diff --git a/core/src/components/select/select.tsx b/core/src/components/select/select.tsx
index b4ed9aed43..9fe26349bb 100644
--- a/core/src/components/select/select.tsx
+++ b/core/src/components/select/select.tsx
@@ -776,8 +776,27 @@ export class Select implements ComponentInterface {
        * We ensure the target isn't this element in case the select is slotted
        * in, for example, an item. This would prevent the select from ever
        * being opened since the element itself has slot="start"/"end".
+       *
+       * Clicking a slotted element also causes a click
+       * on the <label> element (since it wraps the slots).
+       * Clicking <label> dispatches another click event on
+       * the native form control that then bubbles up to this
+       * listener. This additional event targets the host
+       * element, so the select overlay is opened.
+       *
+       * When the slotted elements are clicked (and therefore
+       * the ancestor <label> element) we want to prevent the label
+       * from dispatching another click event.
+       *
+       * Do not call stopPropagation() because this will cause
+       * click handlers on the slotted elements to never fire in React.
+       * When developers do onClick in React a native "click" listener
+       * is added on the root element, not the slotted element. When that
+       * native click listener fires, React then dispatches the synthetic
+       * click event on the slotted element. However, if stopPropagation
+       * is called then the native click event will never bubble up
+       * to the root element.
        */
-      ev.stopPropagation();
       ev.preventDefault();
     }
   };
diff --git a/core/src/components/select/test/select.spec.tsx b/core/src/components/select/test/select.spec.tsx
index 4e7bedb626..1cfd4e8bb8 100644
--- a/core/src/components/select/test/select.spec.tsx
+++ b/core/src/components/select/test/select.spec.tsx
@@ -69,3 +69,31 @@ describe('ion-select', () => {
     expect(slotEl).toBe(null);
   });
 });
+
+describe('select: slot interactivity', () => {
+  test('should not prevent click handlers from firing', async () => {
+    // https://github.com/ionic-team/ionic-framework/issues/28818
+    const divSpy = jest.fn();
+    const buttonSpy = jest.fn();
+
+    const page = await newSpecPage({
+      components: [Select],
+      template: () => (
+        <div onClick={divSpy}>
+          <ion-select label="Label Prop Text">
+            <button slot="end" onClick={buttonSpy}>
+              Button
+            </button>
+          </ion-select>
+        </div>
+      ),
+    });
+
+    const button = page.body.querySelector('button')!;
+
+    await button.click();
+
+    expect(buttonSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(divSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+});