diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 6ccd002c3dd..d3b2951b242 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,11 @@
 
 ## Unreleased
 
+### API
+
+* Fix `TraceStateBuilder.remove` corrupting the builder when the same key is removed twice
+  ([#8613](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-java/pull/8613))
+
 ## Version 1.64.0 (2026-07-10)
 
 ### API
diff --git a/api/all/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/api/trace/ArrayBasedTraceStateBuilder.java b/api/all/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/api/trace/ArrayBasedTraceStateBuilder.java
index 09c3d1e0303..17918342ece 100644
--- a/api/all/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/api/trace/ArrayBasedTraceStateBuilder.java
+++ b/api/all/src/main/java/io/opentelemetry/api/trace/ArrayBasedTraceStateBuilder.java
@@ -92,8 +92,10 @@ public TraceStateBuilder remove(String key) {
     }
     for (int i = 0; i < reversedEntries.size(); i += 2) {
       if (reversedEntries.get(i).equals(key)) {
-        reversedEntries.set(i + 1, null);
-        numEntries--;
+        if (reversedEntries.get(i + 1) != null) {
+          reversedEntries.set(i + 1, null);
+          numEntries--;
+        }
         return this;
       }
     }
diff --git a/api/all/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/api/trace/TraceStateTest.java b/api/all/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/api/trace/TraceStateTest.java
index 22a04b4176b..ac95563f5fb 100644
--- a/api/all/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/api/trace/TraceStateTest.java
+++ b/api/all/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/api/trace/TraceStateTest.java
@@ -17,8 +17,10 @@
 class TraceStateTest {
   private static final String FIRST_KEY = "key_1";
   private static final String SECOND_KEY = "key_2";
+  private static final String THIRD_KEY = "key_3";
   private static final String FIRST_VALUE = "value.1";
   private static final String SECOND_VALUE = "value.2";
+  private static final String THIRD_VALUE = "value.3";
 
   private final TraceState firstTraceState =
       TraceState.builder().put(FIRST_KEY, FIRST_VALUE).build();
@@ -303,6 +305,32 @@ void removeNotPresent() {
         .isEqualTo(multiValueTraceState);
   }
 
+  @Test
+  void removeTwice() {
+    assertThat(firstTraceState.toBuilder().remove(FIRST_KEY).remove(FIRST_KEY).build())
+        .isEqualTo(TraceState.getDefault());
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  void removeTwice_KeepsRemainingEntry() {
+    assertThat(multiValueTraceState.toBuilder().remove(FIRST_KEY).remove(FIRST_KEY).build().asMap())
+        .containsExactly(entry(SECOND_KEY, SECOND_VALUE));
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  void removeTwice_KeepsRemainingEntries() {
+    assertThat(
+            TraceState.builder()
+                .put(FIRST_KEY, FIRST_VALUE)
+                .put(SECOND_KEY, SECOND_VALUE)
+                .put(THIRD_KEY, THIRD_VALUE)
+                .remove(FIRST_KEY)
+                .remove(FIRST_KEY)
+                .build()
+                .asMap())
+        .containsExactly(entry(THIRD_KEY, THIRD_VALUE), entry(SECOND_KEY, SECOND_VALUE));
+  }
+
   @Test
   void addAndRemoveEntry() {
     assertThat(