diff --git a/app/Entities/Controllers/PageController.php b/app/Entities/Controllers/PageController.php
index 11f19f72f..d92934123 100644
--- a/app/Entities/Controllers/PageController.php
+++ b/app/Entities/Controllers/PageController.php
@@ -279,11 +279,13 @@ class PageController extends Controller
         $page = $this->pageRepo->getById($pageId);
         $this->checkOwnablePermission('page-update', $page);
         $this->setPageTitle(trans('entities.pages_delete_draft_named', ['pageName' => $page->getShortName()]));
+        $usedAsTemplate = Book::query()->where('default_template', '=', $page->id)->count() > 0;
 
         return view('pages.delete', [
             'book'    => $page->book,
             'page'    => $page,
             'current' => $page,
+            'usedAsTemplate' => $usedAsTemplate,
         ]);
     }
 
diff --git a/app/Entities/Models/Book.php b/app/Entities/Models/Book.php
index 19aba0525..faae276a5 100644
--- a/app/Entities/Models/Book.php
+++ b/app/Entities/Models/Book.php
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ use Illuminate\Support\Collection;
  *
  * @property string                                   $description
  * @property int                                      $image_id
+ * @property ?int                                     $default_template
  * @property Image|null                               $cover
  * @property \Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Collection $chapters
  * @property \Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Collection $pages
diff --git a/app/Entities/Repos/BookRepo.php b/app/Entities/Repos/BookRepo.php
index 737caa70b..b46218fe0 100644
--- a/app/Entities/Repos/BookRepo.php
+++ b/app/Entities/Repos/BookRepo.php
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ namespace BookStack\Entities\Repos;
 use BookStack\Activity\ActivityType;
 use BookStack\Activity\TagRepo;
 use BookStack\Entities\Models\Book;
+use BookStack\Entities\Models\Page;
 use BookStack\Entities\Tools\TrashCan;
 use BookStack\Exceptions\ImageUploadException;
 use BookStack\Exceptions\NotFoundException;
@@ -17,18 +18,11 @@ use Illuminate\Support\Collection;
 
 class BookRepo
 {
-    protected $baseRepo;
-    protected $tagRepo;
-    protected $imageRepo;
-
-    /**
-     * BookRepo constructor.
-     */
-    public function __construct(BaseRepo $baseRepo, TagRepo $tagRepo, ImageRepo $imageRepo)
-    {
-        $this->baseRepo = $baseRepo;
-        $this->tagRepo = $tagRepo;
-        $this->imageRepo = $imageRepo;
+    public function __construct(
+        protected BaseRepo $baseRepo,
+        protected TagRepo $tagRepo,
+        protected ImageRepo $imageRepo
+    ) {
     }
 
     /**
@@ -104,6 +98,10 @@ class BookRepo
     {
         $this->baseRepo->update($book, $input);
 
+        if (array_key_exists('default_template', $input)) {
+            $this->updateBookDefaultTemplate($book, intval($input['default_template']));
+        }
+
         if (array_key_exists('image', $input)) {
             $this->baseRepo->updateCoverImage($book, $input['image'], $input['image'] === null);
         }
@@ -113,6 +111,33 @@ class BookRepo
         return $book;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Update the default page template used for this book.
+     * Checks that, if changing, the provided value is a valid template and the user
+     * has visibility of the provided page template id.
+     */
+    protected function updateBookDefaultTemplate(Book $book, int $templateId): void
+    {
+        $changing = $templateId !== intval($book->default_template);
+        if (!$changing) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        if ($templateId === 0) {
+            $book->default_template = null;
+            $book->save();
+            return;
+        }
+
+        $templateExists = Page::query()->visible()
+            ->where('template', '=', true)
+            ->where('id', '=', $templateId)
+            ->exists();
+
+        $book->default_template = $templateExists ? $templateId : null;
+        $book->save();
+    }
+
     /**
      * Update the given book's cover image, or clear it.
      *
diff --git a/app/Entities/Tools/TrashCan.php b/app/Entities/Tools/TrashCan.php
index 08276230c..b0c452456 100644
--- a/app/Entities/Tools/TrashCan.php
+++ b/app/Entities/Tools/TrashCan.php
@@ -202,6 +202,10 @@ class TrashCan
             $attachmentService->deleteFile($attachment);
         }
 
