diff --git a/change/@fluentui-react-headless-components-preview-popover-a11y-39583.json b/change/@fluentui-react-headless-components-preview-popover-a11y-39583.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..970627872c578
--- /dev/null
+++ b/change/@fluentui-react-headless-components-preview-popover-a11y-39583.json
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+{
+  "type": "patch",
+  "comment": "fix: add aria-controls to PopoverTrigger and name the Default story surface",
+  "packageName": "@fluentui/react-headless-components-preview",
+  "email": "vgenaev@gmail.com",
+  "dependentChangeType": "patch"
+}
diff --git a/packages/react-components/react-headless-components-preview/library/src/components/Popover/Popover.cy.tsx b/packages/react-components/react-headless-components-preview/library/src/components/Popover/Popover.cy.tsx
index 83d6cee83dc06..53085253ea7a3 100644
--- a/packages/react-components/react-headless-components-preview/library/src/components/Popover/Popover.cy.tsx
+++ b/packages/react-components/react-headless-components-preview/library/src/components/Popover/Popover.cy.tsx
@@ -335,6 +335,36 @@ describe('Popover', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('Focus on open', () => {
+    it('browser focuses a text-only surface on open', () => {
+      mount(
+        <Popover>
+          <PopoverTrigger>
+            <button data-testid="trigger">Trigger</button>
+          </PopoverTrigger>
+          <PopoverSurface data-testid="surface">Text only</PopoverSurface>
+        </Popover>,
+      );
+      cy.get('[data-testid=trigger]').focus().realPress('Enter');
+      cy.get('[data-testid=surface]').should('have.focus');
+    });
+
+    it('browser focuses the first focusable element inside the surface on open', () => {
+      mount(
+        <Popover>
+          <PopoverTrigger>
+            <button data-testid="trigger">Trigger</button>
+          </PopoverTrigger>
+          <PopoverSurface data-testid="surface">
+            <button data-testid="inner">Inner</button>
+          </PopoverSurface>
+        </Popover>,
+      );
+      cy.get('[data-testid=trigger]').focus().realPress('Enter');
+      cy.get('[data-testid=inner]').should('have.focus');
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('Focus restoration', () => {
     it('should restore focus to trigger on close', () => {
       mount(
diff --git a/packages/react-components/react-headless-components-preview/library/src/components/Popover/Popover.test.tsx b/packages/react-components/react-headless-components-preview/library/src/components/Popover/Popover.test.tsx
index 6dc5e47392e54..32eaa678fd836 100644
--- a/packages/react-components/react-headless-components-preview/library/src/components/Popover/Popover.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/react-components/react-headless-components-preview/library/src/components/Popover/Popover.test.tsx
@@ -428,6 +428,25 @@ describe('Popover', () => {
     expect(trigger).toHaveAttribute('aria-expanded', 'true');
   });
 
+  it('sets aria-controls on trigger only while open', () => {
+    const { getByText, getByRole } = render(
+      <Popover id="my-id">
+        <PopoverTrigger>
+          <button>Trigger</button>
+        </PopoverTrigger>
+        <PopoverSurface>Surface</PopoverSurface>
+      </Popover>,
+    );
+
+    const trigger = getByText('Trigger');
+    expect(trigger).not.toHaveAttribute('aria-controls');
+
+    userEvent.click(trigger);
+
+    expect(trigger).toHaveAttribute('aria-controls', 'my-id');
+    expect(getByRole('group', { hidden: true })).toHaveAttribute('id', 'my-id');
+  });
+
   it('sets data-open on trigger when open', () => {
     const { getByText } = render(
       <Popover defaultOpen>
diff --git a/packages/react-components/react-headless-components-preview/library/src/components/Popover/Popover.types.ts b/packages/react-components/react-headless-components-preview/library/src/components/Popover/Popover.types.ts
index 25631e2dc882e..b2e0c541b173e 100644
--- a/packages/react-components/react-headless-components-preview/library/src/components/Popover/Popover.types.ts
+++ b/packages/react-components/react-headless-components-preview/library/src/components/Popover/Popover.types.ts
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ export type PopoverProps = {
   /**
    * Optional id for the popover surface. When provided, this id is applied to
    * the `PopoverSurface` element and referenced by `PopoverTrigger`
-   * (`aria-details`). If omitted, a generated id is used.
+   * (`aria-details` and `aria-controls`). If omitted, a generated id is used.
    */
   id?: string;
 
