diff --git a/packages/e2e-test-utils/src/site-editor.js b/packages/e2e-test-utils/src/site-editor.js
index 0f7bfcc980d059..c86cef72bf45f5 100644
--- a/packages/e2e-test-utils/src/site-editor.js
+++ b/packages/e2e-test-utils/src/site-editor.js
@@ -59,33 +59,65 @@ export async function closeSiteEditorNavigationPanel() {
  * Skips the welcome guide popping up to first time users of the site editor
  */
 export async function disableSiteEditorWelcomeGuide() {
-	const isWelcomeGuideActive = await page.evaluate(
-		() =>
-			!! wp.data
-				.select( 'core/preferences' )
-				.get( 'core/edit-site', 'welcomeGuide' )
-	);
-	const isWelcomeGuideStyesActive = await page.evaluate(
-		() =>
-			!! wp.data
-				.select( 'core/preferences' )
-				.get( 'core/edit-site', 'welcomeGuideStyles' )
-	);
+	// This code prioritizes using the preferences store. However, performance
+	// tests run on older versions of the codebase where the preferences store
+	// doesn't exist. Some backwards compatibility has been built-in so that
+	// those tests continue to work there. This can be removed once WordPress
+	// 6.0 is released, as the older version used by the performance tests will
+	// then include the preferences store.
+	// See https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/39300.
+	const isWelcomeGuideActive = await page.evaluate( () => {
+		// TODO - remove if statement after WordPress 6.0 is released.
+		if ( ! wp.data.select( 'core/preferences' ) ) {
+			return wp.data
+				.select( 'core/edit-site' )
+				.isFeatureActive( 'welcomeGuide' );
+		}
+
+		return !! wp.data
+			.select( 'core/preferences' )
+			?.get( 'core/edit-site', 'welcomeGuide' );
+	} );
+	const isWelcomeGuideStyesActive = await page.evaluate( () => {
+		// TODO - remove if statement after WordPress 6.0 is released.
+		if ( ! wp.data.select( 'core/preferences' ) ) {
+			return wp.data
+				.select( 'core/edit-site' )
+				.isFeatureActive( 'welcomeGuideStyles' );
+		}
+
+		return !! wp.data
+			.select( 'core/preferences' )
+			?.get( 'core/edit-site', 'welcomeGuideStyles' );
+	} );
 
 	if ( isWelcomeGuideActive ) {
-		await page.evaluate( () =>
+		await page.evaluate( () => {
+			// TODO - remove if statement after WordPress 6.0 is released.
+			if ( ! wp.data.dispatch( 'core/preferences' ) ) {
+				wp.data
+					.dispatch( 'core/edit-site' )
+					.toggleFeature( 'welcomeGuide' );
+			}
+
 			wp.data
 				.dispatch( 'core/preferences' )
-				.toggle( 'core/edit-site', 'welcomeGuide' )
-		);
+				.toggle( 'core/edit-site', 'welcomeGuide' );
+		} );
 	}
 
 	if ( isWelcomeGuideStyesActive ) {
-		await page.evaluate( () =>
+		await page.evaluate( () => {
+			// TODO - remove if statement after WordPress 6.0 is released.
+			if ( ! wp.data.dispatch( 'core/preferences' ) ) {
+				wp.data
+					.dispatch( 'core/edit-site' )
+					.toggleFeature( 'welcomeGuideStyles' );
+			}
 			wp.data
 				.dispatch( 'core/preferences' )
-				.toggle( 'core/edit-site', 'welcomeGuideStyles' )
-		);
+				.toggle( 'core/edit-site', 'welcomeGuideStyles' );
+		} );
 	}
 }