diff --git a/.changeset/smooth-terms-wait.md b/.changeset/smooth-terms-wait.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..219af8f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/smooth-terms-wait.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@primer/behaviors': patch
+---
+
+Fix bug found when removing nodes in a focus zone with strict mode enabled
diff --git a/src/__tests__/focus-zone.test.tsx b/src/__tests__/focus-zone.test.tsx
index aa51c3a..5ed4363 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/focus-zone.test.tsx
+++ b/src/__tests__/focus-zone.test.tsx
@@ -751,3 +751,42 @@ it('Should ignore disabled elements after focus zone is enabled', async () => {
 
   controller.abort()
 })
+
+it('Should handle elements being removed if strict', async () => {
+  const user = userEvent.setup()
+  const {container} = render(
+    <div>
+      <button tabIndex={0} id="outside">
+        Outside Apple
+      </button>
+      <div id="focusZone">
+        <button tabIndex={0}>Apple</button>
+        <button tabIndex={0}>Banana</button>
+        <button tabIndex={0}>Cantaloupe</button>
+      </div>
+    </div>,
+  )
+
+  const focusZoneContainer = container.querySelector<HTMLElement>('#focusZone')!
+  const [firstButton, secondButton, thirdButton] = focusZoneContainer.querySelectorAll('button')
+  const outsideButton = container.querySelector<HTMLElement>('#outside')!
+  const controller = focusZone(focusZoneContainer, {strict: true})
+
+  firstButton.focus()
+  await user.keyboard('{arrowdown}')
+  expect(document.activeElement).toEqual(secondButton)
+
+  outsideButton.focus()
+  focusZoneContainer.removeChild(secondButton)
+
+  // The mutation observer fires asynchronously
+  await nextTick()
+
+  await user.tab()
+  expect(document.activeElement).toEqual(firstButton)
+
+  await user.keyboard('{arrowdown}')
+  expect(document.activeElement).toEqual(thirdButton)
+
+  controller.abort()
+})
diff --git a/src/focus-zone.ts b/src/focus-zone.ts
index 1ee75c0..ee6ad0a 100644
--- a/src/focus-zone.ts
+++ b/src/focus-zone.ts
@@ -524,7 +524,7 @@ export function focusZone(container: HTMLElement, settings?: FocusZoneSettings):
     for (const mutation of mutations) {
       for (const removedNode of mutation.removedNodes) {
         if (removedNode instanceof HTMLElement) {
-          endFocusManagement(...iterateFocusableElements(removedNode, iterateFocusableElementsOptions))
+          endFocusManagement(...iterateFocusableElements(removedNode))
         }
       }
       // If an element is hidden or disabled, remove it from the list of focusable elements