diff --git a/Neos.Neos/Classes/Domain/Model/Site.php b/Neos.Neos/Classes/Domain/Model/Site.php
index b1d1fac85fd..15c278beaa9 100644
--- a/Neos.Neos/Classes/Domain/Model/Site.php
+++ b/Neos.Neos/Classes/Domain/Model/Site.php
@@ -380,10 +380,19 @@ public function emitSiteChanged()
 
     public function getConfiguration(): SiteConfiguration
     {
-        $siteSettingsPath = array_key_exists($this->nodeName, $this->sitesConfiguration) ? $this->nodeName : '*';
+        if (array_key_exists($this->nodeName, $this->sitesConfiguration)) {
+            $siteSettingsPath = $this->nodeName;
+        } else {
+            if (!array_key_exists('*', $this->sitesConfiguration)) {
+                throw new \RuntimeException(sprintf('Missing configuration for "Neos.Neos.sites.%s" or fallback "Neos.Neos.sites.*"', $this->nodeName), 1714230658);
+            }
+            $siteSettingsPath = '*';
+        }
         $siteSettings = $this->sitesConfiguration[$siteSettingsPath];
         if (isset($siteSettings['preset'])) {
-            is_string($siteSettings['preset']) || throw new \RuntimeException(sprintf('Invalid "preset" configuration for "Neos.Neos.sites.%s". Expected string, got: %s', $siteSettingsPath, get_debug_type($siteSettings['preset'])), 1699785648);
+            if (!is_string($siteSettings['preset'])) {
+                throw new \RuntimeException(sprintf('Invalid "preset" configuration for "Neos.Neos.sites.%s". Expected string, got: %s', $siteSettingsPath, get_debug_type($siteSettings['preset'])), 1699785648);
+            }
             if (!isset($this->sitePresetsConfiguration[$siteSettings['preset']]) || !is_array($this->sitePresetsConfiguration[$siteSettings['preset']])) {
                 throw new \RuntimeException(sprintf('Site settings "Neos.Neos.sites.%s" refer to a preset "%s", but no corresponding preset is configured', $siteSettingsPath, $siteSettings['preset']), 1699785736);
             }
diff --git a/Neos.Neos/Tests/Unit/Domain/Model/SiteTest.php b/Neos.Neos/Tests/Unit/Domain/Model/SiteTest.php
index b7054ba7a3e..70de94487e1 100644
--- a/Neos.Neos/Tests/Unit/Domain/Model/SiteTest.php
+++ b/Neos.Neos/Tests/Unit/Domain/Model/SiteTest.php
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
  */
 use Neos\Flow\Tests\UnitTestCase;
 use Neos\Neos\Domain\Model\Site;
+use Neos\Utility\ObjectAccess;
 
 /**
  * Testcase for the "Site" domain model
@@ -57,4 +58,51 @@ public function theSiteResourcesPackageKeyCanBeSetAndRetrieved()
         $site->setSiteResourcesPackageKey('Foo');
         self::assertSame('Foo', $site->getSiteResourcesPackageKey());
     }
+
+    public static function getConfigurationFailingDataProvider(): iterable
+    {
+        yield 'no matching nor default site config' => ['nodeTypeName' => 'siteNodeName', 'sitesConfiguration' => [], 'sitePresetConfiguration' => [], 'expectedExceptionMessage' => 'Missing configuration for "Neos.Neos.sites.siteNodeName" or fallback "Neos.Neos.sites.*"'];
+        yield 'referring non-string preset' => ['nodeTypeName' => 'siteNodeName', 'sitesConfiguration' => ['siteNodeName' => ['preset' => false]], 'sitePresetConfiguration' => [], 'expectedExceptionMessage' => 'Invalid "preset" configuration for "Neos.Neos.sites.siteNodeName". Expected string, got: bool'];
+        yield 'referring non-existing preset' => ['nodeTypeName' => 'siteNodeName', 'sitesConfiguration' => ['siteNodeName' => ['preset' => 'nonExistingPreset']], 'sitePresetConfiguration' => [], 'expectedExceptionMessage' => 'Site settings "Neos.Neos.sites.siteNodeName" refer to a preset "nonExistingPreset"'];
+        yield 'missing content repository identifier' => ['nodeTypeName' => 'siteNodeName', 'sitesConfiguration' => ['siteNodeName' => []], 'sitePresetConfiguration' => [], 'expectedExceptionMessage' => 'There is no content repository identifier configured in Sites configuration in Settings.yaml: Neos.Neos.sites.*.contentRepository'];
+        yield 'missing content dimension resolver factory' => ['nodeTypeName' => 'siteNodeName', 'sitesConfiguration' => ['siteNodeName' => ['contentRepository' => 'default']], 'sitePresetConfiguration' => [], 'expectedExceptionMessage' => 'No Dimension Resolver Factory configured at Neos.Neos.sites.*.contentDimensions.resolver.factoryClassName'];
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @test
+     * @dataProvider getConfigurationFailingDataProvider
+     */
+    public function getConfigurationFailingTests(string $nodeTypeName, array $sitesConfiguration, array $sitePresetsConfiguration, string $expectedExceptionMessage): void
+    {
+        $site = new Site($nodeTypeName);
