diff --git a/packages/block-editor/src/components/link-control/use-search-handler.js b/packages/block-editor/src/components/link-control/use-search-handler.js
index 455d228be1974..80cef60f6329b 100644
--- a/packages/block-editor/src/components/link-control/use-search-handler.js
+++ b/packages/block-editor/src/components/link-control/use-search-handler.js
@@ -17,8 +17,7 @@ import {
 	URL_TYPE,
 } from './constants';
 import { store as blockEditorStore } from '../../store';
-
-export const handleNoop = () => Promise.resolve( [] );
+import { default as settingsKeys } from '../../private-settings-keys';
 
 export const handleDirectEntry = ( val ) => {
 	let type = URL_TYPE;
@@ -47,103 +46,65 @@ export const handleDirectEntry = ( val ) => {
 	] );
 };
 
-const handleEntitySearch = async (
-	val,
-	suggestionsQuery,
-	fetchSearchSuggestions,
-	withCreateSuggestion,
-	pageOnFront,
-	pageForPosts
-) => {
-	const { isInitialSuggestions } = suggestionsQuery;
-
-	const results = await fetchSearchSuggestions( val, suggestionsQuery );
-
-	// Identify front page and update type to match.
-	results.map( ( result ) => {
-		if ( Number( result.id ) === pageOnFront ) {
-			result.isFrontPage = true;
-			return result;
-		} else if ( Number( result.id ) === pageForPosts ) {
-			result.isBlogHome = true;
-			return result;
-		}
-
-		return result;
-	} );
-
-	// If displaying initial suggestions just return plain results.
-	if ( isInitialSuggestions ) {
-		return results;
-	}
-
-	// Here we append a faux suggestion to represent a "CREATE" option. This
-	// is detected in the rendering of the search results and handled as a
-	// special case. This is currently necessary because the suggestions
-	// dropdown will only appear if there are valid suggestions and
-	// therefore unless the create option is a suggestion it will not
-	// display in scenarios where there are no results returned from the
-	// API. In addition promoting CREATE to a first class suggestion affords
-	// the a11y benefits afforded by `URLInput` to all suggestions (eg:
-	// keyboard handling, ARIA roles...etc).
-	//
-	// Note also that the value of the `title` and `url` properties must correspond
-	// to the text value of the `<input>`. This is because `title` is used
-	// when creating the suggestion. Similarly `url` is used when using keyboard to select
-	// the suggestion (the <form> `onSubmit` handler falls-back to `url`).
-	return isURLLike( val ) || ! withCreateSuggestion
-		? results
-		: results.concat( {
-				// the `id` prop is intentionally ommitted here because it
-				// is never exposed as part of the component's public API.
-				// see: https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/19775#discussion_r378931316.
-				title: val, // Must match the existing `<input>`s text value.
-				url: val, // Must match the existing `<input>`s text value.
-				type: CREATE_TYPE,
-		  } );
-};
-
 export default function useSearchHandler(
 	suggestionsQuery,
 	allowDirectEntry,
 	withCreateSuggestion
 ) {
-	const { fetchSearchSuggestions, pageOnFront, pageForPosts } = useSelect(
-		( select ) => {
-			const { getSettings } = select( blockEditorStore );
-
-			return {
-				pageOnFront: getSettings().pageOnFront,
-				pageForPosts: getSettings().pageForPosts,
-				fetchSearchSuggestions:
-					getSettings().__experimentalFetchLinkSuggestions,
-			};
-		},
-		[]
-	);
-
+	const handleNoop = useCallback( () => Promise.resolve( [] ), [] );
 	const directEntryHandler = allowDirectEntry
 		? handleDirectEntry
 		: handleNoop;
 
