diff --git a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/attribute.cc b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/attribute.cc
index 32d12e1af17..fa39d1c6168 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/attribute.cc
+++ b/source/blender/blenkernel/intern/attribute.cc
@@ -370,6 +370,26 @@ CustomDataLayer *BKE_id_attribute_duplicate(ID *id, const char *name, ReportList
   return BKE_id_attribute_search(id, uniquename, CD_MASK_PROP_ALL, ATTR_DOMAIN_MASK_ALL);
 }
 
+static int color_name_to_index(ID *id, const char *name)
+{
+  const CustomDataLayer *layer = BKE_id_attribute_search(
+      id, name, CD_MASK_COLOR_ALL, ATTR_DOMAIN_MASK_COLOR);
+  return BKE_id_attribute_to_index(id, layer, ATTR_DOMAIN_MASK_COLOR, CD_MASK_COLOR_ALL);
+}
+
+static int color_clamp_index(ID *id, int index)
+{
+  const int length = BKE_id_attributes_length(id, ATTR_DOMAIN_MASK_COLOR, CD_MASK_COLOR_ALL);
+  return min_ii(index, length - 1);
+}
+
+static const char *color_name_from_index(ID *id, int index)
+{
+  const CustomDataLayer *layer = BKE_id_attribute_from_index(
+      id, index, ATTR_DOMAIN_MASK_COLOR, CD_MASK_COLOR_ALL);
+  return layer ? layer->name : nullptr;
+}
+
 bool BKE_id_attribute_remove(ID *id, const char *name, ReportList *reports)
 {
   using namespace blender;
@@ -403,19 +423,23 @@ bool BKE_id_attribute_remove(ID *id, const char *name, ReportList *reports)
               BM_data_layer_free_named(em->bm, data, BKE_uv_map_pin_name_get(name, buffer_src));
             }
           }
-          /* Because it's possible that name is owned by the layer and will be freed
-           * when freeing the layer, do these checks before freeing. */
+          /* Update active and default color attributes. */
           const bool is_active_color_attribute = name == StringRef(mesh->active_color_attribute);
           const bool is_default_color_attribute = name == StringRef(mesh->default_color_attribute);
-          if (BM_data_layer_free_named(em->bm, data, name)) {
-            if (is_active_color_attribute) {
-              MEM_SAFE_FREE(mesh->active_color_attribute);
-            }
-            else if (is_default_color_attribute) {
-              MEM_SAFE_FREE(mesh->default_color_attribute);
-            }
-            return true;
+          const int active_index = color_name_to_index(id, mesh->active_color_attribute);
+          const int default_index = color_name_to_index(id, mesh->default_color_attribute);
+          if (!BM_data_layer_free_named(em->bm, data, name)) {
+            return false;
           }
+          if (is_active_color_attribute) {
+            BKE_id_attributes_active_color_set(
+                id, color_name_from_index(id, color_clamp_index(id, active_index)));
+          }
+          if (is_default_color_attribute) {
+            BKE_id_attributes_default_color_set(
+                id, color_name_from_index(id, color_clamp_index(id, default_index)));
+          }
+          return true;
         }
       }
       return false;
@@ -429,7 +453,6 @@ bool BKE_id_attribute_remove(ID *id, const char *name, ReportList *reports)
   }
 
   if (GS(id->name) == ID_ME) {
-
     std::optional<blender::bke::AttributeMetaData> metadata = attributes->lookup_meta_data(name);
     if (metadata->data_type == CD_PROP_FLOAT2) {
       /* remove UV sub-attributes. */
@@ -438,6 +461,24 @@ bool BKE_id_attribute_remove(ID *id, const char *name, ReportList *reports)
       BKE_id_attribute_remove(id, BKE_uv_map_edge_select_name_get(name, buffer_src), reports);
       BKE_id_attribute_remove(id, BKE_uv_map_pin_name_get(name, buffer_src), reports);
     }
+    /* Update active and default color attributes. */
+    Mesh *mesh = reinterpret_cast<Mesh *>(id);
+    const bool is_active_color_attribute = name == StringRef(mesh->active_color_attribute);
+    const bool is_default_color_attribute = name == StringRef(mesh->default_color_attribute);
+    const int active_index = color_name_to_index(id, mesh->active_color_attribute);
+    const int default_index = color_name_to_index(id, mesh->default_color_attribute);
+    if (!attributes->remove(name)) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    if (is_active_color_attribute) {
+      BKE_id_attributes_active_color_set(
+          id, color_name_from_index(id, color_clamp_index(id, active_index)));
+    }
+    if (is_default_color_attribute) {
+      BKE_id_attributes_default_color_set(
+          id, color_name_from_index(id, color_clamp_index(id, default_index)));
+    }
+    return true;
   }
 
   return attributes->remove(name);
diff --git a/source/blender/editors/geometry/geometry_attributes.cc b/source/blender/editors/geometry/geometry_attributes.cc
index 516d67220cb..da88b5483d8 100644
--- a/source/blender/editors/geometry/geometry_attributes.cc
+++ b/source/blender/editors/geometry/geometry_attributes.cc
@@ -107,36 +107,6 @@ static int geometry_attribute_add_exec(bContext *C, wmOperator *op)
   return OPERATOR_FINISHED;
 }
 
-static void next_color_attribute(ID *id, const StringRefNull name, bool is_render)
-{
-  const CustomDataLayer *layer = BKE_id_attributes_color_find(id, name.c_str());
-  int index = BKE_id_attribute_to_index(id, layer, ATTR_DOMAIN_MASK_COLOR, CD_MASK_COLOR_ALL);
-
-  index++;
-
-  layer = BKE_id_attribute_from_index(id, index, ATTR_DOMAIN_MASK_COLOR, CD_MASK_COLOR_ALL);
-
-  if (!layer) {
-    index = 0;
-    layer = BKE_id_attribute_from_index(id, index, ATTR_DOMAIN_MASK_COLOR, CD_MASK_COLOR_ALL);
-  }
-
-  if (layer) {
-    if (is_render) {
-      BKE_id_attributes_active_color_set(id, layer->name);
-    }
-    else {
-      BKE_id_attributes_default_color_set(id, layer->name);
-    }
-  }
-}
-
-static void next_color_attributes(ID *id, const StringRefNull name)
-{
-  next_color_attribute(id, name, false); /* active */
-  next_color_attribute(id, name, true);  /* render */
-}
-
 void GEOMETRY_OT_attribute_add(wmOperatorType *ot)
 {
   /* identifiers */
@@ -182,8 +152,6 @@ static int geometry_attribute_remove_exec(bContext *C, wmOperator *op)
   ID *id = static_cast<ID *>(ob->data);
   CustomDataLayer *layer = BKE_id_attributes_active_get(id);
 
-  next_color_attributes(id, layer->name);
-
   if (!BKE_id_attribute_remove(id, layer->name, op->reports)) {
     return OPERATOR_CANCELLED;
   }
@@ -436,8 +404,6 @@ static int geometry_color_attribute_remove_exec(bContext *C, wmOperator *op)
     return OPERATOR_CANCELLED;
   }
 
-  next_color_attributes(id, active_name);
-
   if (!BKE_id_attribute_remove(id, active_name.c_str(), op->reports)) {
     return OPERATOR_CANCELLED;
   }