diff --git a/src/EFCore/ChangeTracking/Internal/ChangeDetector.cs b/src/EFCore/ChangeTracking/Internal/ChangeDetector.cs
index 5d2600518a3..d3f23016795 100644
--- a/src/EFCore/ChangeTracking/Internal/ChangeDetector.cs
+++ b/src/EFCore/ChangeTracking/Internal/ChangeDetector.cs
@@ -346,6 +346,24 @@ public virtual bool DetectComplexPropertyChange(InternalEntryBase entry, IComple
             // to ensure the entity is detected as modified and the complex type properties are persisted
             if (!UseOldBehavior37890 || currentValue is not null)
             {
+                if (!InternalComplexTypeBuilder.UseOldBehavior38119)
+                {
+                    // Set the discriminator value for the complex type when transitioning from null to non-null or vice versa.
+                    // The discriminator is a shadow property whose value needs to be updated to reflect the new state.
+                    var discriminatorProperty = complexProperty.ComplexType.FindDiscriminatorProperty();
+                    if (discriminatorProperty != null)
+                    {
+                        if (currentValue is not null)
+                        {
+                            entry[discriminatorProperty] = complexProperty.ComplexType.GetDiscriminatorValue();
+                        }
+                        else if (discriminatorProperty.IsShadowProperty())
+                        {
+                            entry[discriminatorProperty] = discriminatorProperty.ClrType.GetDefaultValue();
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+
                 foreach (var innerProperty in complexProperty.ComplexType.GetFlattenedProperties())
                 {
                     // Only mark properties that are tracked and can be modified
diff --git a/src/EFCore/Metadata/Internal/InternalComplexTypeBuilder.cs b/src/EFCore/Metadata/Internal/InternalComplexTypeBuilder.cs
index aa03bb7c0ff..ff79ac03542 100644
--- a/src/EFCore/Metadata/Internal/InternalComplexTypeBuilder.cs
+++ b/src/EFCore/Metadata/Internal/InternalComplexTypeBuilder.cs
@@ -500,6 +500,30 @@ public virtual bool CanSetServiceOnlyConstructorBinding(
         => configurationSource.Overrides(Metadata.GetServiceOnlyConstructorBindingConfigurationSource())
             || Metadata.ServiceOnlyConstructorBinding == constructorBinding;
 
+    internal static readonly bool UseOldBehavior38119 =
+        AppContext.TryGetSwitch("Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Issue38119", out var enabled) && enabled;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    ///     This is an internal API that supports the Entity Framework Core infrastructure and not subject to
+    ///     the same compatibility standards as public APIs. It may be changed or removed without notice in
+    ///     any release. You should only use it directly in your code with extreme caution and knowing that
+    ///     doing so can result in application failures when updating to a new Entity Framework Core release.
+    /// </summary>
+    protected override InternalPropertyBuilder? GetOrCreateDiscriminatorProperty(
+        Type? type,
+        string? name,
+        MemberInfo? memberInfo,
+        ConfigurationSource configurationSource)
+    {
+        var builder = base.GetOrCreateDiscriminatorProperty(type, name, memberInfo, configurationSource);
+        if (!UseOldBehavior38119)
+        {
+            builder?.AfterSave(PropertySaveBehavior.Save, ConfigurationSource.Convention);
+        }
+
+        return builder;
+    }
+
     /// <summary>
     ///     This is an internal API that supports the Entity Framework Core infrastructure and not subject to
     ///     the same compatibility standards as public APIs. It may be changed or removed without notice in
diff --git a/test/EFCore.Specification.Tests/Query/AdHocComplexTypeQueryTestBase.cs b/test/EFCore.Specification.Tests/Query/AdHocComplexTypeQueryTestBase.cs
index b2123250eac..0ce294f63c2 100644
--- a/test/EFCore.Specification.Tests/Query/AdHocComplexTypeQueryTestBase.cs
+++ b/test/EFCore.Specification.Tests/Query/AdHocComplexTypeQueryTestBase.cs
@@ -148,13 +148,23 @@ public virtual async Task Optional_complex_type_with_discriminator()
                 return context.SaveChangesAsync();
             });
 
-        await using var context = contextFactory.CreateContext();
+        await using (var context = contextFactory.CreateContext())
+        {
+            var complexTypeNull = await context.Set<ContextShadowDiscriminator.EntityType>()
+                .SingleAsync(b => b.AllOptionalsComplexType == null);
+            Assert.Null(complexTypeNull.AllOptionalsComplexType);
 
-        var complexTypeNull = await context.Set<ContextShadowDiscriminator.EntityType>().SingleAsync(b => b.AllOptionalsComplexType == null);
-        Assert.Null(complexTypeNull.AllOptionalsComplexType);
+            complexTypeNull.AllOptionalsComplexType =
+                new ContextShadowDiscriminator.AllOptionalsComplexType { OptionalProperty = "New thing" };
+            await context.SaveChangesAsync();
+        }
 
