diff --git a/packages/runtime-core/__tests__/components/Teleport.spec.ts b/packages/runtime-core/__tests__/components/Teleport.spec.ts
index 79125cd04df..1cf83dd35d3 100644
--- a/packages/runtime-core/__tests__/components/Teleport.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/runtime-core/__tests__/components/Teleport.spec.ts
@@ -719,6 +719,36 @@ describe('renderer: teleport', () => {
       expect(root.innerHTML).toBe('<!--v-if-->')
     })
 
+    test('skip unmount children if teleport not disabled & target missing', async () => {
+      const root = document.createElement('div')
+      const childShow = ref(true)
+
+      const Comp = {
+        setup() {
+          return () => h(Teleport, { to: null }, [h('div', 'foo')])
+        },
+      }
+
+      const App = defineComponent({
+        setup() {
+          return () => {
+            return h(Fragment, { key: 0 }, [
+              childShow.value ? h(Comp) : createCommentVNode('v-if'),
+            ])
+          }
+        },
+      })
+
+      domRender(h(App), root)
+      expect('Invalid Teleport target: null').toHaveBeenWarned()
+      expect('Invalid Teleport target on mount').toHaveBeenWarned()
+      expect(root.innerHTML).toBe('<!--teleport start--><!--teleport end-->')
+
+      childShow.value = false
+      await nextTick()
+      expect(root.innerHTML).toBe('<!--v-if-->')
+    })
+
     test('accessing template refs inside teleport', async () => {
       const target = nodeOps.createElement('div')
       const tRef = ref()
diff --git a/packages/runtime-core/src/components/Teleport.ts b/packages/runtime-core/src/components/Teleport.ts
index fe6fa36c1ca..7dab240e3ae 100644
--- a/packages/runtime-core/src/components/Teleport.ts
+++ b/packages/runtime-core/src/components/Teleport.ts
@@ -308,16 +308,20 @@ export const TeleportImpl = {
       target,
       props,
     } = vnode
+    // an unmounted teleport should always unmount its children whether it's disabled or not
+    doRemove && hostRemove(anchor!)
+
+    // skip unmount if not disabled & target missing (children not rendered)
+    const disabled = isTeleportDisabled(props)
+    if (!disabled && !target) return
 
     if (target) {
       hostRemove(targetStart!)
       hostRemove(targetAnchor!)
     }
 
-    // an unmounted teleport should always unmount its children whether it's disabled or not
-    doRemove && hostRemove(anchor!)
     if (shapeFlag & ShapeFlags.ARRAY_CHILDREN) {
-      const shouldRemove = doRemove || !isTeleportDisabled(props)
+      const shouldRemove = doRemove || !disabled
       for (let i = 0; i < (children as VNode[]).length; i++) {
         const child = (children as VNode[])[i]
         unmount(