diff --git a/src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-privacy-policy-content.php b/src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-privacy-policy-content.php
index 2f7ec2108d22f..141f073cd260c 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-privacy-policy-content.php
+++ b/src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-privacy-policy-content.php
@@ -329,6 +329,12 @@ public static function notice( $post = null ) {
 		$current_screen = get_current_screen();
 		$policy_page_id = (int) get_option( 'wp_page_for_privacy_policy' );
 
+		// If the privacy policy page has been deleted, reset the option and bail.
+		if ( $policy_page_id && ! get_post( $policy_page_id ) ) {
+			update_option( 'wp_page_for_privacy_policy', 0 );
+			return;
+		}
+
 		if ( 'post' !== $current_screen->base || $policy_page_id !== $post->ID ) {
 			return;
 		}
diff --git a/src/wp-includes/default-filters.php b/src/wp-includes/default-filters.php
index b2790c7d43ec9..66504d37ad84d 100644
--- a/src/wp-includes/default-filters.php
+++ b/src/wp-includes/default-filters.php
@@ -590,6 +590,7 @@
 add_action( 'init', 'create_initial_post_types', 0 ); // Highest priority.
 add_action( 'admin_menu', '_add_post_type_submenus' );
 add_action( 'before_delete_post', '_reset_front_page_settings_for_post' );
+add_action( 'before_delete_post', '_reset_privacy_policy_page_for_post' );
 add_action( 'wp_trash_post', '_reset_front_page_settings_for_post' );
 add_action( 'change_locale', 'create_initial_post_types' );
 
diff --git a/src/wp-includes/post.php b/src/wp-includes/post.php
index 3813176140bb4..da3abfbd7d61c 100644
--- a/src/wp-includes/post.php
+++ b/src/wp-includes/post.php
@@ -4052,6 +4052,22 @@ function _reset_front_page_settings_for_post( $post_id ) {
 	unstick_post( $post->ID );
 }
 