+	const useHandleEntitySearch = useSelect( ( select ) => {
+		const settings = select( blockEditorStore ).getSettings();
+		return settings[ settingsKeys.useLinkControlEntitySearch ];
+	}, [] );
+	// Note that this is meant to be a stable function and doesn't change, so it
+	// doesn't break the rules of hooks.
+	const handleEntitySearch = useHandleEntitySearch?.() || handleNoop;
+
 	return useCallback(
-		( val, { isInitialSuggestions } ) => {
-			return isURLLike( val )
-				? directEntryHandler( val, { isInitialSuggestions } )
-				: handleEntitySearch(
-						val,
-						{ ...suggestionsQuery, isInitialSuggestions },
-						fetchSearchSuggestions,
-						withCreateSuggestion,
-						pageOnFront,
-						pageForPosts
-				  );
+		async ( val, { isInitialSuggestions } ) => {
+			if ( isURLLike( val ) ) {
+				return directEntryHandler( val, { isInitialSuggestions } );
+			}
+
+			const results = await handleEntitySearch( val, suggestionsQuery );
+
+			// If displaying initial suggestions just return plain results.
+			if ( isInitialSuggestions ) {
+				return results;
+			}
+
+			// Here we append a faux suggestion to represent a "CREATE" option. This
+			// is detected in the rendering of the search results and handled as a
+			// special case. This is currently necessary because the suggestions
+			// dropdown will only appear if there are valid suggestions and
+			// therefore unless the create option is a suggestion it will not
+			// display in scenarios where there are no results returned from the
+			// API. In addition promoting CREATE to a first class suggestion affords
+			// the a11y benefits afforded by `URLInput` to all suggestions (eg:
+			// keyboard handling, ARIA roles...etc).
+			//
+			// Note also that the value of the `title` and `url` properties must correspond
+			// to the text value of the `<input>`. This is because `title` is used
+			// when creating the suggestion. Similarly `url` is used when using keyboard to select
+			// the suggestion (the <form> `onSubmit` handler falls-back to `url`).
+			return ! withCreateSuggestion
+				? results
+				: results.concat( {
+						// the `id` prop is intentionally ommitted here because it
+						// is never exposed as part of the component's public API.
+						// see: https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/19775#discussion_r378931316.
+						title: val, // Must match the existing `<input>`s text value.
+						url: val, // Must match the existing `<input>`s text value.
+						type: CREATE_TYPE,
+				  } );
 		},
 		[
 			directEntryHandler,
-			fetchSearchSuggestions,
-			pageOnFront,
-			pageForPosts,
+			handleEntitySearch,
 			suggestionsQuery,
 			withCreateSuggestion,
 		]
diff --git a/packages/block-editor/src/private-apis.js b/packages/block-editor/src/private-apis.js
index 74bf4af421dfb..ec51a20f845d2 100644
--- a/packages/block-editor/src/private-apis.js
+++ b/packages/block-editor/src/private-apis.js
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import {
 import { usesContextKey } from './components/rich-text/format-edit';
 import { ExperimentalBlockCanvas } from './components/block-canvas';
 import { getDuotoneFilter } from './components/duotone/utils';
+import { default as settingsKeys } from './private-settings-keys';
 
 /**
  * Private @wordpress/block-editor APIs.
@@ -52,4 +53,5 @@ lock( privateApis, {
 	ReusableBlocksRenameHint,
 	useReusableBlocksRenameHint,
 	usesContextKey,
+	settingsKeys,
 } );
diff --git a/packages/block-editor/src/private-apis.native.js b/packages/block-editor/src/private-apis.native.js
index 5555e00477e7b..f710cbdc2aa3a 100644
--- a/packages/block-editor/src/private-apis.native.js
+++ b/packages/block-editor/src/private-apis.native.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 import * as globalStyles from './components/global-styles';
 import { ExperimentalBlockEditorProvider } from './components/provider';
 import { lock } from './lock-unlock';
+import { default as settingsKeys } from './private-settings-keys';
 
