diff --git a/samples/ControlCatalog/Pages/ListBoxPage.xaml b/samples/ControlCatalog/Pages/ListBoxPage.xaml
index 47b4ce7151..f4d81418ac 100644
--- a/samples/ControlCatalog/Pages/ListBoxPage.xaml
+++ b/samples/ControlCatalog/Pages/ListBoxPage.xaml
@@ -10,7 +10,13 @@
               HorizontalAlignment="Center"
               Spacing="16">
       <StackPanel Orientation="Vertical" Spacing="8">
-        <ListBox Items="{Binding Items}" SelectedItem="{Binding SelectedItem}" AutoScrollToSelectedItem="True"  SelectionMode="{Binding SelectionMode}" Width="250" Height="350"></ListBox>
+        <ListBox Items="{Binding Items}"
+                 SelectedItem="{Binding SelectedItem}"
+                 SelectedItems="{Binding SelectedItems}"
+                 AutoScrollToSelectedItem="True"
+                 SelectionMode="{Binding SelectionMode}"
+                 Width="250"
+                 Height="350"/>
 
         <Button Command="{Binding AddItemCommand}">Add</Button>
 
diff --git a/src/Avalonia.Controls/ItemsControl.cs b/src/Avalonia.Controls/ItemsControl.cs
index 6e0ad66699..da9f619932 100644
--- a/src/Avalonia.Controls/ItemsControl.cs
+++ b/src/Avalonia.Controls/ItemsControl.cs
@@ -70,7 +70,6 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls
         public ItemsControl()
         {
             PseudoClasses.Add(":empty");
-            SubscribeToItems(_items);
         }
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -265,6 +264,11 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls
         {
         }
 
+        protected override void OnInitialized()
+        {
+            SubscribeToItems(_items);
+        }
+
         /// <summary>
         /// Handles directional navigation within the <see cref="ItemsControl"/>.
         /// </summary>
@@ -330,7 +334,10 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls
                 Presenter.Items = newValue;
             }
 
-            SubscribeToItems(newValue);
+            if (IsInitialized)
+            {
+                SubscribeToItems(newValue);
+            }
         }
 
         /// <summary>
diff --git a/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/CarouselTests.cs b/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/CarouselTests.cs
index a292910fae..c6ca0fb2bf 100644
--- a/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/CarouselTests.cs
+++ b/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/CarouselTests.cs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ using Avalonia.Controls.Presenters;
 using Avalonia.Controls.Primitives;
 using Avalonia.Controls.Templates;
 using Avalonia.LogicalTree;
+using Avalonia.UnitTests;
 using Avalonia.VisualTree;
 using Xunit;
 
@@ -155,6 +156,7 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests
                 IsVirtualized = false
             };
 
+            var root = new TestRoot(target);
             target.ApplyTemplate();
             target.Presenter.ApplyTemplate();
 
@@ -247,6 +249,7 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests
                 IsVirtualized = false
             };
 
+            var root = new TestRoot(target);
             target.ApplyTemplate();
             target.Presenter.ApplyTemplate();
 
diff --git a/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/ItemsControlTests.cs b/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/ItemsControlTests.cs
index 684486cbae..faaa3ed063 100644
--- a/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/ItemsControlTests.cs
+++ b/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/ItemsControlTests.cs
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests
             var child = new Control();
             var items = new AvaloniaList<Control>(child);
 
+            var root = new TestRoot(target);
             target.Template = GetTemplate();
             target.Items = items;
             items.RemoveAt(0);
@@ -283,6 +284,7 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests
             var items = new AvaloniaList<string> { "Foo" };
             var called = false;
 
+            var root = new TestRoot(target);
             target.Template = GetTemplate();
             target.Items = items;
             target.ApplyTemplate();
@@ -303,6 +305,7 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests
             var items = new AvaloniaList<string> { "Foo", "Bar" };
             var called = false;
 
+            var root = new TestRoot(target);
             target.Template = GetTemplate();
             target.Items = items;
             target.ApplyTemplate();
@@ -376,6 +379,7 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests
                 Items = new[] { 1, 2, 3 },
             };
 
