diff --git a/rooms/room.go b/rooms/room.go
index 268b2f9..b19c7f8 100644
--- a/rooms/room.go
+++ b/rooms/room.go
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ func (r *Room) PersonToStandUpFromTable(p PersonId) {
 //   - if the gesture is of lover priority and there is a mark for the gesture level
 //     should be counted from the mark
 func (r *Room) NextSpeakerIndex() (nextSpeakerIndex int, found bool, countedFromIndex int) {
-	// if a current speaker - after removing the hand, we need to find next speaker
+	// if a current speaker - before removing the hand, we need to find next speaker
 	// from highest hand gesture to lowest, until one is found
 
 	currentSpeakerGesture, currentSpeakerFound := r.ParticipantHands[r.CurrentSpeaker]
@@ -143,9 +143,14 @@ gestureIteration:
 		log.Printf("searching for gesture %s", gesture.String())
 		startIndex := r.gestureSearchStartIndex(gesture, currentSpeakerGesture)
 		participantsCount := len(r.Paricipants)
-		for i := 1; i < participantsCount; i++ {
+	inGestureParticipantIteration:
+		for i := 1; i <= participantsCount; i++ {
 			checkIndex := (startIndex + i) % participantsCount
 			checkPerson := r.Paricipants[checkIndex]
+			if checkPerson == r.CurrentSpeaker {
+				// current speaker still has thair gesture up
+				continue inGestureParticipantIteration
+			}
 			checkGesture, isFound := r.ParticipantHands[checkPerson]
 			if isFound && checkGesture == gesture {
 				nextSpeakerIndex = slices.Index(r.Paricipants, checkPerson)
@@ -188,8 +193,8 @@ func (r *Room) gestureSearchStartIndex(gesture, curSpeakerGesture HandGesture) i
 		}
 		// if no mark found - count from the speaker
 	}
-	log.Printf("> selecting person from which to start. cur speaker %s, for gestrue %s, got person %d",
-		curSpeakerGesture.String(), gesture.String(), personFromWhichToStartSearch)
+	log.Printf("> selecting person from which to start. cur speaker %d with gesture %s, for gestrue %s, got person %d",
+		r.CurrentSpeaker, curSpeakerGesture.String(), gesture.String(), personFromWhichToStartSearch)
 
 	indexFromWhichToStart := slices.Index(r.Paricipants, personFromWhichToStartSearch)
 	return indexFromWhichToStart
diff --git a/rooms/room_release_hand_test.go b/rooms/room_release_hand_test.go
index 369d85b..a670de7 100644
--- a/rooms/room_release_hand_test.go
+++ b/rooms/room_release_hand_test.go
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 type releaseHandTest struct {
-	testName 			   string
+	testName               string
 	room, expected         Room
 	releasingParticipantId PersonId
 }
@@ -18,17 +18,18 @@ var releaseHandTests = []releaseHandTest{
 	selectNextHigherLevel,
 	usingMarkToLoverLevel,
 	releasingNonSpeakerHand,
+	releaseToPersonWithHandAndMark,
 }
 
 func TestRoomReleaseHand(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, test := range releaseHandTests {
-		t.Run(test.testName, func(t *testing.T){
-				test.room.InitMaps()
-				test.expected.InitMaps()
-				if test.room.ReleaseHand(test.releasingParticipantId); !test.room.Equal(&test.expected) {
-					t.Errorf("Test release hand diff: (-want +got)\n%s", pretty.Diff(test.room, test.expected))
-				}
-			})
+		t.Run(test.testName, func(t *testing.T) {
+			test.room.InitMaps()
+			test.expected.InitMaps()
+			if test.room.ReleaseHand(test.releasingParticipantId); !test.room.Equal(&test.expected) {
+				t.Errorf("Test release hand diff: (-want +got)\n%s", pretty.Diff(test.room, test.expected))
+			}
+		})
 	}
 }
 
@@ -139,8 +140,7 @@ var selectNextHigherLevel releaseHandTest = releaseHandTest{
 			person2.Id: Expand,
 			person3.Id: Meta,
 		},
-		Marks: map[HandGesture]PersonId{
-		},
+		Marks: map[HandGesture]PersonId{},
 	},
 }
 
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ var usingMarkToLoverLevel releaseHandTest = releaseHandTest{
 		},
 		Marks: map[HandGesture]PersonId{
 			ClarifyingQ: person3.Id,
-			Expand: person1.Id,
+			Expand:      person1.Id,
 		},
 	},
 	releasingParticipantId: person3.Id,
@@ -180,8 +180,7 @@ var usingMarkToLoverLevel releaseHandTest = releaseHandTest{
 			person2.Id: Expand,
 			person4.Id: Expand,
 		},
-		Marks: map[HandGesture]PersonId{
-		},
+		Marks: map[HandGesture]PersonId{},
 	},
 }
 
@@ -204,7 +203,7 @@ var releasingNonSpeakerHand releaseHandTest = releaseHandTest{
 		},
 		Marks: map[HandGesture]PersonId{
 			ClarifyingQ: person3.Id,
-			Expand: person1.Id,
+			Expand:      person1.Id,
 		},
 	},
 	releasingParticipantId: person4.Id,
@@ -223,7 +222,46 @@ var releasingNonSpeakerHand releaseHandTest = releaseHandTest{
 		},
 		Marks: map[HandGesture]PersonId{
 			ClarifyingQ: person3.Id,
-			Expand: person1.Id,
+			Expand:      person1.Id,
 		},
 	},
 }
+
+// there is a mark for Expand on person 2, and raised hand with Expand on person 2
+// speaker is person 3 with Meta
+// after hand release person 2 should be speaking, with mark removed
+var releaseToPersonWithHandAndMark releaseHandTest = releaseHandTest{
+	testName: "releaseToPersonWithHandAndMark",
+	room: Room{
+		Name:           "test",
+		CurrentSpeaker: person3.Id,
+		Paricipants: []PersonId{
+			person1.Id,
+			person2.Id,
+			person3.Id,
+			person4.Id,
+		},
+		ParticipantHands: map[PersonId]HandGesture{
+			person2.Id: Expand,
+			person3.Id: Meta,
+		},
+		Marks: map[HandGesture]PersonId{
+			Expand: person2.Id,
+		},
+	},
+	releasingParticipantId: person3.Id,
+	expected: Room{
+		Name:           "test",
+		CurrentSpeaker: person2.Id,
+		Paricipants: []PersonId{
+			person1.Id,
+			person2.Id,
+			person3.Id,
+			person4.Id,
+		},
+		ParticipantHands: map[PersonId]HandGesture{
+			person2.Id: Expand,
+		},
+		Marks: map[HandGesture]PersonId{},
+	},
+}