diff --git a/apps/site/components/Downloads/Release/VersionDropdown.tsx b/apps/site/components/Downloads/Release/VersionDropdown.tsx
index c966d0bee6be0..69039bf7cbc44 100644
--- a/apps/site/components/Downloads/Release/VersionDropdown.tsx
+++ b/apps/site/components/Downloads/Release/VersionDropdown.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 import WithNoScriptSelect from '@node-core/ui-components/Common/Select/NoScriptSelect';
 import { useLocale, useTranslations } from 'next-intl';
-import { use } from 'react';
+import { use, useEffect } from 'react';
 
 import { redirect, usePathname } from '#site/navigation.mjs';
 import { STATUS_KIND_MAP } from '#site/next.constants.mjs';
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import {
   ReleasesContext,
 } from '#site/providers/releaseProvider';
 
+import type { NodeReleaseStatus } from '#site/types';
 import type { FC } from 'react';
 
 const VersionDropdown: FC = () => {
@@ -22,27 +23,41 @@ const VersionDropdown: FC = () => {
 
   // Allows us to keep the route semantically correct to what the user should expect
   // from the /current and non /current routes.
-  const setVersionOrNavigate = (version: string) => {
-    const release = releases.find(
-      ({ versionWithPrefix }) => versionWithPrefix === version
-    );
+  const getRedirectPath = (status: NodeReleaseStatus) => {
+    if (['LTS', 'EOL'].includes(status) && !pathname.endsWith('/download')) {
+      return '/download';
+    }
 
-    if (
-      (release?.status === 'LTS' || release?.status === 'EOL') &&
-      (pathname.includes('current') || pathname.includes('alpha'))
-    ) {
-      redirect({ href: '/download', locale });
-      return;
+    if (status === 'Current' && !pathname.includes('current')) {
+      return '/download/current';
     }
 
-    if (release?.status === 'Current' && !pathname.includes('current')) {
-      redirect({ href: '/download/current', locale });
-      return;
+    if (status === 'Alpha' && !pathname.includes('alpha')) {
+      return '/download/alpha';
     }
+  };
+
+  // Ensure the initial route is correct based on the release status.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const redirectPath = getRedirectPath(release.status);
+    if (redirectPath) {
+      redirect({ href: redirectPath, locale });
+    }
+    // eslint-disable-next-line @eslint-react/exhaustive-deps -- deps are correct on first render, and this should not run again.
+  }, []);
+
+  // Handle setting the new version or navigating to the correct route based on status.
+  const setVersionOrNavigate = (version: string) => {
+    const selectedRelease = releases.find(
+      ({ versionWithPrefix }) => versionWithPrefix === version
+    );
 
-    if (release?.status === 'Alpha' && !pathname.includes('alpha')) {
-      redirect({ href: '/download/alpha', locale });
-      return;
+    if (selectedRelease) {
+      const href = getRedirectPath(selectedRelease.status);
+      if (href) {
+        redirect({ href, locale });
+        return;
+      }
     }
 
     setVersion(version);
diff --git a/apps/site/components/Downloads/Release/__tests__/VersionDropdown.test.jsx b/apps/site/components/Downloads/Release/__tests__/VersionDropdown.test.jsx
index 94c1b10f36554..bc01bf8a7198e 100644
--- a/apps/site/components/Downloads/Release/__tests__/VersionDropdown.test.jsx
+++ b/apps/site/components/Downloads/Release/__tests__/VersionDropdown.test.jsx
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
 import { beforeEach, describe, it, mock } from 'node:test';
 
-import { render } from '@testing-library/react';
+import { act, render } from '@testing-library/react';
+import { useState } from 'react';
 
 import {
   ReleaseContext,
@@ -58,11 +59,27 @@ const releases = statuses.flatMap(({ status, versions }) =>
 );
 
 const renderDropdown = (release = releases[0]) => {
-  render(
-    <ReleasesContext value={{ releases, snippets: [] }}>
-      <ReleaseContext value={{ release, setVersion }}>
+  const Dropdown = () => {
+    const [version, updateVersion] = useState(release.versionWithPrefix);
+    setVersion.mock.mockImplementation(updateVersion);
+
+    return (
+      <ReleaseContext
+        value={{
+          release: releases.find(
+            candidate => candidate.versionWithPrefix === version
+          ),
+          setVersion,
+        }}
+      >
         <VersionDropdown />
       </ReleaseContext>
+    );
+  };
+
+  render(
+    <ReleasesContext value={{ releases, snippets: [] }}>
+      <Dropdown />
     </ReleasesContext>
   );
 
@@ -90,6 +107,7 @@ describe('VersionDropdown', () => {
 
         assert.equal(defaultValue, release.versionWithPrefix);
         assert.equal(ariaLabel, 'layouts.download.dropdown.version');
+        assert.equal(redirect.mock.callCount(), 0);
       });
 
       it(`provides the ${status} badge for each version`, () => {
@@ -109,16 +127,34 @@ describe('VersionDropdown', () => {
       });
 
       for (const target of statuses) {
+        it(`normalizes ${target.path} on load for ${status}`, () => {
+          pathname = target.path;
+
+          renderDropdown(release);
+
+          if (target.path !== path) {
+            assert.deepEqual(
+              redirect.mock.calls.map(call => call.arguments),
+              [[{ href: path, locale: 'en' }]]
+            );
+          } else {
+            assert.equal(redirect.mock.callCount(), 0);
+          }
+          assert.equal(setVersion.mock.callCount(), 0);
+        });
+
         const description =
           target.status === status ? `another ${status}` : target.status;
 
         it(`switches to ${description}`, () => {
           const { onChange } = renderDropdown(release);
+          redirect.mock.resetCalls();
+          setVersion.mock.resetCalls();
           const version = target.versions.find(
             candidate => candidate !== release.versionWithPrefix
           );
 
-          onChange(version);
+          act(() => onChange(version));
 
           if (target.path !== path) {
             assert.equal(redirect.mock.callCount(), 1);
@@ -126,10 +162,19 @@ describe('VersionDropdown', () => {
               { href: target.path, locale: 'en' },
             ]);
             assert.equal(setVersion.mock.callCount(), 0);
+            assert.equal(Select.mock.callCount(), 1);
+            assert.equal(
+              Select.mock.calls.at(-1).arguments[0].defaultValue,
+              release.versionWithPrefix
+            );
           } else {
             assert.equal(redirect.mock.callCount(), 0);
             assert.equal(setVersion.mock.callCount(), 1);
             assert.deepEqual(setVersion.mock.calls[0].arguments, [version]);
+            assert.equal(
+              Select.mock.calls.at(-1).arguments[0].defaultValue,
+              version
+            );
           }
         });
       }