diff --git a/src/execution/IncrementalGraph.ts b/src/execution/IncrementalGraph.ts
index 7469a36fa5..a64dfb7f5e 100644
--- a/src/execution/IncrementalGraph.ts
+++ b/src/execution/IncrementalGraph.ts
@@ -113,12 +113,10 @@ export class IncrementalGraph {
         reconcilableResults: ReadonlyArray<ReconcilableDeferredGroupedFieldSetResult>;
       }
     | undefined {
-    // TODO: add test case?
-    /* c8 ignore next 3 */
-    if (!this._rootNodes.has(deferredFragmentRecord)) {
-      return;
-    }
-    if (deferredFragmentRecord.deferredGroupedFieldSetRecords.size > 0) {
+    if (
+      !this._rootNodes.has(deferredFragmentRecord) ||
+      deferredFragmentRecord.deferredGroupedFieldSetRecords.size > 0
+    ) {
       return;
     }
     const reconcilableResults = Array.from(
@@ -253,17 +251,16 @@ export class IncrementalGraph {
   private _onDeferredGroupedFieldSet(
     deferredGroupedFieldSetRecord: DeferredGroupedFieldSetRecord,
   ): void {
-    const deferredGroupedFieldSetResult = deferredGroupedFieldSetRecord.result;
-    const result =
-      deferredGroupedFieldSetResult instanceof BoxedPromiseOrValue
-        ? deferredGroupedFieldSetResult.value
-        : deferredGroupedFieldSetResult().value;
-
-    if (isPromise(result)) {
+    let deferredGroupedFieldSetResult = deferredGroupedFieldSetRecord.result;
+    if (!(deferredGroupedFieldSetResult instanceof BoxedPromiseOrValue)) {
+      deferredGroupedFieldSetResult = deferredGroupedFieldSetResult();
+    }
+    const value = deferredGroupedFieldSetResult.value;
+    if (isPromise(value)) {
       // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-floating-promises
-      result.then((resolved) => this._enqueue(resolved));
+      value.then((resolved) => this._enqueue(resolved));
     } else {
-      this._enqueue(result);
+      this._enqueue(value);
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/src/execution/__tests__/defer-test.ts b/src/execution/__tests__/defer-test.ts
index e74aebb9ae..97dcfeceb6 100644
--- a/src/execution/__tests__/defer-test.ts
+++ b/src/execution/__tests__/defer-test.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
-import { expect } from 'chai';
+import { assert, expect } from 'chai';
 import { describe, it } from 'mocha';
 
 import { expectJSON } from '../../__testUtils__/expectJSON.js';
 import { expectPromise } from '../../__testUtils__/expectPromise.js';
 import { resolveOnNextTick } from '../../__testUtils__/resolveOnNextTick.js';
 
+import { promiseWithResolvers } from '../../jsutils/promiseWithResolvers.js';
+
 import type { DocumentNode } from '../../language/ast.js';
 import { parse } from '../../language/parser.js';
 
@@ -856,6 +858,253 @@ describe('Execute: defer directive', () => {
     ]);
   });
 
