diff --git a/src/Avalonia.Controls/TabControl.cs b/src/Avalonia.Controls/TabControl.cs
index cb517b293dc1..28d49746bc8e 100644
--- a/src/Avalonia.Controls/TabControl.cs
+++ b/src/Avalonia.Controls/TabControl.cs
@@ -207,6 +207,15 @@ private void UpdateSelectedContent(Control? container = null)
                 container ??= ContainerFromIndex(SelectedIndex);
                 if (container != null)
                 {
+                    if (SelectedContentTemplate != null && ContentTemplate == null && container.GetValue(ContentTemplateProperty) != SelectedContentTemplate)
+                    {
+                        // If the value of SelectedContentTemplate is about to change, clear it first. This ensures
+                        // that the template is not reused as soon as SelectedContent changes in the statement below
+                        // this block, and also that controls generated from it are unloaded before SelectedContent
+                        // (which is typically their DataContext) changes.
+                        SelectedContentTemplate = null;
+                    }
+
                     _selectedItemSubscriptions = new CompositeDisposable(
                         container.GetObservable(ContentControl.ContentProperty).Subscribe(v => SelectedContent = v),
                         // Note how we fall back to our own ContentTemplate if the container doesn't specify one
diff --git a/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/TabControlTests.cs b/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/TabControlTests.cs
index 99e3c1db13e0..4189ecd9de04 100644
--- a/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/TabControlTests.cs
+++ b/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/TabControlTests.cs
@@ -405,6 +405,41 @@ public void SelectedContentTemplate_Updates_After_New_ContentTemplate()
             Assert.Equal("bar", Assert.IsType<TextBlock>(target.ContentPart.Child).Tag);
         }
 
+        [Fact]
+        public void Previous_ContentTemplate_Is_Not_Reused_When_TabItem_Changes()
+        {
+            int templatesBuilt = 0;
+
+            var target = new TabControl
+            {
+                Template = TabControlTemplate(),
+                Items =
+                {
+                    TabItemFactory("First tab content"),
+                    TabItemFactory("Second tab content"),
+                },
+            };
+
+            var root = new TestRoot(target);
+            ApplyTemplate(target);
+
+            target.SelectedIndex = 0;
+            target.SelectedIndex = 1;
+
+            Assert.Equal(2, templatesBuilt);
+
+            TabItem TabItemFactory(object content) => new()
+            {
+                Content = content,
+                ContentTemplate = new FuncDataTemplate<object>((actual, ns) =>
+                {
+                    Assert.Equal(content, actual);
+                    templatesBuilt++;
+                    return new Border();
+                })
+            };
+        }
+
         [Fact]
         public void Should_Not_Propagate_DataContext_To_TabItem_Content()
         {