[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #64358: WordPress 6.9, cannot wp_dequeue_style( 'global-styles' );

[WordPress Trac]

#64358: WordPress 6.9, cannot wp_dequeue_style( 'global-styles' );
---------------------------+------------------------------
 Reporter:  permanyer      |       Owner:  (none)
     Type:  defect (bug)   |      Status:  new
 Priority:  normal         |   Milestone:  Awaiting Review
Component:  Script Loader  |     Version:  6.9
 Severity:  normal         |  Resolution:
 Keywords:  close          |     Focuses:
---------------------------+------------------------------
Changes (by westonruter):

 * keywords:   => close
 * component:  General => Script Loader


Comment:

 @permanyer This is expected. In WordPress 6.8 for classic themes, the
 enqueueing of the `global-styles` stylesheet would have been done by
 `wp_enqueue_global_styles()` at the `wp_enqueue_scripts` action.

 In 6.9, however, block styles now are loaded on demand based on whether or
 not a block actually appears in the template. This is how block themes
 already behaved, and now classic themes behave the same way. See the
 [https://make.wordpress.org/core/2025/11/18/wordpress-6-9-frontend-
 performance-field-guide/#load-block-styles-on-demand-in-classic-themes
 section in the field guide] about this.

 In 6.9, you'll find instead that the logic in `wp_enqueue_global_styles()`
 no longer runs at the `wp_enqueue_scripts` action but rather at the
 `wp_footer` action (with priority 1). (Again, this is how block themes
 behave.) This is why your `mst_enqueues()` function is no longer working
 as expected.

 So you have a few options. First, you can make sure you re-call
 `wp_dequeue_style( 'global-styles' )` after it is enqueued in the footer
 by adding this to your plugin:

 {{{#!php
 <?php
 add_action('wp_footer', 'mst_enqueues', 2);
 }}}

 As a second option, a more robust way to prevent the style from getting
 printed is to use the `print_styles_array` filter to exclude it:

 {{{#!php
 <?php
 add_filter(
         'print_styles_array',
         static function ( $handles ) {
                 return array_diff( $handles, array( 'global-styles' ) );
         }
 );
 }}}

 Lastly, as is explained in the field guide under
 "[https://make.wordpress.org/core/2025/11/18/wordpress-6-9-frontend-
 performance-field-guide/#load-block-styles-on-demand-in-classic-
 themes:~:text=A%20note%20regarding%20themes,to%20be%20false. A note
 regarding themes which try to opt out of all block styles]", you can
 revert to not loading block styles on demand by adding this

 {{{#!php
 <?php
 add_filter( 'should_load_separate_core_block_assets', '__return_false' );
 }}}

 This will allow your existing `mst_enqueues()` function to work when it
 runs during `wp_enqueue_scripts`.

-- 
Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/64358#comment:1>
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