EntityFramework: How to configure Cascade-Delete to nullify Foreign Keys

Question

EntityFramework\'s documentation states that the following behavior is possible:

If a foreign key on the dependent entity is nullable, Code First does

Answer 1

After following @Slauma's great answer I was still getting same error as OP.

So don't be as naive as me and think that the examples below will end up with same result.

dbCtx.Entry(principal).State = EntityState.Deleted;
dbCtx.Dependant.Where(d => d.PrincipalId == principalId).Load();

// code above will give error and code below will work on dbCtx.SaveChanges()

dbCtx.Dependant.Where(d => d.PrincipalId == principalId).Load();
dbCtx.Entry(principal).State = EntityState.Deleted;

First load the children into context before setting entity state to deleted (if you are doing it that way).