diff --git a/packages/react-components/react-headless-components-preview/library/src/components/Popover/PopoverTrigger/PopoverTrigger.types.ts b/packages/react-components/react-headless-components-preview/library/src/components/Popover/PopoverTrigger/PopoverTrigger.types.ts
index 4810b962c64fb..e90dd3c824338 100644
--- a/packages/react-components/react-headless-components-preview/library/src/components/Popover/PopoverTrigger/PopoverTrigger.types.ts
+++ b/packages/react-components/react-headless-components-preview/library/src/components/Popover/PopoverTrigger/PopoverTrigger.types.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import type { PopoverTriggerChildProps as CanonicalPopoverTriggerChildProps } fr
 type HeadlessPopoverTriggerChildExtras = {
   'aria-haspopup'?: 'true';
   'aria-details'?: string;
+  'aria-controls'?: string;
   'data-open'?: string;
 };
 
diff --git a/packages/react-components/react-headless-components-preview/library/src/components/Popover/PopoverTrigger/usePopoverTrigger.ts b/packages/react-components/react-headless-components-preview/library/src/components/Popover/PopoverTrigger/usePopoverTrigger.ts
index c9c517bcc4455..403fd96a05001 100644
--- a/packages/react-components/react-headless-components-preview/library/src/components/Popover/PopoverTrigger/usePopoverTrigger.ts
+++ b/packages/react-components/react-headless-components-preview/library/src/components/Popover/PopoverTrigger/usePopoverTrigger.ts
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ export const usePopoverTrigger = (props: PopoverTriggerProps): PopoverTriggerSta
     'aria-expanded': `${open}` as 'true' | 'false',
     'aria-haspopup': 'true' as const,
     'aria-details': open ? surfaceId : undefined,
+    'aria-controls': open ? surfaceId : undefined,
     'data-open': toDataAttributeValue(open),
     ...child?.props,
     onMouseEnter: useEventCallback(mergeCallbacks(child?.props.onMouseEnter, onMouseEnter)),
diff --git a/packages/react-components/react-headless-components-preview/stories/src/Popover/PopoverBestPractices.md b/packages/react-components/react-headless-components-preview/stories/src/Popover/PopoverBestPractices.md
index 799e0ee6976cb..9c2fbd2cabab8 100644
--- a/packages/react-components/react-headless-components-preview/stories/src/Popover/PopoverBestPractices.md
+++ b/packages/react-components/react-headless-components-preview/stories/src/Popover/PopoverBestPractices.md
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 ### Do
 
 - Create nested `Popover`s as separate components.
-- If there are no interactive items in the `Popover` content, set `tabIndex={-1}` on the `PopoverSurface`.
+- If there are no interactive items in the `Popover` content, the browser focuses the `PopoverSurface` itself on open. Give it an accessible name (`aria-label` or `aria-labelledby`) and point `aria-describedby` at the content, so screen readers announce the popover and its text.
 - Use `Popover` to reduce screen clutter and host non-essential information.
 
 ### Don't
diff --git a/packages/react-components/react-headless-components-preview/stories/src/Popover/PopoverDefault.stories.tsx b/packages/react-components/react-headless-components-preview/stories/src/Popover/PopoverDefault.stories.tsx
index 919836daf1509..ba2cfe1ec9ffc 100644
--- a/packages/react-components/react-headless-components-preview/stories/src/Popover/PopoverDefault.stories.tsx
+++ b/packages/react-components/react-headless-components-preview/stories/src/Popover/PopoverDefault.stories.tsx
@@ -1,18 +1,27 @@
 import * as React from 'react';
+import { useId } from '@fluentui/react-components';
 import { Popover, PopoverTrigger, PopoverSurface } from '@fluentui/react-headless-components-preview/popover';
 
 import styles from './popover.module.css';
 
-export const Default = (): React.ReactNode => (
-  <Popover>
-    <PopoverTrigger>
-      <button className={styles.trigger}>Show popover</button>
-    </PopoverTrigger>
-    <PopoverSurface className={styles.surface}>
-      <h3 className={styles.heading}>Popover title</h3>
-      <p className={styles.body}>
-        This is the content of the popover. Click the trigger again or press Escape to close.
-      </p>
-    </PopoverSurface>
-  </Popover>
-);
+export const Default = (): React.ReactNode => {
+  const headingId = useId('popover-heading-');
+  const bodyId = useId('popover-body-');
+
+  return (
+    <Popover>
+      <PopoverTrigger>
+        <button className={styles.trigger}>Show popover</button>
+      </PopoverTrigger>
+      {/* Text-only content: the surface itself receives focus on open, so it needs a name and description. */}
+      <PopoverSurface className={styles.surface} aria-labelledby={headingId} aria-describedby={bodyId}>
+        <h3 id={headingId} className={styles.heading}>
+          Popover title
+        </h3>
+        <p id={bodyId} className={styles.body}>
+          This is the content of the popover. Click the trigger again or press Escape to close.
+        </p>
+      </PopoverSurface>
+    </Popover>
+  );
+};