diff --git a/src/HotChocolate/Fusion/src/Fusion.Composition/Extensions/MutableSchemaDefinitionExtensions.cs b/src/HotChocolate/Fusion/src/Fusion.Composition/Extensions/MutableSchemaDefinitionExtensions.cs
index fd9da00d0de..cdb3a1dc2b7 100644
--- a/src/HotChocolate/Fusion/src/Fusion.Composition/Extensions/MutableSchemaDefinitionExtensions.cs
+++ b/src/HotChocolate/Fusion/src/Fusion.Composition/Extensions/MutableSchemaDefinitionExtensions.cs
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ public static List<IDirective> GetPossibleFusionLookupDirectivesById(
 
     public static void RemoveUnreferencedDefinitions(
         this MutableSchemaDefinition schema,
-        ImmutableSortedSet<MutableSchemaDefinition> sourceSchemas)
+        IReadOnlySet<string> preservedTypeNames)
     {
         var touchedDefinitions = new HashSet<ITypeSystemMember>();
         var backlog = new Stack<ITypeSystemMember>();
@@ -161,8 +161,6 @@ public static void RemoveUnreferencedDefinitions(
             backlog.Push(schema.SubscriptionType);
         }
 
-        var preservedTypeNames = GetPreservedTypeNames(sourceSchemas);
-
         foreach (var typeName in preservedTypeNames)
         {
             if (schema.Types.TryGetType(typeName, out var inputType))
@@ -260,7 +258,8 @@ private static List<IDirective> GetFusionLookupDirectives(
     /// Returns a list of type names for types that must be preserved in the merged schema
     /// even if they are not directly referenced.
     /// </summary>
-    private static HashSet<string> GetPreservedTypeNames(ImmutableSortedSet<MutableSchemaDefinition> sourceSchemas)
+    public static HashSet<string> GetPreservedTypeNames(
+        ImmutableSortedSet<MutableSchemaDefinition> sourceSchemas)
     {
         var preservedTypeNames = new HashSet<string>();
 
diff --git a/src/HotChocolate/Fusion/src/Fusion.Composition/SchemaComposer.cs b/src/HotChocolate/Fusion/src/Fusion.Composition/SchemaComposer.cs
index 1de9513be6b..16c9a451208 100644
--- a/src/HotChocolate/Fusion/src/Fusion.Composition/SchemaComposer.cs
+++ b/src/HotChocolate/Fusion/src/Fusion.Composition/SchemaComposer.cs
@@ -78,6 +78,18 @@ public CompositionResult<MutableSchemaDefinition> Compose()
             return enrichmentResult.Errors;
         }
 
+        // Prune unreachable definitions from each source schema before validation, so types
+        // stripped by @excludeByTag (or otherwise unreferenced) are not validated or merged.
+        if (_schemaComposerOptions.Merger.RemoveUnreferencedDefinitions)
+        {
+            var preservedTypeNames = MutableSchemaDefinitionExtensions.GetPreservedTypeNames(schemas);
+
+            foreach (var schema in schemas)
+            {
+                schema.RemoveUnreferencedDefinitions(preservedTypeNames);
+            }
+        }
+
         // Validate Source Schemas
         var validationResult =
             new SourceSchemaValidator(schemas, s_sourceSchemaRules, _log).Validate();
diff --git a/src/HotChocolate/Fusion/src/Fusion.Composition/SourceSchemaMerger.cs b/src/HotChocolate/Fusion/src/Fusion.Composition/SourceSchemaMerger.cs
index 0d89e1e78d0..aa149d250e3 100644
--- a/src/HotChocolate/Fusion/src/Fusion.Composition/SourceSchemaMerger.cs
+++ b/src/HotChocolate/Fusion/src/Fusion.Composition/SourceSchemaMerger.cs
@@ -107,7 +107,8 @@ public CompositionResult<MutableSchemaDefinition> Merge()
         // Remove unreferenced definitions.
         if (_options.RemoveUnreferencedDefinitions)
         {
-            mergedSchema.RemoveUnreferencedDefinitions(_schemas);
+            mergedSchema.RemoveUnreferencedDefinitions(
+                MutableSchemaDefinitionExtensions.GetPreservedTypeNames(_schemas));
         }
 
         // Add Fusion definitions.
diff --git a/src/HotChocolate/Fusion/test/Fusion.Composition.Tests/SchemaComposerTests.cs b/src/HotChocolate/Fusion/test/Fusion.Composition.Tests/SchemaComposerTests.cs
index 480d3573f14..62dbd365be7 100644
--- a/src/HotChocolate/Fusion/test/Fusion.Composition.Tests/SchemaComposerTests.cs
+++ b/src/HotChocolate/Fusion/test/Fusion.Composition.Tests/SchemaComposerTests.cs
@@ -41,6 +41,76 @@ type Product {
             entry.Message);
     }
 
+    [Fact]
+    public void Compose_OrphanedTypeAfterTagExclusion_DoesNotProduceShareableError()
+    {
+        // arrange
+        // Schema A's Product is only reachable via Mutation. When Mutation is removed by
+        // tag exclusion, Product becomes orphaned. Without pruning, Product.name would
+        // collide with Schema B's Product.name and trigger an InvalidFieldSharing error.
+        var schemaComposer = new SchemaComposer(
+            [
+                new SourceSchemaText(
+                    "A",
+                    """
+                    type Query {
+                        book(id: ID!): Book @lookup
+                    }
+
+                    type Mutation @tag(name: "internal") {
+                        createProduct(name: String!): Product
+                    }
+
+                    type Book {
+                        id: ID!
+                        title: String!
+                    }
+
+                    type Product {
+                        id: ID!
+                        name: String!
+                    }
+
+                    directive @tag(name: String!) repeatable on OBJECT
+                    """),
+                new SourceSchemaText(
+                    "B",
+                    """
+                    type Query {
+                        productById(id: ID!): Product @lookup
+                    }
+
+                    type Product {
+                        id: ID!
+                        name: String!
+                    }
+                    """)
+            ],
+            new SchemaComposerOptions
+            {
+                Merger = { AddFusionDefinitions = false },
+                SourceSchemas =
+                {
+                    ["A"] = new SourceSchemaOptions
+                    {
+                        Preprocessor = new SourceSchemaPreprocessorOptions
+                        {
+                            ExcludeByTag = ["internal"]
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            },
+            new CompositionLog());
+
+        // act
+        var result = schemaComposer.Compose();
+
+        // assert
+        Assert.True(result.IsSuccess);
+        Assert.False(result.Value.Types.ContainsName("Mutation"));
+        Assert.True(result.Value.Types.ContainsName("Product"));
+    }
+
     [Fact]
     public void Compose_WithExtensions_AppliesExtensions()
     {