diff --git a/test/e2e/specs/editor/blocks/navigation.spec.js b/test/e2e/specs/editor/blocks/navigation.spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..3388a8f818012
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/e2e/specs/editor/blocks/navigation.spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+/**
+ * WordPress dependencies
+ */
+const {
+	test,
+	expect,
+	Editor,
+} = require( '@wordpress/e2e-test-utils-playwright' );
+
+test.use( {
+	editor: async ( { page }, use ) => {
+		await use( new Editor( { page, hasIframe: true } ) );
+	},
+} );
+
+test.describe(
+	'As a user I want the navigation block to fallback to the best possible default',
+	() => {
+		test.beforeAll( async ( { requestUtils } ) => {
+			await requestUtils.activateTheme( 'emptytheme' );
+		} );
+
+		test.beforeEach( async ( { admin } ) => {
+			await admin.createNewPost();
+		} );
+
+		test.afterAll( async ( { requestUtils } ) => {
+			await requestUtils.activateTheme( 'twentytwentyone' );
+		} );
+
+		test.afterEach( async ( { requestUtils } ) => {
+			await requestUtils.deleteAllPosts();
+		} );
+
+		test( 'default to a list of pages if there are no menus', async ( {
+			editor,
+		} ) => {
+			await editor.insertBlock( { name: 'core/navigation' } );
+
+			const pageListBlock = editor.canvas.getByRole( 'document', {
+				name: 'Block: Page List',
+			} );
+
+			await expect( pageListBlock ).toBeVisible( {
+				// Wait for the Nav and Page List block API requests to resolve.
+				// Note: avoid waiting on network requests as these are not perceivable
+				// to the user.
+				// See: https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/45070#issuecomment-1373712007.
+				timeout: 10000,
+			} );
+
+			// Check the markup of the block is correct.
+			await editor.publishPost();
+			const content = await editor.getEditedPostContent();
+			expect( content ).toBe(
+				`<!-- wp:navigation -->
+<!-- wp:page-list /-->
+<!-- /wp:navigation -->`
+			);
+		} );
+	}
+);