diff --git a/ReactCommon/fabric/components/view/ConcreteViewShadowNode.h b/ReactCommon/fabric/components/view/ConcreteViewShadowNode.h
index 9fd77d342ea..8454d2dd7c1 100644
--- a/ReactCommon/fabric/components/view/ConcreteViewShadowNode.h
+++ b/ReactCommon/fabric/components/view/ConcreteViewShadowNode.h
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ class ConcreteViewShadowNode : public ConcreteShadowNode<
   void initialize() noexcept {
     auto &props = BaseShadowNode::getConcreteProps();
 
-    BaseShadowNode::orderIndex_ = props.zIndex;
+    BaseShadowNode::orderIndex_ = props.zIndex.value_or(0);
 
     if (props.yogaStyle.display() == YGDisplayNone) {
       BaseShadowNode::traits_.set(ShadowNodeTraits::Trait::Hidden);
diff --git a/ReactCommon/fabric/components/view/ViewProps.cpp b/ReactCommon/fabric/components/view/ViewProps.cpp
index f391c709493..311f0a0e763 100644
--- a/ReactCommon/fabric/components/view/ViewProps.cpp
+++ b/ReactCommon/fabric/components/view/ViewProps.cpp
@@ -184,7 +184,8 @@ SharedDebugStringConvertibleList ViewProps::getDebugProps() const {
   return AccessibilityProps::getDebugProps() +
       YogaStylableProps::getDebugProps() +
       SharedDebugStringConvertibleList{
-          debugStringConvertibleItem("zIndex", zIndex, defaultViewProps.zIndex),
+          debugStringConvertibleItem(
+              "zIndex", zIndex, defaultViewProps.zIndex.value_or(0)),
           debugStringConvertibleItem(
               "opacity", opacity, defaultViewProps.opacity),
           debugStringConvertibleItem(
diff --git a/ReactCommon/fabric/components/view/ViewProps.h b/ReactCommon/fabric/components/view/ViewProps.h
index 6d004213414..59fb492e240 100644
--- a/ReactCommon/fabric/components/view/ViewProps.h
+++ b/ReactCommon/fabric/components/view/ViewProps.h
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ class ViewProps : public YogaStylableProps, public AccessibilityProps {
   Transform transform{};
   BackfaceVisibility backfaceVisibility{};
   bool shouldRasterize{};
-  int zIndex{};
+  better::optional<int> zIndex{};
 
   // Events
   PointerEventsMode pointerEvents{};
diff --git a/ReactCommon/fabric/components/view/ViewShadowNode.cpp b/ReactCommon/fabric/components/view/ViewShadowNode.cpp
index 421f69c7c8b..9a0ee18d462 100644
--- a/ReactCommon/fabric/components/view/ViewShadowNode.cpp
+++ b/ReactCommon/fabric/components/view/ViewShadowNode.cpp
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ void ViewShadowNode::initialize() noexcept {
       !viewProps.nativeId.empty() || viewProps.accessible ||
       viewProps.opacity != 1.0 || viewProps.transform != Transform{} ||
       viewProps.elevation != 0 ||
-      (viewProps.zIndex != 0 &&
+      (viewProps.zIndex.has_value() &&
        viewProps.yogaStyle.positionType() == YGPositionTypeAbsolute) ||
       viewProps.yogaStyle.display() == YGDisplayNone ||
       viewProps.getClipsContentToBounds() ||
diff --git a/ReactCommon/fabric/components/view/tests/ViewTest.cpp b/ReactCommon/fabric/components/view/tests/ViewTest.cpp
index 2224bc68294..993a7097215 100644
--- a/ReactCommon/fabric/components/view/tests/ViewTest.cpp
+++ b/ReactCommon/fabric/components/view/tests/ViewTest.cpp
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ TEST_F(YogaDirtyFlagTest, changingNonLayoutSubPropsMustNotDirtyYogaNode) {
         props.foregroundColor = whiteColor();
         props.backgroundColor = blackColor();
         props.opacity = props.opacity + 0.042;
-        props.zIndex = props.zIndex + 42;
+        props.zIndex = props.zIndex.value_or(0) + 42;
         props.shouldRasterize = !props.shouldRasterize;
         props.collapsable = !props.collapsable;