diff --git a/packages/editor/src/components/editor-canvas/edit-template-blocks-notification.js b/packages/editor/src/components/editor-canvas/edit-template-blocks-notification.js
index 2000ae5727190..48542e58a8732 100644
--- a/packages/editor/src/components/editor-canvas/edit-template-blocks-notification.js
+++ b/packages/editor/src/components/editor-canvas/edit-template-blocks-notification.js
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 /**
  * WordPress dependencies
  */
-import { useSelect, useDispatch } from '@wordpress/data';
-import { useEffect, useState, useRef } from '@wordpress/element';
-import { store as noticesStore } from '@wordpress/notices';
+import { useSelect } from '@wordpress/data';
+import { useEffect, useState } from '@wordpress/element';
 import { __ } from '@wordpress/i18n';
 import { __experimentalConfirmDialog as ConfirmDialog } from '@wordpress/components';
 
@@ -38,73 +37,22 @@ export default function EditTemplateBlocksNotification( { contentRef } ) {
 		};
 	}, [] );
 
-	const { getNotices } = useSelect( noticesStore );
-
-	const { createInfoNotice, removeNotice } = useDispatch( noticesStore );
-
 	const [ isDialogOpen, setIsDialogOpen ] = useState( false );
 
-	const lastNoticeId = useRef( 0 );
-
 	useEffect( () => {
-		const handleClick = async ( event ) => {
-			if ( ! event.target.classList.contains( 'is-root-container' ) ) {
-				return;
-			}
-
-			const isNoticeAlreadyShowing = getNotices().some(
-				( notice ) => notice.id === lastNoticeId.current
-			);
-			if ( isNoticeAlreadyShowing ) {
-				return;
-			}
-
-			const { notice } = await createInfoNotice(
-				__( 'Edit your template to edit this block.' ),
-				{
-					isDismissible: true,
-					type: 'snackbar',
-					actions: [
-						{
-							label: __( 'Edit template' ),
-							onClick: () =>
-								onNavigateToEntityRecord( {
-									postId: templateId,
-									postType: 'wp_template',
-								} ),
-						},
-					],
-				}
-			);
-			lastNoticeId.current = notice.id;
-		};
-
 		const handleDblClick = ( event ) => {
 			if ( ! event.target.classList.contains( 'is-root-container' ) ) {
 				return;
 			}
-			if ( lastNoticeId.current ) {
-				removeNotice( lastNoticeId.current );
-			}
 			setIsDialogOpen( true );
 		};
 
 		const canvas = contentRef.current;
-		canvas?.addEventListener( 'click', handleClick );
 		canvas?.addEventListener( 'dblclick', handleDblClick );
 		return () => {
-			canvas?.removeEventListener( 'click', handleClick );
 			canvas?.removeEventListener( 'dblclick', handleDblClick );
 		};
-	}, [
-		lastNoticeId,
-		contentRef,
-		getNotices,
-		createInfoNotice,
-		onNavigateToEntityRecord,
-		templateId,
-		removeNotice,
-	] );
+	}, [ contentRef ] );
 
 	return (
 		<ConfirmDialog
@@ -119,7 +67,9 @@ export default function EditTemplateBlocksNotification( { contentRef } ) {
 			} }
 			onCancel={ () => setIsDialogOpen( false ) }
 		>
-			{ __( 'Edit your template to edit this block.' ) }
+			{ __(
+				'You’ve tried to select a block that is part of a template, which may be used on other posts and pages.'
+			) }
 		</ConfirmDialog>
 	);
 }
diff --git a/packages/editor/src/components/editor-canvas/index.js b/packages/editor/src/components/editor-canvas/index.js
index bc7d54583afbd..363d52b124aa0 100644
--- a/packages/editor/src/components/editor-canvas/index.js
+++ b/packages/editor/src/components/editor-canvas/index.js
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import PostTitle from '../post-title';
 import { store as editorStore } from '../../store';
 import { unlock } from '../../lock-unlock';
 import EditTemplateBlocksNotification from './edit-template-blocks-notification';
+import useSelectNearestEditableBlock from '../../hooks/use-select-nearest-editable-block';
 
 const {
 	LayoutStyle,
@@ -313,6 +314,9 @@ function EditorCanvas( {
 		useFlashEditableBlocks( {
 			isEnabled: renderingMode === 'template-locked',
 		} ),
+		useSelectNearestEditableBlock( {
+			isEnabled: renderingMode === 'template-locked',
+		} ),
 	] );
 
 	return (
diff --git a/packages/editor/src/hooks/use-select-nearest-editable-block.js b/packages/editor/src/hooks/use-select-nearest-editable-block.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..f6e621a25bf43
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/editor/src/hooks/use-select-nearest-editable-block.js
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+/**
+ * WordPress dependencies
+ */
+import { useRefEffect } from '@wordpress/compose';
+import { useSelect, useDispatch } from '@wordpress/data';
+import { store as blockEditorStore } from '@wordpress/block-editor';
+
+/**
+ * Internal dependencies
+ */
+import { unlock } from '../lock-unlock';
+
+const DISTANCE_THRESHOLD = 500;
+
+function clamp( value, min, max ) {
+	return Math.min( Math.max( value, min ), max );
+}
+
+function distanceFromRect( x, y, rect ) {
+	const dx = x - clamp( x, rect.left, rect.right );
+	const dy = y - clamp( y, rect.top, rect.bottom );
+	return Math.sqrt( dx * dx + dy * dy );
+}
+
+export default function useSelectNearestEditableBlock( {
+	isEnabled = true,
+} = {} ) {
+	const { getEnabledClientIdsTree, getBlockName, getBlockOrder } = unlock(
+		useSelect( blockEditorStore )
+	);
+	const { selectBlock } = useDispatch( blockEditorStore );
+
+	return useRefEffect(
+		( element ) => {
+			if ( ! isEnabled ) {
+				return;
+			}
+
+			const selectNearestEditableBlock = ( x, y ) => {
+				const editableBlockClientIds =
+					getEnabledClientIdsTree().flatMap( ( { clientId } ) => {
+						const blockName = getBlockName( clientId );
+						if ( blockName === 'core/template-part' ) {
+							return [];
+						}
+						if ( blockName === 'core/post-content' ) {
+							const innerBlocks = getBlockOrder( clientId );
+							if ( innerBlocks.length ) {
+								return innerBlocks;
+							}
+						}
+						return [ clientId ];
+					} );
+
+				let nearestDistance = Infinity,
+					nearestClientId = null;
+
+				for ( const clientId of editableBlockClientIds ) {
+					const block = element.querySelector(
+						`[data-block="${ clientId }"]`
+					);
+					if ( ! block ) {
+						continue;
+					}
+					const rect = block.getBoundingClientRect();
+					const distance = distanceFromRect( x, y, rect );
+					if (
+						distance < nearestDistance &&
+						distance < DISTANCE_THRESHOLD
+					) {
+						nearestDistance = distance;
+						nearestClientId = clientId;
+					}
+				}
+
+				if ( nearestClientId ) {
+					selectBlock( nearestClientId );
+				}
+			};
+
+			const handleClick = ( event ) => {
+				const shouldSelect =
+					event.target === element ||
+					event.target.classList.contains( 'is-root-container' );
+				if ( shouldSelect ) {
+					selectNearestEditableBlock( event.clientX, event.clientY );
+				}
+			};
+
+			element.addEventListener( 'click', handleClick );
+			return () => element.removeEventListener( 'click', handleClick );
+		},
+		[ isEnabled ]
+	);
+}