 /**
  * Private @wordpress/block-editor APIs.
@@ -12,4 +13,5 @@ export const privateApis = {};
 lock( privateApis, {
 	...globalStyles,
 	ExperimentalBlockEditorProvider,
+	settingsKeys,
 } );
diff --git a/packages/block-editor/src/private-settings-keys.js b/packages/block-editor/src/private-settings-keys.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..e58de7c064145
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/block-editor/src/private-settings-keys.js
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+export default {
+	useLinkControlEntitySearch: Symbol( 'useLinkControlEntitySearch' ),
+};
diff --git a/packages/core-data/src/fetch/index.js b/packages/core-data/src/fetch/index.js
index 8d4d28e3b0db8..af75a9f5fbaf1 100644
--- a/packages/core-data/src/fetch/index.js
+++ b/packages/core-data/src/fetch/index.js
@@ -1,2 +1,56 @@
-export { default as __experimentalFetchLinkSuggestions } from './__experimental-fetch-link-suggestions';
+/**
+ * WordPress dependencies
+ */
+import { useCallback } from '@wordpress/element';
+import { useSelect } from '@wordpress/data';
+import { store as blockEditorStore } from '@wordpress/block-editor';
+
+/**
+ * Internal dependencies
+ */
+import { store as coreStore } from '../';
+import { default as fetchLinkSuggestions } from './__experimental-fetch-link-suggestions';
+
+export const __experimentalFetchLinkSuggestions = fetchLinkSuggestions;
 export { default as __experimentalFetchUrlData } from './__experimental-fetch-url-data';
+
+export function __experimentalUseLinkControlEntitySearch() {
+	const settings = useSelect(
+		( select ) => select( blockEditorStore ).getSettings(),
+		[]
+	);
+	// The function should either be undefined or a stable function reference
+	// throughout the editor lifetime, much like importing a function from a
+	// module.
+	const { pageOnFront, pageForPosts } = useSelect( ( select ) => {
+		const { canUser, getEntityRecord } = select( coreStore );
+
+		const siteSettings = canUser( 'read', 'settings' )
+			? getEntityRecord( 'root', 'site' )
+			: undefined;
+
+		return {
+			pageOnFront: siteSettings?.page_on_front,
+			pageForPosts: siteSettings?.page_for_posts,
+		};
+	}, [] );
+
+	return useCallback(
+		async ( val, suggestionsQuery ) => {
+			return (
+				await fetchLinkSuggestions( val, suggestionsQuery, settings )
+			).map( ( result ) => {
+				if ( Number( result.id ) === pageOnFront ) {
+					result.isFrontPage = true;
+					return result;
+				} else if ( Number( result.id ) === pageForPosts ) {
+					result.isBlogHome = true;
+					return result;
+				}
+
+				return result;
+			} );
+		},
+		[ pageOnFront, pageForPosts, settings ]
+	);
+}
diff --git a/packages/edit-widgets/src/components/widget-areas-block-editor-provider/index.js b/packages/edit-widgets/src/components/widget-areas-block-editor-provider/index.js
index 4abc420434cc4..24df41c54637a 100644
--- a/packages/edit-widgets/src/components/widget-areas-block-editor-provider/index.js
+++ b/packages/edit-widgets/src/components/widget-areas-block-editor-provider/index.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import {
 	useEntityBlockEditor,
 	store as coreStore,
 	useResourcePermissions,
+	__experimentalUseLinkControlEntitySearch as useLinkControlEntitySearch,
 } from '@wordpress/core-data';
 import { useMemo } from '@wordpress/element';
 import { privateApis as blockEditorPrivateApis } from '@wordpress/block-editor';
@@ -25,8 +26,11 @@ import { store as editWidgetsStore } from '../../store';
 import { ALLOW_REUSABLE_BLOCKS } from '../../constants';
 import { unlock } from '../../lock-unlock';
 
