diff --git a/Lib/multiprocessing/pool.py b/Lib/multiprocessing/pool.py
index ef9460ac0aa681..72beea5d95d166 100644
--- a/Lib/multiprocessing/pool.py
+++ b/Lib/multiprocessing/pool.py
@@ -711,8 +711,9 @@ def _terminate_pool(cls, taskqueue, inqueue, outqueue, pool, change_notifier,
         change_notifier.put(None)
 
         task_handler._state = TERMINATE
-        # Release all semaphores to wake up task_handler to stop.
-        for buffersize_sema in tuple(taskqueue_buffersize_semaphores):
+        # Snapshot the set before releasing semaphores: the result handler can
+        # remove completed ones concurrently.
+        for buffersize_sema in list(taskqueue_buffersize_semaphores):
             buffersize_sema.release()
             taskqueue_buffersize_semaphores.discard(buffersize_sema)
 
@@ -935,11 +936,13 @@ def next(self, timeout=None):
             return value
         raise value
 
-    def _stop_iterator(self):
+    def _release_pool(self):
         if self._pool is not None:
-            # `self._pool` could be set to `None` in previous `.next()` calls
             self._pool._taskqueue_buffersize_semaphores.discard(self._buffersize_sema)
         self._pool = None
+
+    def _stop_iterator(self):
+        self._release_pool()
         raise StopIteration from None
 
     __next__ = next                    # XXX
@@ -959,7 +962,7 @@ def _set(self, i, obj):
 
             if self._index == self._length:
                 del self._cache[self._job]
-                self._pool = None
+                self._release_pool()
 
     def _set_length(self, length):
         with self._cond:
@@ -967,7 +970,7 @@ def _set_length(self, length):
             if self._index == self._length:
                 self._cond.notify()
                 del self._cache[self._job]
-                self._pool = None
+                self._release_pool()
 
 #
 # Class whose instances are returned by `Pool.imap_unordered()`
@@ -982,7 +985,7 @@ def _set(self, i, obj):
             self._cond.notify()
             if self._index == self._length:
                 del self._cache[self._job]
-                self._pool = None
+                self._release_pool()
 
 #
 #
diff --git a/Lib/test/_test_multiprocessing.py b/Lib/test/_test_multiprocessing.py
index 44e66707607ab5..73a7ebcd87fd40 100644
--- a/Lib/test/_test_multiprocessing.py
+++ b/Lib/test/_test_multiprocessing.py
@@ -3276,6 +3276,27 @@ def test_imap_and_imap_unordered_with_buffersize_on_empty_iterable(
         self.assertIsNone(next(res, None))
         self.assertIsNone(next(res, None))
 
+    @warnings_helper.ignore_fork_in_thread_deprecation_warnings()
+    def test_imap_with_buffersize_releases_semaphores(self):
+        if self.TYPE == 'manager':
+            self.skipTest('test requires access to the pool')
+
+        p = self.Pool(1)
+        try:
+            for method_name in ('imap', 'imap_unordered'):
+                for chunksize in (1, 2):
+                    for values in ([], [1, 2, 3]):
+                        with self.subTest(method=method_name,
+                                          chunksize=chunksize, values=values):
+                            method = getattr(p, method_name)
+                            result = method(str, values, chunksize=chunksize,
+                                            buffersize=1)
+                            self.assertCountEqual(result, map(str, values))
+                            self.assertFalse(p._taskqueue_buffersize_semaphores)
+        finally:
+            p.terminate()
+            p.join()
+
     @warnings_helper.ignore_fork_in_thread_deprecation_warnings()
     def test_imap_with_buffersize_on_infinite_iterable(self):
         if self.TYPE != "threads":
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-11-01-22-00-00.gh-issue-161143.poolrg.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-11-01-22-00-00.gh-issue-161143.poolrg.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..f8664616679b13
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-11-01-22-00-00.gh-issue-161143.poolrg.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+Fix a memory leak in :meth:`multiprocessing.pool.Pool.imap` and
+:meth:`~multiprocessing.pool.Pool.imap_unordered` when the *buffersize*
+parameter is used.