+        // Remove book template usages
+        Book::query()->where('default_template', '=', $page->id)
+            ->update(['default_template' => null]);
+
         $page->forceDelete();
 
         return 1;
diff --git a/app/Search/SearchController.php b/app/Search/SearchController.php
index 09a67f2b5..6cf12a579 100644
--- a/app/Search/SearchController.php
+++ b/app/Search/SearchController.php
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 namespace BookStack\Search;
 
+use BookStack\Entities\Models\Page;
 use BookStack\Entities\Queries\Popular;
 use BookStack\Entities\Tools\SiblingFetcher;
 use BookStack\Http\Controller;
@@ -82,6 +83,32 @@ class SearchController extends Controller
         return view('search.parts.entity-selector-list', ['entities' => $entities, 'permission' => $permission]);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Search for a list of templates to choose from.
+     */
+    public function templatesForSelector(Request $request)
+    {
+        $searchTerm = $request->get('term', false);
+
+        if ($searchTerm !== false) {
+            $searchOptions = SearchOptions::fromString($searchTerm);
+            $searchOptions->setFilter('is_template');
+            $entities = $this->searchRunner->searchEntities($searchOptions, 'page', 1, 20)['results'];
+        } else {
+            $entities = Page::visible()
+                ->where('template', '=', true)
+                ->where('draft', '=', false)
+                ->orderBy('updated_at', 'desc')
+                ->take(20)
+                ->get(Page::$listAttributes);
+        }
+
+        return view('search.parts.entity-selector-list', [
+            'entities' => $entities,
+            'permission' => 'view'
+        ]);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Search for a list of entities and return a partial HTML response of matching entities
      * to be used as a result preview suggestion list for global system searches.
diff --git a/app/Search/SearchOptions.php b/app/Search/SearchOptions.php
index d38fc8d57..fffa03db0 100644
--- a/app/Search/SearchOptions.php
+++ b/app/Search/SearchOptions.php
@@ -170,6 +170,14 @@ class SearchOptions
         return $parsed;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Set the value of a specific filter in the search options.
+     */
+    public function setFilter(string $filterName, string $filterValue = ''): void
+    {
+        $this->filters[$filterName] = $filterValue;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Encode this instance to a search string.
      */
diff --git a/app/Search/SearchRunner.php b/app/Search/SearchRunner.php
index fc36cb816..aac9d1000 100644
--- a/app/Search/SearchRunner.php
+++ b/app/Search/SearchRunner.php
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ class SearchRunner
         $entityTypesToSearch = $entityTypes;
 
         if ($entityType !== 'all') {
-            $entityTypesToSearch = $entityType;
+            $entityTypesToSearch = [$entityType];
         } elseif (isset($searchOpts->filters['type'])) {
             $entityTypesToSearch = explode('|', $searchOpts->filters['type']);
         }
@@ -469,6 +469,13 @@ class SearchRunner
         });
     }
 
