diff --git a/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactFiberCommitWork.js b/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactFiberCommitWork.js
index e73b3fa8fb..8a4530c630 100644
--- a/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactFiberCommitWork.js
+++ b/packages/react-reconciler/src/ReactFiberCommitWork.js
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ import {
   enableComponentPerformanceTrack,
   enableViewTransition,
   enableFragmentRefs,
+  enableEagerAlternateStateNodeCleanup,
 } from 'shared/ReactFeatureFlags';
 import {
   FunctionComponent,
@@ -1947,6 +1948,20 @@ function commitMutationEffectsOnFiber(
             }
           }
         }
+      } else {
+        if (enableEagerAlternateStateNodeCleanup) {
+          if (supportsPersistence) {
+            if (finishedWork.alternate !== null) {
+              // `finishedWork.alternate.stateNode` is pointing to a stale shadow
+              // node at this point, retaining it and its subtree. To reclaim
+              // memory, point `alternate.stateNode` to new shadow node. This
+              // prevents shadow node from staying in memory longer than it
+              // needs to. The correct behaviour of this is checked by test in
+              // React Native: ShadowNodeReferenceCounter-itest.js#L150
+              finishedWork.alternate.stateNode = finishedWork.stateNode;
+            }
+          }
+        }
       }
       break;
     }
diff --git a/packages/shared/ReactFeatureFlags.js b/packages/shared/ReactFeatureFlags.js
index a3bb0f9a5d..c2bcb31b46 100644
--- a/packages/shared/ReactFeatureFlags.js
+++ b/packages/shared/ReactFeatureFlags.js
@@ -135,6 +135,8 @@ export const enableShallowPropDiffing = false;
 
 export const enableSiblingPrerendering = true;
 
+export const enableEagerAlternateStateNodeCleanup = true;
+
 /**
  * Enables an expiration time for retry lanes to avoid starvation.
  */
diff --git a/packages/shared/forks/ReactFeatureFlags.native-fb-dynamic.js b/packages/shared/forks/ReactFeatureFlags.native-fb-dynamic.js
index 089693d679..923190f950 100644
--- a/packages/shared/forks/ReactFeatureFlags.native-fb-dynamic.js
+++ b/packages/shared/forks/ReactFeatureFlags.native-fb-dynamic.js
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ export const enableObjectFiber = __VARIANT__;
 export const enableHiddenSubtreeInsertionEffectCleanup = __VARIANT__;
 export const enablePersistedModeClonedFlag = __VARIANT__;
 export const enableShallowPropDiffing = __VARIANT__;
+export const enableEagerAlternateStateNodeCleanup = __VARIANT__;
 export const passChildrenWhenCloningPersistedNodes = __VARIANT__;
 export const enableSiblingPrerendering = __VARIANT__;
 export const enableUseEffectCRUDOverload = __VARIANT__;
diff --git a/packages/shared/forks/ReactFeatureFlags.native-fb.js b/packages/shared/forks/ReactFeatureFlags.native-fb.js
index a77ef6a38a..17fe4ae98f 100644
--- a/packages/shared/forks/ReactFeatureFlags.native-fb.js
+++ b/packages/shared/forks/ReactFeatureFlags.native-fb.js
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ export const {
   enablePersistedModeClonedFlag,
   enableShallowPropDiffing,
   enableUseEffectCRUDOverload,
+  enableEagerAlternateStateNodeCleanup,
   passChildrenWhenCloningPersistedNodes,
   enableSiblingPrerendering,
   enableFastAddPropertiesInDiffing,
diff --git a/packages/shared/forks/ReactFeatureFlags.native-oss.js b/packages/shared/forks/ReactFeatureFlags.native-oss.js
index c1dea3b37f..2187acea6e 100644
--- a/packages/shared/forks/ReactFeatureFlags.native-oss.js
+++ b/packages/shared/forks/ReactFeatureFlags.native-oss.js
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ export const enableSchedulingProfiler = __PROFILE__;
 export const enableComponentPerformanceTrack = false;
 export const enableScopeAPI = false;
 export const enableShallowPropDiffing = false;
+export const enableEagerAlternateStateNodeCleanup = false;
 export const enableSuspenseAvoidThisFallback = false;
 export const enableSuspenseCallback = false;
 export const enableTaint = true;
diff --git a/packages/shared/forks/ReactFeatureFlags.test-renderer.js b/packages/shared/forks/ReactFeatureFlags.test-renderer.js
index ea8c78abb5..f39e18d95f 100644
--- a/packages/shared/forks/ReactFeatureFlags.test-renderer.js
+++ b/packages/shared/forks/ReactFeatureFlags.test-renderer.js
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ export const enableShallowPropDiffing = false;
 export const enableSiblingPrerendering = true;
 
 export const enableUseEffectCRUDOverload = false;
+export const enableEagerAlternateStateNodeCleanup = false;
 
 export const enableYieldingBeforePassive = true;
 
diff --git a/packages/shared/forks/ReactFeatureFlags.test-renderer.native-fb.js b/packages/shared/forks/ReactFeatureFlags.test-renderer.native-fb.js
index 8bcdb5e82e..e0f5962a0d 100644
--- a/packages/shared/forks/ReactFeatureFlags.test-renderer.native-fb.js
+++ b/packages/shared/forks/ReactFeatureFlags.test-renderer.native-fb.js
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ export const enableSchedulingProfiler = __PROFILE__;
 export const enableComponentPerformanceTrack = false;
 export const enableScopeAPI = false;
 export const enableShallowPropDiffing = false;
+export const enableEagerAlternateStateNodeCleanup = false;
 export const enableSuspenseAvoidThisFallback = false;
 export const enableSuspenseCallback = false;
 export const enableTaint = true;
diff --git a/packages/shared/forks/ReactFeatureFlags.test-renderer.www.js b/packages/shared/forks/ReactFeatureFlags.test-renderer.www.js
index f45d6a6f66..3e1aa94e03 100644
--- a/packages/shared/forks/ReactFeatureFlags.test-renderer.www.js
+++ b/packages/shared/forks/ReactFeatureFlags.test-renderer.www.js
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ export const enableShallowPropDiffing = false;
 export const enableSiblingPrerendering = true;
 
 export const enableUseEffectCRUDOverload = false;
+export const enableEagerAlternateStateNodeCleanup = false;
 
 export const enableHydrationLaneScheduling = true;
 
diff --git a/packages/shared/forks/ReactFeatureFlags.www.js b/packages/shared/forks/ReactFeatureFlags.www.js
index 27bf13230e..9cc46b11f7 100644
--- a/packages/shared/forks/ReactFeatureFlags.www.js
+++ b/packages/shared/forks/ReactFeatureFlags.www.js
@@ -110,6 +110,8 @@ export const disableLegacyMode = true;
 
 export const enableShallowPropDiffing = false;
 
+export const enableEagerAlternateStateNodeCleanup = false;
+
 export const enableLazyPublicInstanceInFabric = false;
 
 export const enableSwipeTransition = false;