diff --git a/packages/mask/src/index.js b/packages/mask/src/index.js
index 4823d8ebd..54fb22fac 100644
--- a/packages/mask/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/mask/src/index.js
@@ -52,6 +52,14 @@ export default function (Alpine) {
 
                 let updater = el._x_forceModelUpdate
                 el._x_forceModelUpdate = (value) => {
+                    // If the model value was cleared (e.g. the parent object was
+                    // removed), just clear the input — don't format and write back
+                    // as that would resurrect the model path with an empty value.
+                    if (value === undefined) {
+                        lastInputValue = ''
+                        return updater(value)
+                    }
+
                     value = String(value)
                     let template = templateFn(value)
                     if (template && template !== 'false') {
diff --git a/tests/cypress/integration/plugins/mask.spec.js b/tests/cypress/integration/plugins/mask.spec.js
index dc6995a64..31111d2c0 100644
--- a/tests/cypress/integration/plugins/mask.spec.js
+++ b/tests/cypress/integration/plugins/mask.spec.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { haveData, haveValue, html, test } from '../../utils'
+import { haveData, haveText, haveValue, html, test } from '../../utils'
 
 test('x-mask',
     [html`<input x-data x-mask="(999) 999-9999">`],
@@ -293,3 +293,33 @@ test('x-mask masks programmatic x-model updates',
         get('div').should(haveData('value', '23,420'))
     }
 )
+
+test('x-mask with x-model initializes missing object key',
+    [html`
+        <div x-data="{ form: {} }">
+            <input x-model="form.amount" x-mask:dynamic="$money($input)" id="1">
+            <span id="output" x-text="'amount' in form ? 'EXISTS:' + form.amount : 'GONE'"></span>
+        </div>
+    `],
+    ({ get }) => {
+        get('#output').should(haveText('EXISTS:'))
+        get('#1').type('1234').should(haveValue('1,234'))
+        get('#output').should(haveText('EXISTS:1,234'))
+    }
+)
+
+test('x-mask does not resurrect x-model value when model is cleared',
+    [html`
+        <div x-data="{ form: { amount: '5000' } }">
+            <input x-model="form.amount" x-mask:dynamic="$money($input)">
+            <span id="output" x-text="'amount' in form ? 'EXISTS' : 'GONE'"></span>
+            <button @click="form = {}">clear</button>
+        </div>
+    `],
+    ({ get }) => {
+        get('input').should(haveValue('5,000'))
+        get('#output').should(haveText('EXISTS'))
+        get('button').click()
+        get('#output').should(haveText('GONE'))
+    }
+)