+  it('Initiates deferred grouped field sets only if they have been released as pending', async () => {
+    const document = parse(`
+      query {
+        ... @defer {
+          a {
+            ... @defer {
+              b {
+                c { d }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+        ... @defer {
+          a {
+            someField
+            ... @defer {
+              b {
+                e { f }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    `);
+
+    const { promise: slowFieldPromise, resolve: resolveSlowField } =
+      promiseWithResolvers();
+    let cResolverCalled = false;
+    let eResolverCalled = false;
+    const executeResult = experimentalExecuteIncrementally({
+      schema,
+      document,
+      rootValue: {
+        a: {
+          someField: slowFieldPromise,
+          b: {
+            c: () => {
+              cResolverCalled = true;
+              return { d: 'd' };
+            },
+            e: () => {
+              eResolverCalled = true;
+              return { f: 'f' };
+            },
+          },
+        },
+      },
+      enableEarlyExecution: false,
+    });
+
+    assert('initialResult' in executeResult);
+
+    const result1 = executeResult.initialResult;
+    expectJSON(result1).toDeepEqual({
+      data: {},
+      pending: [
+        { id: '0', path: [] },
+        { id: '1', path: [] },
+      ],
+      hasNext: true,
+    });
+
+    const iterator = executeResult.subsequentResults[Symbol.asyncIterator]();
+
+    expect(cResolverCalled).to.equal(false);
+    expect(eResolverCalled).to.equal(false);
+
+    const result2 = await iterator.next();
+    expectJSON(result2).toDeepEqual({
+      value: {
+        pending: [{ id: '2', path: ['a'] }],
+        incremental: [
+          {
+            data: { a: {} },
+            id: '0',
+          },
+          {
+            data: { b: {} },
+            id: '2',
+          },
+          {
+            data: { c: { d: 'd' } },
+            id: '2',
+            subPath: ['b'],
+          },
+        ],
+        completed: [{ id: '0' }, { id: '2' }],
+        hasNext: true,
+      },
+      done: false,
+    });
+
+    expect(cResolverCalled).to.equal(true);
+    expect(eResolverCalled).to.equal(false);
+
+    resolveSlowField('someField');
+
+    const result3 = await iterator.next();
+    expectJSON(result3).toDeepEqual({
+      value: {
+        pending: [{ id: '3', path: ['a'] }],
+        incremental: [
+          {
+            data: { someField: 'someField' },
+            id: '1',
+            subPath: ['a'],
+          },
+          {
+            data: { e: { f: 'f' } },
+            id: '3',
+            subPath: ['b'],
+          },
+        ],
+        completed: [{ id: '1' }, { id: '3' }],
+        hasNext: false,
+      },
+      done: false,
+    });
+
+    expect(eResolverCalled).to.equal(true);
+
+    const result4 = await iterator.next();
+    expectJSON(result4).toDeepEqual({
+      value: undefined,
+      done: true,
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('Initiates unique deferred grouped field sets after those that are common to sibling defers', async () => {
+    const document = parse(`
+      query {
+        ... @defer {
+          a {
+            ... @defer {
+              b {
+                c { d }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+        ... @defer {
+          a {
+            ... @defer {
+              b {
+                c { d }
+                e { f }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    `);
+
+    const { promise: cPromise, resolve: resolveC } =
+      // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-invalid-void-type
+      promiseWithResolvers<void>();
+    let cResolverCalled = false;
+    let eResolverCalled = false;
+    const executeResult = experimentalExecuteIncrementally({
+      schema,
+      document,
+      rootValue: {
+        a: {
+          b: {
+            c: async () => {
+              cResolverCalled = true;
+              await cPromise;
+              return { d: 'd' };
+            },
+            e: () => {
+              eResolverCalled = true;
+              return { f: 'f' };
+            },
+          },
+        },
+      },
+      enableEarlyExecution: false,
+    });
+
+    assert('initialResult' in executeResult);
+
+    const result1 = executeResult.initialResult;
+    expectJSON(result1).toDeepEqual({
+      data: {},
+      pending: [
+        { id: '0', path: [] },
+        { id: '1', path: [] },
+      ],
+      hasNext: true,
+    });
+
+    const iterator = executeResult.subsequentResults[Symbol.asyncIterator]();
+
+    expect(cResolverCalled).to.equal(false);
+    expect(eResolverCalled).to.equal(false);
+
+    const result2 = await iterator.next();
+    expectJSON(result2).toDeepEqual({
+      value: {
+        pending: [
+          { id: '2', path: ['a'] },
+          { id: '3', path: ['a'] },
+        ],
+        incremental: [
+          {
+            data: { a: {} },
+            id: '0',
+          },
+        ],
+        completed: [{ id: '0' }, { id: '1' }],
+        hasNext: true,
+      },
+      done: false,
+    });
+
+    resolveC();
+
+    expect(cResolverCalled).to.equal(true);
+    expect(eResolverCalled).to.equal(false);
+
+    const result3 = await iterator.next();
+    expectJSON(result3).toDeepEqual({
+      value: {
+        incremental: [
+          {
+            data: { b: { c: { d: 'd' } } },
+            id: '2',
+          },
+          {
+            data: { e: { f: 'f' } },
+            id: '3',
+            subPath: ['b'],
+          },
+        ],
+        completed: [{ id: '2' }, { id: '3' }],
+        hasNext: false,
+      },
+      done: false,
+    });
+
+    const result4 = await iterator.next();
+    expectJSON(result4).toDeepEqual({
+      value: undefined,
+      done: true,
+    });
+  });
+
   it('Can deduplicate multiple defers on the same object', async () => {
     const document = parse(`
       query {
diff --git a/src/execution/execute.ts b/src/execution/execute.ts
index f32036f645..ed6a3452ab 100644
--- a/src/execution/execute.ts
+++ b/src/execution/execute.ts
@@ -2114,16 +2114,16 @@ function executeDeferredGroupedFieldSets(
         deferMap,
       );
 
-    const shouldDeferThisDeferUsageSet = shouldDefer(
-      parentDeferUsages,
-      deferUsageSet,
-    );
-
-    deferredGroupedFieldSetRecord.result = shouldDeferThisDeferUsageSet
-      ? exeContext.enableEarlyExecution
-        ? new BoxedPromiseOrValue(Promise.resolve().then(executor))
-        : () => new BoxedPromiseOrValue(executor())
-      : new BoxedPromiseOrValue(executor());
+    if (exeContext.enableEarlyExecution) {
+      deferredGroupedFieldSetRecord.result = new BoxedPromiseOrValue(
+        shouldDefer(parentDeferUsages, deferUsageSet)
+          ? Promise.resolve().then(executor)
+          : executor(),
+      );
+    } else {
+      deferredGroupedFieldSetRecord.result = () =>
+        new BoxedPromiseOrValue(executor());
+    }
 
     newDeferredGroupedFieldSetRecords.push(deferredGroupedFieldSetRecord);
   }