diff --git a/.changeset/quiet-tables-watch.md b/.changeset/quiet-tables-watch.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..678a911ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/quiet-tables-watch.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@tanstack/vue-virtual': patch
+---
+
+Detach scroll observers when the scroll element becomes null.
diff --git a/packages/vue-virtual/package.json b/packages/vue-virtual/package.json
index 706a6fa13..4fdb3410a 100644
--- a/packages/vue-virtual/package.json
+++ b/packages/vue-virtual/package.json
@@ -28,9 +28,11 @@
   ],
   "scripts": {
     "clean": "premove ./dist ./coverage",
-    "test:eslint": "eslint ./src",
+    "test:eslint": "eslint ./src ./tests",
     "test:types": "tsc",
     "test:build": "publint --strict",
+    "test:lib": "vitest",
+    "test:lib:dev": "pnpm run test:lib --watch",
     "build": "vite build"
   },
   "type": "module",
diff --git a/packages/vue-virtual/src/index.ts b/packages/vue-virtual/src/index.ts
index 57f73311c..8fbd418cc 100644
--- a/packages/vue-virtual/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/vue-virtual/src/index.ts
@@ -35,10 +35,8 @@ function useVirtualizerBase<
 
   watch(
     () => unref(options).getScrollElement(),
-    (el) => {
-      if (el) {
-        virtualizer._willUpdate()
-      }
+    () => {
+      virtualizer._willUpdate()
     },
     {
       immediate: true,
diff --git a/packages/vue-virtual/tests/index.test.ts b/packages/vue-virtual/tests/index.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3fb223527
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/vue-virtual/tests/index.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, test, vi } from 'vitest'
+import { effectScope, nextTick, shallowRef } from 'vue'
+import { useVirtualizer, useWindowVirtualizer } from '../src'
+import type { EffectScope } from 'vue'
+
+describe('scroll element lifecycle', () => {
+  let scope: EffectScope
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    scope = effectScope()
+  })
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    scope.stop()
+  })
+
+  function setup<T extends HTMLElement | Window>(initialElement: T | null) {
+    const scrollElement = shallowRef(initialElement)
+    const cleanupRect = vi.fn()
+    const cleanupOffset = vi.fn()
+    const options = {
+      count: 10,
+      estimateSize: () => 50,
+      getScrollElement: () => scrollElement.value,
+      observeElementRect: vi.fn(() => cleanupRect),
+      observeElementOffset: vi.fn(() => cleanupOffset),
+      scrollToFn: vi.fn(),
+    }
+
+    return { scrollElement, cleanupRect, cleanupOffset, options }
+  }
+
+  test('attaches observers when an initially null element becomes available', async () => {
+    const { scrollElement, options } = setup<HTMLElement>(null)
+    const virtualizer = scope.run(() => useVirtualizer(options))!
+
+    expect(virtualizer.value.scrollElement).toBeNull()
+    expect(options.observeElementRect).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect(options.observeElementOffset).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+
+    scrollElement.value = document.createElement('div')
+    await nextTick()
+
+    expect(virtualizer.value.scrollElement).toBe(scrollElement.value)
+    expect(options.observeElementRect).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+    expect(options.observeElementOffset).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+  })
+
+  test('cleans up observers when the element becomes null and reattaches later', async () => {
+    const element = document.createElement('div')
+    const { scrollElement, cleanupRect, cleanupOffset, options } =
+      setup(element)
+    const virtualizer = scope.run(() => useVirtualizer(options))!
+
+    expect(virtualizer.value.scrollElement).toBe(element)
+
+    scrollElement.value = null
+    await nextTick()
+
+    expect(cleanupRect).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+    expect(cleanupOffset).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+    expect(virtualizer.value.scrollElement).toBeNull()
+    expect(virtualizer.value.targetWindow).toBeNull()
+
+    scrollElement.value = element
+    await nextTick()
+
+    expect(virtualizer.value.scrollElement).toBe(element)
+    expect(options.observeElementRect).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+    expect(options.observeElementOffset).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+
+    scope.stop()
+    expect(cleanupRect).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+    expect(cleanupOffset).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+    expect(virtualizer.value.scrollElement).toBeNull()
+  })
+
+  test('cleans up observers on element replacement and scope disposal', async () => {
+    const { scrollElement, cleanupRect, cleanupOffset, options } = setup(
+      document.createElement('div'),
+    )
+    const virtualizer = scope.run(() => useVirtualizer(options))!
+
+    scrollElement.value = document.createElement('div')
+    await nextTick()
+
+    expect(cleanupRect).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+    expect(cleanupOffset).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+    expect(virtualizer.value.scrollElement).toBe(scrollElement.value)
+    expect(options.observeElementRect).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+    expect(options.observeElementOffset).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+
+    scope.stop()
+    expect(cleanupRect).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+    expect(cleanupOffset).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+    expect(virtualizer.value.scrollElement).toBeNull()
+  })
+
+  test('cleans up window observers when the window getter becomes null', async () => {
+    const { scrollElement, cleanupRect, cleanupOffset, options } =
+      setup<Window>(window)
+    const virtualizer = scope.run(() => useWindowVirtualizer(options))!
+
+    expect(virtualizer.value.scrollElement).toBe(window)
+
+    scrollElement.value = null
+    await nextTick()
+
+    expect(cleanupRect).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+    expect(cleanupOffset).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+    expect(virtualizer.value.scrollElement).toBeNull()
+
+    scope.stop()
+    expect(cleanupRect).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+    expect(cleanupOffset).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/packages/vue-virtual/tsconfig.json b/packages/vue-virtual/tsconfig.json
index b36d1bf92..050561671 100644
--- a/packages/vue-virtual/tsconfig.json
+++ b/packages/vue-virtual/tsconfig.json
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 {
   "extends": "../../tsconfig.json",
-  "include": ["src", "vite.config.ts"]
+  "include": ["src", "tests", "vite.config.ts"]
 }
diff --git a/packages/vue-virtual/vite.config.ts b/packages/vue-virtual/vite.config.ts
index a8d4b401f..6edd13337 100644
--- a/packages/vue-virtual/vite.config.ts
+++ b/packages/vue-virtual/vite.config.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,16 @@
 import { defineConfig, mergeConfig } from 'vitest/config'
 import { tanstackViteConfig } from '@tanstack/vite-config'
 import vue from '@vitejs/plugin-vue'
+import packageJson from './package.json'
 
 const config = defineConfig({
   plugins: [vue()],
+  test: {
+    name: packageJson.name,
+    dir: './tests',
+    watch: false,
+    environment: 'jsdom',
+  },
 })
 
 export default mergeConfig(