-        complexTypeNull.AllOptionalsComplexType = new ContextShadowDiscriminator.AllOptionalsComplexType { OptionalProperty = "New thing" };
-        await context.SaveChangesAsync();
+        await using (var context = contextFactory.CreateContext())
+        {
+            var entities = await context.Set<ContextShadowDiscriminator.EntityType>().ToListAsync();
+            Assert.Equal(3, entities.Count);
+            Assert.All(entities, e => Assert.NotNull(e.AllOptionalsComplexType));
+        }
     }
 
     private class ContextShadowDiscriminator(DbContextOptions options) : DbContext(options)
@@ -401,6 +411,256 @@ public class OptionalComplexProperty
 
     #endregion Issue37337
 
+    #region Issue38119
+
+    [ConditionalFact]
+    public virtual async Task Nullable_complex_type_with_discriminator_null_to_non_null_roundtrip()
+    {
+        var contextFactory = await InitializeAsync<Context38119>(
+            seed: context =>
+            {
+                context.Add(new Context38119.EntityType { Id = Guid.NewGuid() });
+                return context.SaveChangesAsync();
+            });
+
+        await using (var context = contextFactory.CreateContext())
+        {
+            var entity = await context.Set<Context38119.EntityType>().SingleAsync();
+            Assert.Null(entity.Prop);
+
+            entity.Prop = new Context38119.OptionalComplexProperty { OptionalValue = true };
+            await context.SaveChangesAsync();
+        }
+
+        await using (var context = contextFactory.CreateContext())
+        {
+            var entity = await context.Set<Context38119.EntityType>().SingleAsync();
+            Assert.NotNull(entity.Prop);
+            Assert.True(entity.Prop.OptionalValue);
+        }
+    }
+
+    [ConditionalFact]
+    public virtual async Task Nullable_complex_type_with_discriminator_non_null_to_null_roundtrip()
+    {
+        var contextFactory = await InitializeAsync<Context38119>(
+            seed: context =>
+            {
+                context.Add(
+                    new Context38119.EntityType
+                    {
+                        Id = Guid.NewGuid(),
+                        Prop = new Context38119.OptionalComplexProperty { OptionalValue = true }
+                    });
+                return context.SaveChangesAsync();
+            });
+
+        await using (var context = contextFactory.CreateContext())
+        {
+            var entity = await context.Set<Context38119.EntityType>().SingleAsync();
+            Assert.NotNull(entity.Prop);
+
+            entity.Prop = null;
+            await context.SaveChangesAsync();
+        }
+
+        await using (var context = contextFactory.CreateContext())
+        {
+            var entity = await context.Set<Context38119.EntityType>().SingleAsync();
+            Assert.Null(entity.Prop);
+        }
+    }
+
+    [ConditionalFact]
+    public virtual async Task Nullable_complex_type_with_discriminator_update_non_null_entity_roundtrip()
+    {
+        var contextFactory = await InitializeAsync<Context38119>(
+            seed: context =>
+            {
+                context.Add(
+                    new Context38119.EntityType
+                    {
+                        Id = Guid.NewGuid(),
+                        Prop = new Context38119.OptionalComplexProperty { OptionalValue = true }
+                    });
+                return context.SaveChangesAsync();
+            });
+
+        await using (var context = contextFactory.CreateContext())
+        {
+            var entity = await context.Set<Context38119.EntityType>().SingleAsync();
+            Assert.NotNull(entity.Prop);
+            Assert.True(entity.Prop.OptionalValue);
+
+            context.Update(entity);
+            await context.SaveChangesAsync();
+        }
+
+        await using (var context = contextFactory.CreateContext())
+        {
+            var entity = await context.Set<Context38119.EntityType>().SingleAsync();
+            Assert.NotNull(entity.Prop);
+            Assert.True(entity.Prop.OptionalValue);
+        }
+    }
+
+    [ConditionalFact]
+    public virtual async Task Nullable_complex_type_with_discriminator_set_to_different_value()
+    {
+        var contextFactory = await InitializeAsync<Context38119>();
+
+        Guid entityId;
+        await using (var context = contextFactory.CreateContext())
+        {
+            var entity = new Context38119.EntityType
+            {
+                Id = Guid.NewGuid(),
+                Prop = new Context38119.OptionalComplexProperty { OptionalValue = true }
+            };
+            context.Add(entity);
+            entityId = entity.Id;
+
+            // Override the discriminator value before saving
+            var discriminatorEntry = context.Entry(entity).ComplexProperty(e => e.Prop).Property("Discriminator");
+            Assert.Equal("OptionalComplexProperty", discriminatorEntry.CurrentValue);
+            discriminatorEntry.CurrentValue = "SomeOtherValue";
+            await context.SaveChangesAsync();
