diff --git a/component.go b/component.go
index af0866b..e62ebec 100644
--- a/component.go
+++ b/component.go
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ func ConfigureComponent[T ComponentInterface](world *World, conf any) T {
 //   - the entity has the component
 //   - an internal error occurs
 func AddComponent[T ComponentInterface](world *World, entityId EntityId, component T) error {
-	if int(entityId) >= len(world.entities) {
+	if !world.Exists(entityId) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("entity %v does not exist", entityId)
 	}
 	entityRecord := world.entities[entityId]
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ func AddComponent[T ComponentInterface](world *World, entityId EntityId, compone
 //
 // This solution is faster than an atomic solution.
 func AddComponents2[A, B ComponentInterface](world *World, entityId EntityId, a A, b B) error {
-	if int(entityId) >= len(world.entities) {
+	if !world.Exists(entityId) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("entity %v does not exist", entityId)
 	}
 	entityRecord := world.entities[entityId]
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ func addComponents2[A, B ComponentInterface](world *World, entityRecord entityRe
 //
 // This solution is faster than an atomic solution.
 func AddComponents3[A, B, C ComponentInterface](world *World, entityId EntityId, a A, b B, c C) error {
-	if int(entityId) >= len(world.entities) {
+	if !world.Exists(entityId) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("entity %v does not exist", entityId)
 	}
 	entityRecord := world.entities[entityId]
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ func addComponents3[A, B, C ComponentInterface](world *World, entityRecord entit
 //
 // This solution is faster than an atomic solution.
 func AddComponents4[A, B, C, D ComponentInterface](world *World, entityId EntityId, a A, b B, c C, d D) error {
-	if int(entityId) >= len(world.entities) {
+	if !world.Exists(entityId) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("entity %v does not exist", entityId)
 	}
 	entityRecord := world.entities[entityId]
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ func addComponents4[A, B, C, D ComponentInterface](world *World, entityRecord en
 //
 // This solution is faster than an atomic solution.
 func AddComponents5[A, B, C, D, E ComponentInterface](world *World, entityId EntityId, a A, b B, c C, d D, e E) error {
-	if int(entityId) >= len(world.entities) {
+	if !world.Exists(entityId) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("entity %v does not exist", entityId)
 	}
 	entityRecord := world.entities[entityId]
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ func addComponents5[A, B, C, D, E ComponentInterface](world *World, entityRecord
 //
 // This solution is faster than an atomic solution.
 func AddComponents6[A, B, C, D, E, F ComponentInterface](world *World, entityId EntityId, a A, b B, c C, d D, e E, f F) error {
-	if int(entityId) >= len(world.entities) {
+	if !world.Exists(entityId) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("entity %v does not exist", entityId)
 	}
 	entityRecord := world.entities[entityId]
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ func addComponents6[A, B, C, D, E, F ComponentInterface](world *World, entityRec
 //
 // This solution is faster than an atomic solution.
 func AddComponents7[A, B, C, D, E, F, G ComponentInterface](world *World, entityId EntityId, a A, b B, c C, d D, e E, f F, g G) error {
-	if int(entityId) >= len(world.entities) {
+	if !world.Exists(entityId) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("entity %v does not exist", entityId)
 	}
 	entityRecord := world.entities[entityId]
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ func addComponents7[A, B, C, D, E, F, G ComponentInterface](world *World, entity
 //
 // This solution is faster than an atomic solution.
 func AddComponents8[A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H ComponentInterface](world *World, entityId EntityId, a A, b B, c C, d D, e E, f F, g G, h H) error {
-	if int(entityId) >= len(world.entities) {
+	if !world.Exists(entityId) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("entity %v does not exist", entityId)
 	}
 	entityRecord := world.entities[entityId]
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ func addComponents8[A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H ComponentInterface](world *World, ent
 //   - the componentId is not registered in the World
 //   - an internal error occurs
 func (world *World) AddComponent(entityId EntityId, componentId ComponentId, conf any) error {
-	if int(entityId) >= len(world.entities) {
+	if !world.Exists(entityId) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("entity %v does not exist", entityId)
 	}
 	entityRecord := world.entities[entityId]
@@ -385,7 +385,7 @@ func (world *World) AddComponent(entityId EntityId, componentId ComponentId, con
 //   - the componentsIds are not registered in the World
 //   - an internal error occurs
 func (world *World) AddComponents(entityId EntityId, componentsIdsConfs ...ComponentIdConf) error {
-	if int(entityId) >= len(world.entities) {
+	if !world.Exists(entityId) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("entity %v does not exist", entityId)
 	}
 	entityRecord := world.entities[entityId]
@@ -423,7 +423,7 @@ func RemoveComponent[T ComponentInterface](world *World, entityId EntityId) erro
 	var t T
 	componentId := t.GetComponentId()
 
