diff --git a/crates/bevy_sprite_render/src/mesh2d/material.rs b/crates/bevy_sprite_render/src/mesh2d/material.rs
index cf459b49c4776..cf7a00f6aa9ff 100644
--- a/crates/bevy_sprite_render/src/mesh2d/material.rs
+++ b/crates/bevy_sprite_render/src/mesh2d/material.rs
@@ -969,10 +969,6 @@ pub fn queue_material2d_meshes(
     specialized_material_pipeline_cache: ResMut<SpecializedMaterial2dPipelineCache>,
     mut mesh_instances_queued_this_iteration_scratch_space: Local<MainEntityHashSet>,
 ) {
-    if render_material_instances.is_empty() {
-        return;
-    }
-
     for (view, visible_entities) in &views {
         let Some(view_specialized_material_pipeline_cache) =
             specialized_material_pipeline_cache.get(&view.retained_view_entity)
@@ -1023,6 +1019,14 @@ pub fn queue_material2d_meshes(
             alpha_mask_phase.remove(*main_entity);
         }
 
+        // With no entity using this material there is nothing to queue, but the
+        // dequeue above still has to run: it is the only thing that takes items
+        // of despawned entities out of the retained phases, and it has to run on
+        // the very frame the last such entity goes away.
+        if render_material_instances.is_empty() {
+            continue;
+        }
+
         // Now iterate over all newly-visible entities and those that need
         // specialization.
         for (render_entity, visible_entity) in dirty_specializations.iter_to_queue(