+    protected function filterIsTemplate(EloquentBuilder $query, Entity $model, $input)
+    {
+        if ($model instanceof Page) {
+            $query->where('template', '=', true);
+        }
+    }
+
     protected function filterSortBy(EloquentBuilder $query, Entity $model, $input)
     {
         $functionName = Str::camel('sort_by_' . $input);
diff --git a/database/migrations/2023_12_02_104541_add_default_template_to_books.php b/database/migrations/2023_12_02_104541_add_default_template_to_books.php
index 755f83b5c..913361dcb 100644
--- a/database/migrations/2023_12_02_104541_add_default_template_to_books.php
+++ b/database/migrations/2023_12_02_104541_add_default_template_to_books.php
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ class AddDefaultTemplateToBooks extends Migration
     public function up()
     {
         Schema::table('books', function (Blueprint $table) {
-            $table->integer('default_template')->nullable();
+            $table->integer('default_template')->nullable()->default(null);
         });
     }
 
diff --git a/lang/en/entities.php b/lang/en/entities.php
index ee612b7ba..354eee42e 100644
--- a/lang/en/entities.php
+++ b/lang/en/entities.php
@@ -133,7 +133,8 @@ return [
     'books_form_book_name' => 'Book Name',
     'books_save' => 'Save Book',
     'books_default_template' => 'Default Page Template',
-    'books_default_template_explain' => 'Assign a default template that will be used for all new pages in this book. Keep in mind this will only be used if the page creator has view access to those chosen template.',
+    'books_default_template_explain' => 'Assign a page template that will be used as the default content for all new pages in this book. Keep in mind this will only be used if the page creator has view access to those chosen template page.',
+    'books_default_template_select' => 'Select a template page',
     'books_permissions' => 'Book Permissions',
     'books_permissions_updated' => 'Book Permissions Updated',
     'books_empty_contents' => 'No pages or chapters have been created for this book.',
@@ -206,7 +207,7 @@ return [
     'pages_delete_draft' => 'Delete Draft Page',
     'pages_delete_success' => 'Page deleted',
     'pages_delete_draft_success' => 'Draft page deleted',
-    'pages_delete_warning_template' => 'This page is in active use as a book default page template. These books will no longer have a page default template assigned after this page is deleted.',
+    'pages_delete_warning_template' => 'This page is in active use as a book default page template. These books will no longer have a default page template assigned after this page is deleted.',
     'pages_delete_confirm' => 'Are you sure you want to delete this page?',
     'pages_delete_draft_confirm' => 'Are you sure you want to delete this draft page?',
     'pages_editing_named' => 'Editing Page :pageName',
diff --git a/resources/js/components/entity-selector.js b/resources/js/components/entity-selector.js
index 9cda35874..b12eeb402 100644
--- a/resources/js/components/entity-selector.js
+++ b/resources/js/components/entity-selector.js
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ export class EntitySelector extends Component {
         this.elem = this.$el;
         this.entityTypes = this.$opts.entityTypes || 'page,book,chapter';
         this.entityPermission = this.$opts.entityPermission || 'view';
+        this.searchEndpoint = this.$opts.searchEndpoint || '/search/entity-selector';
 
         this.input = this.$refs.input;
         this.searchInput = this.$refs.search;
@@ -18,7 +19,6 @@ export class EntitySelector extends Component {
 
         this.search = '';
         this.lastClick = 0;
-        this.selectedItemData = null;
 
         this.setupListeners();
         this.showLoading();
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ export class EntitySelector extends Component {
     }
 
     searchUrl() {
-        return `/search/entity-selector?types=${encodeURIComponent(this.entityTypes)}&permission=${encodeURIComponent(this.entityPermission)}`;
+        return `${this.searchEndpoint}?types=${encodeURIComponent(this.entityTypes)}&permission=${encodeURIComponent(this.entityPermission)}`;
     }
 
     searchEntities(searchTerm) {
@@ -153,7 +153,6 @@ export class EntitySelector extends Component {
 
         if (isSelected) {
             item.classList.add('selected');
-            this.selectedItemData = data;
         } else {
             window.$events.emit('entity-select-change', null);
         }
@@ -177,7 +176,6 @@ export class EntitySelector extends Component {
         for (const selectedElem of selected) {
             selectedElem.classList.remove('selected', 'primary-background');
         }
-        this.selectedItemData = null;
     }
 
