diff --git a/src/cdk/a11y/key-manager/list-key-manager.spec.ts b/src/cdk/a11y/key-manager/list-key-manager.spec.ts
index 774cd05779d4..f520db426b05 100644
--- a/src/cdk/a11y/key-manager/list-key-manager.spec.ts
+++ b/src/cdk/a11y/key-manager/list-key-manager.spec.ts
@@ -82,15 +82,28 @@ describe('Key managers', () => {
       spyOn(keyManager, 'setActiveItem').and.callThrough();
     });
 
-    it('should maintain the active item if the amount of items changes', () => {
+    it('should maintain the active item if the amount of items changes', fakeAsync(() => {
       expect(keyManager.activeItemIndex).toBe(0);
       expect(keyManager.activeItem!.getLabel()).toBe('one');
       itemList.reset([new FakeFocusable('zero'), ...itemList.toArray()]);
       itemList.notifyOnChanges();
+      tick();
 
       expect(keyManager.activeItemIndex).toBe(1);
       expect(keyManager.activeItem!.getLabel()).toBe('one');
-    });
+    }));
+
+    it('should keep the active item in sync if the active item is removed', fakeAsync(() => {
+      expect(keyManager.activeItemIndex).toBe(0);
+      expect(keyManager.activeItem!.getLabel()).toBe('one');
+
+      itemList.reset(itemList.toArray().slice(1));
+      itemList.notifyOnChanges();
+      tick();
+
+      expect(keyManager.activeItemIndex).toBe(0);
+      expect(keyManager.activeItem!.getLabel()).toBe('two');
+    }));
 
     it('should start off the activeItem as null', () => {
       expect(new ListKeyManager([]).activeItem).toBeNull();
diff --git a/src/cdk/a11y/key-manager/list-key-manager.ts b/src/cdk/a11y/key-manager/list-key-manager.ts
index 8f64379dcbe3..d8a94f91b5f7 100644
--- a/src/cdk/a11y/key-manager/list-key-manager.ts
+++ b/src/cdk/a11y/key-manager/list-key-manager.ts
@@ -70,8 +70,11 @@ export class ListKeyManager<T extends ListKeyManagerOption> {
           const itemArray = newItems.toArray();
           const newIndex = itemArray.indexOf(this._activeItem);
 
-          if (newIndex > -1 && newIndex !== this._activeItemIndex) {
-            this._activeItemIndex = newIndex;
+          if (newIndex !== this._activeItemIndex) {
+            // Timeout is required to avoid "changed after checked" errors.
+            setTimeout(() => {
+              this.updateActiveItem(newIndex > -1 ? newIndex : this._activeItemIndex);
+            }, 0);
           }
         }
       });
diff --git a/src/material-experimental/mdc-menu/menu.spec.ts b/src/material-experimental/mdc-menu/menu.spec.ts
index 3143f9a86a3e..e5535fa5aa8e 100644
--- a/src/material-experimental/mdc-menu/menu.spec.ts
+++ b/src/material-experimental/mdc-menu/menu.spec.ts
@@ -1176,6 +1176,7 @@ describe('MDC-based MatMenu', () => {
       fixture.detectChanges();
       tick(500);
       fixture.detectChanges();
+      tick();
 
       expect(fixture.componentInstance.items.length).toBe(0);
     }));
@@ -1201,6 +1202,7 @@ describe('MDC-based MatMenu', () => {
         .toBe(true);
       tick(500);
       fixture.detectChanges();
+      tick();
 
       expect(trigger.menuOpen).withContext('Expected menu to be closed').toBe(false);
     }));
diff --git a/src/material/menu/menu.spec.ts b/src/material/menu/menu.spec.ts
index 1adb1fd42934..3d0ba55be20c 100644
--- a/src/material/menu/menu.spec.ts
+++ b/src/material/menu/menu.spec.ts
@@ -1171,6 +1171,7 @@ describe('MatMenu', () => {
       fixture.detectChanges();
       tick(500);
       fixture.detectChanges();
+      tick();
 
       expect(fixture.componentInstance.items.length).toBe(0);
     }));
@@ -1196,6 +1197,7 @@ describe('MatMenu', () => {
         .toBe(true);
       tick(500);
       fixture.detectChanges();
+      tick();
 
       expect(trigger.menuOpen).withContext('Expected menu to be closed').toBe(false);
     }));