occurred
+ */
 int HashTableRemove(HashTable *ht, void *data, uint16_t datalen)
 {
     uint32_t hash = ht->Hash(ht, data, datalen);
 
-    if (ht->array[hash] == NULL) {
-        return -1;
-    }
-
-    if (ht->array[hash]->next == NULL) {
-        if (ht->Free != NULL)
-            ht->Free(ht->array[hash]->data);
-        SCFree(ht->array[hash]);
-        ht->array[hash] = NULL;
-        return 0;
-    }
-
-    HashTableBucket *hashbucket = ht->array[hash], *prev_hashbucket = NULL;
-    do {
-        if (ht->Compare(hashbucket->data,hashbucket->size,data,datalen) == 1) {
-            if (prev_hashbucket == NULL) {
-                /* root bucket */
-                ht->array[hash] = hashbucket->next;
-            } else {
-                /* child bucket */
-                prev_hashbucket->next = hashbucket->next;
-            }
-
-            /* remove this */
-            if (ht->Free != NULL)
-                ht->Free(hashbucket->data);
-            SCFree(hashbucket);
+    HashTableBucket **hashbucket = &(ht->array[hash]);
+    while (*hashbucket != NULL) {
+        if (ht->Compare((*hashbucket)->data, (*hashbucket)->size, data, datalen)) {
+            *hashbucket = HashTableBucketFree(ht, *hashbucket);
             return 0;
         }
-
-        prev_hashbucket = hashbucket;
-        hashbucket = hashbucket->next;
-    } while (hashbucket != NULL);
+        hashbucket = &((*hashbucket)->next);
+    }
 
     return -1;
 }
@@ -427,6 +426,39 @@ end:
     if (ht != NULL) HashTableFree(ht);
     return result;
 }
+
+static int HashTableTestCollisionBug(void)
+{
+    HashTable *ht = HashTableInit(32, HashTableGenericHash, NULL, NULL);
+    FAIL_IF_NULL(ht);
+
+    FAIL_IF_NOT(HashTableGenericHash(ht, (void *)"abc", 3) ==
+                HashTableGenericHash(ht, (void *)"iln", 3));
+
+    // Add two strings that collide in the same bucket
+    FAIL_IF_NOT(HashTableAdd(ht, (char *)"abc", 3) == 0);
+    FAIL_IF_NOT(HashTableAdd(ht, (char *)"iln", 3) == 0);
+
+    // Verify both keys are present
+    FAIL_IF_NULL(HashTableLookup(ht, (char *)"abc", 3));
+    FAIL_IF_NULL(HashTableLookup(ht, (char *)"iln", 3));
+
+    // Remove first key once
+    FAIL_IF_NOT(HashTableRemove(ht, (char *)"abc", 3) == 0);
+
+    // Verify first key is gone, second key remains
+    FAIL_IF_NOT_NULL(HashTableLookup(ht, (char *)"abc", 3));
+    FAIL_IF_NULL(HashTableLookup(ht, (char *)"iln", 3));
+
+    // Remove first key again (should not affect "iln")
+    FAIL_IF(HashTableRemove(ht, (char *)"abc", 3) == 0);
+
+    // Verify second key is still present (correct behavior)
+    FAIL_IF_NULL(HashTableLookup(ht, (char *)"iln", 3));
+
+    HashTableFree(ht);
+    PASS;
+}
 #endif
 
 void HashTableRegisterTests(void)
@@ -444,6 +476,6 @@ void HashTableRegisterTests(void)
 
     UtRegisterTest("HashTableTestFull01", HashTableTestFull01);
     UtRegisterTest("HashTableTestFull02", HashTableTestFull02);
+    UtRegisterTest("HashTableTestCollisionBug", HashTableTestCollisionBug);
 #endif
 }
-