-	if int(entityId) >= len(world.entities) {
+	if !world.Exists(entityId) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("entity %v does not exist", entityId)
 	}
 	entityRecord := world.entities[entityId]
@@ -446,6 +446,9 @@ func RemoveComponent[T ComponentInterface](world *World, entityId EntityId) erro
 //   - the entity does not have the component
 //   - the ComponentId is not registered in the World
 func (world *World) RemoveComponent(entityId EntityId, componentId ComponentId) error {
+	if !world.Exists(entityId) {
+		return fmt.Errorf("entity %v does not exist", entityId)
+	}
 	entityRecord := world.entities[entityId]
 
 	if !world.hasComponents(entityRecord, componentId) {
@@ -486,7 +489,7 @@ func removeComponent(world *World, s storage, entityRecord entityRecord, compone
 //
 // It returns false if at least one ComponentId is not owned.
 func (world *World) HasComponents(entityId EntityId, componentsIds ...ComponentId) bool {
-	if int(entityId) >= len(world.entities) {
+	if !world.Exists(entityId) {
 		return false
 	}
 	entityRecord := world.entities[entityId]
@@ -509,7 +512,14 @@ func (world *World) hasComponents(entityRecord entityRecord, componentsIds ...Co
 //
 // If the entity does not have the component, it returns nil
 func GetComponent[T ComponentInterface](world *World, entityId EntityId) *T {
+	if !world.Exists(entityId) {
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	s := getStorage[T](world)
+	if s == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
 	entityRecord := world.entities[entityId]
 
 	if !s.hasArchetype(entityRecord.archetypeId) {
@@ -527,6 +537,9 @@ func GetComponent[T ComponentInterface](world *World, entityId EntityId) *T {
 //   - the ComponentId is not registered in the World
 //   - the entity does not have the component
 func (world *World) GetComponent(entityId EntityId, componentId ComponentId) (any, error) {
+	if !world.Exists(entityId) {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("entity %v does not exist", entityId)
+	}
 	entityRecord := world.entities[entityId]
 	s, err := world.getStorageForComponentId(componentId)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/tag.go b/tag.go
index ca351a5..ab1618a 100644
--- a/tag.go
+++ b/tag.go
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@ func (world *World) AddTag(tagId TagId, entityId EntityId) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("the tagId %d is not allowed, it collides with Components Ids range [%d-%d]", tagId, COMPONENTS_INDICES, TAGS_INDICES)
 	}
 
+	if !world.Exists(entityId) {
+		return fmt.Errorf("the entity %d does not exist", entityId)
+	}
+
 	if world.HasTag(tagId, entityId) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("the entity %d already owns the tag %d", entityId, tagId)
 	}
@@ -37,7 +41,7 @@ func (world *World) AddTag(tagId TagId, entityId EntityId) error {
 
 // HasTag returns a boolean, to check if an EntityId owns a Tag.
 func (world *World) HasTag(tagId TagId, entityId EntityId) bool {
-	if int(entityId) >= len(world.entities) {
+	if !world.Exists(entityId) {
 		return false
 	}
 	entityRecord := world.entities[entityId]
@@ -50,7 +54,7 @@ func (world *World) HasTag(tagId TagId, entityId EntityId) bool {
 // - The entity does not exists.
 // - The entity already owns the Tag.
 func (world *World) RemoveTag(tagId TagId, entityId EntityId) error {
-	if int(entityId) >= len(world.entities) {
+	if !world.Exists(entityId) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("the entity %d does not exist", entityId)
 	}
 	entityRecord := world.entities[entityId]
diff --git a/world.go b/world.go
index e818a79..f1a244d 100644
--- a/world.go
+++ b/world.go
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ type World struct {
 func CreateWorld(initialCapacity int) *World {
 	world := &World{
 		pool:               pool{},
-		entities:           make(entities, initialCapacity),
+		entities:           make(entities, 0, initialCapacity),
 		archetypes:         make([]archetype, 0, 1024),
 		storage:            make([]storage, TAGS_INDICES),
 		entityAddedFn:      func(entityId EntityId) {},
@@ -237,6 +237,12 @@ func (world *World) PublishEntity(entityId EntityId) {
 //
 // It calls the callback setted in SetEntityRemovedFn beforehand, so that the callback still has access to the data.
 func (world *World) RemoveEntity(entityId EntityId) {
+	// Reject unknown or already-removed entities, which also prevents a
+	// double-remove from corrupting an archetype (negative key indexing).
+	if !world.Exists(entityId) {
+		return
+	}
+
 	world.entityRemovedFn(entityId)
 
