diff --git a/core/src/main/scala/sttp/client4/testing/AbstractBackendStub.scala b/core/src/main/scala/sttp/client4/testing/AbstractBackendStub.scala
index 7e11ebd24e..2ddbedcd17 100644
--- a/core/src/main/scala/sttp/client4/testing/AbstractBackendStub.scala
+++ b/core/src/main/scala/sttp/client4/testing/AbstractBackendStub.scala
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ abstract class AbstractBackendStub[F[_], P](
     withMatchers(matchers.orElse(wrappedPartial))
   }
 
-  override def send[T](request: GenericRequest[T, P with Effect[F]]): F[Response[T]] =
+  override def send[T](request: GenericRequest[T, P with Effect[F]]): F[Response[T]] = monad.suspend {
     Try(matchers.lift(request)) match {
       case Success(Some(response)) =>
         adjustExceptions(request)(tryAdjustResponseType(request.response, response.asInstanceOf[F[Response[T]]])(monad))
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ abstract class AbstractBackendStub[F[_], P](
         }
       case Failure(e) => adjustExceptions(request)(monad.error(e))
     }
+  }
 
   private def adjustExceptions[T](request: GenericRequest[_, _])(t: => F[T]): F[T] =
     SttpClientException.adjustExceptions(monad)(t)(
diff --git a/core/src/test/scala/sttp/client4/testing/BackendStubTests.scala b/core/src/test/scala/sttp/client4/testing/BackendStubTests.scala
index 34fb66788a..cbf7cba692 100644
--- a/core/src/test/scala/sttp/client4/testing/BackendStubTests.scala
+++ b/core/src/test/scala/sttp/client4/testing/BackendStubTests.scala
@@ -9,12 +9,13 @@ import sttp.client4.internal._
 import sttp.client4.monad.IdMonad
 import sttp.client4.ws.async._
 import sttp.model._
-import sttp.monad.{FutureMonad, TryMonad}
+import sttp.monad.{FutureMonad, MonadError, TryMonad}
 import sttp.ws.WebSocketFrame
 import sttp.ws.testing.WebSocketStub
 
 import java.io.ByteArrayInputStream
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeoutException
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger
 import scala.concurrent.ExecutionContext.Implicits.global
 import scala.concurrent.duration._
 import scala.util.{Failure, Success, Try}
@@ -359,6 +360,41 @@ class BackendStubTests extends AnyFlatSpec with Matchers with ScalaFutures {
     result shouldBe Success(Right(1: Byte))
   }
 
+  it should "evaluate side effects on each request" in {
+    // given
+    type Lazy[T] = () => T
+    object LazyMonad extends MonadError[Lazy] {
+      override def unit[T](t: T): Lazy[T] = () => t
+      override def map[T, T2](fa: Lazy[T])(f: T => T2): Lazy[T2] = () => f(fa())
+      override def flatMap[T, T2](fa: Lazy[T])(f: T => Lazy[T2]): Lazy[T2] = () => f(fa())()
+      override def error[T](t: Throwable): Lazy[T] = () => throw t
+      override protected def handleWrappedError[T](rt: Lazy[T])(h: PartialFunction[Throwable, Lazy[T]]): Lazy[T] =
+        () =>
+          try rt()
+          catch { case e if h.isDefinedAt(e) => h(e)() }
+      override def ensure[T](f: Lazy[T], e: => Lazy[Unit]): Lazy[T] = () =>
+        try f()
+        finally e()
+    }
+
+    val counter = new AtomicInteger(0)
+    val backend: Backend[Lazy] = BackendStub(LazyMonad).whenRequestMatchesPartial { case _ =>
+      counter.getAndIncrement()
+      Response.ok("ok")
+    }
+
+    // creating the "send effect" once ...
+    val result = basicRequest.get(uri"http://example.org").send(backend)
+
+    // when
+    // ... and then using it twice
+    result().body shouldBe Right("ok")
+    result().body shouldBe Right("ok")
+
+    // then
+    counter.get() shouldBe 2
+  }
+
   private val testingStubWithFallback = SyncBackendStub
     .withFallback(testingStub)
     .whenRequestMatches(_.uri.path.startsWith(List("c")))