diff --git a/lib/compat/wordpress-6.7/rest-api.php b/lib/compat/wordpress-6.7/rest-api.php
index 313367594caae0..65d7fb9bf4313b 100644
--- a/lib/compat/wordpress-6.7/rest-api.php
+++ b/lib/compat/wordpress-6.7/rest-api.php
@@ -50,6 +50,39 @@ 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();
+		$paths[]          = array( '/wp/v2/global-styles/' . $global_styles_id, 'OPTIONS' );
+		$paths[]          = '/wp/v2/global-styles/themes/' . $active_theme . '?context=view';
+		$paths[]          = '/wp/v2/global-styles/themes/' . $active_theme . '/variations?context=view';
+
+		// Remove duplicate or unnecessary global styles paths.
+		$excluded_paths[] = '/wp/v2/global-styles/themes/' . $active_theme;
+		$excluded_paths[] = '/wp/v2/global-styles/' . $global_styles_id;
+		// Removes the edit context path originating Core's preload paths.
+		$excluded_paths[] = '/wp/v2/global-styles/' . $global_styles_id . '?context=view';
+		// Removes the edit context path originating from gutenberg_block_editor_preload_paths_6_6().
+		$excluded_paths[] = '/wp/v2/global-styles/' . $global_styles_id . '?context=edit';
+
+		// Remove excluded paths so they are not preloaded.
+		foreach ( $paths as $key => $path ) {
+			if ( in_array( $path, $excluded_paths, true ) ) {
+				unset( $paths[ $key ] );
+			}
+		}
+
+		/*
+		 * Add the global styles path with the correct context based on user caps.
+		 * The corresponding paths are removed above so their output is not rendered into the HTML
+		 * unnecessarily.
+		 */
+		$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_7', 10, 2 );
diff --git a/lib/compat/wordpress-6.8/preload.php b/lib/compat/wordpress-6.8/preload.php
deleted file mode 100644
index fb793b2cab9152..00000000000000
--- a/lib/compat/wordpress-6.8/preload.php
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,42 +0,0 @@
-<?php
-
-/**
- * Preload theme and global styles paths to avoid flash of variation styles in
- * post editor.
- *
- * @param array                   $paths REST API paths to preload.
- * @param WP_Block_Editor_Context $context Current block editor context.
- * @return array Filtered preload paths.
- */
-function gutenberg_block_editor_preload_paths_6_8( $paths, $context ) {
-	$excluded_paths = array();
-	if ( 'core/edit-site' === $context->name || 'core/edit-post' === $context->name ) {
-		$stylesheet       = get_stylesheet();
-		$global_styles_id = WP_Theme_JSON_Resolver_Gutenberg::get_user_global_styles_post_id();
-		$paths[]          = array( '/wp/v2/global-styles/' . $global_styles_id, 'OPTIONS' );
-		$paths[]          = '/wp/v2/global-styles/themes/' . $stylesheet . '?context=view';
-		$paths[]          = '/wp/v2/global-styles/themes/' . $stylesheet . '/variations?context=view';
-
-		// Remove duplicate or unnecessary global styles paths.
-		$excluded_paths[] = '/wp/v2/global-styles/themes/' . $stylesheet;
-		$excluded_paths[] = '/wp/v2/global-styles/' . $global_styles_id;
-		// Removes the edit context path originating Core's preload paths.
-		$excluded_paths[] = '/wp/v2/global-styles/' . $global_styles_id . '?context=view';
-		// Removes the 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 ] );
-			}
-		}
-
-		// Add the global styles path with the correct context based on user caps.
-		if ( 'core/edit-site' === $context->name || 'core/edit-post' === $context->name ) {
-			$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/lib/load.php b/lib/load.php
index 574d901e72a69c..2c8a0fd0347c92 100644
--- a/lib/load.php
+++ b/lib/load.php
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ function gutenberg_is_experiment_enabled( $name ) {
 	require __DIR__ . '/compat/wordpress-6.7/rest-api.php';
 
 	// WordPress 6.8 compat.
-	require __DIR__ . '/compat/wordpress-6.8/preload.php';
 	require __DIR__ . '/compat/wordpress-6.8/block-comments.php';
 	require __DIR__ . '/compat/wordpress-6.8/class-gutenberg-rest-comment-controller-6-8.php';