diff --git a/.changeset/chubby-dots-kiss.md b/.changeset/chubby-dots-kiss.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b23fe2fcef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/chubby-dots-kiss.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/plugin-techdocs': patch
+---
+
+Handle undefined defaultPath in TechDocs initial redirect.
diff --git a/plugins/techdocs/src/reader/components/TechDocsReaderPageContent/dom.test.tsx b/plugins/techdocs/src/reader/components/TechDocsReaderPageContent/dom.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..80b19f0308
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/techdocs/src/reader/components/TechDocsReaderPageContent/dom.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2025 The Backstage Authors
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+import { render } from '@testing-library/react';
+
+// We need to mock react-router-dom hooks used by useInitialRedirect
+import { useLocation, useNavigate, useParams } from 'react-router-dom';
+
+// Import the module from which the hook is defined
+import { useInitialRedirect } from './dom';
+
+jest.mock('react-router-dom', () => ({
+  ...jest.requireActual('react-router-dom'),
+  useLocation: jest.fn(),
+  useNavigate: jest.fn(),
+  useParams: jest.fn(),
+}));
+
+describe('useInitialRedirect', () => {
+  const mockNavigate = jest.fn();
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    // Reset mocks before each test
+    mockNavigate.mockReset();
+    (useNavigate as jest.Mock).mockReturnValue(mockNavigate);
+    (useLocation as jest.Mock).mockReturnValue({
+      pathname: '/docs/default/Component/backstage-demo',
+    });
+    // Simulate that no current path is provided
+    (useParams as jest.Mock).mockReturnValue({ '*': '' });
+  });
+
+  const TestComponent: React.FC<{ defaultPath?: string }> = ({
+    defaultPath,
+  }) => {
+    // Call hook that should trigger a redirect on mount only if defaultPath is a non-empty string.
+    useInitialRedirect(defaultPath);
+    return <div>Test</div>;
+  };
+
+  it('should not navigate when defaultPath is undefined', () => {
+    render(<TestComponent defaultPath={undefined} />);
+    expect(mockNavigate).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it('should navigate when defaultPath is a non-empty string', () => {
+    render(<TestComponent defaultPath="/overview" />);
+    expect(mockNavigate).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      '/docs/default/Component/backstage-demo/overview',
+      { replace: true },
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('should not navigate if currPath is non-empty', () => {
+    // Override useParams to simulate a non-empty currPath
+    (useParams as jest.Mock).mockReturnValue({ '*': 'existing-path' });
+    render(<TestComponent defaultPath={undefined} />);
+    expect(mockNavigate).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/plugins/techdocs/src/reader/components/TechDocsReaderPageContent/dom.tsx b/plugins/techdocs/src/reader/components/TechDocsReaderPageContent/dom.tsx
index 0c4d6dee3e..0837710d7a 100644
--- a/plugins/techdocs/src/reader/components/TechDocsReaderPageContent/dom.tsx
+++ b/plugins/techdocs/src/reader/components/TechDocsReaderPageContent/dom.tsx
@@ -61,15 +61,13 @@ const MOBILE_MEDIA_QUERY = 'screen and (max-width: 76.1875em)';
 // If a defaultPath is specified then we should navigate to that path replacing the
 // current location in the history. This should only happen on the initial load so
 // navigating to the root of the docs doesn't also redirect.
-const useInitialRedirect = (defaultPath?: string) => {
-  // const hasRun = useRef(false);
-
+export const useInitialRedirect = (defaultPath?: string) => {
   const location = useLocation();
   const navigate = useNavigate();
   const { '*': currPath = '' } = useParams();
 
   useLayoutEffect(() => {
-    if (currPath === '' && defaultPath !== '') {
+    if (currPath === '' && defaultPath && defaultPath !== '') {
       navigate(`${location.pathname}${defaultPath}`, { replace: true });
     }
   }, []); // eslint-disable-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps