diff --git a/lib/templates.php b/lib/templates.php
index b459ca758ccefc..5101c0a91d2966 100644
--- a/lib/templates.php
+++ b/lib/templates.php
@@ -9,11 +9,39 @@
  * Registers Gutenberg core block editor templates.
  */
 function gutenberg_register_templates() {
-	$post_post_type_object                = get_post_type_object( 'post' );
-	$post_post_type_object->template      = array(
-		array( 'core/post-title' ),
-		array( 'core/post-content', array(), array( array( 'core/paragraph' ) ) ),
+	register_post_type(
+		'wp_template',
+		array(
+			'labels'       => array(
+				'name' => __( 'Templates', 'gutenberg' ),
+			),
+			'show_in_rest' => true,
+		)
 	);
-	$post_post_type_object->template_lock = 'insert';
+
+	$template_query = new WP_Query(
+		array(
+			'post_type' => 'wp_template',
+			'name'      => 'single-post',
+		)
+	);
+
+	$template;
+	if ( ! $template_query->have_posts() ) {
+		$template_id = wp_insert_post(
+			array(
+				'post_type'    => 'wp_template',
+				'post_name'    => 'single-post',
+				'post_content' => '<!-- wp:post-title /--><!-- wp:post-content --><!-- wp:paragraph --><p></p><!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- /wp:post-content -->',
+			)
+		);
+		$template    = get_post( $template_id );
+	} else {
+		$template = $template_query->get_posts();
+		$template = $template[0];
+	}
+
+	$post_type_object           = get_post_type_object( 'post' );
+	$post_type_object->template = $template;
 }
 add_action( 'init', 'gutenberg_register_templates' );
diff --git a/packages/blocks/src/api/templates.js b/packages/blocks/src/api/templates.js
index d09be49453e702..8bde810549d0d7 100644
--- a/packages/blocks/src/api/templates.js
+++ b/packages/blocks/src/api/templates.js
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ export function synchronizeBlocksWithTemplate( blocks = [], template ) {
 		return blocks;
 	}
 
-	return map( template, ( [ name, attributes, innerBlocksTemplate ], index ) => {
+	return map( template, ( { name, attributes, innerBlocks: innerBlocksTemplate }, index ) => {
 		const block = blocks[ index ];
 
 		if ( block && block.name === name ) {
diff --git a/packages/editor/src/store/actions.js b/packages/editor/src/store/actions.js
index 2360bfb4b20b6d..37954d8c2dcd9a 100644
--- a/packages/editor/src/store/actions.js
+++ b/packages/editor/src/store/actions.js
@@ -124,9 +124,8 @@ export function* setupEditor( post, edits, template ) {
 	let blocks = parse( content );
 
 	// Apply a template for new posts only, if exists.
-	const isNewPost = post.status === 'auto-draft';
-	if ( isNewPost && template ) {
-		blocks = synchronizeBlocksWithTemplate( blocks, template );
+	if ( template ) {
+		blocks = synchronizeBlocksWithTemplate( blocks, parse( template.post_content ) );
 	}
 
 	yield resetPost( post );
@@ -440,11 +439,23 @@ export function* savePost( options = {} ) {
 		'getCurrentPost'
 	);
 
-	const editedPostContent = yield select(
+	let editedPostContent = yield select(
 		STORE_KEY,
 		'getEditedPostContent'
 	);
 
+	const template = ( yield select( STORE_KEY, 'getEditorSettings' ) ).template;
+	if ( template ) {
+		yield apiFetch( {
+			path: `/wp/v2/${ template.post_type }/${ template.ID }`,
+			method: 'PUT',
+			data: {
+				content: editedPostContent,
+			},
+		} );
+		editedPostContent = '';
+	}
+
 	let toSend = {
 		...edits,
 		content: editedPostContent,