diff --git a/packages/bindx-react/src/jsx/collectorProxy.ts b/packages/bindx-react/src/jsx/collectorProxy.ts
index 3fcac14..c801e6c 100644
--- a/packages/bindx-react/src/jsx/collectorProxy.ts
+++ b/packages/bindx-react/src/jsx/collectorProxy.ts
@@ -223,6 +223,7 @@ function createCollectorFieldRef(
 		$clearErrors: () => {},
 		$connect: () => {},
 		$disconnect: () => {},
+		$isConnected: false,
 		$reset: () => {},
 		$onConnect: noop,
 		$onDisconnect: noop,
diff --git a/packages/bindx/src/handles/HasOneHandle.ts b/packages/bindx/src/handles/HasOneHandle.ts
index 2afbce6..f8a24d5 100644
--- a/packages/bindx/src/handles/HasOneHandle.ts
+++ b/packages/bindx/src/handles/HasOneHandle.ts
@@ -328,6 +328,13 @@ export class HasOneHandle<TEntity extends object = object, TSelected = TEntity>
 		return this.store.isPersisting(this.targetType, id)
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Checks if the relation is connected to a persisted entity.
+	 */
+	get isConnected(): boolean {
+		return this.state === 'connected'
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Checks if the relation is dirty.
 	 */
diff --git a/packages/bindx/src/handles/types.ts b/packages/bindx/src/handles/types.ts
index 5627632..5a02d3c 100644
--- a/packages/bindx/src/handles/types.ts
+++ b/packages/bindx/src/handles/types.ts
@@ -219,6 +219,7 @@ export interface HasOneRefInterface<
 	readonly id: string
 	readonly $id: string
 	readonly $isDirty: boolean
+	readonly $isConnected: boolean
 	readonly $isNew: boolean
 	readonly $isPersisting: boolean
 	readonly $persistedId: string | null
diff --git a/tests/react/dataview/dataGrid.test.tsx b/tests/react/dataview/dataGrid.test.tsx
index 432ae93..a079bc4 100644
--- a/tests/react/dataview/dataGrid.test.tsx
+++ b/tests/react/dataview/dataGrid.test.tsx
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ const localSchema = defineSchema<TestSchema>({
 				content: scalar(),
 				status: scalar(),
 				publishedAt: scalar(),
-				author: hasOne('Author'),
+				author: hasOne('Author', { nullable: true }),
 				tags: hasMany('Tag'),
 			},
 		},
diff --git a/tests/react/dataview/dataGridFiltering.test.tsx b/tests/react/dataview/dataGridFiltering.test.tsx
index dd3a67b..1063b59 100644
--- a/tests/react/dataview/dataGridFiltering.test.tsx
+++ b/tests/react/dataview/dataGridFiltering.test.tsx
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ const localSchema = defineSchema<TestSchema>({
 				published: scalar(),
 				views: scalar(),
 				publishedAt: scalar(),
-				author: hasOne('Author'),
+				author: hasOne('Author', { nullable: true }),
 			},
 		},
 		Author: {
diff --git a/tests/react/hooks/useEntityList/selection.test.tsx b/tests/react/hooks/useEntityList/selection.test.tsx
index 9732a1b..53df115 100644
--- a/tests/react/hooks/useEntityList/selection.test.tsx
+++ b/tests/react/hooks/useEntityList/selection.test.tsx
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ const schema = defineSchema<TestSchema>({
 				id: scalar(),
 				title: scalar(),
 				content: scalar(),
-				author: hasOne('Author'),
+				author: hasOne('Author', { nullable: true }),
 			},
 		},
 	},
diff --git a/tests/react/relations/hasOne/placeholder.test.tsx b/tests/react/relations/hasOne/placeholder.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..193c734
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/react/relations/hasOne/placeholder.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,279 @@
+import '../../../setup'
+import { describe, test, expect, afterEach } from 'bun:test'
+import { render, waitFor, act, cleanup } from '@testing-library/react'
+import React from 'react'
+import {
+	BindxProvider,
+	MockAdapter,
+	isPlaceholderId,
+	useEntity,
+} from '@contember/bindx-react'
+import { getByTestId, queryByTestId, createMockData, entityDefs, schema } from './setup'
+
+afterEach(() => {
+	cleanup()
+})
+
+describe('HasOne Relations - Placeholder Entity Behavior', () => {
+	test('nullable has-one always returns accessor, never null, even when disconnected', async () => {
+		const adapter = new MockAdapter(createMockData(), { delay: 0 })
+
+		function TestComponent(): React.ReactElement {
+			const article = useEntity(entityDefs.Article, { by: { id: 'article-no-author' } }, e =>
+				e.id().title().author(a => a.id().name().email()),
+			)
+
+			if (article.$isLoading) {
+				return <div>Loading...</div>
+			}
+			if (article.$isError || article.$isNotFound) {
+				return <div>Error</div>
+			}
+
+			return (
+				<div>
+					<span data-testid="author-defined">{article.author !== null && article.author !== undefined ? 'yes' : 'no'}</span>
