diff --git a/packages/components/CHANGELOG.md b/packages/components/CHANGELOG.md
index 63ec961b80f3c..48827c815c585 100644
--- a/packages/components/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/packages/components/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -15,6 +15,10 @@
 
 -   `ProgressBar`: Fix CSS variable with invalid value ([#60576](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/60576)).
 
+### Experimental
+
+-   `Tabs`: Fallback to first enabled tab if no active tab id ([#60681](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/60681)).
+
 ## 27.3.0 (2024-04-03)
 
 ### Bug Fix
diff --git a/packages/components/src/tabs/index.tsx b/packages/components/src/tabs/index.tsx
index 5ffa8e97a651b..aaae3ed252750 100644
--- a/packages/components/src/tabs/index.tsx
+++ b/packages/components/src/tabs/index.tsx
@@ -153,6 +153,14 @@ function Tabs( {
 		}
 	}, [ isControlled, selectedTab, selectedTabId, setSelectedId ] );
 
+	useEffect( () => {
+		// If there is no active tab, fallback to place focus on the first enabled tab
+		// so there is always an active element
+		if ( selectedTabId === null && ! activeId && firstEnabledTab?.id ) {
+			setActiveId( firstEnabledTab.id );
+		}
+	}, [ selectedTabId, activeId, firstEnabledTab?.id, setActiveId ] );
+
 	useEffect( () => {
 		if ( ! isControlled ) {
 			return;
diff --git a/packages/components/src/tabs/test/index.tsx b/packages/components/src/tabs/test/index.tsx
index 39c860de62c14..bbb7f591d0ffc 100644
--- a/packages/components/src/tabs/test/index.tsx
+++ b/packages/components/src/tabs/test/index.tsx
@@ -242,6 +242,44 @@ describe( 'Tabs', () => {
 			await press.Tab();
 			expect( alphaButton ).toHaveFocus();
 		} );
+
+		it( 'should focus on the first enabled tab when pressing the Tab key if no tab is selected', async () => {
+			const TABS_WITH_ALPHA_DISABLED = TABS.map( ( tabObj ) =>
+				tabObj.tabId === 'alpha'
+					? {
+							...tabObj,
+							tab: {
+								...tabObj.tab,
+								disabled: true,
+							},
+					  }
+					: tabObj
+			);
+
+			render(
+				<ControlledTabs
+					tabs={ TABS_WITH_ALPHA_DISABLED }
+					selectedTabId={ null }
+				/>
+			);
+
+			await sleep();
+			await press.Tab();
+			expect(
+				await screen.findByRole( 'tab', { name: 'Beta' } )
+			).toHaveFocus();
+
+			await press.ArrowRight();
+			expect(
+				await screen.findByRole( 'tab', { name: 'Gamma' } )
+			).toHaveFocus();
+
+			await press.Tab();
+			await press.ShiftTab();
+			expect(
+				await screen.findByRole( 'tab', { name: 'Gamma' } )
+			).toHaveFocus();
+		} );
 	} );
 
 	describe( 'Tab Attributes', () => {