diff --git a/src/material-experimental/mdc-paginator/paginator.spec.ts b/src/material-experimental/mdc-paginator/paginator.spec.ts
index 73287748b1f0..d952ce363df1 100644
--- a/src/material-experimental/mdc-paginator/paginator.spec.ts
+++ b/src/material-experimental/mdc-paginator/paginator.spec.ts
@@ -511,6 +511,31 @@ describe('MDC-based MatPaginator', () => {
     const hostElement = fixture.nativeElement.querySelector('mat-paginator');
     expect(hostElement.getAttribute('role')).toBe('group');
   });
+
+  it('should update the page index when switching to a smaller length', fakeAsync(() => {
+    const fixture = createComponent(MatPaginatorApp);
+    const instance = fixture.componentInstance;
+    instance.length = 50;
+    instance.pageSize = 10;
+    instance.pageIndex = 4;
+    fixture.detectChanges();
+
+    expect(instance.paginator.pageIndex).toBe(4);
+
+    instance.pageEvent.calls.reset();
+
+    instance.length = 10;
+    fixture.detectChanges();
+    tick();
+
+    expect(instance.paginator.pageIndex).toBe(0);
+    expect(instance.pageEvent).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      jasmine.objectContaining({
+        previousPageIndex: 4,
+        pageIndex: 0,
+      }),
+    );
+  }));
 });
 
 function getPreviousButton(fixture: ComponentFixture<any>) {
diff --git a/src/material/paginator/paginator.spec.ts b/src/material/paginator/paginator.spec.ts
index 84bdb4e64b68..c0c4a0ad8522 100644
--- a/src/material/paginator/paginator.spec.ts
+++ b/src/material/paginator/paginator.spec.ts
@@ -506,6 +506,31 @@ describe('MatPaginator', () => {
     const hostElement = fixture.nativeElement.querySelector('mat-paginator');
     expect(hostElement.getAttribute('role')).toBe('group');
   });
+
+  it('should update the page index when switching to a smaller length', fakeAsync(() => {
+    const fixture = createComponent(MatPaginatorApp);
+    const instance = fixture.componentInstance;
+    instance.length = 50;
+    instance.pageSize = 10;
+    instance.pageIndex = 4;
+    fixture.detectChanges();
+
+    expect(instance.paginator.pageIndex).toBe(4);
+
+    instance.pageEvent.calls.reset();
+
+    instance.length = 10;
+    fixture.detectChanges();
+    tick();
+
+    expect(instance.paginator.pageIndex).toBe(0);
+    expect(instance.pageEvent).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      jasmine.objectContaining({
+        previousPageIndex: 4,
+        pageIndex: 0,
+      }),
+    );
+  }));
 });
 
 function getPreviousButton(fixture: ComponentFixture<any>) {
diff --git a/src/material/paginator/paginator.ts b/src/material/paginator/paginator.ts
index da80f713d1dc..f363277e9fcc 100644
--- a/src/material/paginator/paginator.ts
+++ b/src/material/paginator/paginator.ts
@@ -129,6 +129,18 @@ export abstract class _MatPaginatorBase<
   }
   set length(value: number) {
     this._length = coerceNumberProperty(value);
+
+    const maxPageIndex = Math.max(this.getNumberOfPages() - 1, 0);
+    const currentPageIndex = this._pageIndex;
+
+    if (currentPageIndex > maxPageIndex && this.initialized) {
+      // Needs to happen on the next tick, in order to avoid "changed after checked" errors.
+      Promise.resolve().then(() => {
+        this._pageIndex = maxPageIndex;
+        this._emitPageEvent(currentPageIndex);
+      });
+    }
+
     this._changeDetectorRef.markForCheck();
   }
   private _length = 0;