+					<span data-testid="author-state">{article.author.$state}</span>
+					<span data-testid="author-is-connected">{article.author.$isConnected ? 'yes' : 'no'}</span>
+					<span data-testid="author-id">{article.author.$id}</span>
+					<span data-testid="author-name">{article.author.name.value ?? 'empty'}</span>
+					<span data-testid="author-email">{article.author.email.value ?? 'empty'}</span>
+				</div>
+			)
+		}
+
+		const { container } = render(
+			<BindxProvider adapter={adapter} schema={schema}>
+				<TestComponent />
+			</BindxProvider>,
+		)
+
+		await waitFor(() => {
+			expect(queryByTestId(container, 'author-defined')).not.toBeNull()
+		})
+
+		// Accessor is always returned, never null
+		expect(getByTestId(container, 'author-defined').textContent).toBe('yes')
+		// State correctly reports disconnected
+		expect(getByTestId(container, 'author-state').textContent).toBe('disconnected')
+		// $isConnected is false
+		expect(getByTestId(container, 'author-is-connected').textContent).toBe('no')
+		// Placeholder ID is assigned
+		expect(isPlaceholderId(getByTestId(container, 'author-id').textContent!)).toBe(true)
+		// Field values are null on placeholder
+		expect(getByTestId(container, 'author-name').textContent).toBe('empty')
+		expect(getByTestId(container, 'author-email').textContent).toBe('empty')
+	})
+
+	test('connected has-one returns accessor with $isConnected true', async () => {
+		const adapter = new MockAdapter(createMockData(), { delay: 0 })
+
+		function TestComponent(): React.ReactElement {
+			const article = useEntity(entityDefs.Article, { by: { id: 'article-1' } }, e =>
+				e.id().title().author(a => a.id().name()),
+			)
+
+			if (article.$isLoading) {
+				return <div>Loading...</div>
+			}
+			if (article.$isError || article.$isNotFound) {
+				return <div>Error</div>
+			}
+
+			return (
+				<div>
+					<span data-testid="author-state">{article.author.$state}</span>
+					<span data-testid="author-is-connected">{article.author.$isConnected ? 'yes' : 'no'}</span>
+					<span data-testid="author-name">{article.author.name.value}</span>
+				</div>
+			)
+		}
+
+		const { container } = render(
+			<BindxProvider adapter={adapter} schema={schema}>
+				<TestComponent />
+			</BindxProvider>,
+		)
+
+		await waitFor(() => {
+			expect(queryByTestId(container, 'author-state')).not.toBeNull()
+		})
+
+		expect(getByTestId(container, 'author-state').textContent).toBe('connected')
+		expect(getByTestId(container, 'author-is-connected').textContent).toBe('yes')
+		expect(getByTestId(container, 'author-name').textContent).toBe('John Doe')
+	})
+
+	test('disconnect transitions to placeholder, connect restores — accessor always available', async () => {
+		const adapter = new MockAdapter(createMockData(), { delay: 0 })
+
+		function TestComponent(): React.ReactElement {
+			const article = useEntity(entityDefs.Article, { by: { id: 'article-1' } }, e =>
+				e.id().title().author(a => a.id().name()),
+			)
+
+			if (article.$isLoading) {
+				return <div>Loading...</div>
+			}
+			if (article.$isError || article.$isNotFound) {
+				return <div>Error</div>
+			}
+
+			return (
+				<div>
+					<span data-testid="author-state">{article.author.$state}</span>
+					<span data-testid="author-is-connected">{article.author.$isConnected ? 'yes' : 'no'}</span>
+					<span data-testid="author-name">{article.author.name.value ?? 'empty'}</span>
+					<span data-testid="author-id">{article.author.$id}</span>
+					<button
+						data-testid="disconnect"
+						onClick={() => article.author.$disconnect()}
+					>
+						Disconnect
+					</button>
+					<button
+						data-testid="connect-author-2"
+						onClick={() => article.author.$connect('author-2')}
+					>
+						Connect
+					</button>
+				</div>
+			)
+		}
+
+		const { container } = render(
+			<BindxProvider adapter={adapter} schema={schema}>
+				<TestComponent />
+			</BindxProvider>,
+		)
+
+		await waitFor(() => {
+			expect(queryByTestId(container, 'author-state')).not.toBeNull()
+		})
+
+		// Initially connected
+		expect(getByTestId(container, 'author-state').textContent).toBe('connected')
+		expect(getByTestId(container, 'author-is-connected').textContent).toBe('yes')
+		expect(getByTestId(container, 'author-name').textContent).toBe('John Doe')
+
+		// Disconnect
+		act(() => {
+			;(getByTestId(container, 'disconnect') as HTMLButtonElement).click()
+		})
+
+		// Accessor still available, but now placeholder
+		expect(getByTestId(container, 'author-state').textContent).toBe('disconnected')
+		expect(getByTestId(container, 'author-is-connected').textContent).toBe('no')
