diff --git a/hapi-fhir-storage-batch2/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/batch2/maintenance/JobInstanceProcessor.java b/hapi-fhir-storage-batch2/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/batch2/maintenance/JobInstanceProcessor.java
index 298b71326df..47ee0365bed 100644
--- a/hapi-fhir-storage-batch2/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/batch2/maintenance/JobInstanceProcessor.java
+++ b/hapi-fhir-storage-batch2/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/batch2/maintenance/JobInstanceProcessor.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import ca.uhn.fhir.batch2.api.IReductionStepExecutorService;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.batch2.channel.BatchJobSender;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.batch2.coordinator.JobDefinitionRegistry;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.batch2.model.JobDefinition;
+import ca.uhn.fhir.batch2.model.JobDefinitionStep;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.batch2.model.JobInstance;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.batch2.model.JobWorkCursor;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.batch2.model.JobWorkNotification;
@@ -193,7 +194,7 @@ public class JobInstanceProcessor {
 
 		String instanceId = theInstance.getInstanceId();
 		String currentStepId = jobWorkCursor.getCurrentStepId();
-		boolean canAdvance = canAdvanceGatedJob(theJobDefinition, theInstance, currentStepId);
+		boolean canAdvance = canAdvanceGatedJob(theJobDefinition, theInstance, jobWorkCursor);
 		if (canAdvance) {
 			if (jobWorkCursor.isReductionStep()) {
 				// current step is the reduction step (all reduction steps are final)
@@ -228,15 +229,17 @@ public class JobInstanceProcessor {
 		}
 	}
 
-	private boolean canAdvanceGatedJob(JobDefinition<?> theJobDefinition, JobInstance theInstance, String theStepId) {
+	private boolean canAdvanceGatedJob(
+			JobDefinition<?> theJobDefinition, JobInstance theInstance, JobWorkCursor<?, ?, ?> theWorkCursor) {
 		// make sure our instance still exists
 		if (myJobPersistence.fetchInstance(theInstance.getInstanceId()).isEmpty()) {
 			// no more job
 			return false;
 		}
+		String currentGatedStepId = theInstance.getCurrentGatedStepId();
 
-		Set<WorkChunkStatusEnum> workChunkStatuses =
-				myJobPersistence.getDistinctWorkChunkStatesForJobAndStep(theInstance.getInstanceId(), theStepId);
+		Set<WorkChunkStatusEnum> workChunkStatuses = myJobPersistence.getDistinctWorkChunkStatesForJobAndStep(
+				theInstance.getInstanceId(), currentGatedStepId);
 
 		if (workChunkStatuses.isEmpty()) {
 			// no work chunks = no output
@@ -251,8 +254,30 @@ public class JobInstanceProcessor {
 		}
 
 		if (workChunkStatuses.equals(Set.of(WorkChunkStatusEnum.READY))) {
-			// all workchunks ready -> proceed
-			return true;
+			if (theWorkCursor.isFirstStep()) {
+				// first step - all ready means we're ready to proceed to the next step
+				return true;
+			} else {
+				// it's a future step;
+				// make sure previous step's workchunks are completed
+				JobDefinitionStep<?, ?, ?> previousStep =
+						theJobDefinition.getSteps().get(0);
+				for (JobDefinitionStep<?, ?, ?> step : theJobDefinition.getSteps()) {
+					if (step.getStepId().equalsIgnoreCase(currentGatedStepId)) {
+						break;
+					}
+					previousStep = step;
+				}
+				Set<WorkChunkStatusEnum> previousStepWorkChunkStates =
+						myJobPersistence.getDistinctWorkChunkStatesForJobAndStep(
+								theInstance.getInstanceId(), previousStep.getStepId());
+
+				// completed means "all in COMPLETE state" or no previous chunks (they're cleaned up or never existed)
+				if (previousStepWorkChunkStates.isEmpty()
+						|| previousStepWorkChunkStates.equals(Set.of(WorkChunkStatusEnum.COMPLETED))) {
+					return true;
+				}
+			}
 		}
 
 		// anything else
@@ -385,6 +410,8 @@ public class JobInstanceProcessor {
 			return;
 		}
 
+		ourLog.debug("Moving gated instance {} to next step.", theInstance.getInstanceId());
+
 		// because we now have all gated job chunks in READY state,
 		// we can enqueue them
 		enqueueReadyChunks(theInstance, theJobDefinition, true);
diff --git a/hapi-fhir-storage-batch2/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/batch2/model/JobWorkCursor.java b/hapi-fhir-storage-batch2/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/batch2/model/JobWorkCursor.java
index 94db85defaf..687127caad1 100644
--- a/hapi-fhir-storage-batch2/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/batch2/model/JobWorkCursor.java
+++ b/hapi-fhir-storage-batch2/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/batch2/model/JobWorkCursor.java
@@ -104,6 +104,10 @@ public class JobWorkCursor<PT extends IModelJson, IT extends IModelJson, OT exte
 		return currentStep.getStepId();
 	}
 
+	public boolean isFirstStep() {
+		return isFirstStep;
+	}
+
 	public boolean isFinalStep() {
 		return nextStep == null;
 	}