diff --git a/flink-core/src/main/java/org/apache/flink/api/common/eventtime/CombinedWatermarkStatus.java b/flink-core/src/main/java/org/apache/flink/api/common/eventtime/CombinedWatermarkStatus.java
index fb290ef957b1d..3470b5bdf2552 100644
--- a/flink-core/src/main/java/org/apache/flink/api/common/eventtime/CombinedWatermarkStatus.java
+++ b/flink-core/src/main/java/org/apache/flink/api/common/eventtime/CombinedWatermarkStatus.java
@@ -38,6 +38,12 @@ final class CombinedWatermarkStatus {
 
     private boolean idle = false;
 
+    /**
+     * Whether at least one output was ever registered. Used to distinguish the initial empty state
+     * (before any output is registered) from an empty state caused by unregistering all outputs.
+     */
+    private boolean hadOutputs = false;
+
     public long getCombinedWatermark() {
         return combinedWatermark;
     }
@@ -51,6 +57,7 @@ public boolean remove(PartialWatermark o) {
     }
 
     public void add(PartialWatermark element) {
+        hadOutputs = true;
         partialWatermarks.add(element);
     }
 
@@ -63,8 +70,16 @@ public void add(PartialWatermark element) {
      * @return true, if the combined watermark changed
      */
     public boolean updateCombinedWatermark() {
-        // if we don't have any outputs, we should not emit
+        // if we don't have any outputs, we should not emit.
         if (partialWatermarks.isEmpty()) {
+            // If all previously registered outputs have been unregistered, an empty set is
+            // semantically equivalent to all outputs being idle. We must mark the combined status
+            // as idle to avoid carrying over a stale idle=false state set by a watermark that was
+            // emitted while the outputs were still active. The initial empty state (before any
+            // output is registered) is left untouched so we don't prematurely propagate idleness.
+            if (hadOutputs) {
+                this.idle = true;
+            }
             return false;
         }
 
diff --git a/flink-core/src/test/java/org/apache/flink/api/common/eventtime/WatermarkOutputMultiplexerTest.java b/flink-core/src/test/java/org/apache/flink/api/common/eventtime/WatermarkOutputMultiplexerTest.java
index 4ff83f9c24a5e..3ec9306b90411 100644
--- a/flink-core/src/test/java/org/apache/flink/api/common/eventtime/WatermarkOutputMultiplexerTest.java
+++ b/flink-core/src/test/java/org/apache/flink/api/common/eventtime/WatermarkOutputMultiplexerTest.java
@@ -427,21 +427,27 @@ void testRemoveNotRegisteredReturnValue() {
     }
 
     @Test
-    void testNotEmittingIdleAfterAllSplitsRemoved() {
+    void testEmittingIdleAfterAllSplitsRemoved() {
         final TestingWatermarkOutput underlyingWatermarkOutput = createTestingWatermarkOutput();
         final WatermarkOutputMultiplexer multiplexer =
                 new WatermarkOutputMultiplexer(underlyingWatermarkOutput);
 
+        // An active output emits a watermark, which marks the combined status as non-idle.
         Watermark emittedWatermark = new Watermark(1);
         final String id = UUID.randomUUID().toString();
         multiplexer.registerNewOutput(id);
         WatermarkOutput immediateOutput = multiplexer.getImmediateOutput(id);
         immediateOutput.emitWatermark(emittedWatermark);
-        multiplexer.unregisterOutput(id);
+        assertThat(underlyingWatermarkOutput.isIdle()).isFalse();
 
+        // Once all outputs are unregistered there is nothing left to track, so the combined status
+        // must fall back to idle instead of staying stuck at the previous non-idle state. The last
+        // watermark must not regress when there are no outputs left.
+        multiplexer.unregisterOutput(id);
         multiplexer.onPeriodicEmit();
+
         assertThat(underlyingWatermarkOutput.lastWatermark()).isEqualTo(emittedWatermark);
-        assertThat(underlyingWatermarkOutput.isIdle()).isFalse();
+        assertThat(underlyingWatermarkOutput.isIdle()).isTrue();
     }
 
     /**