diff --git a/doc/changes/dev/14287.bugfix.rst b/doc/changes/dev/14287.bugfix.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9854d07bbf9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/changes/dev/14287.bugfix.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Exclude pre-existing bad channels that are not bridged from :func:`~mne.preprocessing.interpolate_bridged_electrodes` interpolation, by `Deepesh Sonar`_.
diff --git a/mne/preprocessing/interpolate.py b/mne/preprocessing/interpolate.py
index c2f41a7ba28..8144eda0406 100644
--- a/mne/preprocessing/interpolate.py
+++ b/mne/preprocessing/interpolate.py
@@ -84,6 +84,10 @@ def interpolate_bridged_electrodes(inst, bridged_idx, bad_limit=4):
     that to aid in interpolation rather than completely discarding the
     data from the two channels.
 
+    .. versionchanged:: 1.14
+       Pre-existing bad channels that are not part of the bridged set are
+       now excluded from the interpolation.
+
     Parameters
     ----------
     inst : instance of Epochs, Evoked, or Raw
@@ -189,7 +193,12 @@ def interpolate_bridged_electrodes(inst, bridged_idx, bad_limit=4):
 
     # use the virtual channels to interpolate
     inst.info["bads"] = list(bads)
-    inst.interpolate_bads()
+    # Exclude pre-existing bad channels that are not part of the bridged set
+    # so they can neither contribute to the interpolation nor be interpolated
+    # themselves. Channels that are both bridged and marked bad remain
+    # interpolation targets, as before.
+    exclude_bads = [ch for ch in bads_orig if ch not in bads]
+    inst.interpolate_bads(exclude=exclude_bads)
 
     # drop virtual channels
     inst.drop_channels(list(virtual_chs.keys()))
diff --git a/mne/preprocessing/tests/test_interpolate.py b/mne/preprocessing/tests/test_interpolate.py
index 8d4e0906a3b..2653e529c6f 100644
--- a/mne/preprocessing/tests/test_interpolate.py
+++ b/mne/preprocessing/tests/test_interpolate.py
@@ -96,6 +96,40 @@ def test_interpolate_bridged_electrodes():
         # check closer to regular interpolation than original data
         assert 1e-6 < np.mean(np.abs(data_interp - data_interp_reg)) < 5.4e-5
 
+    # pre-existing bads that are not bridged must not influence the bridged
+    # interpolation (raw only; the behavior does not depend on the input type)
+    idx0 = raw.ch_names.index("EEG 001")
+    idx1 = raw.ch_names.index("EEG 002")
+    ch_names_orig = raw.ch_names.copy()
+    raw.info["bads"] = ["EEG 003"]
+    bads_orig = raw.info["bads"].copy()
+    # Verify non-bridged bad doesn't influence the interpolation result
+    inst_clean = interpolate_bridged_electrodes(raw.copy(), [(idx0, idx1)])
+    data_clean = inst_clean.get_data(picks=["EEG 001", "EEG 002"])
+    inst_pois = raw.copy()
+    inst_pois.apply_function(lambda x: np.full_like(x, 1.0), picks=["EEG 003"])
+    data_bad_poisoned = inst_pois.get_data(picks="EEG 003").copy()
+    inst_pois = interpolate_bridged_electrodes(inst_pois, [(idx0, idx1)])
+    assert np.array_equal(inst_pois.get_data(picks=["EEG 001", "EEG 002"]), data_clean)
+    assert np.array_equal(inst_pois.get_data(picks="EEG 003"), data_bad_poisoned)
+    assert inst_pois.info["bads"] == bads_orig
+    assert not any(["virtual" in ch for ch in inst_pois.ch_names])
+    assert inst_pois.ch_names == ch_names_orig
+    # Bridged channel that is also marked bad should be repaired
+    inst_overlap = raw.copy()
+    inst_overlap.info["bads"] = ["EEG 001", "EEG 003"]
+    bads_overlap = inst_overlap.info["bads"].copy()
+    data_bad_before = inst_overlap.get_data(picks="EEG 003").copy()
+    inst_overlap.apply_function(lambda x: np.full_like(x, 1.0), picks=["EEG 001"])
+    data_bridged_poisoned = inst_overlap.get_data(picks="EEG 001").copy()
+    inst_overlap = interpolate_bridged_electrodes(inst_overlap, [(idx0, idx1)])
+    assert inst_overlap.info["bads"] == bads_overlap
+    assert not np.array_equal(
+        inst_overlap.get_data(picks="EEG 001"), data_bridged_poisoned
+    )
+    assert np.array_equal(inst_overlap.get_data(picks="EEG 003"), data_bad_before)
+    raw.info["bads"] = []
+
     for inst in (raw, epochs, evoked):
         idx0 = inst.ch_names.index("EEG 001")
         idx1 = inst.ch_names.index("EEG 002")