diff --git a/src/wp-includes/class-wp-theme-json-resolver.php b/src/wp-includes/class-wp-theme-json-resolver.php
index 90710a5c1b2f4..5a785612ce185 100644
--- a/src/wp-includes/class-wp-theme-json-resolver.php
+++ b/src/wp-includes/class-wp-theme-json-resolver.php
@@ -327,6 +327,11 @@ public static function get_theme_data( $deprecated = array(), $options = array()
 				$theme_support_data['settings']['border']['style']  = true;
 				$theme_support_data['settings']['border']['width']  = true;
 			}
+
+			// Allow themes to enable appearance tools via theme_support.
+			if ( current_theme_supports( 'appearance-tools' ) ) {
+				$theme_support_data['settings']['appearanceTools'] = true;
+			}
 		}
 		$with_theme_supports = new WP_Theme_JSON( $theme_support_data );
 		$with_theme_supports->merge( static::$theme );
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/tests/theme/wpThemeJsonResolver.php b/tests/phpunit/tests/theme/wpThemeJsonResolver.php
index cc7cfa2f65238..0bc0f02842e5d 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/tests/theme/wpThemeJsonResolver.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/tests/theme/wpThemeJsonResolver.php
@@ -433,6 +433,9 @@ public function data_get_core_data() {
 
 	/**
 	 * @ticket 54336
+	 * @ticket 60118
+	 * 
+	 * @covers ::add_theme_support
 	 */
 	public function test_add_theme_supports_are_loaded_for_themes_without_theme_json() {
 		switch_theme( 'default' );
@@ -455,15 +458,18 @@ public function test_add_theme_supports_are_loaded_for_themes_without_theme_json
 		);
 		add_theme_support( 'editor-color-palette', $color_palette );
 		add_theme_support( 'custom-line-height' );
+		add_theme_support( 'appearance-tools' );
 
 		$settings = WP_Theme_JSON_Resolver::get_theme_data()->get_settings();
 
 		remove_theme_support( 'custom-line-height' );
 		remove_theme_support( 'editor-color-palette' );
+		add_theme_support( 'appearance-tools' );
 
 		$this->assertFalse( wp_theme_has_theme_json() );
 		$this->assertTrue( $settings['typography']['lineHeight'] );
 		$this->assertSame( $color_palette, $settings['color']['palette']['theme'] );
+		$this->assertTrue( $settings['border']['color'], 'Support for appearance-tools was not added.' );
 	}
 
 	/**