diff --git a/apps/studio/src/hooks/tests/use-add-site.test.tsx b/apps/studio/src/hooks/tests/use-add-site.test.tsx
index 8646746814..df6488eb00 100644
--- a/apps/studio/src/hooks/tests/use-add-site.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/studio/src/hooks/tests/use-add-site.test.tsx
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import { useContentTabs } from 'src/hooks/use-content-tabs';
 import { useSiteDetails } from 'src/hooks/use-site-details';
 import { store } from 'src/stores';
 import { setProviderConstants } from 'src/stores/provider-constants-slice';
+import { useConnectSiteMutation } from 'src/stores/sync/connected-sites';
 import type { SyncSite } from 'src/modules/sync/types';
 import type { WPCOM } from 'wpcom/types';
 
@@ -16,6 +17,13 @@ vi.mock( 'src/hooks/use-site-details' );
 vi.mock( 'src/hooks/use-feature-flags' );
 vi.mock( 'src/hooks/use-auth' );
 vi.mock( 'src/hooks/use-content-tabs' );
+vi.mock( 'src/stores/sync/connected-sites', async ( importOriginal ) => {
+	const original = await importOriginal< typeof import('src/stores/sync/connected-sites') >();
+	return {
+		...original,
+		useConnectSiteMutation: vi.fn(),
+	};
+} );
 
 const mockPullSiteThunk = vi.hoisted( () => vi.fn() );
 
@@ -37,7 +45,7 @@ vi.mock( 'src/hooks/use-import-export', () => ( {
 	} ),
 } ) );
 
-const mockConnectWpcomSites = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue( undefined );
+const mockConnectSite = vi.fn().mockReturnValue( { unwrap: () => Promise.resolve( [] ) } );
 const mockShowOpenFolderDialog = vi.fn();
 const mockGenerateProposedSitePath = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue( {
 	path: '/default/path',
@@ -53,7 +61,6 @@ vi.mock( 'src/lib/get-ipc-api', () => ( {
 		showOpenFolderDialog: mockShowOpenFolderDialog,
 		showNotification: vi.fn(),
 		getAllCustomDomains: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue( [] ),
-		connectWpcomSites: mockConnectWpcomSites,
 		getConnectedWpcomSites: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue( [] ),
 		comparePaths: mockComparePaths,
 	} ),
@@ -78,6 +85,11 @@ describe( 'useAddSite', () => {
 			type: 'syncOperations/pullSite',
 		} ) );
 
+		vi.mocked( useConnectSiteMutation ).mockReturnValue( [
+			mockConnectSite,
+			{ isLoading: false, reset: vi.fn() },
+		] as unknown as ReturnType< typeof useConnectSiteMutation > );
+
 		// Prepopulate store with provider constants
 		store.dispatch(
 			setProviderConstants( {
@@ -271,12 +283,10 @@ describe( 'useAddSite', () => {
 			await result.current.handleCreateSite( formValues );
 		} );
 
-		expect( mockConnectWpcomSites ).toHaveBeenCalledWith( [
-			{
-				sites: [ remoteSite ],
-				localSiteId: createdSite.id,
-			},
-		] );
+		expect( mockConnectSite ).toHaveBeenCalledWith( {
+			site: remoteSite,
+			localSiteId: createdSite.id,
+		} );
 		expect( mockPullSiteThunk ).toHaveBeenCalledWith( {
 			client: mockClient,
 			connectedSite: remoteSite,
diff --git a/apps/studio/src/hooks/use-add-site.ts b/apps/studio/src/hooks/use-add-site.ts
index d1effbfd2d..44f3cb4480 100644
--- a/apps/studio/src/hooks/use-add-site.ts
+++ b/apps/studio/src/hooks/use-add-site.ts
@@ -285,7 +285,10 @@ export function useAddSite() {
 								body: __( 'Your new site was imported' ),
 							} );
 						} else if ( selectedRemoteSite && client ) {
-							await connectSite( { site: selectedRemoteSite, localSiteId: newSite.id } );
+							await connectSite( {
+								site: selectedRemoteSite,
+								localSiteId: newSite.id,
+							} ).unwrap();
 							const pullOptions: SyncOption[] = [ 'all' ];
 							void dispatch(
 								syncOperationsThunks.pullSite( {
diff --git a/apps/studio/src/modules/sync/index.tsx b/apps/studio/src/modules/sync/index.tsx
index 0891afb2a2..23d5218fa4 100644
--- a/apps/studio/src/modules/sync/index.tsx
+++ b/apps/studio/src/modules/sync/index.tsx
@@ -163,14 +163,19 @@ export function ContentTabSync( { selectedSite }: { selectedSite: SiteDetails }
 		return <NoAuthSyncTab />;
 	}
 