 	entityRecord := world.entities[entityId]
@@ -268,9 +274,21 @@ func (world *World) RemoveEntity(entityId EntityId) {
 		world.archetypes[archetype.Id] = archetype
 	}
 
+	// Tombstone the slot: a negative key marks the id as free until it is
+	// recycled, so Has/Get/Exists no longer report stale data for it.
+	world.entities[entityId].key = -1
 	world.pool.Recycle(entityId)
 }
 
+// Exists reports whether entityId refers to a live entity of the World.
+//
+// It returns false for ids that were never created, or that have been removed
+// and not yet recycled into a new entity. A negative key is the tombstone left
+// behind by RemoveEntity.
+func (world *World) Exists(entityId EntityId) bool {
+	return int(entityId) < len(world.entities) && world.entities[entityId].key >= 0
+}
+
 // Count returns the number of entities in World.
 func (world *World) Count() int {
 	return len(world.entities) - world.pool.Count()
diff --git a/world_test.go b/world_test.go
index 2e726f1..84c4661 100644
--- a/world_test.go
+++ b/world_test.go
@@ -267,8 +267,8 @@ func TestWorld_RemoveEntity(t *testing.T) {
 func TestWorld_Count(t *testing.T) {
 	world := CreateWorld(1024)
 
-	if world.Count() != 1024 {
-		t.Errorf("world.Count should return 0 if the world is empty")
+	if world.Count() != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("world.Count should return 0 if the world is empty, got %d", world.Count())
 	}
 
 	entities := make([]EntityId, TEST_ENTITY_NUMBER)
@@ -281,3 +281,50 @@ func TestWorld_Count(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("world.Count returned %d after inserting %d entities", world.Count(), TEST_ENTITY_NUMBER)
 	}
 }
+
+// TestEntityLiveness verifies that removed (and not-yet-recycled) entities are
+// reported as non-existent, instead of returning stale component/tag data.
+func TestEntityLiveness(t *testing.T) {
+	world := CreateWorld(16)
+	RegisterComponent[testComponent1](world, &ComponentConfig[testComponent1]{})
+
+	e := world.CreateEntity()
+	if err := AddComponent[testComponent1](world, e, testComponent1{}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("%s", err.Error())
+	}
+	if !world.Exists(e) {
+		t.Fatal("freshly created entity should exist")
+	}
+
+	world.RemoveEntity(e)
+
+	if world.Exists(e) {
+		t.Fatal("removed entity should not exist")
+	}
+	if world.HasComponents(e, testComponent1Id) {
+		t.Fatal("removed entity should not report owning a component")
+	}
+	if GetComponent[testComponent1](world, e) != nil {
+		t.Fatal("removed entity should not return a component pointer")
+	}
+	if err := AddComponent[testComponent1](world, e, testComponent1{}); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("adding a component to a removed entity should error")
+	}
+	if err := RemoveComponent[testComponent1](world, e); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("removing a component from a removed entity should error")
+	}
+
+	// Never-created ids (within and beyond the preallocated capacity) don't exist.
+	if world.Exists(999) {
+		t.Fatal("never-created id should not exist")
+	}
+
+	// Double-remove must be a safe no-op.
+	world.RemoveEntity(e)
+
+	// The id can be recycled into a fresh, live entity.
+	e2 := world.CreateEntity()
+	if !world.Exists(e2) {
+		t.Fatal("recycled entity should exist")
+	}
+}