diff --git a/packages/vuetify/src/components/VCombobox/VCombobox.tsx b/packages/vuetify/src/components/VCombobox/VCombobox.tsx
index 0dcec9ad76b..8a439953184 100644
--- a/packages/vuetify/src/components/VCombobox/VCombobox.tsx
+++ b/packages/vuetify/src/components/VCombobox/VCombobox.tsx
@@ -133,13 +133,13 @@ export const VCombobox = genericComponent<new <
     const vVirtualScrollRef = ref<VVirtualScroll>()
     const selectionIndex = shallowRef(-1)
     let cleared = false
-    const { items, transformIn, transformOut } = useItems(props)
+    const { items, transformIn, transformOut, emptyValues } = useItems(props)
     const { textColorClasses, textColorStyles } = useTextColor(() => vTextFieldRef.value?.color)
     const model = useProxiedModel(
       props,
       'modelValue',
       [],
-      v => transformIn(wrapInArray(v)),
+      v => transformIn(wrapInArray(v, emptyValues)),
       v => {
         const transformed = transformOut(v)
         return props.multiple ? transformed : (transformed[0] ?? null)
diff --git a/packages/vuetify/src/components/VCombobox/__tests__/VCombobox.spec.browser.tsx b/packages/vuetify/src/components/VCombobox/__tests__/VCombobox.spec.browser.tsx
index c00d34b9b1c..97811c5de67 100644
--- a/packages/vuetify/src/components/VCombobox/__tests__/VCombobox.spec.browser.tsx
+++ b/packages/vuetify/src/components/VCombobox/__tests__/VCombobox.spec.browser.tsx
@@ -380,6 +380,20 @@ describe('VCombobox', () => {
         id: 'item2',
       }])
     })
+
+    it('should show placeholder if initial value is empty string', () => {
+      const emptyString = ref('')
+
+      const { getByPlaceholderText } = render(() => (
+        <VCombobox
+          v-model={ emptyString.value }
+          items={['a', 'b', 'c']}
+          placeholder="select something"
+        />
+      ))
+
+      expect(getByPlaceholderText('select something')).toBeVisible()
+    })
   })
 
   describe('readonly', () => {
diff --git a/packages/vuetify/src/composables/list-items.ts b/packages/vuetify/src/composables/list-items.ts
index c93cc44ed4f..7084279f012 100644
--- a/packages/vuetify/src/composables/list-items.ts
+++ b/packages/vuetify/src/composables/list-items.ts
@@ -122,16 +122,25 @@ export function transformItems (
 
 export function useItems (props: ItemProps) {
   const items = computed(() => transformItems(props, props.items))
-  const hasNullItem = computed(() => items.value.some(item => item.value === null))
 
+  const hasNullItem = shallowRef(false)
+  const emptyValues = shallowRef<any[]>([])
   const itemsMap = shallowRef<Map<Primitive, ListItem[]>>(new Map())
   const keylessItems = shallowRef<ListItem[]>([])
   watchEffect(() => {
     const _items = items.value
+    let _hasNullItem = false
+    const _emptyValues = new Set()
     const map = new Map()
     const keyless = []
     for (let i = 0; i < _items.length; i++) {
       const item = _items[i]
+      if (item.value === null) {
+        _hasNullItem = true
+      }
+      if (item.value === '' || item.value == null) {
+        _emptyValues.add(item.value)
+      }
       if (isPrimitive(item.value) || item.value === null) {
         let values = map.get(item.value)
         if (!values) {
@@ -143,6 +152,8 @@ export function useItems (props: ItemProps) {
         keyless.push(item)
       }
     }
+    hasNullItem.value = _hasNullItem
+    emptyValues.value = ['', null, undefined].filter(v => !_emptyValues.has(v))
     itemsMap.value = map
     keylessItems.value = keyless
   })
@@ -204,5 +215,5 @@ export function useItems (props: ItemProps) {
       : value.map(({ value }) => value)
   }
 
-  return { items, transformIn, transformOut }
+  return { items, transformIn, transformOut, emptyValues }
 }
diff --git a/packages/vuetify/src/util/helpers.ts b/packages/vuetify/src/util/helpers.ts
index 8662354797f..7c1688a1148 100644
--- a/packages/vuetify/src/util/helpers.ts
+++ b/packages/vuetify/src/util/helpers.ts
@@ -389,11 +389,12 @@ export function arrayDiff (a: any[], b: any[]): any[] {
 
 type IfAny<T, Y, N> = 0 extends (1 & T) ? Y : N;
 export function wrapInArray<T> (
-  v: T | null | undefined
+  v: T | null | undefined,
+  emptyValues?: Ref<any[]>
 ): T extends readonly any[]
     ? IfAny<T, T[], T>
     : NonNullable<T>[] {
-  return v == null
+  return v == null || emptyValues?.value?.includes(v)
     ? [] as any
     : Array.isArray(v)
       ? v as any : [v] as any