diff --git a/packages/block-editor/src/components/block-actions/index.js b/packages/block-editor/src/components/block-actions/index.js
index 361e0e322e73c..4fcd0e802c29a 100644
--- a/packages/block-editor/src/components/block-actions/index.js
+++ b/packages/block-editor/src/components/block-actions/index.js
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ export default function BlockActions( {
 		getTemplateLock,
 		__experimentalGetDefaultBlockForAllowedBlocks,
 	} = useSelect( ( select ) => select( blockEditorStore ), [] );
-	const { getDefaultBlockName, getGroupingBlockName } = useSelect(
+	const { getGroupingBlockName } = useSelect(
 		( select ) => select( blocksStore ),
 		[]
 	);
@@ -46,9 +46,9 @@ export default function BlockActions( {
 		);
 	} );
 
-	const defaultBlock =
-		__experimentalGetDefaultBlockForAllowedBlocks( rootClientId ) ??
-		getDefaultBlockName();
+	const defaultBlock = __experimentalGetDefaultBlockForAllowedBlocks(
+		rootClientId
+	);
 	const canInsertDefaultBlock = canInsertBlockType(
 		defaultBlock,
 		rootClientId
diff --git a/packages/block-editor/src/store/actions.js b/packages/block-editor/src/store/actions.js
index 6273f465cebaf..c642d94177f9f 100644
--- a/packages/block-editor/src/store/actions.js
+++ b/packages/block-editor/src/store/actions.js
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ import {
 	createBlock,
 	doBlocksMatchTemplate,
 	getBlockType,
-	getDefaultBlockName,
 	hasBlockSupport,
 	switchToBlockType,
 	synchronizeBlocksWithTemplate,
@@ -1071,14 +1070,13 @@ export function selectionChange(
  */
 export function* insertDefaultBlock( attributes, rootClientId, index ) {
 	// See if we specified a default for allowed blocks
-	const defaultAllowedBlock = yield controls.select(
+	const defaultBlockName = yield controls.select(
 		blockEditorStoreName,
 		'__experimentalGetDefaultBlockForAllowedBlocks',
 		rootClientId
 	);
 
 	// Abort if there is no default block type (if it has been unregistered).
-	const defaultBlockName = defaultAllowedBlock || getDefaultBlockName();
 	if ( ! defaultBlockName ) {
 		return;
 	}
diff --git a/packages/block-editor/src/store/selectors.js b/packages/block-editor/src/store/selectors.js
index 6088c9743501f..0a2592a27b891 100644
--- a/packages/block-editor/src/store/selectors.js
+++ b/packages/block-editor/src/store/selectors.js
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import createSelector from 'rememo';
 import {
 	getBlockType,
 	getBlockTypes,
+	getDefaultBlockName,
 	hasBlockSupport,
 	getPossibleBlockTransformations,
 	parse,
@@ -1854,21 +1855,14 @@ export function __experimentalGetDefaultBlockForAllowedBlocks(
 ) {
 	const settings = getBlockListSettings( state, clientId );
 
-	if ( ! settings?.__experimentalDefaultBlock ) {
-		return;
-	}
+	const defaultBlock =
+		settings?.__experimentalDefaultBlock ?? getDefaultBlockName();
 
-	if (
-		! canInsertBlockType(
-			state,
-			settings.__experimentalDefaultBlock,
-			clientId
-		)
-	) {
+	if ( ! canInsertBlockType( state, defaultBlock, clientId ) ) {
 		return;
 	}
 
-	return settings?.__experimentalDefaultBlock;
+	return defaultBlock;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/packages/block-editor/src/store/test/selectors.js b/packages/block-editor/src/store/test/selectors.js
index b45d1d0c194ce..189ecb6b7c0ac 100644
--- a/packages/block-editor/src/store/test/selectors.js
+++ b/packages/block-editor/src/store/test/selectors.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { filter } from 'lodash';
  * WordPress dependencies
  */
 import {
+	setDefaultBlockName,
 	registerBlockType,
 	unregisterBlockType,
 	setFreeformContentHandlerName,
@@ -121,6 +122,14 @@ describe( 'selectors', () => {
 			parent: [ 'core/test-block-b' ],
 		} );
 
+		registerBlockType( 'core/test-block-default', {
+			save: ( props ) => props.attributes.text,
+			category: 'text',
+			title: 'Test Block Default',
+			icon: 'test',
+			keywords: [ 'testing' ],
+		} );
+
 		registerBlockType( 'core/test-freeform', {
 			save: ( props ) => <RawHTML>{ props.attributes.content }</RawHTML>,
 			category: 'text',
@@ -143,6 +152,7 @@ describe( 'selectors', () => {
 		} );
 
 		setFreeformContentHandlerName( 'core/test-freeform' );
+		setDefaultBlockName( 'core/test-block-default' );
 
 		cachedSelectors.forEach( ( { clear } ) => clear() );
 	} );
@@ -153,7 +163,9 @@ describe( 'selectors', () => {
 		unregisterBlockType( 'core/test-block-b' );
 		unregisterBlockType( 'core/test-block-c' );
 		unregisterBlockType( 'core/test-freeform' );
+		unregisterBlockType( 'core/test-block-default' );
 		unregisterBlockType( 'core/post-content-child' );
+		setDefaultBlockName( null );
 
 		setFreeformContentHandlerName( undefined );
 	} );
@@ -2682,6 +2694,7 @@ describe( 'selectors', () => {
 			expect( firstBlockFirstCall.map( ( item ) => item.id ) ).toEqual( [
 				'core/test-block-a',
 				'core/test-block-b',
+				'core/test-block-default',
 				'core/test-freeform',
 				'core/block/1',
 				'core/block/2',
@@ -2696,6 +2709,7 @@ describe( 'selectors', () => {
 			expect( secondBlockFirstCall.map( ( item ) => item.id ) ).toEqual( [
 				'core/test-block-a',
 				'core/test-block-b',
+				'core/test-block-default',
 				'core/test-freeform',
 				'core/block/1',
 				'core/block/2',
@@ -3117,7 +3131,37 @@ describe( 'selectors', () => {
 				)
 			).toEqual( 'core/test-block-c' );
 		} );
-		it( 'should return undefined when default is not specified', () => {
+		it( 'should return the editor default block when block list default is not specified', () => {
+			const state = {
+				blocks: {
+					byClientId: {
+						testClientIdA: {
+							name: 'core/test-block-a',
+						},
+					},
+					attributes: {
+						testClientIdA: {},
+					},
+				},
+				settings: {},
+				blockListSettings: {
+					testClientIdA: {
+						allowedBlocks: [
+							'core/test-block-b',
+							'core/test-block-c',
+							'core/test-block-default',
+						],
+					},
+				},
+			};
+			expect(
+				__experimentalGetDefaultBlockForAllowedBlocks(
+					state,
+					'testClientIdA'
+				)
+			).toEqual( 'core/test-block-default' );
+		} );
+		it( 'should return undefined when default is not specified and editor default is not supported', () => {
 			const state = {
 				blocks: {
 					byClientId: {