diff --git a/.nextchanges/bundles/empty-list-stays-enforced.md b/.nextchanges/bundles/empty-list-stays-enforced.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5ae44436caf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.nextchanges/bundles/empty-list-stays-enforced.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Emptying a resource list now keeps enforcing it. A bundle declaring `grants: []` revokes
+any grant added out of band on every deploy, not just the first.
diff --git a/acceptance/bundle/resources/grants/schemas/empty_list_enforced/databricks.yml.tmpl b/acceptance/bundle/resources/grants/schemas/empty_list_enforced/databricks.yml.tmpl
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d157f693cd7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/acceptance/bundle/resources/grants/schemas/empty_list_enforced/databricks.yml.tmpl
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+bundle:
+  name: schema-grants-oob-after-empty-$UNIQUE_NAME
+
+resources:
+  schemas:
+    grants_schema:
+      name: schema_oob_after_empty_$UNIQUE_NAME
+      catalog_name: main
+      grants: [{ principal: deco-test-user@databricks.com, privileges: [USE_SCHEMA] }]
diff --git a/acceptance/bundle/resources/grants/schemas/empty_list_enforced/out.grants.direct.txt b/acceptance/bundle/resources/grants/schemas/empty_list_enforced/out.grants.direct.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9534b2706f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/acceptance/bundle/resources/grants/schemas/empty_list_enforced/out.grants.direct.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+json = {};
diff --git a/acceptance/bundle/resources/grants/schemas/empty_list_enforced/out.grants.terraform.txt b/acceptance/bundle/resources/grants/schemas/empty_list_enforced/out.grants.terraform.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6a8c10fbd58
--- /dev/null
+++ b/acceptance/bundle/resources/grants/schemas/empty_list_enforced/out.grants.terraform.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+json.privilege_assignments[].principal = "deco-test-user@databricks.com";
+json.privilege_assignments[].privileges[] = "USE_SCHEMA";
diff --git a/acceptance/bundle/resources/grants/schemas/empty_list_enforced/out.test.toml b/acceptance/bundle/resources/grants/schemas/empty_list_enforced/out.test.toml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..cef45fe553a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/acceptance/bundle/resources/grants/schemas/empty_list_enforced/out.test.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+Cloud = true
+EnvMatrix.DATABRICKS_BUNDLE_ENGINE = ["terraform", "direct"]
+EnvMatrix.DMS = ["", "true"]
diff --git a/acceptance/bundle/resources/grants/schemas/empty_list_enforced/output.txt b/acceptance/bundle/resources/grants/schemas/empty_list_enforced/output.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1b21b4e0c1a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/acceptance/bundle/resources/grants/schemas/empty_list_enforced/output.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+
+=== Deploy with one grant
+>>> [CLI] bundle deploy -qq
+
+=== Empty the list: the grant is revoked
+>>> [CLI] bundle deploy -qq
+
+>>> [CLI] grants get schema main.schema_oob_after_empty_[UNIQUE_NAME]
+json = {};
+
+=== Add a grant out of band
+>>> [CLI] grants update schema main.schema_oob_after_empty_[UNIQUE_NAME] --json @update.json
+
+>>> [CLI] grants get schema main.schema_oob_after_empty_[UNIQUE_NAME]
+json.privilege_assignments[].principal = "deco-test-user@databricks.com";
+json.privilege_assignments[].privileges[] = "USE_SCHEMA";
+
+=== Redeploy: the enforced empty list revokes the out-of-band grant
+>>> [CLI] bundle deploy -qq
+
+>>> errcode [CLI] bundle destroy --auto-approve
+The following resources will be deleted:
+  delete resources.schemas.grants_schema
+
+This action will result in the deletion of the following UC schemas. Any underlying data may be lost:
+  delete resources.schemas.grants_schema
+
+All files and directories at the following location will be deleted: /Workspace/Users/[USERNAME]/.bundle/schema-grants-oob-after-empty-[UNIQUE_NAME]/default
+
+Destroy: 1 deleted
diff --git a/acceptance/bundle/resources/grants/schemas/empty_list_enforced/script b/acceptance/bundle/resources/grants/schemas/empty_list_enforced/script
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4f202b52de8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/acceptance/bundle/resources/grants/schemas/empty_list_enforced/script
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+SCHEMA_FULL_NAME=main.schema_oob_after_empty_$UNIQUE_NAME
+
+envsubst < databricks.yml.tmpl > databricks.yml
+
+cleanup() {
+    trace errcode $CLI bundle destroy --auto-approve
+    rm -f out.requests.txt
+}
+trap cleanup EXIT
+
+title "Deploy with one grant"
+trace $CLI bundle deploy -qq
+
+title "Empty the list: the grant is revoked"
+update_file.py databricks.yml 'grants: [{ principal: deco-test-user@databricks.com, privileges: [USE_SCHEMA] }]' 'grants: []'
+trace $CLI bundle deploy -qq
+trace $CLI grants get schema "$SCHEMA_FULL_NAME" | gron.py --noindex | sort_lines.py --repl
+
+title "Add a grant out of band"
+trace $CLI grants update schema "$SCHEMA_FULL_NAME" --json @update.json > /dev/null
+trace $CLI grants get schema "$SCHEMA_FULL_NAME" | gron.py --noindex | sort_lines.py --repl | contains.py 'deco-test-user@databricks.com'
+
+# The engines diverge here, so the result goes to a per-engine file: direct re-plans the
+# emptied node and revokes the out-of-band grant, terraform leaves it in place.
