diff --git a/src/EFCore/ChangeTracking/Internal/NavigationFixer.cs b/src/EFCore/ChangeTracking/Internal/NavigationFixer.cs
index a9474a5f5a1..6b787e292d5 100644
--- a/src/EFCore/ChangeTracking/Internal/NavigationFixer.cs
+++ b/src/EFCore/ChangeTracking/Internal/NavigationFixer.cs
@@ -626,9 +626,12 @@ private void InitialFixup(
                     {
                         foreach (InternalEntityEntry dependentEntry in dependents)
                         {
-                            if (!foreignKey.IsOwnership
-                                || (dependentEntry.EntityState != EntityState.Deleted
-                                    && dependentEntry.EntityState != EntityState.Detached))
+                            if ((!foreignKey.IsOwnership
+                                    || (dependentEntry.EntityState != EntityState.Deleted
+                                        && dependentEntry.EntityState != EntityState.Detached))
+                                && (!fromQuery
+                                    || foreignKey.DependentToPrincipal == null
+                                    || dependentEntry.GetCurrentValue(foreignKey.DependentToPrincipal) == null))
                             {
                                 // Add to collection on principal indicated by FK and set inverse navigation
                                 AddToCollection(entry, foreignKey.PrincipalToDependent, dependentEntry, fromQuery);
diff --git a/test/EFCore.Cosmos.FunctionalTests/OverzealousInitializationCosmosTest.cs b/test/EFCore.Cosmos.FunctionalTests/OverzealousInitializationCosmosTest.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3f44f654716
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/EFCore.Cosmos.FunctionalTests/OverzealousInitializationCosmosTest.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+// Copyright (c) .NET Foundation. All rights reserved.
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0. See License.txt in the project root for license information.
+
+using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Cosmos.TestUtilities;
+using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.TestUtilities;
+using Xunit;
+
+namespace Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Cosmos
+{
+    public class OverzealousInitializationCosmosTest
+        : OverzealousInitializationTestBase<OverzealousInitializationCosmosTest.OverzealousInitializationCosmosFixture>
+    {
+        public OverzealousInitializationCosmosTest(OverzealousInitializationCosmosFixture fixture)
+            : base(fixture)
+        {
+        }
+
+        [ConditionalFact(Skip = "Issue #17246")]
+        public override void Fixup_does_not_ignore_eagerly_initialized_reference_navs()
+        {
+        }
+
+        public class OverzealousInitializationCosmosFixture : OverzealousInitializationFixtureBase
+        {
+            protected override ITestStoreFactory TestStoreFactory => CosmosTestStoreFactory.Instance;
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/test/EFCore.InMemory.FunctionalTests/OverzealousInitializationInMemoryTest.cs b/test/EFCore.InMemory.FunctionalTests/OverzealousInitializationInMemoryTest.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..035e9858cbd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/EFCore.InMemory.FunctionalTests/OverzealousInitializationInMemoryTest.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+// Copyright (c) .NET Foundation. All rights reserved.
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0. See License.txt in the project root for license information.
+
+using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.TestUtilities;
+
+namespace Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore
+{
+    public class OverzealousInitializationInMemoryTest
+        : OverzealousInitializationTestBase<OverzealousInitializationInMemoryTest.OverzealousInitializationInMemoryFixture>
+    {
+        public OverzealousInitializationInMemoryTest(OverzealousInitializationInMemoryFixture fixture)
+            : base(fixture)
+        {
+        }
+
+        public class OverzealousInitializationInMemoryFixture : OverzealousInitializationFixtureBase
+        {
+            protected override ITestStoreFactory TestStoreFactory => InMemoryTestStoreFactory.Instance;
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/test/EFCore.Specification.Tests/OverzealousInitializationTestBase.cs b/test/EFCore.Specification.Tests/OverzealousInitializationTestBase.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1962f5684a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/EFCore.Specification.Tests/OverzealousInitializationTestBase.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+// Copyright (c) .NET Foundation. All rights reserved.
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0. See License.txt in the project root for license information.