+		expect(isPlaceholderId(getByTestId(container, 'author-id').textContent!)).toBe(true)
+		expect(getByTestId(container, 'author-name').textContent).toBe('empty')
+
+		// Connect to different author
+		act(() => {
+			;(getByTestId(container, 'connect-author-2') as HTMLButtonElement).click()
+		})
+
+		// Back to connected
+		expect(getByTestId(container, 'author-state').textContent).toBe('connected')
+		expect(getByTestId(container, 'author-is-connected').textContent).toBe('yes')
+		expect(getByTestId(container, 'author-id').textContent).toBe('author-2')
+	})
+
+	test('placeholder entity fields can be written to', async () => {
+		const adapter = new MockAdapter(createMockData(), { delay: 0 })
+
+		function TestComponent(): React.ReactElement {
+			const article = useEntity(entityDefs.Article, { by: { id: 'article-no-author' } }, e =>
+				e.id().title().author(a => a.id().name()),
+			)
+
+			if (article.$isLoading) {
+				return <div>Loading...</div>
+			}
+			if (article.$isError || article.$isNotFound) {
+				return <div>Error</div>
+			}
+
+			return (
+				<div>
+					<span data-testid="author-state">{article.author.$state}</span>
+					<span data-testid="author-name">{article.author.name.value ?? 'empty'}</span>
+					<button
+						data-testid="set-name"
+						onClick={() => article.author.$entity.$fields.name.setValue('New Author')}
+					>
+						Set Name
+					</button>
+				</div>
+			)
+		}
+
+		const { container } = render(
+			<BindxProvider adapter={adapter} schema={schema}>
+				<TestComponent />
+			</BindxProvider>,
+		)
+
+		await waitFor(() => {
+			expect(queryByTestId(container, 'author-state')).not.toBeNull()
+		})
+
+		// Initially disconnected with empty fields
+		expect(getByTestId(container, 'author-state').textContent).toBe('disconnected')
+		expect(getByTestId(container, 'author-name').textContent).toBe('empty')
+
+		// Write to placeholder
+		act(() => {
+			;(getByTestId(container, 'set-name') as HTMLButtonElement).click()
+		})
+
+		expect(getByTestId(container, 'author-name').textContent).toBe('New Author')
+	})
+
+	test('$remove() on nullable relation calls disconnect, not delete', async () => {
+		const adapter = new MockAdapter(createMockData(), { delay: 0 })
+
+		function TestComponent(): React.ReactElement {
+			const article = useEntity(entityDefs.Article, { by: { id: 'article-1' } }, e =>
+				e.id().title().author(a => a.id().name()),
+			)
+
+			if (article.$isLoading) {
+				return <div>Loading...</div>
+			}
+			if (article.$isError || article.$isNotFound) {
+				return <div>Error</div>
+			}
+
+			return (
+				<div>
+					<span data-testid="author-state">{article.author.$state}</span>
+					<button
+						data-testid="remove"
+						onClick={() => article.author.$remove()}
+					>
+						Remove
+					</button>
+				</div>
+			)
+		}
+
+		const { container } = render(
+			<BindxProvider adapter={adapter} schema={schema}>
+				<TestComponent />
+			</BindxProvider>,
+		)
+
+		await waitFor(() => {
+			expect(queryByTestId(container, 'author-state')).not.toBeNull()
+		})
+
+		expect(getByTestId(container, 'author-state').textContent).toBe('connected')
+
+		act(() => {
+			;(getByTestId(container, 'remove') as HTMLButtonElement).click()
+		})
+
+		// $remove() on nullable FK should disconnect, not delete
+		expect(getByTestId(container, 'author-state').textContent).toBe('disconnected')
+	})
+})
diff --git a/tests/react/relations/hasOne/setup.ts b/tests/react/relations/hasOne/setup.ts
index 9d2c280..25f2829 100644
--- a/tests/react/relations/hasOne/setup.ts
+++ b/tests/react/relations/hasOne/setup.ts
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ export const schema = defineSchema<TestSchema>({
 			fields: {
 				id: scalar(),
 				title: scalar(),
-				author: hasOne('Author'),
+				author: hasOne('Author', { nullable: true }),
 			},
 		},
 		Author: {
diff --git a/tests/shared/schema.ts b/tests/shared/schema.ts
index 48037b5..d136722 100644
--- a/tests/shared/schema.ts
+++ b/tests/shared/schema.ts
@@ -78,8 +78,8 @@ export const testSchema = defineSchema<TestSchema>({
 				rating: scalar(),
 				publishedAt: scalar(),
 				createdAt: scalar(),
-				author: hasOne('Author'),
-				location: hasOne('Location'),
+				author: hasOne('Author', { nullable: true }),
+				location: hasOne('Location', { nullable: true }),
 				tags: hasMany('Tag'),
 			},
 		},
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ export const minimalSchema = defineSchema<MinimalSchema>({
 			fields: {
 				id: scalar(),
 				title: scalar(),
-				author: hasOne('Author'),
+				author: hasOne('Author', { nullable: true }),
 			},
 		},
 		Author: {