diff --git a/Lib/test/test_zlib.py b/Lib/test/test_zlib.py
index a003611a7cf..7f631437b59 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_zlib.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_zlib.py
@@ -310,6 +310,15 @@ class CompressObjectTestCase(BaseCompressTestCase, unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertRaises(ValueError, dco.decompress, "", -1)
         self.assertEqual('', dco.unconsumed_tail)
 
+    def test_clear_unconsumed_tail(self):
+        # Issue #12050: calling decompress() without providing max_length
+        # should clear the unconsumed_tail attribute.
+        cdata = "x\x9cKLJ\x06\x00\x02M\x01"     # "abc"
+        dco = zlib.decompressobj()
+        ddata = dco.decompress(cdata, 1)
+        ddata += dco.decompress(dco.unconsumed_tail)
+        self.assertEqual(dco.unconsumed_tail, "")
+
     def test_flushes(self):
         # Test flush() with the various options, using all the
         # different levels in order to provide more variations.
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index d9af57c781e..a603912a0cc 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -80,6 +80,9 @@ Core and Builtins
 Library
 -------
 
+- Issue #12050: zlib.decompressobj().decompress() now clears the unconsumed_tail
+  attribute when called without a max_length argument.
+
 - Issue #12062: In the `io` module, fix a flushing bug when doing a certain
   type of I/O sequence on a file opened in read+write mode (namely: reading,
   seeking a bit forward, writing, then seeking before the previous write but
diff --git a/Modules/zlibmodule.c b/Modules/zlibmodule.c
index 183f01e91a1..bd6d6e256bc 100644
--- a/Modules/zlibmodule.c
+++ b/Modules/zlibmodule.c
@@ -535,17 +535,22 @@ PyZlib_objdecompress(compobject *self, PyObject *args)
         Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS
     }
 
-    /* Not all of the compressed data could be accommodated in the output buffer
-       of specified size. Return the unconsumed tail in an attribute.*/
     if(max_length) {
+        /* Not all of the compressed data could be accommodated in a buffer of
+           the specified size. Return the unconsumed tail in an attribute. */
         Py_DECREF(self->unconsumed_tail);
         self->unconsumed_tail = PyString_FromStringAndSize((char *)self->zst.next_in,
                                                            self->zst.avail_in);
-        if(!self->unconsumed_tail) {
-            Py_DECREF(RetVal);
-            RetVal = NULL;
-            goto error;
-        }
+    }
+    else if (PyString_GET_SIZE(self->unconsumed_tail) > 0) {
+        /* All of the compressed data was consumed. Clear unconsumed_tail. */
+        Py_DECREF(self->unconsumed_tail);
+        self->unconsumed_tail = PyString_FromStringAndSize("", 0);
+    }
+    if(!self->unconsumed_tail) {
+        Py_DECREF(RetVal);
+        RetVal = NULL;
+        goto error;
     }
 
     /* The end of the compressed data has been reached, so set the