diff --git a/awx/main/management/commands/inventory_import.py b/awx/main/management/commands/inventory_import.py
index 0402f8e056..feb4331d81 100644
--- a/awx/main/management/commands/inventory_import.py
+++ b/awx/main/management/commands/inventory_import.py
@@ -409,10 +409,12 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
             del_child_group_pks = list(set(db_children_name_pk_map.values()))
             for offset in range(0, len(del_child_group_pks), self._batch_size):
                 child_group_pks = del_child_group_pks[offset : (offset + self._batch_size)]
-                for db_child in db_children.filter(pk__in=child_group_pks):
-                    group_group_count += 1
-                    db_group.children.remove(db_child)
-                    logger.debug('Group "%s" removed from group "%s"', db_child.name, db_group.name)
+                children_to_remove = list(db_children.filter(pk__in=child_group_pks))
+                if children_to_remove:
+                    group_group_count += len(children_to_remove)
+                    db_group.children.remove(*children_to_remove)
+                    for db_child in children_to_remove:
+                        logger.debug('Group "%s" removed from group "%s"', db_child.name, db_group.name)
             # FIXME: Inventory source group relationships
             # Delete group/host relationships not present in imported data.
             db_hosts = db_group.hosts
@@ -441,12 +443,12 @@ class Command(BaseCommand):
             del_host_pks = list(del_host_pks)
             for offset in range(0, len(del_host_pks), self._batch_size):
                 del_pks = del_host_pks[offset : (offset + self._batch_size)]
-                for db_host in db_hosts.filter(pk__in=del_pks):
-                    group_host_count += 1
-                    if db_host not in db_group.hosts.all():
-                        continue
-                    db_group.hosts.remove(db_host)
-                    logger.debug('Host "%s" removed from group "%s"', db_host.name, db_group.name)
+                hosts_to_remove = list(db_hosts.filter(pk__in=del_pks))
+                if hosts_to_remove:
+                    group_host_count += len(hosts_to_remove)
+                    db_group.hosts.remove(*hosts_to_remove)
+                    for db_host in hosts_to_remove:
+                        logger.debug('Host "%s" removed from group "%s"', db_host.name, db_group.name)
         if settings.SQL_DEBUG:
             logger.warning(
                 'group-group and group-host deletions took %d queries for %d relationships',
diff --git a/awx/main/tests/functional/commands/test_inventory_import.py b/awx/main/tests/functional/commands/test_inventory_import.py
index 6860889bee..d560b1fa70 100644
--- a/awx/main/tests/functional/commands/test_inventory_import.py
+++ b/awx/main/tests/functional/commands/test_inventory_import.py
@@ -305,6 +305,47 @@ class TestINIImports:
         has_host_group = inventory.groups.get(name='has_a_host')
         assert has_host_group.hosts.count() == 1
 
+    @mock.patch.object(inventory_import, 'AnsibleInventoryLoader', MockLoader)
+    def test_overwrite_removes_stale_memberships(self, inventory):
+        """When overwrite is enabled, host-group and group-group memberships
+        that are no longer in the imported data should be removed."""
+        # First import: parent_group has two children, host_group has two hosts
+        inventory_import.AnsibleInventoryLoader._data = {
+            "_meta": {"hostvars": {"host1": {}, "host2": {}}},
+            "all": {"children": ["ungrouped", "parent_group", "child_a", "child_b", "host_group"]},
+            "parent_group": {"children": ["child_a", "child_b"]},
+            "host_group": {"hosts": ["host1", "host2"]},
+            "ungrouped": {"hosts": []},
+        }
+        cmd = inventory_import.Command()
+        cmd.handle(inventory_id=inventory.pk, source=__file__, overwrite=True)
+
+        parent = inventory.groups.get(name='parent_group')
+        assert set(parent.children.values_list('name', flat=True)) == {'child_a', 'child_b'}
+        host_grp = inventory.groups.get(name='host_group')
+        assert set(host_grp.hosts.values_list('name', flat=True)) == {'host1', 'host2'}
+
+        # Second import: child_b removed from parent_group, host2 moved out of host_group
+        inventory_import.AnsibleInventoryLoader._data = {
+            "_meta": {"hostvars": {"host1": {}, "host2": {}}},
+            "all": {"children": ["ungrouped", "parent_group", "child_a", "child_b", "host_group"]},
+            "parent_group": {"children": ["child_a"]},
+            "host_group": {"hosts": ["host1"]},
+            "ungrouped": {"hosts": ["host2"]},
+        }
+        cmd = inventory_import.Command()
+        cmd.handle(inventory_id=inventory.pk, source=__file__, overwrite=True)
+
+        parent.refresh_from_db()
+        host_grp.refresh_from_db()
+        # child_b should be removed from parent_group
+        assert set(parent.children.values_list('name', flat=True)) == {'child_a'}
+        # host2 should be removed from host_group
+        assert set(host_grp.hosts.values_list('name', flat=True)) == {'host1'}
+        # host2 and child_b should still exist in the inventory, just not in those groups
+        assert inventory.hosts.filter(name='host2').exists()
+        assert inventory.groups.filter(name='child_b').exists()
+
     @mock.patch.object(inventory_import, 'AnsibleInventoryLoader', MockLoader)
     def test_recursive_group_error(self, inventory):
         inventory_import.AnsibleInventoryLoader._data = {