diff --git a/packages/block-editor/src/hooks/index.js b/packages/block-editor/src/hooks/index.js
index 1307af959c2c76..7572b4792812fd 100644
--- a/packages/block-editor/src/hooks/index.js
+++ b/packages/block-editor/src/hooks/index.js
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
  */
 import './compat';
 import './align';
-import './lock';
 import './anchor';
 import './custom-class-name';
 import './generated-class-name';
diff --git a/packages/block-editor/src/hooks/lock.js b/packages/block-editor/src/hooks/lock.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 7e9b7b43c3ab99..00000000000000
--- a/packages/block-editor/src/hooks/lock.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,34 +0,0 @@
-/**
- * External dependencies
- */
-import { has } from 'lodash';
-
-/**
- * WordPress dependencies
- */
-import { addFilter } from '@wordpress/hooks';
-
-/**
- * Filters registered block settings, extending attributes to include `lock`.
- *
- * @param {Object} settings Original block settings.
- *
- * @return {Object} Filtered block settings.
- */
-export function addAttribute( settings ) {
-	// allow blocks to specify their own attribute definition with default values if needed.
-	if ( has( settings.attributes, [ 'lock', 'type' ] ) ) {
-		return settings;
-	}
-	// Gracefully handle if settings.attributes is undefined.
-	settings.attributes = {
-		...settings.attributes,
-		lock: {
-			type: 'object',
-		},
-	};
-
-	return settings;
-}
-
-addFilter( 'blocks.registerBlockType', 'core/lock/addAttribute', addAttribute );
diff --git a/packages/blocks/src/api/registration.js b/packages/blocks/src/api/registration.js
index e1ff1c2a23f0e2..e6d61fa3313d43 100644
--- a/packages/blocks/src/api/registration.js
+++ b/packages/blocks/src/api/registration.js
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import {
 	isObject,
 	isPlainObject,
 	isString,
+	has,
 	mapKeys,
 	omit,
 	pick,
@@ -365,6 +366,17 @@ export function registerBlockType( blockNameOrMetadata, settings ) {
 		return;
 	}
 
+	// Handle `lock` as a "build-in" attribute.
+	// But allow blocks to specify their own with defaults.
+	if ( ! has( settings.attributes, [ 'lock', 'type' ] ) ) {
+		settings.attributes = {
+			...settings.attributes,
+			lock: {
+				type: 'object',
+			},
+		};
+	}
+
 	dispatch( blocksStore ).addBlockTypes( settings );
 
 	return settings;
diff --git a/packages/blocks/src/api/test/registration.js b/packages/blocks/src/api/test/registration.js
index 4b3d2864a0b229..554eda8dd9c922 100644
--- a/packages/blocks/src/api/test/registration.js
+++ b/packages/blocks/src/api/test/registration.js
@@ -44,6 +44,11 @@ describe( 'blocks', () => {
 		category: 'text',
 		title: 'block title',
 	};
+	const lockAttribute = {
+		lock: {
+			type: 'object',
+		},
+	};
 
