diff --git a/core/src/components/select/select.tsx b/core/src/components/select/select.tsx
index 639d8e22a3..6c63cc495f 100644
--- a/core/src/components/select/select.tsx
+++ b/core/src/components/select/select.tsx
@@ -316,29 +316,46 @@ export class Select implements ComponentInterface {
 
     // focus selected option for popovers
     if (this.interface === 'popover') {
-      let indexOfSelected = this.childOpts.map((o) => o.value).indexOf(this.value);
-      indexOfSelected = indexOfSelected > -1 ? indexOfSelected : 0; // default to first option if nothing selected
-      const selectedItem = overlay.querySelector<HTMLElement>(
-        `.select-interface-option:nth-child(${indexOfSelected + 1})`
-      );
+      const indexOfSelected = this.childOpts.map((o) => o.value).indexOf(this.value);
 
-      if (selectedItem) {
-        focusElement(selectedItem);
+      if (indexOfSelected > -1) {
+        const selectedItem = overlay.querySelector<HTMLElement>(
+          `.select-interface-option:nth-child(${indexOfSelected + 1})`
+        );
 
+        if (selectedItem) {
+          focusElement(selectedItem);
+
+          /**
+           * Browsers such as Firefox do not
+           * correctly delegate focus when manually
+           * focusing an element with delegatesFocus.
+           * We work around this by manually focusing
+           * the interactive element.
+           * ion-radio and ion-checkbox are the only
+           * elements that ion-select-popover uses, so
+           * we only need to worry about those two components
+           * when focusing.
+           */
+          const interactiveEl = selectedItem.querySelector<HTMLElement>('ion-radio, ion-checkbox');
+          if (interactiveEl) {
+            interactiveEl.focus();
+          }
+        }
+      } else {
         /**
-         * Browsers such as Firefox do not
-         * correctly delegate focus when manually
-         * focusing an element with delegatesFocus.
-         * We work around this by manually focusing
-         * the interactive element.
-         * ion-radio and ion-checkbox are the only
-         * elements that ion-select-popover uses, so
-         * we only need to worry about those two components
-         * when focusing.
+         * If no value is set then focus the first enabled option.
          */
-        const interactiveEl = selectedItem.querySelector<HTMLElement>('ion-radio, ion-checkbox');
-        if (interactiveEl) {
-          interactiveEl.focus();
+        const firstEnabledOption = overlay.querySelector<HTMLElement>(
+          'ion-radio:not(.radio-disabled), ion-checkbox:not(.checkbox-disabled)'
+        );
+        if (firstEnabledOption) {
+          focusElement(firstEnabledOption.closest('ion-item')!);
+
+          /**
+           * Focus the option for the same reason as we do above.
+           */
+          firstEnabledOption.focus();
         }
       }
     }
diff --git a/core/src/components/select/test/disabled/select.e2e.ts b/core/src/components/select/test/disabled/select.e2e.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..831d471d70
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/components/select/test/disabled/select.e2e.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+import { expect } from '@playwright/test';
+import { configs, test } from '@utils/test/playwright';
+
+configs({ modes: ['ios'], directions: ['ltr'] }).forEach(({ title, config }) => {
+  test.describe(title('select: disabled options'), () => {
+    test('should not focus a disabled option when no value is set', async ({ page, skip }) => {
+      // TODO (FW-2979)
+      skip.browser('webkit', 'Safari 16 only allows text fields and pop-up menus to be focused.');
+
+      test.info().annotations.push({
+        type: 'issue',
+        description: 'https://github.com/ionic-team/ionic-framework/issues/28284',
+      });
+
+      await page.setContent(
+        `
+        <ion-select interface="popover">
+          <ion-select-option value="a" disabled="true">A</ion-select-option>
+          <ion-select-option value="b">B</ion-select-option>
+        </ion-select>
+      `,
+        config
+      );
+
+      const select = page.locator('ion-select');
+      const popover = page.locator('ion-popover');
+      const ionPopoverDidPresent = await page.spyOnEvent('ionPopoverDidPresent');
+
+      await select.click();
+      await ionPopoverDidPresent.next();
+
+      const popoverOption = popover.locator('.select-interface-option:nth-of-type(2) ion-radio');
+      await expect(popoverOption).toBeFocused();
+    });
+  });
+});