diff --git a/server/consumer.go b/server/consumer.go
index b229b9fdbc..304fb32638 100644
--- a/server/consumer.go
+++ b/server/consumer.go
@@ -213,14 +213,14 @@ var (
 
 // Calculate accurate replicas for the consumer config with the parent stream config.
 func (consCfg ConsumerConfig) replicas(strCfg *StreamConfig) int {
-	if consCfg.Replicas == 0 {
-		if !isDurableConsumer(&consCfg) && strCfg.Retention == LimitsPolicy {
+	if consCfg.Replicas == 0 || consCfg.Replicas > strCfg.Replicas {
+		if !isDurableConsumer(&consCfg) && strCfg.Retention == LimitsPolicy && consCfg.Replicas == 0 {
+			// Matches old-school ephemerals only, where the replica count is 0.
 			return 1
 		}
 		return strCfg.Replicas
-	} else {
-		return consCfg.Replicas
 	}
+	return consCfg.Replicas
 }
 
 // Consumer is a jetstream consumer.
diff --git a/server/jetstream_cluster.go b/server/jetstream_cluster.go
index 6af4fa42ba..1734f09624 100644
--- a/server/jetstream_cluster.go
+++ b/server/jetstream_cluster.go
@@ -4001,7 +4001,7 @@ func (js *jetStream) processClusterCreateConsumer(ca *consumerAssignment, state
 	var didCreate, isConfigUpdate, needsLocalResponse bool
 	if o == nil {
 		// Add in the consumer if needed.
-		if o, err = mset.addConsumerWithAssignment(ca.Config, ca.Name, ca, false); err == nil {
+		if o, err = mset.addConsumerWithAssignment(ca.Config, ca.Name, ca, wasExisting); err == nil {
 			didCreate = true
 		}
 	} else {
diff --git a/server/jetstream_cluster_3_test.go b/server/jetstream_cluster_3_test.go
index fbf46524ce..eaa412cc57 100644
--- a/server/jetstream_cluster_3_test.go
+++ b/server/jetstream_cluster_3_test.go
@@ -4985,3 +4985,44 @@ func TestJetStreamClusterStreamFailTrackingSnapshots(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("Expected no errors, got %d", len(errCh))
 	}
 }
+
+func TestJetStreamClusterOrphanConsumerSubjects(t *testing.T) {
+	c := createJetStreamClusterExplicit(t, "R3S", 3)
+	defer c.shutdown()
+
+	nc, js := jsClientConnect(t, c.randomServer())
+	defer nc.Close()
+
+	_, err := js.AddStream(&nats.StreamConfig{
+		Name:     "TEST",
+		Subjects: []string{"foo.>", "bar.>"},
+		Replicas: 3,
+	})
+	require_NoError(t, err)
+
+	_, err = js.AddConsumer("TEST", &nats.ConsumerConfig{
+		Name:          "consumer_foo",
+		Durable:       "consumer_foo",
+		FilterSubject: "foo.something",
+	})
+	require_NoError(t, err)
+
+	for _, replicas := range []int{3, 1, 3} {
+		_, err = js.UpdateStream(&nats.StreamConfig{
+			Name:     "TEST",
+			Subjects: []string{"bar.>"},
+			Replicas: replicas,
+		})
+		require_NoError(t, err)
+		c.waitOnAllCurrent()
+	}
+
+	c.waitOnStreamLeader("$G", "TEST")
+	c.waitOnConsumerLeader("$G", "TEST", "consumer_foo")
+
+	info, err := js.ConsumerInfo("TEST", "consumer_foo")
+	require_NoError(t, err)
+	require_True(t, info.Cluster != nil)
+	require_NotEqual(t, info.Cluster.Leader, "")
+	require_Equal(t, len(info.Cluster.Replicas), 2)
+}
diff --git a/server/test_test.go b/server/test_test.go
index 64717f901e..50594710a3 100644
--- a/server/test_test.go
+++ b/server/test_test.go
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 package server
 
 import (
-	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
 	"math/rand"
 	"net/url"
@@ -112,16 +111,16 @@ func require_Error(t *testing.T, err error, expected ...error) {
 	t.Fatalf("Expected one of %v, got '%v'", expected, err)
 }
 
-func require_Equal(t *testing.T, a, b string) {
+func require_Equal[T comparable](t *testing.T, a, b T) {
 	t.Helper()
-	if strings.Compare(a, b) != 0 {
+	if a != b {
 		t.Fatalf("require equal, but got: %v != %v", a, b)
 	}
 }
 
-func require_NotEqual(t *testing.T, a, b [32]byte) {
+func require_NotEqual[T comparable](t *testing.T, a, b T) {
 	t.Helper()
-	if bytes.Equal(a[:], b[:]) {
+	if a == b {
 		t.Fatalf("require not equal, but got: %v != %v", a, b)
 	}
 }