diff --git a/packages/block-editor/src/components/global-styles/use-global-styles-output.js b/packages/block-editor/src/components/global-styles/use-global-styles-output.js
index 990cd6a534921d..c18fac98a201ff 100644
--- a/packages/block-editor/src/components/global-styles/use-global-styles-output.js
+++ b/packages/block-editor/src/components/global-styles/use-global-styles-output.js
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import { GlobalStylesContext } from './context';
 import { useGlobalSetting } from './hooks';
 import { getDuotoneFilter } from '../duotone/utils';
 import { getGapCSSValue } from '../../hooks/gap';
+import { setBackgroundStyleDefaults } from '../../hooks/background';
 import { store as blockEditorStore } from '../../store';
 import { LAYOUT_DEFINITIONS } from '../../layouts/definitions';
 import { getValueFromObjectPath, setImmutably } from '../../utils/object';
@@ -391,6 +392,16 @@ export function getStylesDeclarations(
 		[]
 	);
 
+	// Set background defaults.
+	// Applies to all blocks/global styles.
+	blockStyles = {
+		...blockStyles,
+		background: {
+			...blockStyles.background,
+			...setBackgroundStyleDefaults( blockStyles.background ),
+		},
+	};
+
 	// The goal is to move everything to server side generated engine styles
 	// This is temporary as we absorb more and more styles into the engine.
 	const extraRules = getCSSRules( blockStyles );
diff --git a/packages/edit-site/src/components/global-styles/background-panel.js b/packages/edit-site/src/components/global-styles/background-panel.js
index e4760a810ecbc2..c7e53ec4fcd67e 100644
--- a/packages/edit-site/src/components/global-styles/background-panel.js
+++ b/packages/edit-site/src/components/global-styles/background-panel.js
@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@ import { privateApis as blockEditorPrivateApis } from '@wordpress/block-editor';
  */
 import { unlock } from '../../lock-unlock';
 
+// Initial control values where no block style is set.
+const BACKGROUND_BLOCK_DEFAULT_VALUES = {
+	backgroundSize: 'cover',
+};
+
 const {
 	useGlobalStyle,
 	useGlobalSetting,
@@ -23,12 +28,21 @@ export default function BackgroundPanel() {
 	} );
 	const [ settings ] = useGlobalSetting( '' );
 
+	const defaultControls = {
+		backgroundImage: true,
+		backgroundSize:
+			!! style?.background?.backgroundImage ||
+			!! inheritedStyle?.background?.backgroundImage,
+	};
+
 	return (
 		<StylesBackgroundPanel
 			inheritedValue={ inheritedStyle }
+			defaultValues={ BACKGROUND_BLOCK_DEFAULT_VALUES }
 			value={ style }
 			onChange={ setStyle }
 			settings={ settings }
+			defaultControls={ defaultControls }
 		/>
 	);
 }