+        }
+
+        await using (var context = contextFactory.CreateContext())
+        {
+            // The discriminator is non-null so the complex property is still materialized
+            var entity = await context.Set<Context38119.EntityType>().SingleAsync(e => e.Id == entityId);
+            Assert.NotNull(entity.Prop);
+            Assert.True(entity.Prop.OptionalValue);
+        }
+    }
+
+    [ConditionalFact]
+    public virtual async Task Nullable_complex_type_with_discriminator_set_to_null()
+    {
+        var contextFactory = await InitializeAsync<Context38119>();
+
+        Guid entityId;
+        await using (var context = contextFactory.CreateContext())
+        {
+            var entity = new Context38119.EntityType
+            {
+                Id = Guid.NewGuid(),
+                Prop = new Context38119.OptionalComplexProperty { OptionalValue = true }
+            };
+            context.Add(entity);
+            entityId = entity.Id;
+
+            // Set discriminator to null before saving, which should cause the complex property to be null on reload
+            var discriminatorEntry = context.Entry(entity).ComplexProperty(e => e.Prop).Property("Discriminator");
+            Assert.Equal("OptionalComplexProperty", discriminatorEntry.CurrentValue);
+            discriminatorEntry.CurrentValue = null;
+            await context.SaveChangesAsync();
+        }
+
+        await using (var context = contextFactory.CreateContext())
+        {
+            // With null discriminator, the complex property should be materialized as null
+            var entity = await context.Set<Context38119.EntityType>().SingleAsync(e => e.Id == entityId);
+            Assert.Null(entity.Prop);
+        }
+    }
+
+    [ConditionalFact]
+    public virtual async Task Nested_nullable_complex_type_with_discriminator_null_to_non_null_roundtrip()
+    {
+        var contextFactory = await InitializeAsync<Context38119Nested>(
+            seed: context =>
+            {
+                context.Add(
+                    new Context38119Nested.EntityType
+                    {
+                        Id = Guid.NewGuid(),
+                        Outer = new Context38119Nested.OuterComplexProperty { Name = "outer" }
+                    });
+                return context.SaveChangesAsync();
+            });
+
+        await using (var context = contextFactory.CreateContext())
+        {
+            var entity = await context.Set<Context38119Nested.EntityType>().SingleAsync();
+            Assert.NotNull(entity.Outer);
+            Assert.Null(entity.Outer.Inner);
+
+            entity.Outer.Inner = new Context38119Nested.InnerComplexProperty { Value = 42 };
+            await context.SaveChangesAsync();
+        }
+
+        await using (var context = contextFactory.CreateContext())
+        {
+            var entity = await context.Set<Context38119Nested.EntityType>().SingleAsync();
+            Assert.NotNull(entity.Outer);
+            Assert.NotNull(entity.Outer.Inner);
+            Assert.Equal(42, entity.Outer.Inner.Value);
+        }
+    }
+
+    private class Context38119(DbContextOptions options) : DbContext(options)
+    {
+        protected override void OnModelCreating(ModelBuilder modelBuilder)
+        {
+            var entity = modelBuilder.Entity<EntityType>();
+            entity.HasKey(p => p.Id);
+            entity.Property(p => p.Id).ValueGeneratedNever();
+
+            var compl = entity.ComplexProperty(p => p.Prop);
+            compl.HasDiscriminator();
+        }
+
+        public class EntityType
+        {
+            public Guid Id { get; set; }
+            public OptionalComplexProperty? Prop { get; set; }
+        }
+
+        public class OptionalComplexProperty
+        {
+            public bool? OptionalValue { get; set; }
+        }
+    }
+
+    private class Context38119Nested(DbContextOptions options) : DbContext(options)
+    {
+        protected override void OnModelCreating(ModelBuilder modelBuilder)
+        {
+            var entity = modelBuilder.Entity<EntityType>();
+            entity.HasKey(p => p.Id);
+            entity.Property(p => p.Id).ValueGeneratedNever();
+
+            entity.ComplexProperty(
+                p => p.Outer, outer =>
+                {
+                    outer.ComplexProperty(
+                        p => p.Inner, inner => inner.HasDiscriminator());
+                });
+        }
+
+        public class EntityType
+        {
+            public Guid Id { get; set; }
+            public OuterComplexProperty Outer { get; set; } = null!;
+        }
+
+        public class OuterComplexProperty
+        {
+            public string? Name { get; set; }
+            public InnerComplexProperty? Inner { get; set; }
+        }
+
+        public class InnerComplexProperty
+        {
+            public int? Value { get; set; }
+        }
+    }
+
+    #endregion Issue38119
+
     protected override string StoreName
         => "AdHocComplexTypeQueryTest";
 }