diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/PersistentCollection.php b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/PersistentCollection.php
index 4ea56f55b57..104671ec62c 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/PersistentCollection.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/PersistentCollection.php
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 use Doctrine\Common\Collections\Selectable;
 use Doctrine\Common\Collections\Criteria;
 use Doctrine\ORM\Mapping\ClassMetadata;
+use function get_class;
 
 /**
  * A PersistentCollection represents a collection of elements that have persistent state.
@@ -565,7 +566,9 @@ public function clear()
         if ($this->association['isOwningSide'] && $this->owner) {
             $this->changed();
 
-            $uow->scheduleCollectionDeletion($this);
+            if (! $this->em->getClassMetadata(get_class($this->owner))->isChangeTrackingDeferredExplicit()) {
+                $uow->scheduleCollectionDeletion($this);
+            }
 
             $this->takeSnapshot();
         }
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/Ticket/GH7761Test.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/Ticket/GH7761Test.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..53215cf0546
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Functional/Ticket/GH7761Test.php
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+namespace Doctrine\Tests\ORM\Functional\Ticket;
+
+use Doctrine\Common\Collections\ArrayCollection;
+use Doctrine\Tests\OrmFunctionalTestCase;
+
+final class GH7761Test extends OrmFunctionalTestCase
+{
+    /**
+     * {@inheritDoc}
+     */
+    protected function setUp() : void
+    {
+        parent::setUp();
+
+        $this->setUpEntitySchema([
+            GH7761Entity::class,
+            GH7761ChildEntity::class,
+        ]);
+
+        $parent = new GH7761Entity();
+        $child  = new GH7761ChildEntity();
+        $parent->children->add($child);
+
+        $this->_em->persist($parent);
+        $this->_em->persist($child);
+        $this->_em->flush();
+        $this->_em->clear();
+    }
+
+    public function testCollectionClearDoesNotClearIfNotPersisted() : void
+    {
+        /** @var GH7761Entity $entity */
+        $entity = $this->_em->find(GH7761Entity::class, 1);
+        $entity->children->clear();
+        $this->_em->persist(new GH7761Entity());
+        $this->_em->flush();
+
+        $this->_em->clear();
+
+        $entity = $this->_em->find(GH7761Entity::class, 1);
+        self::assertCount(1, $entity->children);
+
+        $this->_em->clear();
+    }
+}
+
+/**
+ * @Entity
+ * @ChangeTrackingPolicy("DEFERRED_EXPLICIT")
+ */
+class GH7761Entity
+{
+    /**
+     * @Id
+     * @Column(type="integer")
+     * @GeneratedValue
+     */
+    public $id;
+
+    /**
+     * @ManyToMany(targetEntity="Doctrine\Tests\ORM\Functional\Ticket\GH7761ChildEntity", cascade={"all"})
+     * @JoinTable(name="gh7761_to_child",
+     *     joinColumns={@JoinColumn(name="entity_id")},
+     *     inverseJoinColumns={@JoinColumn(name="child_id")}
+     * )
+     */
+    public $children;
+
+    public function __construct()
+    {
+        $this->children = new ArrayCollection();
+    }
+}
+
+/**
+ * @Entity
+ * @ChangeTrackingPolicy("DEFERRED_EXPLICIT")
+ */
+class GH7761ChildEntity
+{
+    /**
+     * @Id
+     * @Column(type="integer")
+     * @GeneratedValue
+     */
+    public $id;
+}
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/PersistentCollectionTest.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/PersistentCollectionTest.php
index 38be94522a7..179d6e9d517 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/PersistentCollectionTest.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/PersistentCollectionTest.php
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 namespace Doctrine\Tests\ORM;
 
 use Doctrine\Common\Collections\ArrayCollection;
+use Doctrine\ORM\Mapping\ClassMetadataInfo;
 use Doctrine\ORM\PersistentCollection;
 use Doctrine\ORM\UnitOfWork;
 use Doctrine\Tests\Mocks\ConnectionMock;
@@ -264,4 +265,25 @@ public function testWillNotMarkCollectionAsDirtyAfterInitializationIfNoElementsW
         self::assertTrue($this->collection->isInitialized());
         self::assertFalse($this->collection->isDirty());
     }
+
+    public function testModifyUOWForDeferredImplicitOwnerOnClear() : void
+    {
+        $unitOfWork = $this->createMock(UnitOfWork::class);
+        $unitOfWork->expects(self::once())->method('scheduleCollectionDeletion');
+        $this->_emMock->setUnitOfWork($unitOfWork);
+
+        $this->collection->clear();
+    }
+
+    public function testDoNotModifyUOWForDeferredExplicitOwnerOnClear() : void
+    {
+        $unitOfWork = $this->createMock(UnitOfWork::class);
+        $unitOfWork->expects(self::never())->method('scheduleCollectionDeletion');
+        $this->_emMock->setUnitOfWork($unitOfWork);
+
+        $classMetaData = $this->_emMock->getClassMetadata(ECommerceCart::class);
+        $classMetaData->setChangeTrackingPolicy(ClassMetadataInfo::CHANGETRACKING_DEFERRED_EXPLICIT);
+
+        $this->collection->clear();
+    }
 }