+title "Redeploy: the enforced empty list revokes the out-of-band grant"
+trace $CLI bundle deploy -qq
+$CLI grants get schema "$SCHEMA_FULL_NAME" | gron.py --noindex | sort_lines.py --repl > out.grants.$DATABRICKS_BUNDLE_ENGINE.txt
diff --git a/acceptance/bundle/resources/grants/schemas/empty_list_enforced/update.json b/acceptance/bundle/resources/grants/schemas/empty_list_enforced/update.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..36945686643
--- /dev/null
+++ b/acceptance/bundle/resources/grants/schemas/empty_list_enforced/update.json
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+{
+  "changes": [
+    {
+      "principal": "deco-test-user@databricks.com",
+      "add": ["USE_SCHEMA"]
+    }
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/acceptance/bundle/resources/grants/schemas/remove_all/out.plan.direct.txt b/acceptance/bundle/resources/grants/schemas/remove_all/out.plan.direct.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7860621b33f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/acceptance/bundle/resources/grants/schemas/remove_all/out.plan.direct.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+
+>>> [CLI] bundle plan
+Plan: 0 to add, 0 to change, 0 to delete, 2 unchanged
+
+>>> [CLI] bundle deploy
+Uploading bundle files to /Workspace/Users/[USERNAME]/.bundle/schema-grants-remove-all-[UNIQUE_NAME]/default/files...
+Files: 3 uploaded, 0 deleted
+Resources: 0 created, 0 changed, 0 deleted, 2 unchanged
+
+>>> [CLI] bundle plan
+Plan: 0 to add, 0 to change, 0 to delete, 2 unchanged
diff --git a/acceptance/bundle/resources/grants/schemas/remove_all/out.plan.txt b/acceptance/bundle/resources/grants/schemas/remove_all/out.plan.terraform.txt
similarity index 100%
rename from acceptance/bundle/resources/grants/schemas/remove_all/out.plan.txt
rename to acceptance/bundle/resources/grants/schemas/remove_all/out.plan.terraform.txt
diff --git a/acceptance/bundle/resources/grants/schemas/remove_all/script b/acceptance/bundle/resources/grants/schemas/remove_all/script
index 6a16dafff30..12503be67c0 100644
--- a/acceptance/bundle/resources/grants/schemas/remove_all/script
+++ b/acceptance/bundle/resources/grants/schemas/remove_all/script
@@ -26,4 +26,4 @@ trace $CLI grants get schema main.schema_remove_all_$UNIQUE_NAME | gron.py --noi
     trace $CLI bundle plan
     trace $CLI bundle deploy
     trace $CLI bundle plan
-} &> out.plan.txt
+} &> out.plan.$DATABRICKS_BUNDLE_ENGINE.txt
diff --git a/bundle/direct/apply.go b/bundle/direct/apply.go
index 6b2fffe9a16..053f8f54951 100644
--- a/bundle/direct/apply.go
+++ b/bundle/direct/apply.go
@@ -159,24 +159,13 @@ func (d *DeploymentUnit) Update(ctx context.Context, db *dstate.DeploymentState,
 		return err
 	}
 
-	empty, err := d.Adapter.IsEmptyState(newState)
+	// An update that empties the resource out (e.g. all grants revoked) saves the empty state
+	// rather than dropping the entry. The resource is still there - the schema keeps existing,
+	// it just grants nothing - so the node stays tracked, and a caller reading the state sees
+	// what the update applied instead of nothing at all.
+	err = d.saveState(db, id, newState, d.DependsOn)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	if empty {
-		// The update emptied the resource out (e.g. all grants revoked). Keeping an entry
-		// would report the node as tracked-and-unchanged forever, while a fresh deploy of
-		// the same config plans no node at all; drop it so the two agree.
-		err = db.DeleteState(d.ResourceKey)
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("deleting state id=%s: %w", id, err)
-		}
-	} else {
-		err = d.saveState(db, id, newState, d.DependsOn)
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("saving state id=%s: %w", id, err)
-		}
+		return fmt.Errorf("saving state id=%s: %w", id, err)
 	}
 
 	waitRemoteState, err := retryOnTransient(ctx, func() (any, error) {