diff --git a/packages/core/primitives/signals/src/graph.ts b/packages/core/primitives/signals/src/graph.ts
index 144105b4c569..fd64bc226d58 100644
--- a/packages/core/primitives/signals/src/graph.ts
+++ b/packages/core/primitives/signals/src/graph.ts
@@ -266,7 +266,11 @@ export function producerAccessed(node: ReactiveNode): void {
     // instead of eagerly destroying the previous link, we delay until we've finished recomputing
     // the producers list, so that we can destroy all of the old links at once.
     nextProducer: nextProducerLink,
-    prevConsumer: prevConsumerLink,
+    // Don't set prevConsumer here — it's only meaningful when the link is part of
+    // the producer's consumer list. producerAddLiveConsumer sets it correctly when
+    // the link is actually inserted. Setting it eagerly would create a dangling
+    // reference into the consumer list that prevents GC of removed entries.
+    prevConsumer: undefined,
     lastReadVersion: node.version,
     nextConsumer: undefined,
   };
diff --git a/packages/core/test/signals/BUILD.bazel b/packages/core/test/signals/BUILD.bazel
index 93648675e3a7..d3602b0b55d1 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/signals/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/packages/core/test/signals/BUILD.bazel
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ ts_project(
         "//packages/core",
         "//packages/core/primitives/signals",
         "//packages/core/src/util",
+        "//packages/private/testing",
     ],
 )
 
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@ jasmine_test(
     data = [
         ":signals_lib",
     ],
+    node_options = ["--expose-gc"],
 )
 
 ng_web_test_suite(
diff --git a/packages/core/test/signals/signal_graph_leak_spec.ts b/packages/core/test/signals/signal_graph_leak_spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..0584f5453c30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/core/test/signals/signal_graph_leak_spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+/**
+ * @license
+ * Copyright Google LLC All Rights Reserved.
+ *
+ * Use of this source code is governed by an MIT-style license that can be
+ * found in the LICENSE file at https://angular.dev/license
+ */
+
+import {computed, signal, WritableSignal} from '../../src/core';
+import {createWatch, SIGNAL} from '../../primitives/signals';
+import {isBrowser, timeout} from '@angular/private/testing';
+
+describe('signal graph: destroyed consumers should be GC-eligible', () => {
+  if (isBrowser) {
+    it('should pass', () => {});
+    return;
+  }
+
+  function setupAndReturnRef(source: WritableSignal<number>): WeakRef<object> {
+    const watch = createWatch(
+      () => source(),
+      () => {},
+      true,
+    );
+    watch.run();
+
+    const ref = new WeakRef(watch[SIGNAL]);
+
+    // Non-live computed that also reads source.
+    const derived = computed(() => source() + 1);
+    derived();
+
+    // Clearing the graph edges.
+    watch.destroy();
+
+    return ref;
+  }
+
+  it('should GC a destroyed effect when a non-live computed reads the same producer', async () => {
+    const source = signal(0);
+    const ref = setupAndReturnRef(source);
+
+    (globalThis as any).gc();
+    await timeout();
+    (globalThis as any).gc();
+
+    expect(ref.deref()).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it('should GC destroyed effects across repeated create/destroy cycles', async () => {
+    const source = signal(0);
+    const derived = computed(() => source() + 1);
+    derived();
+
+    const refs: WeakRef<object>[] = [];
+    for (let i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
+      refs.push(setupAndReturnRef(source));
+    }
+
+    (globalThis as any).gc();
+    await timeout();
+    (globalThis as any).gc();
+
+    for (let i = 0; i < refs.length; i++) {
+      expect(refs[i].deref()).withContext(`cycle ${i}`).toBeUndefined();
+    }
+  });
+});