 	beforeAll( () => {
 		// Initialize the block store.
@@ -121,7 +126,9 @@ describe( 'blocks', () => {
 			expect( block ).toEqual( {
 				name: 'my-plugin/fancy-block-4',
 				icon: { src: BLOCK_ICON_DEFAULT },
-				attributes: {},
+				attributes: {
+					...lockAttribute,
+				},
 				providesContext: {},
 				usesContext: [],
 				keywords: [],
@@ -266,7 +273,9 @@ describe( 'blocks', () => {
 				title: 'block title',
 				category: 'text',
 				icon: { src: BLOCK_ICON_DEFAULT },
-				attributes: {},
+				attributes: {
+					...lockAttribute,
+				},
 				providesContext: {},
 				usesContext: [],
 				keywords: [],
@@ -298,6 +307,7 @@ describe( 'blocks', () => {
 					title: 'block title',
 					icon: { src: BLOCK_ICON_DEFAULT },
 					attributes: {
+						...lockAttribute,
 						ok: {
 							type: 'boolean',
 						},
@@ -332,7 +342,9 @@ describe( 'blocks', () => {
 				save: expect.any( Function ),
 				title: 'block title',
 				icon: { src: BLOCK_ICON_DEFAULT },
-				attributes: {},
+				attributes: {
+					...lockAttribute,
+				},
 				providesContext: {},
 				usesContext: [],
 				keywords: [],
@@ -363,7 +375,9 @@ describe( 'blocks', () => {
 				save: expect.any( Function ),
 				title: 'block title',
 				icon: { src: BLOCK_ICON_DEFAULT },
-				attributes: {},
+				attributes: {
+					...lockAttribute,
+				},
 				providesContext: {
 					fontSize: 'fontSize',
 				},
@@ -400,7 +414,9 @@ describe( 'blocks', () => {
 				title: 'block title',
 				category: 'widgets',
 				icon: { src: BLOCK_ICON_DEFAULT },
-				attributes: {},
+				attributes: {
+					...lockAttribute,
+				},
 				providesContext: {},
 				usesContext: [],
 				keywords: [],
@@ -467,7 +483,9 @@ describe( 'blocks', () => {
 						</svg>
 					),
 				},
-				attributes: {},
+				attributes: {
+					...lockAttribute,
+				},
 				providesContext: {},
 				usesContext: [],
 				keywords: [],
@@ -497,7 +515,9 @@ describe( 'blocks', () => {
 				icon: {
 					src: 'foo',
 				},
-				attributes: {},
+				attributes: {
+					...lockAttribute,
+				},
 				providesContext: {},
 				usesContext: [],
 				keywords: [],
@@ -541,7 +561,9 @@ describe( 'blocks', () => {
 				icon: {
 					src: MyTestIcon,
 				},
-				attributes: {},
+				attributes: {
+					...lockAttribute,
+				},
 				providesContext: {},
 				usesContext: [],
 				keywords: [],
@@ -599,7 +621,9 @@ describe( 'blocks', () => {
 						</svg>
 					),
 				},
-				attributes: {},
+				attributes: {
+					...lockAttribute,
+				},
 				providesContext: {},
 				usesContext: [],
 				keywords: [],
@@ -624,7 +648,9 @@ describe( 'blocks', () => {
 				category: 'text',
 				title: 'block title',
 				icon: { src: BLOCK_ICON_DEFAULT },
-				attributes: {},
+				attributes: {
+					...lockAttribute,
+				},
 				providesContext: {},
 				usesContext: [],
 				keywords: [],
@@ -816,7 +842,9 @@ describe( 'blocks', () => {
 					src: 'palmtree',
 				},
 				keywords: [],
-				attributes: {},
+				attributes: {
+					...lockAttribute,
+				},
 				providesContext: {},
 				usesContext: [],
 				supports: {},
@@ -882,7 +910,9 @@ describe( 'blocks', () => {
 					src: 'palmtree',
 				},
 				keywords: [ 'i18n (translated)', 'metadata (translated)' ],
-				attributes: {},
+				attributes: {
+					...lockAttribute,
+				},
 				providesContext: {},
 				usesContext: [],
 				supports: {},
@@ -946,7 +976,9 @@ describe( 'blocks', () => {
 					category: 'text',
 					title: 'block title',
 					icon: { src: BLOCK_ICON_DEFAULT },
-					attributes: {},
+					attributes: {
+						...lockAttribute,
+					},
 					providesContext: {},
 					usesContext: [],
 					keywords: [],
@@ -963,7 +995,9 @@ describe( 'blocks', () => {
 				category: 'text',
 				title: 'block title',
 				icon: { src: BLOCK_ICON_DEFAULT },
-				attributes: {},
+				attributes: {
+					...lockAttribute,
+				},
 				providesContext: {},
 				usesContext: [],
 				keywords: [],
@@ -1041,7 +1075,9 @@ describe( 'blocks', () => {
 				category: 'text',
 				title: 'block title',
 				icon: { src: BLOCK_ICON_DEFAULT },
-				attributes: {},
+				attributes: {
+					...lockAttribute,
+				},
 				providesContext: {},
 				usesContext: [],
 				keywords: [],
@@ -1065,7 +1101,9 @@ describe( 'blocks', () => {
 				category: 'text',
 				title: 'block title',
 				icon: { src: BLOCK_ICON_DEFAULT },
-				attributes: {},
+				attributes: {
+					...lockAttribute,
+				},
 				providesContext: {},
 				usesContext: [],
 				keywords: [],
@@ -1096,7 +1134,9 @@ describe( 'blocks', () => {
 					category: 'text',
 					title: 'block title',
 					icon: { src: BLOCK_ICON_DEFAULT },
-					attributes: {},
+					attributes: {
+						...lockAttribute,
+					},
 					providesContext: {},
 					usesContext: [],
 					keywords: [],
@@ -1111,7 +1151,9 @@ describe( 'blocks', () => {
 					category: 'text',
 					title: 'block title',
 					icon: { src: BLOCK_ICON_DEFAULT },
-					attributes: {},
+					attributes: {
+						...lockAttribute,
+					},
 					providesContext: {},
 					usesContext: [],
 					keywords: [],
diff --git a/packages/blocks/src/api/test/utils.js b/packages/blocks/src/api/test/utils.js
index 3ffc1bf5944bc5..fd125581816354 100644
--- a/packages/blocks/src/api/test/utils.js
+++ b/packages/blocks/src/api/test/utils.js
@@ -359,10 +359,10 @@ describe( '__experimentalGetBlockAttributesNamesByRole', () => {
 			'core/test-block-3',
 		].forEach( unregisterBlockType );
 	} );
-	it( 'should return empty array if block has no attributes', () => {
+	it( 'should return lock attribute block has no other attributes', () => {
 		expect(
 			__experimentalGetBlockAttributesNamesByRole( 'core/test-block-3' )
-		).toEqual( [] );
+		).toEqual( [ 'lock' ] );
 	} );
 	it( 'should return all attribute names if no role is provided', () => {
 		expect(