diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/fabric/mounting/MountingManager.java b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/fabric/mounting/MountingManager.java
index 4629668d494..41cf97c71fb 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/fabric/mounting/MountingManager.java
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/fabric/mounting/MountingManager.java
@@ -577,13 +577,15 @@ public class MountingManager {
       return;
     }
 
-    View view = viewState.mView;
-
-    if (view != null) {
-      dropView(view, false);
-    } else {
-      mTagToViewState.remove(reactTag);
-    }
+    // To delete we simply remove the tag from the registry.
+    // In the past we called dropView here, but we want to rely on either
+    // (1) the correct set of MountInstructions being sent to the platform
+    // and/or (2) dropView being called by stopSurface.
+    // If Views are orphaned at this stage and leaked, it's a problem in
+    // the differ or LayoutAnimations, not MountingManager.
+    // Additionally, as documented in `dropView`, we cannot always trust a
+    // view's children to be up-to-date.
+    mTagToViewState.remove(reactTag);
   }
 
   @UiThread