diff --git a/.changeset/heavy-otters-grow.md b/.changeset/heavy-otters-grow.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..74cdcbe439
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/heavy-otters-grow.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@zag-js/tags-input": patch
+---
+
+Fix issue where tags input doesn't navigate tags after removing with the delete key
diff --git a/.xstate/tags-input.js b/.xstate/tags-input.js
index fb2cb038c4..e34834351b 100644
--- a/.xstate/tags-input.js
+++ b/.xstate/tags-input.js
@@ -169,6 +169,7 @@ const fetchMachine = createMachine({
           actions: ["deleteHighlightedTag", "highlightPrevTag"]
         }],
         DELETE: {
+          target: "focused:input",
           actions: ["deleteHighlightedTag", "highlightTagAtIndex"]
         },
         PASTE: [{
diff --git a/e2e/tags-input.e2e.ts b/e2e/tags-input.e2e.ts
index dd2b457013..72f9aa8f09 100644
--- a/e2e/tags-input.e2e.ts
+++ b/e2e/tags-input.e2e.ts
@@ -47,6 +47,18 @@ test.describe("tags-input", () => {
     await I.dontSeeTag("Vue")
   })
 
+  test("delete tag with delete key, show allow keyboard navigation", async () => {
+    await I.focusInput()
+    await I.pressKey("ArrowLeft")
+    await I.pressKey("Delete")
+
+    await I.seeInputIsFocused()
+    await I.dontSeeTag("Vue")
+
+    await I.pressKey("ArrowLeft")
+    await I.seeTagIsHighlighted("React")
+  })
+
   test("delete tag with pointer, show allow keyboard navigation", async () => {
     await I.clickTagClose("Vue")
 
diff --git a/packages/machines/tags-input/src/tags-input.machine.ts b/packages/machines/tags-input/src/tags-input.machine.ts
index 4efccf1c60..34135d5e4b 100644
--- a/packages/machines/tags-input/src/tags-input.machine.ts
+++ b/packages/machines/tags-input/src/tags-input.machine.ts
@@ -209,6 +209,7 @@ export function machine(userContext: UserDefinedContext) {
               },
             ],
             DELETE: {
+              target: "focused:input",
               actions: ["deleteHighlightedTag", "highlightTagAtIndex"],
             },
             PASTE: [