+        ObjectAccess::setProperty($site, 'sitesConfiguration', $sitesConfiguration, true);
+        ObjectAccess::setProperty($site, 'sitePresetsConfiguration', $sitePresetsConfiguration, true);
+
+        $this->expectException(\RuntimeException::class);
+        $this->expectExceptionMessage($expectedExceptionMessage);
+        $site->getConfiguration();
+    }
+
+    public static function getConfigurationSucceedingDataProvider(): iterable
+    {
+        yield 'minimal configuration' => ['nodeTypeName' => 'siteNodeName', 'sitesConfiguration' => ['siteNodeName' => ['contentRepository' => 'default', 'contentDimensions' => ['resolver' => ['factoryClassName' => 'Foo']]]], 'sitePresetConfiguration' => [], 'expectedConfiguration' => ['contentRepositoryId' => 'default', 'contentDimensionResolverFactoryClassName' => 'Foo', 'contentDimensionResolverOptions' => [], 'defaultDimensionSpacePoint' => [], 'uriPathSuffix' => '']];
+        yield 'full configuration' => ['nodeTypeName' => 'siteNodeName', 'sitesConfiguration' => ['siteNodeName' => ['contentRepository' => 'custom_repo', 'contentDimensions' => ['resolver' => ['factoryClassName' => 'Bar', 'options' => ['some' => 'options']], 'defaultDimensionSpacePoint' => ['language' => 'de']], 'uriPathSuffix' => 'some-suffix']], 'sitePresetConfiguration' => [], 'expectedConfiguration' => ['contentRepositoryId' => 'custom_repo', 'contentDimensionResolverFactoryClassName' => 'Bar', 'contentDimensionResolverOptions' => ['some' => 'options'], 'defaultDimensionSpacePoint' => ['language' => 'de'], 'uriPathSuffix' => 'some-suffix']];
+        yield 'full configuration from fallback' => ['nodeTypeName' => 'siteNodeName', 'sitesConfiguration' => ['*' => ['contentRepository' => 'custom_repo', 'contentDimensions' => ['resolver' => ['factoryClassName' => 'Bar', 'options' => ['some' => 'options']], 'defaultDimensionSpacePoint' => ['language' => 'de']], 'uriPathSuffix' => 'some-suffix']], 'sitePresetConfiguration' => [], 'expectedConfiguration' => ['contentRepositoryId' => 'custom_repo', 'contentDimensionResolverFactoryClassName' => 'Bar', 'contentDimensionResolverOptions' => ['some' => 'options'], 'defaultDimensionSpacePoint' => ['language' => 'de'], 'uriPathSuffix' => 'some-suffix']];
+        yield 'full configuration merged with preset' => ['nodeTypeName' => 'siteNodeName', 'sitesConfiguration' => ['siteNodeName' => ['preset' => 'somePreset', 'contentDimensions' => ['defaultDimensionSpacePoint' => ['country' => 'DE']], 'uriPathSuffix' => 'some-overridden-suffix']], 'sitePresetConfiguration' => ['somePreset' => ['contentRepository' => 'custom_repo', 'contentDimensions' => ['resolver' => ['factoryClassName' => 'Bar', 'options' => ['some' => 'options']], 'defaultDimensionSpacePoint' => ['language' => 'de']], 'uriPathSuffix' => 'some-default-suffix']], 'expectedConfiguration' => ['contentRepositoryId' => 'custom_repo', 'contentDimensionResolverFactoryClassName' => 'Bar', 'contentDimensionResolverOptions' => ['some' => 'options'], 'defaultDimensionSpacePoint' => ['language' => 'de', 'country' => 'DE'], 'uriPathSuffix' => 'some-overridden-suffix']];
+        yield 'full configuration from fallback merged with preset' => ['nodeTypeName' => 'siteNodeName', 'sitesConfiguration' => ['*' => ['preset' => 'somePreset', 'contentDimensions' => ['defaultDimensionSpacePoint' => ['country' => 'DE']], 'uriPathSuffix' => 'some-overridden-suffix']], 'sitePresetConfiguration' => ['somePreset' => ['contentRepository' => 'custom_repo', 'contentDimensions' => ['resolver' => ['factoryClassName' => 'Bar', 'options' => ['some' => 'options']], 'defaultDimensionSpacePoint' => ['language' => 'de']], 'uriPathSuffix' => 'some-default-suffix']], 'expectedConfiguration' => ['contentRepositoryId' => 'custom_repo', 'contentDimensionResolverFactoryClassName' => 'Bar', 'contentDimensionResolverOptions' => ['some' => 'options'], 'defaultDimensionSpacePoint' => ['language' => 'de', 'country' => 'DE'], 'uriPathSuffix' => 'some-overridden-suffix']];
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @test
+     * @dataProvider getConfigurationSucceedingDataProvider
+     */
+    public function getConfigurationSucceedingTests(string $nodeTypeName, array $sitesConfiguration, array $sitePresetsConfiguration, array $expectedConfiguration): void
+    {
+        $site = new Site($nodeTypeName);
+        ObjectAccess::setProperty($site, 'sitesConfiguration', $sitesConfiguration, true);
+        ObjectAccess::setProperty($site, 'sitePresetsConfiguration', $sitePresetsConfiguration, true);
+
+        $configuration = $site->getConfiguration();
+        self::assertSame($expectedConfiguration, json_decode(json_encode($configuration), true));
+    }
 }