-	const handleConnect = async ( newConnectedSite: SyncSite ) => {
+	const handleConnect = async ( remoteSite: SyncSite ) => {
 		try {
-			await connectSite( { site: newConnectedSite, localSiteId: selectedSite.id } );
+			await connectSite( {
+				site: remoteSite,
+				localSiteId: selectedSite.id,
+			} ).unwrap();
+			return true;
 		} catch ( error ) {
 			getIpcApi().showErrorMessageBox( {
 				title: __( 'Failed to connect to site' ),
 				message: __( 'Please try again.' ),
 			} );
+			return false;
 		}
 	};
 
@@ -188,8 +193,10 @@ export function ContentTabSync( { selectedSite }: { selectedSite: SiteDetails }
 			dispatch( connectedSitesActions.openModal( reduxModalMode ) );
 			setSelectedRemoteSite( selectedSiteFromList );
 		} else {
-			await handleConnect( selectedSiteFromList );
-			dispatch( connectedSitesActions.closeModal() );
+			const didConnect = await handleConnect( selectedSiteFromList );
+			if ( didConnect ) {
+				dispatch( connectedSitesActions.closeModal() );
+			}
 		}
 	};
 
diff --git a/apps/studio/src/stores/sync/connected-sites.ts b/apps/studio/src/stores/sync/connected-sites.ts
index 2d6ac1e763..a10a2a2054 100644
--- a/apps/studio/src/stores/sync/connected-sites.ts
+++ b/apps/studio/src/stores/sync/connected-sites.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { createSlice, PayloadAction } from '@reduxjs/toolkit';
 import { createApi, fetchBaseQuery } from '@reduxjs/toolkit/query/react';
 import { getIpcApi } from 'src/lib/get-ipc-api';
 import { RootState } from 'src/stores';
+import { wpcomSitesApi } from 'src/stores/sync/wpcom-sites';
 import type { SyncSite, SyncModalMode } from 'src/modules/sync/types';
 
 type ConnectedSitesState = {
@@ -73,6 +74,17 @@ export const connectedSitesSelectors = {
 		Boolean( state.connectedSites.loadingSiteIds[ id ] ),
 };
 
+async function persistConnectedSite( site: SyncSite, localSiteId: string ) {
+	await getIpcApi().connectWpcomSites( [
+		{
+			sites: [ site ],
+			localSiteId,
+		},
+	] );
+
+	return getIpcApi().getConnectedWpcomSites( localSiteId );
+}
+
 export const connectedSitesApi = createApi( {
 	reducerPath: 'connectedSitesApi',
 	baseQuery: fetchBaseQuery(),
@@ -97,15 +109,41 @@ export const connectedSitesApi = createApi( {
 
 		connectSite: builder.mutation< SyncSite[], { site: SyncSite; localSiteId: string } >( {
 			queryFn: async ( { site, localSiteId } ) => {
-				await getIpcApi().connectWpcomSites( [
-					{
-						sites: [ site ],
-						localSiteId,
-					},
-				] );
+				const actualConnectedSites = await persistConnectedSite( site, localSiteId );
+				return { data: actualConnectedSites };
+			},
+			invalidatesTags: ( result, error, { localSiteId } ) => [
+				{ type: 'ConnectedSites', localSiteId },
+			],
+		} ),
 
-				const actualConnectedSites = await getIpcApi().getConnectedWpcomSites( localSiteId );
+		connectSiteById: builder.mutation<
+			SyncSite[],
+			{ remoteSiteId: number; localSiteId: string; userId?: number }
+		>( {
+			queryFn: async ( { remoteSiteId, localSiteId, userId }, api ) => {
+				const connectedSites = await getIpcApi().getConnectedWpcomSites( localSiteId );
+				const { data: remoteSites = [] } = await api.dispatch(
+					wpcomSitesApi.endpoints.getWpComSites.initiate(
+						{
+							connectedSiteIds: connectedSites.map( ( site ) => site.id ),
+							userId,
+						},
+						{ forceRefetch: true }
+					)
+				);
+				const siteToConnect = remoteSites.find( ( site ) => site.id === remoteSiteId );
+
+				if ( ! siteToConnect ) {
+					return {
+						error: {
+							status: 'CUSTOM_ERROR',
+							error: 'Site not found in WordPress.com sites',
+						},
+					};
+				}
 
+				const actualConnectedSites = await persistConnectedSite( siteToConnect, localSiteId );
 				return { data: actualConnectedSites };
 			},
 			invalidatesTags: ( result, error, { localSiteId } ) => [
@@ -165,6 +203,7 @@ export const connectedSitesApi = createApi( {
 export const {
 	useGetConnectedSitesForLocalSiteQuery,
 	useConnectSiteMutation,
+	useConnectSiteByIdMutation,
 	useDisconnectSiteMutation,
 	useUpdateSiteTimestampMutation,
 } = connectedSitesApi;