+            var root = new TestRoot(target);
             Assert.DoesNotContain(":empty", target.Classes);
         }
 
diff --git a/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/Primitives/SelectingItemsControlTests.cs b/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/Primitives/SelectingItemsControlTests.cs
index fe9c7b1261..e43e855ae0 100644
--- a/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/Primitives/SelectingItemsControlTests.cs
+++ b/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/Primitives/SelectingItemsControlTests.cs
@@ -170,6 +170,8 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests.Primitives
                 SelectionMode = SelectionMode.Single | SelectionMode.AlwaysSelected
             };
 
+            var root = new TestRoot(listBox);
+
             listBox.BeginInit();
 
             listBox.SelectedIndex = 1;
@@ -480,6 +482,7 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests.Primitives
                 Template = Template(),
             };
 
+            var root = new TestRoot(target);
             target.ApplyTemplate();
             target.Presenter.ApplyTemplate();
             items.Add(new Item { IsSelected = true });
@@ -531,6 +534,7 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests.Primitives
             };
 
             target.ApplyTemplate();
+            target.Presenter.ApplyTemplate();
             target.SelectedIndex = 1;
 
             Assert.Equal(items[1], target.SelectedItem);
@@ -549,6 +553,45 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests.Primitives
             Assert.NotNull(receivedArgs);
             Assert.Empty(receivedArgs.AddedItems);
             Assert.Equal(new[] { removed }, receivedArgs.RemovedItems);
+            Assert.False(items.Single().IsSelected);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Removing_Selected_Item_Should_Clear_Selection_With_BeginInit()
+        {
+            var items = new AvaloniaList<Item>
+            {
+                new Item(),
+                new Item(),
+            };
+
+            var target = new SelectingItemsControl();
+            target.BeginInit();
+            target.Items = items;
+            target.Template = Template();
+            target.EndInit();
+
+            target.ApplyTemplate();
+            target.Presenter.ApplyTemplate();
+            target.SelectedIndex = 0;
+
+            Assert.Equal(items[0], target.SelectedItem);
+            Assert.Equal(0, target.SelectedIndex);
+
+            SelectionChangedEventArgs receivedArgs = null;
+
+            target.SelectionChanged += (_, args) => receivedArgs = args;
+
+            var removed = items[0];
+
+            items.RemoveAt(0);
+
+            Assert.Null(target.SelectedItem);
+            Assert.Equal(-1, target.SelectedIndex);
+            Assert.NotNull(receivedArgs);
+            Assert.Empty(receivedArgs.AddedItems);
+            Assert.Equal(new[] { removed }, receivedArgs.RemovedItems);
+            Assert.False(items.Single().IsSelected);
         }
 
         [Fact]
@@ -879,6 +922,7 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests.Primitives
                 Items = items,
             };
 
+            var root = new TestRoot(target);
             target.ApplyTemplate();
             target.Presenter.ApplyTemplate();
 
diff --git a/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/Primitives/SelectingItemsControlTests_Multiple.cs b/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/Primitives/SelectingItemsControlTests_Multiple.cs
index dcf25beb50..e9ec8d114f 100644
--- a/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/Primitives/SelectingItemsControlTests_Multiple.cs
+++ b/tests/Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests/Primitives/SelectingItemsControlTests_Multiple.cs
@@ -1014,6 +1014,7 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests.Primitives
                 SelectionMode = SelectionMode.Multiple,
             };
 
+            var root = new TestRoot(target);
             target.ApplyTemplate();
             target.Presenter.ApplyTemplate();
 
@@ -1043,6 +1044,7 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests.Primitives
                 SelectionMode = SelectionMode.Multiple,
             };
 
+            var root = new TestRoot(target);
             target.ApplyTemplate();
             target.Presenter.ApplyTemplate();
 
@@ -1076,6 +1078,7 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests.Primitives
                 SelectionMode = SelectionMode.Multiple,
             };
 
+            var root = new TestRoot(target);
             target.ApplyTemplate();
             target.Presenter.ApplyTemplate();
 
@@ -1199,6 +1202,7 @@ namespace Avalonia.Controls.UnitTests.Primitives
                 Template = Template(),
             };
 
+            var root = new TestRoot(target);
             target.ApplyTemplate();
             target.Presenter.ApplyTemplate();
             items.Add(new ItemContainer { IsSelected = true });