diff --git a/src/aria/listbox/listbox.spec.ts b/src/aria/listbox/listbox.spec.ts
index 8399824b14b4..0a3e3c2c69f2 100644
--- a/src/aria/listbox/listbox.spec.ts
+++ b/src/aria/listbox/listbox.spec.ts
@@ -811,6 +811,23 @@ describe('Listbox', () => {
       expect(listboxInstance.value()).toEqual([]);
     });
   });
+
+  describe('item mutations and focus stability', () => {
+    it('should recover focus by shifting to the default state if the active option is removed', async () => {
+      setupListbox({focusMode: 'activedescendant'});
+      click(2);
+      expect(listboxElement.getAttribute('aria-activedescendant')).toBe(optionElements[2].id);
+
+      const testComponent = fixture.componentInstance as ListboxExample;
+      const updatedOptions = testComponent.options().filter(o => o.value !== 2);
+      testComponent.options.set(updatedOptions);
+      fixture.detectChanges();
+      await waitForMicrotasks();
+      defineTestVariables(fixture);
+
+      expect(listboxElement.getAttribute('aria-activedescendant')).toBe(optionElements[0].id);
+    });
+  });
 });
 
 interface TestOption {
diff --git a/src/aria/listbox/listbox.ts b/src/aria/listbox/listbox.ts
index d237e66aa3c8..afa340675dfd 100644
--- a/src/aria/listbox/listbox.ts
+++ b/src/aria/listbox/listbox.ts
@@ -201,8 +201,9 @@ export class Listbox<V> implements OnDestroy {
         const items = inputs.items();
         const activeItem = untracked(() => inputs.activeItem());
 
-        if (!items.some(i => i === activeItem) && activeItem) {
+        if (activeItem && !items.some(i => i === activeItem)) {
           this._pattern.listBehavior.unfocus();
+          this._pattern.setDefaultState();
         }
       },
     });
diff --git a/src/aria/tree/tree.spec.ts b/src/aria/tree/tree.spec.ts
index b80bfbe4e566..b6485b059e6b 100644
--- a/src/aria/tree/tree.spec.ts
+++ b/src/aria/tree/tree.spec.ts
@@ -1556,6 +1556,25 @@ describe('Tree', () => {
       });
     }
   });
+
+  describe('item mutations and focus stability', () => {
+    it('should recover focus by shifting to the default state if the active item is removed', async () => {
+      setupTestTree();
+      updateTree({focusMode: 'activedescendant'});
+
+      const vegetablesEl = getTreeItemElementByValue('vegetables')!;
+      click(vegetablesEl);
+      expect(getFocusedTreeItemValue()).toBe('vegetables');
+
+      const updatedNodes = testComponent.nodes().filter(n => n.value !== 'vegetables');
+      testComponent.nodes.set(updatedNodes);
+      fixture.detectChanges();
+      await waitForMicrotasks();
+      defineTestVariables();
+
+      expect(getFocusedTreeItemValue()).toBe('fruits');
+    });
+  });
 });
 
 interface TestTreeNode<V = string> {
diff --git a/src/aria/tree/tree.ts b/src/aria/tree/tree.ts
index e018099d6044..9ce5fd04ed1d 100644
--- a/src/aria/tree/tree.ts
+++ b/src/aria/tree/tree.ts
@@ -212,8 +212,9 @@ export class Tree<V> implements OnDestroy {
         const items = inputs.items();
         const activeItem = untracked(() => inputs.activeItem());
 
-        if (!items.some(i => i === activeItem) && activeItem) {
+        if (activeItem && !items.some(i => i === activeItem)) {
           this._pattern.treeBehavior.unfocus();
+          this._pattern.setDefaultState();
         }
       },
     });