+/**
+ * Resets the Privacy Policy page ID option when the Privacy Policy page
+ * is permanently deleted, to prevent uncached database queries for a
+ * non-existent page.
+ *
+ * @since 7.1.0
+ * @access private
+ *
+ * @param int $post_id The ID of the post being deleted.
+ */
+function _reset_privacy_policy_page_for_post( int $post_id ): void {
+	if ( 'page' === get_post_type( $post_id ) && ( (int) get_option( 'wp_page_for_privacy_policy' ) === $post_id ) ) {
+		update_option( 'wp_page_for_privacy_policy', 0 );
+	}
+}
+
 /**
  * Moves a post or page to the Trash
  *
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/tests/privacy/wpPrivacyResetPolicyPageForPost.php b/tests/phpunit/tests/privacy/wpPrivacyResetPolicyPageForPost.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..50ce04cb1bd44
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/phpunit/tests/privacy/wpPrivacyResetPolicyPageForPost.php
@@ -0,0 +1,172 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Tests for _reset_privacy_policy_page_for_post() and the self-healing
+ * check in WP_Privacy_Policy_Content::notice().
+ *
+ * @package WordPress
+ * @subpackage UnitTests
+ * @since 7.1.0
+ *
+ * @group privacy
+ *
+ * @covers ::_reset_privacy_policy_page_for_post
+ */
+class Tests_Privacy_WpPrivacyResetPolicyPageForPost extends WP_UnitTestCase {
+	/**
+	 * ID of the page set as the Privacy Policy page.
+	 */
+	private int $policy_page_id;
+
+	public function set_up(): void {
+		parent::set_up();
+
+		$page_id = self::factory()->post->create( array( 'post_type' => 'page' ) );
+		assert( is_int( $page_id ) );
+		$this->policy_page_id = $page_id;
+		update_option( 'wp_page_for_privacy_policy', $this->policy_page_id );
+	}
+
+	public function tear_down(): void {
+		delete_option( 'wp_page_for_privacy_policy' );
+		parent::tear_down();
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Tests that trashing the Privacy Policy page does NOT reset the option,
+	 * so that restoring from trash preserves the assignment.
+	 *
+	 * @ticket 56694
+	 */
+	public function test_trashing_privacy_policy_page_does_not_reset_option(): void {
+		wp_trash_post( $this->policy_page_id );
+
+		$this->assertSame(
+			$this->policy_page_id,
+			(int) get_option( 'wp_page_for_privacy_policy' ),
+			'Trashing the Privacy Policy page should not reset wp_page_for_privacy_policy.'
+		);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Tests that permanently deleting the Privacy Policy page resets the option to 0.
+	 *
+	 * @ticket 56694
+	 */
+	public function test_deleting_privacy_policy_page_resets_option(): void {
+		wp_delete_post( $this->policy_page_id, true );
+
+		$this->assertSame( 0, (int) get_option( 'wp_page_for_privacy_policy' ) );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Tests that trashing a different page does not change the option.
+	 *
+	 * @ticket 56694
+	 */
+	public function test_trashing_a_different_page_does_not_reset_option(): void {
+		$other_page_id = self::factory()->post->create( array( 'post_type' => 'page' ) );
+		$this->assertIsInt( $other_page_id );
+		wp_trash_post( $other_page_id );
+
+		$this->assertSame(
+			$this->policy_page_id,
+			(int) get_option( 'wp_page_for_privacy_policy' ),
+			'Trashing an unrelated page should not reset wp_page_for_privacy_policy.'
+		);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Tests that deleting a non-page post type does not change the option.
+	 *
+	 * @ticket 56694
+	 */
+	public function test_deleting_non_page_post_type_does_not_reset_option(): void {
+		$post_id = self::factory()->post->create( array( 'post_type' => 'post' ) );
+		$this->assertIsInt( $post_id );
+		wp_delete_post( $post_id, true );
+
+		$this->assertSame(
+			$this->policy_page_id,
+			(int) get_option( 'wp_page_for_privacy_policy' ),
+			'Deleting a non-page post should not reset wp_page_for_privacy_policy.'
+		);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Tests that WP_Privacy_Policy_Content::notice() resets the option to 0
+	 * when the stored ID points to a page that no longer exists.
+	 *
+	 * @ticket 56694
+	 *
+	 * @covers WP_Privacy_Policy_Content::notice
+	 */
+	public function test_notice_self_heals_when_policy_page_does_not_exist(): void {
+		require_once ABSPATH . 'wp-admin/includes/class-wp-privacy-policy-content.php';
+
+		update_option( 'wp_page_for_privacy_policy', 99999 );
+
+		$user_id = self::factory()->user->create( array( 'role' => 'administrator' ) );
+		$this->assertIsInt( $user_id );
+		wp_set_current_user( $user_id );
+		if ( is_multisite() ) {
+			grant_super_admin( $user_id );
+		}
+		set_current_screen( 'post' );
+
+		$post = self::factory()->post->create_and_get( array( 'post_type' => 'page' ) );
+		$this->assertInstanceOf( WP_Post::class, $post );
+		WP_Privacy_Policy_Content::notice( $post );
+
+		$this->assertSame(
+			0,
+			(int) get_option( 'wp_page_for_privacy_policy' ),
+			'notice() should reset the option to 0 when the stored page does not exist.'
+		);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Tests that _reset_privacy_policy_page_for_post() does not call
+	 * update_option() when wp_page_for_privacy_policy is already 0.
+	 *
+	 * @ticket 56694
+	 */
+	public function test_no_update_option_when_policy_page_already_zero(): void {
+		update_option( 'wp_page_for_privacy_policy', 0 );
+
+		$call_count = 0;
+		add_filter(
+			'pre_update_option_wp_page_for_privacy_policy',
+			static function ( $value ) use ( &$call_count ) {
+				++$call_count;
+				return $value;
+			}
+		);
+
+		$other_page_id = self::factory()->post->create( array( 'post_type' => 'page' ) );
+		$this->assertIsInt( $other_page_id );
+		wp_delete_post( $other_page_id, true );
+
+		$this->assertSame(
+			0,
+			$call_count,
+			'update_option() should not be called when wp_page_for_privacy_policy is already 0.'
+		);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Tests that untrashing the Privacy Policy page preserves the option,
+	 * confirming the trash/restore cycle keeps the assignment intact.
+	 *
+	 * @ticket 56694
+	 */
+	public function test_untrashing_privacy_policy_page_preserves_option(): void {
+		wp_trash_post( $this->policy_page_id );
+		wp_untrash_post( $this->policy_page_id );
+
+		$this->assertSame(
+			$this->policy_page_id,
+			(int) get_option( 'wp_page_for_privacy_policy' ),
+			'Untrashing the Privacy Policy page should preserve wp_page_for_privacy_policy.'
+		);
+	}
+}