diff --git a/components/nvs_flash/src/nvs_item_hash_list.cpp b/components/nvs_flash/src/nvs_item_hash_list.cpp
index 845dd09106..a6cfdac1e2 100644
--- a/components/nvs_flash/src/nvs_item_hash_list.cpp
+++ b/components/nvs_flash/src/nvs_item_hash_list.cpp
@@ -64,15 +64,22 @@ void HashList::erase(size_t index, bool itemShouldExist)
 {
     for (auto it = mBlockList.begin(); it != mBlockList.end();) {
         bool haveEntries = false;
+        bool foundIndex = false;
         for (size_t i = 0; i < it->mCount; ++i) {
             if (it->mNodes[i].mIndex == index) {
                 it->mNodes[i].mIndex = 0xff;
-                return;
+                foundIndex = true;
+                /* found the item and removed it */
             }
             if (it->mNodes[i].mIndex != 0xff) {
                 haveEntries = true;
             }
+            if (haveEntries && foundIndex) {
+                /* item was found, and HashListBlock still has some items */
+                return;
+            }
         }
+        /* no items left in HashListBlock, can remove */
         if (!haveEntries) {
             auto tmp = it;
             ++it;
@@ -81,6 +88,10 @@ void HashList::erase(size_t index, bool itemShouldExist)
         } else {
             ++it;
         }
+        if (foundIndex) {
+            /* item was found and empty HashListBlock was removed */
+            return;
+        }
     }
     if (itemShouldExist) {
         assert(false && "item should have been present in cache");
diff --git a/components/nvs_flash/test_nvs_host/test_nvs.cpp b/components/nvs_flash/test_nvs_host/test_nvs.cpp
index 7203ef733c..06b3effc06 100644
--- a/components/nvs_flash/test_nvs_host/test_nvs.cpp
+++ b/components/nvs_flash/test_nvs_host/test_nvs.cpp
@@ -284,6 +284,47 @@ TEST_CASE("Page handles invalid CRC of variable length items", "[nvs][cur]")
     }
 }
 
+class HashListTestHelper : public HashList
+{
+    public:
+        size_t getBlockCount()
+        {
+            return mBlockList.size();
+        }
+};
+
+TEST_CASE("HashList is cleaned up as soon as items are erased", "[nvs]")
+{
+    HashListTestHelper hashlist;
+    // Add items
+    const size_t count = 128;
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < count; ++i) {
+        char key[16];
+        snprintf(key, sizeof(key), "i%ld", (long int)i);
+        Item item(1, ItemType::U32, 1, key);
+        hashlist.insert(item, i);
+    }
+    INFO("Added " << count << " items, " << hashlist.getBlockCount() << " blocks");
+    // Remove them in reverse order
+    for (size_t i = count; i > 0; --i) {
+        hashlist.erase(i - 1, true);
+    }
+    CHECK(hashlist.getBlockCount() == 0);
+    // Add again
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < count; ++i) {
+        char key[16];
+        snprintf(key, sizeof(key), "i%ld", (long int)i);
+        Item item(1, ItemType::U32, 1, key);
+        hashlist.insert(item, i);
+    }
+    INFO("Added " << count << " items, " << hashlist.getBlockCount() << " blocks");
+    // Remove them in the same order
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < count; ++i) {
+        hashlist.erase(i, true);
+    }
+    CHECK(hashlist.getBlockCount() == 0);
+}
+
 TEST_CASE("can init PageManager in empty flash", "[nvs]")
 {
     SpiFlashEmulator emu(4);