diff --git a/core/modules/content_moderation/src/EntityOperations.php b/core/modules/content_moderation/src/EntityOperations.php
index 3f66100581..428ce8971d 100644
--- a/core/modules/content_moderation/src/EntityOperations.php
+++ b/core/modules/content_moderation/src/EntityOperations.php
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 namespace Drupal\content_moderation;
 
 use Drupal\content_moderation\Entity\ContentModerationState as ContentModerationStateEntity;
+use Drupal\Core\Database\Connection;
 use Drupal\Core\DependencyInjection\ContainerInjectionInterface;
 use Drupal\Core\Entity\Display\EntityViewDisplayInterface;
 use Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityInterface;
@@ -55,6 +56,13 @@ class EntityOperations implements ContainerInjectionInterface {
   protected $bundleInfo;
 
   /**
+   * The database connection.
+   *
+   * @var \Drupal\Core\Database\Connection
+   */
+  protected $database;
+
+  /**
    * Constructs a new EntityOperations object.
    *
    * @param \Drupal\content_moderation\ModerationInformationInterface $moderation_info
@@ -67,13 +75,16 @@ class EntityOperations implements ContainerInjectionInterface {
    *   The revision tracker.
    * @param \Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityTypeBundleInfoInterface $bundle_info
    *   The entity bundle information service.
+   * @param \Drupal\Core\Database\Connection $database
+   *   The database connection.
    */
-  public function __construct(ModerationInformationInterface $moderation_info, EntityTypeManagerInterface $entity_type_manager, FormBuilderInterface $form_builder, RevisionTrackerInterface $tracker, EntityTypeBundleInfoInterface $bundle_info) {
+  public function __construct(ModerationInformationInterface $moderation_info, EntityTypeManagerInterface $entity_type_manager, FormBuilderInterface $form_builder, RevisionTrackerInterface $tracker, EntityTypeBundleInfoInterface $bundle_info, Connection $database) {
     $this->moderationInfo = $moderation_info;
     $this->entityTypeManager = $entity_type_manager;
     $this->formBuilder = $form_builder;
     $this->tracker = $tracker;
     $this->bundleInfo = $bundle_info;
+    $this->database = $database;
   }
 
   /**
@@ -85,7 +96,8 @@ public static function create(ContainerInterface $container) {
       $container->get('entity_type.manager'),
       $container->get('form_builder'),
       $container->get('content_moderation.revision_tracker'),
-      $container->get('entity_type.bundle.info')
+      $container->get('entity_type.bundle.info'),
+      $container->get('database')
     );
   }
 
@@ -145,6 +157,25 @@ public function entityUpdate(EntityInterface $entity) {
       $this->updateOrCreateFromEntity($entity);
       $this->setLatestRevision($entity);
     }
+
+    if ($entity->getEntityTypeId() == 'workflow') {
+      $deleted_states = array_diff_key($entity->original->getStates(), $entity->getStates());
+      /** @var \Drupal\content_moderation\ContentModerationState $deleted_state */
+      foreach ($deleted_states as $deleted_state) {
+        $new_state = $deleted_state->isPublishedState() ? 'published' : 'draft';
+        $content_moderation_state_type = $this->entityTypeManager->getDefinition('content_moderation_state');
+        $this->database
+          ->update($content_moderation_state_type->getDataTable())
+          ->condition('moderation_state', $deleted_state->id())
+          ->fields(['moderation_state' => $new_state])
+          ->execute();
+        $this->database
+          ->update($content_moderation_state_type->getRevisionDataTable())
+          ->condition('moderation_state', $deleted_state->id())
+          ->fields(['moderation_state' => $new_state])
+          ->execute();
+      }
+    }
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/core/modules/content_moderation/tests/src/Kernel/DeleteWorkflowStateTest.php b/core/modules/content_moderation/tests/src/Kernel/DeleteWorkflowStateTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..266c157708
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/modules/content_moderation/tests/src/Kernel/DeleteWorkflowStateTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Drupal\Tests\content_moderation\Kernel;
+
+use Drupal\KernelTests\KernelTestBase;
+use Drupal\node\Entity\Node;
+use Drupal\node\Entity\NodeType;
+use Drupal\workflows\Entity\Workflow;
+
+/**
+ * Tests how Content Moderation handles the deletion of a workflow state.
+ *
+ * @group content_moderation
+ */
+class DeleteWorkflowStateTest extends KernelTestBase {
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
+  public static $modules = [
+    'node',
+    'content_moderation',
+    'user',
+    'system',
+    'text',
+    'workflows',
+  ];
+
+  /**
+   * @var \Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityTypeManager
+   */
+  protected $entityTypeManager;
+
+  /**
+   * {@inheritdoc}
+   */
+  protected function setUp() {
+    parent::setUp();
+
+    $this->installSchema('node', 'node_access');
+    $this->installEntitySchema('node');
+    $this->installEntitySchema('user');
+    $this->installEntitySchema('content_moderation_state');
+    $this->installConfig('content_moderation');
+
+    $this->entityTypeManager = $this->container->get('entity_type.manager');
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Test deleting a node's moderation state.
+   */
+  function testNodeModeration() {
+    $node_type = NodeType::create([
+      'type' => 'example',
+    ]);
+    $node_type->save();
+
+    $workflow = Workflow::load('editorial');
+    $workflow->addState('test', 'Test');
+    $workflow->addState('unpub_test', 'Unpublished Test');
+    $workflow->getTypePlugin()->setConfiguration([
+      'states' => [
+        'test' => [
+          'published' => TRUE,
+          'default_revision' => TRUE,
+        ],
+        'unpub_test' => [
+          'published' => FALSE,
+          'default_revision' => FALSE,
+        ],
+      ],
+    ]);
+    $workflow->addTransition('test', 'Test', ['draft'], 'test');
+    $workflow->addTransition('unpub_test', 'Unpublished Test', ['draft'], 'unpub_test');
+    $workflow->getTypePlugin()->addEntityTypeAndBundle('node', 'example');
+    $workflow->save();
+
+    // Tests deleting a published moderation state.
+    $node = Node::create([
+      'type' => 'example',
+      'title' => 'Test title',
+    ]);
+    $node->moderation_state->value = 'test';
+    $node->save();
+    $this->assertEquals('test', $node->moderation_state->value);
+    $this->assertTrue($node->isPublished());
+
+    $workflow->deleteState('test');
+    $workflow->save();
+
+    $loaded_node = Node::load($node->id());
+    $this->assertEquals('published', $loaded_node->moderation_state->value);
+    $this->assertTrue($loaded_node->isPublished());
+
+    // Tests deleting an unpublished moderation state.
+    $node2 = Node::create([
+      'type' => 'example',
+      'title' => 'Test title 2',
+    ]);
+    $node2->moderation_state->value = 'unpub_test';
+    $node2->save();
+    $this->assertEquals('unpub_test', $node2->moderation_state->value);
+    $this->assertFalse($node2->isPublished());
+
+    $workflow->deleteState('unpub_test');
+    $workflow->save();
+
+    $loaded_node2 = Node::load($node2->id());
+    $this->assertEquals('draft', $loaded_node2->moderation_state->value);
+    $this->assertFalse($loaded_node2->isPublished());
+  }
+
+}