-const { ExperimentalBlockEditorProvider } = unlock( blockEditorPrivateApis );
+const { ExperimentalBlockEditorProvider, settingsKeys } = unlock(
+	blockEditorPrivateApis
+);
 const { PatternsMenuItems } = unlock( editPatternsPrivateApis );
+
 export default function WidgetAreasBlockEditorProvider( {
 	blockEditorSettings,
 	children,
@@ -34,36 +38,25 @@ export default function WidgetAreasBlockEditorProvider( {
 } ) {
 	const mediaPermissions = useResourcePermissions( 'media' );
 	const isLargeViewport = useViewportMatch( 'medium' );
-	const {
-		reusableBlocks,
-		isFixedToolbarActive,
-		keepCaretInsideBlock,
-		pageOnFront,
-		pageForPosts,
-	} = useSelect( ( select ) => {
-		const { canUser, getEntityRecord, getEntityRecords } =
-			select( coreStore );
-		const siteSettings = canUser( 'read', 'settings' )
-			? getEntityRecord( 'root', 'site' )
-			: undefined;
-		return {
-			widgetAreas: select( editWidgetsStore ).getWidgetAreas(),
-			widgets: select( editWidgetsStore ).getWidgets(),
-			reusableBlocks: ALLOW_REUSABLE_BLOCKS
-				? getEntityRecords( 'postType', 'wp_block' )
-				: [],
-			isFixedToolbarActive: !! select( preferencesStore ).get(
-				'core/edit-widgets',
-				'fixedToolbar'
-			),
-			keepCaretInsideBlock: !! select( preferencesStore ).get(
-				'core/edit-widgets',
-				'keepCaretInsideBlock'
-			),
-			pageOnFront: siteSettings?.page_on_front,
-			pageForPosts: siteSettings?.page_for_posts,
-		};
-	}, [] );
+	const { reusableBlocks, isFixedToolbarActive, keepCaretInsideBlock } =
+		useSelect( ( select ) => {
+			const { getEntityRecords } = select( coreStore );
+			return {
+				widgetAreas: select( editWidgetsStore ).getWidgetAreas(),
+				widgets: select( editWidgetsStore ).getWidgets(),
+				reusableBlocks: ALLOW_REUSABLE_BLOCKS
+					? getEntityRecords( 'postType', 'wp_block' )
+					: [],
+				isFixedToolbarActive: !! select( preferencesStore ).get(
+					'core/edit-widgets',
+					'fixedToolbar'
+				),
+				keepCaretInsideBlock: !! select( preferencesStore ).get(
+					'core/edit-widgets',
+					'keepCaretInsideBlock'
+				),
+			};
+		}, [] );
 	const { setIsInserterOpened } = useDispatch( editWidgetsStore );
 
 	const settings = useMemo( () => {
@@ -85,8 +78,8 @@ export default function WidgetAreasBlockEditorProvider( {
 			mediaUpload: mediaUploadBlockEditor,
 			templateLock: 'all',
 			__experimentalSetIsInserterOpened: setIsInserterOpened,
-			pageOnFront,
-			pageForPosts,
+			[ settingsKeys.useLinkControlEntitySearch ]:
+				useLinkControlEntitySearch,
 		};
 	}, [
 		blockEditorSettings,
@@ -96,8 +89,6 @@ export default function WidgetAreasBlockEditorProvider( {
 		mediaPermissions.canCreate,
 		reusableBlocks,
 		setIsInserterOpened,
-		pageOnFront,
-		pageForPosts,
 	] );
 
 	const widgetAreaId = useLastSelectedWidgetArea();
diff --git a/packages/editor/src/components/provider/use-block-editor-settings.js b/packages/editor/src/components/provider/use-block-editor-settings.js
index 49f61815f663d..b457962606d57 100644
--- a/packages/editor/src/components/provider/use-block-editor-settings.js
+++ b/packages/editor/src/components/provider/use-block-editor-settings.js
@@ -5,10 +5,12 @@ import { Platform, useMemo, useCallback } from '@wordpress/element';
 import { useDispatch, useSelect } from '@wordpress/data';
 import {
 	store as coreStore,
+	__experimentalUseLinkControlEntitySearch as useLinkControlEntitySearch,
 	__experimentalFetchLinkSuggestions as fetchLinkSuggestions,
 	__experimentalFetchUrlData as fetchUrlData,
 } from '@wordpress/core-data';
 import { __ } from '@wordpress/i18n';
+import { privateApis as blockEditorPrivateApis } from '@wordpress/block-editor';
 
