Flux backpressure proof: /stream, requested in batches of 3, 2, then 45 ======================================================================= StepVerifier.create(controller.streamResults(), 3) .expectNext("event-0", "event-1", "event-2") .expectNoEvent(Duration.ofMillis(80)) -- no 4th item arrives without a request .thenRequest(2).expectNext("event-3", "event-4") .thenRequest(45).expectNextCount(45) .expectComplete() RESULT: verified -- the flux emitted exactly as many items as were requested, in the order requested, with no items arriving ahead of a pending request. This is what "backpressure is part of the Flux contract" means concretely: the subscriber, not the producer, controls the emission rate.