+
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations.Schema;
+using System.Linq;
+using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.TestUtilities;
+using Xunit;
+
+namespace Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore
+{
+    public abstract class OverzealousInitializationTestBase<TFixture> : IClassFixture<TFixture>
+        where TFixture : OverzealousInitializationTestBase<TFixture>.OverzealousInitializationFixtureBase, new()
+    {
+        protected OverzealousInitializationTestBase(TFixture fixture) => Fixture = fixture;
+
+        [ConditionalFact]
+        public virtual void Fixup_does_not_ignore_eagerly_initialized_reference_navs()
+        {
+            using var context = CreateContext();
+
+            var albums = context.Set<Album>()
+                .Include(e => e.Tracks)
+                .Include(e => e.Artist)
+                .OrderBy(e => e.Artist)
+                .ToList();
+
+            foreach (var album in albums)
+            {
+                Assert.Equal(0, album.Artist.Id);
+                Assert.Null(album.Artist.Name);
+            }
+        }
+
+        protected  class Album
+        {
+            [DatabaseGenerated(DatabaseGeneratedOption.None)]
+            public int Id { get; set; }
+            public int ArtistId { get; set; }
+
+            public virtual Artist Artist { get; set; }
+            public virtual IList<Track> Tracks { get; set; }
+
+            public Album()
+            {
+                Artist = new Artist();
+                Tracks = new List<Track>();
+            }
+        }
+
+        protected class Artist
+        {
+            [DatabaseGenerated(DatabaseGeneratedOption.None)]
+            public int Id { get; set; }
+            public string Name { get; set; }
+        }
+
+        public class Track
+        {
+            [DatabaseGenerated(DatabaseGeneratedOption.None)]
+            public int Id { get; set; }
+            public int AlbumId { get; set; }
+        }
+
+        public class AlbumViewerContext : PoolableDbContext
+        {
+            public AlbumViewerContext(DbContextOptions<AlbumViewerContext> options)
+                : base(options)
+            {
+            }
+
+            protected override void OnModelCreating(ModelBuilder modelBuilder)
+            {
+                modelBuilder.Entity<Album>();
+                modelBuilder.Entity<Artist>();
+                modelBuilder.Entity<Track>();
+            }
+        }
+
+        protected TFixture Fixture { get; }
+
+        protected AlbumViewerContext CreateContext() => Fixture.CreateContext();
+
+        public abstract class OverzealousInitializationFixtureBase : SharedStoreFixtureBase<AlbumViewerContext>
+        {
+            public virtual IDisposable BeginTransaction(DbContext context) => context.Database.BeginTransaction();
+
+            protected override string StoreName { get; } = "OverzealousInitialization";
+
+            protected override void Seed(AlbumViewerContext context)
+            {
+                var artists = new[]
+                {
+                    new Artist { Id = 1, Name = "Freddie" },
+                    new Artist { Id = 2, Name = "Kendrick"},
+                    new Artist { Id = 3, Name = "Jarvis" }
+                };
+
+                for (var i = 1; i <= 10; i++)
+                {
+                    context.Add(new Album
+                    {
+                        Id = i,
+                        Artist = artists[i % 3],
+                        Tracks = new List<Track>
+                        {
+                            new Track { Id = i * 2 },
+                            new Track { Id = i * 2 + 1}
+                        }
+                    });
+                }
+
+                context.SaveChanges();
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/test/EFCore.SqlServer.FunctionalTests/OverzealousInitializationSqlServerTest.cs b/test/EFCore.SqlServer.FunctionalTests/OverzealousInitializationSqlServerTest.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..af1a8560503
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/EFCore.SqlServer.FunctionalTests/OverzealousInitializationSqlServerTest.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+// Copyright (c) .NET Foundation. All rights reserved.
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0. See License.txt in the project root for license information.
+
+using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.TestUtilities;
+
+namespace Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore
+{
+    public class OverzealousInitializationSqlServerTest
+        : OverzealousInitializationTestBase<OverzealousInitializationSqlServerTest.OverzealousInitializationSqlServerFixture>
+    {
+        public OverzealousInitializationSqlServerTest(OverzealousInitializationSqlServerFixture fixture)
+            : base(fixture)
+        {
+        }
+
+        public class OverzealousInitializationSqlServerFixture : OverzealousInitializationFixtureBase
+        {
+            protected override ITestStoreFactory TestStoreFactory => SqlServerTestStoreFactory.Instance;
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/test/EFCore.Sqlite.FunctionalTests/OverzealousInitializationSqliteTest.cs b/test/EFCore.Sqlite.FunctionalTests/OverzealousInitializationSqliteTest.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..16657aafe74
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/EFCore.Sqlite.FunctionalTests/OverzealousInitializationSqliteTest.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+// Copyright (c) .NET Foundation. All rights reserved.
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0. See License.txt in the project root for license information.
+
+using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.TestUtilities;
+
+namespace Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore
+{
+    public class OverzealousInitializationSqliteTest
+        : OverzealousInitializationTestBase<OverzealousInitializationSqliteTest.OverzealousInitializationSqliteFixture>
+    {
+        public OverzealousInitializationSqliteTest(OverzealousInitializationSqliteFixture fixture)
+            : base(fixture)
+        {
+        }
+
+        public class OverzealousInitializationSqliteFixture : OverzealousInitializationFixtureBase
+        {
+            protected override ITestStoreFactory TestStoreFactory => SqliteTestStoreFactory.Instance;
+        }
+    }
+}