 /**
  * Internal dependencies
@@ -16,6 +18,9 @@ import { __ } from '@wordpress/i18n';
 import inserterMediaCategories from '../media-categories';
 import { mediaUpload } from '../../utils';
 import { store as editorStore } from '../../store';
+import { unlock } from '../../lock-unlock';
+
+const { settingsKeys } = unlock( blockEditorPrivateApis );
 
 const EMPTY_BLOCKS_LIST = [];
 
@@ -93,8 +98,6 @@ function useBlockEditorSettings( settings, postType, postId ) {
 		hasUploadPermissions,
 		canUseUnfilteredHTML,
 		userCanCreatePages,
-		pageOnFront,
-		pageForPosts,
 		userPatternCategories,
 		restBlockPatterns,
 		restBlockPatternCategories,
@@ -104,17 +107,12 @@ function useBlockEditorSettings( settings, postType, postId ) {
 			const {
 				canUser,
 				getRawEntityRecord,
-				getEntityRecord,
 				getUserPatternCategories,
 				getEntityRecords,
 				getBlockPatterns,
 				getBlockPatternCategories,
 			} = select( coreStore );
 
-			const siteSettings = canUser( 'read', 'settings' )
-				? getEntityRecord( 'root', 'site' )
-				: undefined;
-
 			return {
 				canUseUnfilteredHTML: getRawEntityRecord(
 					'postType',
@@ -128,8 +126,6 @@ function useBlockEditorSettings( settings, postType, postId ) {
 					: EMPTY_BLOCKS_LIST, // Reusable blocks are fetched in the native version of this hook.
 				hasUploadPermissions: canUser( 'create', 'media' ) ?? true,
 				userCanCreatePages: canUser( 'create', 'pages' ),
-				pageOnFront: siteSettings?.page_on_front,
-				pageForPosts: siteSettings?.page_for_posts,
 				userPatternCategories: getUserPatternCategories(),
 				restBlockPatterns: getBlockPatterns(),
 				restBlockPatternCategories: getBlockPatternCategories(),
@@ -214,6 +210,7 @@ function useBlockEditorSettings( settings, postType, postId ) {
 			__experimentalBlockPatterns: blockPatterns,
 			__experimentalBlockPatternCategories: blockPatternCategories,
 			__experimentalUserPatternCategories: userPatternCategories,
+			// We still need this for mobile and URLInput.
 			__experimentalFetchLinkSuggestions: ( search, searchOptions ) =>
 				fetchLinkSuggestions( search, searchOptions, settings ),
 			inserterMediaCategories,
@@ -229,8 +226,8 @@ function useBlockEditorSettings( settings, postType, postId ) {
 			// Check these two properties: they were not present in the site editor.
 			__experimentalCreatePageEntity: createPageEntity,
 			__experimentalUserCanCreatePages: userCanCreatePages,
-			pageOnFront,
-			pageForPosts,
+			[ settingsKeys.useLinkControlEntitySearch ]:
+				useLinkControlEntitySearch,
 			__experimentalPreferPatternsOnRoot: postType === 'wp_template',
 			templateLock:
 				postType === 'wp_navigation' ? 'insert' : settings.templateLock,
@@ -251,8 +248,6 @@ function useBlockEditorSettings( settings, postType, postId ) {
 			undo,
 			createPageEntity,
 			userCanCreatePages,
-			pageOnFront,
-			pageForPosts,
 			postType,
 			setIsInserterOpened,
 		]