diff --git a/backport-changelog/6.8/7681.md b/backport-changelog/6.8/7681.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..b8cffc70c68561
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backport-changelog/6.8/7681.md
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/pull/7681
+
+* https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/66541
diff --git a/lib/compat/wordpress-6.7/rest-api.php b/lib/compat/wordpress-6.7/rest-api.php
index 89efdc4c4219d2..741d0ad1805e07 100644
--- a/lib/compat/wordpress-6.7/rest-api.php
+++ b/lib/compat/wordpress-6.7/rest-api.php
@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@ function gutenberg_block_editor_preload_paths_6_7( $paths, $context ) {
 	}
 
 	// Preload theme and global styles paths.
-	$excluded_paths = array();
 	if ( 'core/edit-site' === $context->name || 'core/edit-post' === $context->name ) {
 		$active_theme     = get_stylesheet();
 		$global_styles_id = WP_Theme_JSON_Resolver_Gutenberg::get_user_global_styles_post_id();
@@ -60,6 +59,7 @@ function gutenberg_block_editor_preload_paths_6_7( $paths, $context ) {
 		$paths[]          = array( '/wp/v2/global-styles/' . $global_styles_id, 'OPTIONS' );
 
 		// Remove duplicate or unnecessary global styles paths.
+		$excluded_paths   = array();
 		$excluded_paths[] = '/wp/v2/global-styles/themes/' . $active_theme;
 		$excluded_paths[] = '/wp/v2/global-styles/' . $global_styles_id;
 		foreach ( $paths as $key => $path ) {
diff --git a/lib/compat/wordpress-6.8/preload.php b/lib/compat/wordpress-6.8/preload.php
index 5ba613e22033d4..0805ace4233d59 100644
--- a/lib/compat/wordpress-6.8/preload.php
+++ b/lib/compat/wordpress-6.8/preload.php
@@ -29,6 +29,38 @@ function gutenberg_block_editor_preload_paths_6_8( $paths, $context ) {
 			)
 		);
 	}
+
+	// Preload theme and global styles paths.
+	if ( 'core/edit-site' === $context->name || 'core/edit-post' === $context->name ) {
+		$global_styles_id = WP_Theme_JSON_Resolver_Gutenberg::get_user_global_styles_post_id();
+		$excluded_paths   = array();
+		/*
+		 * Removes any edit or view context paths originating from Core,
+		 * or elsewhere, e.g., gutenberg_block_editor_preload_paths_6_6().
+		 * Aside from not preloading unnecessary contexts, it also ensures there no duplicates,
+		 * leading to a small optimization: block_editor_rest_api_preload() does not dedupe,
+		 * and will fire off a WP_REST_Request for every path. In the case of
+		 * `/wp/v2/global-styles/*` this will create a new WP_Theme_JSON() instance.
+		 */
+		$excluded_paths[] = '/wp/v2/global-styles/' . $global_styles_id . '?context=view';
+		// Removes any edit context path originating from gutenberg_block_editor_preload_paths_6_6().
+		$excluded_paths[] = '/wp/v2/global-styles/' . $global_styles_id . '?context=edit';
+		foreach ( $paths as $key => $path ) {
+			if ( in_array( $path, $excluded_paths, true ) ) {
+				unset( $paths[ $key ] );
+			}
+		}
+
+		/*
+		 * Preload the global styles path with the correct context based on user caps.
+		 * NOTE: There is an equivalent conditional check in the client-side code to fetch
+		 * the global styles entity using the appropriate context value.
+		 * See the call to `canUser()`, under `useGlobalStylesUserConfig()` in `packages/edit-site/src/components/use-global-styles-user-config/index.js`.
+		 * Please ensure that the equivalent check is kept in sync with this preload path.
+		 */
+		$context = current_user_can( 'edit_theme_options' ) ? 'edit' : 'view';
+		$paths[] = "/wp/v2/global-styles/$global_styles_id?context=$context";
+	}
 	return $paths;
 }
 add_filter( 'block_editor_rest_api_preload_paths', 'gutenberg_block_editor_preload_paths_6_8', 10, 2 );
diff --git a/packages/editor/src/components/global-styles-provider/index.js b/packages/editor/src/components/global-styles-provider/index.js
index 3f3a3389801eb6..74fbed5f000624 100644
--- a/packages/editor/src/components/global-styles-provider/index.js
+++ b/packages/editor/src/components/global-styles-provider/index.js
@@ -57,11 +57,13 @@ function useGlobalStylesUserConfig() {
 
 			let record;
 
-			// We want the global styles ID request to finish before triggering
-			// the OPTIONS request for user capabilities, otherwise it will
-			// fetch `/wp/v2/global-styles` instead of
-			// `/wp/v2/global-styles/{id}`!
-			// Please adjust the preloaded requests if this changes!
+			/*
+			 * Ensure that the global styles ID request is complete by testing `_globalStylesId`,
+			 * before firing off the `canUser` OPTIONS request for user capabilities, otherwise it will
+			 * fetch `/wp/v2/global-styles` instead of `/wp/v2/global-styles/{id}`.
+			 * NOTE: Please keep in sync any preload paths sent to `block_editor_rest_api_preload()`,
+			 * or set using the `block_editor_rest_api_preload_paths` filter, if this changes.
+			 */
 			const userCanEditGlobalStyles = _globalStylesId
 				? canUser( 'update', {
 						kind: 'root',
@@ -72,11 +74,21 @@ function useGlobalStylesUserConfig() {
 
 			if (
 				_globalStylesId &&
-				// We want the OPTIONS request for user capabilities to finish
-				// before getting the records, otherwise we'll fetch both!
+				/*
+				 * Test that the OPTIONS request for user capabilities is complete
+				 * before fetching the global styles entity record.
+				 * This is to avoid fetching the global styles entity unnecessarily.
+				 */
 				typeof userCanEditGlobalStyles === 'boolean'
 			) {
-				// Please adjust the preloaded requests if this changes!
+				/*
+				 * Fetch the global styles entity record based on the user's capabilities.
+				 * The default context is `edit` for users who can edit global styles.
+				 * Otherwise, the context is `view`.
+				 * NOTE: There is an equivalent conditional check using `current_user_can()` in the backend
+				 * to preload the global styles entity. Please keep in sync any preload paths sent to `block_editor_rest_api_preload()`,
+				 * or set using `block_editor_rest_api_preload_paths` filter, if this changes.
+				 */
 				if ( userCanEditGlobalStyles ) {
 					record = getEditedEntityRecord(
 						'root',