 }
diff --git a/resources/sass/_layout.scss b/resources/sass/_layout.scss
index d157ffdc3..94a36ecba 100644
--- a/resources/sass/_layout.scss
+++ b/resources/sass/_layout.scss
@@ -266,6 +266,10 @@ body.flexbox {
   display: none !important;
 }
 
+.overflow-hidden {
+  overflow: hidden;
+}
+
 .fill-height {
   height: 100%;
 }
diff --git a/resources/views/books/parts/form.blade.php b/resources/views/books/parts/form.blade.php
index a6b0eade2..b16468a09 100644
--- a/resources/views/books/parts/form.blade.php
+++ b/resources/views/books/parts/form.blade.php
@@ -40,11 +40,25 @@
         <label for="template-manager">{{ trans('entities.books_default_template') }}</label>
     </button>
     <div refs="collapsible@content" class="collapse-content">
-        @include('books.parts.template-selector', ['entity' => $book ?? null, 'templates' => []])
+        <div class="flex-container-row items-center gap-m justify-space-between pt-s pb-xs">
+            <p class="text-muted small my-none">
+                {{ trans('entities.books_default_template_explain') }}
+            </p>
+
+
+            @include('form.page-picker', [
+                'name' => 'default_template',
+                'placeholder' => trans('entities.books_default_template_select'),
+                'value' => $book?->default_template ?? null,
+            ])
+        </div>
+
     </div>
 </div>
 
 <div class="form-group text-right">
     <a href="{{ $returnLocation }}" class="button outline">{{ trans('common.cancel') }}</a>
     <button type="submit" class="button">{{ trans('entities.books_save') }}</button>
-</div>
\ No newline at end of file
+</div>
+
+@include('entities.selector-popup', ['entityTypes' => 'page', 'selectorEndpoint' => '/search/entity-selector-templates'])
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/resources/views/books/parts/template-selector.blade.php b/resources/views/books/parts/template-selector.blade.php
deleted file mode 100644
index 90c5e421b..000000000
--- a/resources/views/books/parts/template-selector.blade.php
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-<p class="text-muted small">
-    {{ trans('entities.books_default_template_explain') }}
-</p>
-
-<select name="default_template" id="default_template">
-    <option value="">---</option>
-    @foreach ($templates as $template)
-        <option @if(isset($entity) && $entity->default_template === $template->id) selected @endif value="{{ $template->id }}">{{ $template->name }}</option>
-    @endforeach
-</select>
-
-
-@include('settings.parts.page-picker', ['name' => 'setting-app-homepage', 'placeholder' => trans('settings.app_homepage_select'), 'value' => setting('app-homepage')])
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/resources/views/entities/selector-popup.blade.php b/resources/views/entities/selector-popup.blade.php
index c896b50b5..d4c941e9a 100644
--- a/resources/views/entities/selector-popup.blade.php
+++ b/resources/views/entities/selector-popup.blade.php
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
             </div>
             @include('entities.selector', ['name' => 'entity-selector'])
             <div class="popup-footer">
-                <button refs="entity-selector-popup@select" type="button" disabled="true" class="button">{{ trans('common.select') }}</button>
+                <button refs="entity-selector-popup@select" type="button" disabled class="button">{{ trans('common.select') }}</button>
             </div>
         </div>
     </div>
diff --git a/resources/views/entities/selector.blade.php b/resources/views/entities/selector.blade.php
index a9f5b932c..c1280cfb2 100644
--- a/resources/views/entities/selector.blade.php
+++ b/resources/views/entities/selector.blade.php
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@
          refs="entity-selector-popup@selector"
          class="entity-selector {{$selectorSize ?? ''}}"
          option:entity-selector:entity-types="{{ $entityTypes ?? 'book,chapter,page' }}"
-         option:entity-selector:entity-permission="{{ $entityPermission ?? 'view' }}">
+         option:entity-selector:entity-permission="{{ $entityPermission ?? 'view' }}"
+         option:entity-selector:search-endpoint="{{ $selectorEndpoint ?? '/search/entity-selector' }}">
         <input refs="entity-selector@input" type="hidden" name="{{$name}}" value="">
         <input refs="entity-selector@search" type="text" placeholder="{{ trans('common.search') }}" @if($autofocus ?? false) autofocus @endif>
         <div class="text-center loading" refs="entity-selector@loading">@include('common.loading-icon')</div>
diff --git a/resources/views/settings/parts/page-picker.blade.php b/resources/views/form/page-picker.blade.php
similarity index 86%
rename from resources/views/settings/parts/page-picker.blade.php
rename to resources/views/form/page-picker.blade.php
index d599a19ab..90ce75676 100644
--- a/resources/views/settings/parts/page-picker.blade.php
+++ b/resources/views/form/page-picker.blade.php
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 
 {{--Depends on entity selector popup--}}
 <div component="page-picker">
-    <div class="input-base">
+    <div class="input-base overflow-hidden">
         <span @if($value) style="display: none" @endif refs="page-picker@default-display" class="text-muted italic">{{ $placeholder }}</span>
-        <a @if(!$value) style="display: none" @endif href="{{ url('/link/' . $value) }}" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="text-page" refs="page-picker@display">#{{$value}}, {{$value ? \BookStack\Entities\Models\Page::find($value)->name : '' }}</a>
+        <a @if(!$value) style="display: none" @endif href="{{ url('/link/' . $value) }}" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="text-page" refs="page-picker@display">#{{$value}}, {{$value ? \BookStack\Entities\Models\Page::query()->visible()->find($value)->name ?? '' : '' }}</a>
     </div>
     <br>
     <input refs="page-picker@input" type="hidden" value="{{$value}}" name="{{$name}}" id="{{$name}}">
diff --git a/resources/views/pages/delete.blade.php b/resources/views/pages/delete.blade.php
index 40125dfe2..a9c4b73ad 100644
--- a/resources/views/pages/delete.blade.php
+++ b/resources/views/pages/delete.blade.php
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
             <h1 class="list-heading">{{ $page->draft ? trans('entities.pages_delete_draft') : trans('entities.pages_delete') }}</h1>
 
