diff --git a/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-framework-bundle/nifi-framework/nifi-framework-components/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/flow/synchronization/StandardVersionedComponentSynchronizer.java b/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-framework-bundle/nifi-framework/nifi-framework-components/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/flow/synchronization/StandardVersionedComponentSynchronizer.java
index 5e96c0a506..188b94de54 100644
--- a/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-framework-bundle/nifi-framework/nifi-framework-components/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/flow/synchronization/StandardVersionedComponentSynchronizer.java
+++ b/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-framework-bundle/nifi-framework/nifi-framework-components/src/main/java/org/apache/nifi/flow/synchronization/StandardVersionedComponentSynchronizer.java
@@ -1340,7 +1340,7 @@ public class StandardVersionedComponentSynchronizer implements VersionedComponen
                     || (versionedDescriptor != null && versionedDescriptor.isSensitive());
 
                 String value;
-                if (descriptor != null && referencesService) {
+                if (descriptor != null && referencesService && (proposedProperties.get(propertyName) != null)) {
                     // Need to determine if the component's property descriptor for this service is already set to an id
                     // of an existing service that is outside the current processor group, and if it is we want to leave
                     // the property set to that value
diff --git a/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-framework-bundle/nifi-framework/nifi-framework-components/src/test/java/org/apache/nifi/flow/synchronization/StandardVersionedComponentSynchronizerTest.java b/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-framework-bundle/nifi-framework/nifi-framework-components/src/test/java/org/apache/nifi/flow/synchronization/StandardVersionedComponentSynchronizerTest.java
index 5d3a697c28..042d8b68e5 100644
--- a/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-framework-bundle/nifi-framework/nifi-framework-components/src/test/java/org/apache/nifi/flow/synchronization/StandardVersionedComponentSynchronizerTest.java
+++ b/nifi-nar-bundles/nifi-framework-bundle/nifi-framework/nifi-framework-components/src/test/java/org/apache/nifi/flow/synchronization/StandardVersionedComponentSynchronizerTest.java
@@ -24,7 +24,9 @@ import org.apache.nifi.connectable.ConnectableType;
 import org.apache.nifi.connectable.Connection;
 import org.apache.nifi.connectable.Port;
 import org.apache.nifi.controller.ComponentNode;
+import org.apache.nifi.controller.ControllerService;
 import org.apache.nifi.controller.ProcessorNode;
+import org.apache.nifi.controller.PropertyConfiguration;
 import org.apache.nifi.controller.ReloadComponent;
 import org.apache.nifi.controller.ReportingTaskNode;
 import org.apache.nifi.controller.flow.FlowManager;
@@ -47,6 +49,7 @@ import org.apache.nifi.flow.VersionedParameter;
 import org.apache.nifi.flow.VersionedParameterContext;
 import org.apache.nifi.flow.VersionedPort;
 import org.apache.nifi.flow.VersionedProcessor;
+import org.apache.nifi.flow.VersionedPropertyDescriptor;
 import org.apache.nifi.groups.ComponentIdGenerator;
 import org.apache.nifi.groups.ComponentScheduler;
 import org.apache.nifi.groups.FlowSynchronizationOptions;
@@ -69,6 +72,7 @@ import org.apache.nifi.scheduling.ExecutionNode;
 import org.apache.nifi.scheduling.SchedulingStrategy;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.mockito.ArgumentCaptor;
 import org.mockito.Mockito;
 import org.mockito.invocation.InvocationOnMock;
 import org.mockito.stubbing.Answer;
@@ -96,6 +100,7 @@ import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertDoesNotThrow;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertFalse;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNull;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertThrows;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
 import static org.mockito.AdditionalMatchers.or;
@@ -111,6 +116,7 @@ import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.isNull;
 import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.nullable;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.atLeast;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.doAnswer;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.never;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.times;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.verify;
@@ -665,6 +671,59 @@ public class StandardVersionedComponentSynchronizerTest {
         verify(controllerServiceNode).setName(eq(versionedService.getName()));
     }
 
+    public static class MapStringString extends HashMap<String, String> {
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testExternalControllerServiceReferenceRemoved() throws FlowSynchronizationException, InterruptedException, TimeoutException {
+        final PropertyDescriptor descriptorB = new PropertyDescriptor.Builder().name("b").build();
+        final PropertyDescriptor descriptorCS = new PropertyDescriptor.Builder().name("cs")
+                .identifiesControllerService(ControllerService.class).build();
+        final Map<PropertyDescriptor, String> rawPropertyValues = new HashMap<>();
+        rawPropertyValues.put(descriptorB, descriptorB.getName());
+        rawPropertyValues.put(descriptorCS, descriptorCS.getName());
+
+        final VersionedPropertyDescriptor versionedDescriptorB = new VersionedPropertyDescriptor();
+        final VersionedPropertyDescriptor versionedDescriptorCS = new VersionedPropertyDescriptor();
+        versionedDescriptorB.setName(descriptorB.getName());
+        versionedDescriptorCS.setName(descriptorCS.getName());
+        final Map<String, VersionedPropertyDescriptor> proposedDescriptors = new HashMap<>();
+        proposedDescriptors.put(versionedDescriptorB.getName(), versionedDescriptorB);
+        proposedDescriptors.put(versionedDescriptorCS.getName(), versionedDescriptorCS);
+
+        final Map<PropertyDescriptor, PropertyConfiguration> propertiesBefore = new HashMap<>();
+        propertiesBefore.put(descriptorB, new PropertyConfiguration("originalB", null, null, null));
+        propertiesBefore.put(descriptorCS, new PropertyConfiguration("originalCS", null, null, null));
+
+        final ProcessorNode processorNode = createMockProcessor();
+        when(processorNode.getPropertyDescriptor(eq("b"))).thenReturn(descriptorB);
+        when(processorNode.getPropertyDescriptor(eq("cs"))).thenReturn(descriptorCS);
+
+        when(processorNode.getProperties()).thenReturn(propertiesBefore);
+        when(processorNode.getRawPropertyValues()).thenReturn(rawPropertyValues);
+        when(processorNode.getEffectivePropertyValue(eq(descriptorB))).thenReturn("originalB");
+        when(processorNode.getEffectivePropertyValue(eq(descriptorCS))).thenReturn("originalCS");
+
+        final ProcessGroup processGroup = processorNode.getProcessGroup();
+        final ProcessGroup processGroupParent = mock(ProcessGroup.class);
+        final ControllerServiceNode controllerServiceNode = createMockControllerService();
+        when(processGroup.getParent()).thenReturn(processGroupParent);
+        when(processGroupParent.findControllerService(any(), eq(false), eq(true))).thenReturn(controllerServiceNode);
+
+        final Map<String, String> proposedProperties = new HashMap<>();
+        proposedProperties.put("b", "updateB");
+        final VersionedProcessor versionedProcessor = createMinimalVersionedProcessor();
+        versionedProcessor.setPropertyDescriptors(proposedDescriptors);
+        versionedProcessor.setProperties(proposedProperties);
+
+        final ArgumentCaptor<MapStringString> captorProperties = ArgumentCaptor.forClass(MapStringString.class);
+        synchronizer.synchronize(processorNode, versionedProcessor, group, synchronizationOptions);
+        verify(processorNode).setProperties(captorProperties.capture(), anyBoolean(), any());
+        final Map<String, String> properties = captorProperties.getValue();
+        assertEquals("updateB", properties.get("b"));
+        assertNull(properties.get("cs"));
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void testControllerServiceRemoved() throws FlowSynchronizationException, InterruptedException, TimeoutException {
         final ControllerServiceNode service = createMockControllerService();