diff --git a/src/ga4gh/vrs/extras/translator.py b/src/ga4gh/vrs/extras/translator.py
index 1fe5e350..00da9bb1 100644
--- a/src/ga4gh/vrs/extras/translator.py
+++ b/src/ga4gh/vrs/extras/translator.py
@@ -573,7 +573,7 @@ def _from_hgvs(
         )
 
         copies = kwargs.get("copies")
-        if copies:
+        if copies is not None:
             cnv = models.CopyNumberCount(location=location, copies=copies)
         else:
             copy_change = kwargs.get("copy_change")
diff --git a/tests/extras/test_cnv_translator.py b/tests/extras/test_cnv_translator.py
index 723ddfd2..a7a3fa0e 100644
--- a/tests/extras/test_cnv_translator.py
+++ b/tests/extras/test_cnv_translator.py
@@ -161,3 +161,15 @@ def test_from_hgvs_cn(tlr, hgvsexpr, copies, expected):
     """Test that _from_hgvs works correctly for copy number count"""
     cn = tlr._from_hgvs(hgvsexpr, copies=copies)
     assert cn.model_dump(exclude_none=True) == expected
+
+
+@pytest.mark.vcr
+def test_from_hgvs_cn_copies_zero(tlr):
+    """Test that copies=0 produces CopyNumberCount, not CopyNumberChange.
+
+    copies=0 is a valid input (homozygous deletion), but 0 is falsy in Python
+    so it was previously treated as missing and fell through to CopyNumberChange.
+    """
+    cn = tlr._from_hgvs("NC_000013.11:g.26440969_26443305del", copies=0)
+    assert cn.type == "CopyNumberCount"
+    assert cn.copies == 0