diff --git a/.changeset/remove-component-set-undefined.md b/.changeset/remove-component-set-undefined.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..06be2143
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/remove-component-set-undefined.md
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+---
+"miniplex": patch
+---
+
+`World.removeComponent` now assigns `undefined` to the removed component instead of using the `delete` operator.
+
+Queries already treat a component as absent when its value is `undefined`, so this is fully transparent to `with`/`without`/`where` queries. Assigning `undefined` keeps the entity's object shape stable (avoiding V8 deoptimizations — measurably faster component removal and post-removal iteration) and routes the change through any property setters/proxies, making miniplex compatible with reactive/observed objects such as [Colyseus](https://colyseus.io) schemas.
+
+Note: the property key is now retained on the entity (with value `undefined`) rather than removed, so checks that rely on key presence (e.g. `"foo" in entity` or `Object.keys(entity)`) will continue to see it.
diff --git a/packages/core/benchmark.ts b/packages/core/benchmark.ts
index dc5266e9..2e2b0efb 100644
--- a/packages/core/benchmark.ts
+++ b/packages/core/benchmark.ts
@@ -160,6 +160,73 @@ profile("clear (with archetypes)", () => {
   }
 })
 
+heading("Component Removal")
+
+profile("removeComponent", () => {
+  const world = new World<Entity>()
+
+  for (let i = 0; i < entityCount; i++)
+    world.add({
+      position: { x: 0, y: i, z: 0 },
+      velocity: { x: 0, y: 0, z: 0 }
+    })
+
+  return () => {
+    for (const entity of world.entities) {
+      world.removeComponent(entity, "velocity")
+    }
+
+    return () => world.entities.every((e) => e.velocity === undefined)
+  }
+})
+
+profile("removeComponent (with archetypes)", () => {
+  const world = new World<Entity>()
+  const withVelocity = world.with("velocity").connect()
+
+  for (let i = 0; i < entityCount; i++)
+    world.add({
+      position: { x: 0, y: i, z: 0 },
+      velocity: { x: 0, y: 0, z: 0 }
+    })
+
+  return () => {
+    for (const entity of world.entities) {
+      world.removeComponent(entity, "velocity")
+    }
+
+    return () => withVelocity.size === 0
+  }
+})
+
+/* Iterate entities after a component was removed, surfacing any object-shape
+   deoptimization from the removal. */
+profile("simulate after removeComponent", () => {
+  const world = new World<Entity>()
+
+  for (let i = 0; i < entityCount; i++)
+    world.add({
+      position: { x: Math.random() * 200 - 100, y: i, z: 0 },
+      velocity: { x: 1, y: 2, z: 3 }
+    })
+
+  for (const entity of world.entities) {
+    world.removeComponent(entity, "velocity")
+  }
+
+  return () => {
+    let i = 0
+    for (const { position } of world.entities) {
+      i++
+      position.x += 1
+      position.y += 1
+      position.z += 1
+    }
+
+    return () => i === entityCount
+  }
+})
+
 heading("Iteration")
 
 profile("simulate (iterator, world)", () => {
diff --git a/packages/core/src/core.ts b/packages/core/src/core.ts
index 89f592fb..0ce10d27 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/core.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/core.ts
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ export class World<E extends {} = any>
    * @param entity The entity to modify.
    * @param component The name of the component to remove.
    */
-  removeComponent(entity: E, component: keyof E) {
+  removeComponent<C extends keyof E>(entity: E, component: C) {
     /* Return early if the entity doesn't even have the component. */
     if (entity[component] === undefined) return
 
@@ -158,8 +158,10 @@ export class World<E extends {} = any>
       this.reindex(entity, future)
     }
 
-    /* Remove the component. */
-    delete entity[component]
+    /* Assign `undefined` rather than `delete`: queries treat both as absent, but
+       this keeps the object shape stable and works with proxied property access
+       (e.g. Colyseus schemas). */
+    entity[component] = undefined as E[C]
   }
 
   /* QUERIES */
diff --git a/packages/core/test/core.test.ts b/packages/core/test/core.test.ts
index 436640ff..143e9a8d 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/core.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/core.test.ts
@@ -375,6 +375,14 @@ describe(World, () => {
       expect(entity).toEqual({ name: "John" })
     })
 
+    it("sets the component to `undefined` instead of `delete`-ing the property", () => {
+      const world = new World<Entity>()
+      const entity = world.add({ name: "John", age: 30 })
+      world.removeComponent(entity, "age")
+      expect(entity.age).toBeUndefined()
+      expect("age" in entity).toBe(true)
+    })
+
     it("removes the entity from any relevant archetypes", () => {
       const world = new World<Entity>()
       const query = world.with("age").without("height")