             @if($usedAsTemplate)
-                <p>{{ trans('entities.pages_delete_warning_template') }}</p>
+                <p class="text-warn">{{ trans('entities.pages_delete_warning_template') }}</p>
             @endif
 
             <div class="grid half v-center">
diff --git a/resources/views/settings/customization.blade.php b/resources/views/settings/customization.blade.php
index be99cc254..7112ebcff 100644
--- a/resources/views/settings/customization.blade.php
+++ b/resources/views/settings/customization.blade.php
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@
                     </select>
 
                     <div refs="setting-homepage-control@page-picker-container" style="display: none;" class="mt-m">
-                        @include('settings.parts.page-picker', ['name' => 'setting-app-homepage', 'placeholder' => trans('settings.app_homepage_select'), 'value' => setting('app-homepage')])
+                        @include('form.page-picker', ['name' => 'setting-app-homepage', 'placeholder' => trans('settings.app_homepage_select'), 'value' => setting('app-homepage')])
                     </div>
                 </div>
             </div>
diff --git a/routes/web.php b/routes/web.php
index 8fc90ee54..4620cd08b 100644
--- a/routes/web.php
+++ b/routes/web.php
@@ -182,6 +182,7 @@ Route::middleware('auth')->group(function () {
     Route::get('/search/chapter/{bookId}', [SearchController::class, 'searchChapter']);
     Route::get('/search/entity/siblings', [SearchController::class, 'searchSiblings']);
     Route::get('/search/entity-selector', [SearchController::class, 'searchForSelector']);
+    Route::get('/search/entity-selector-templates', [SearchController::class, 'templatesForSelector']);
     Route::get('/search/suggest', [SearchController::class, 'searchSuggestions']);
 
     // User Search