diff --git a/src/wp-includes/capabilities.php b/src/wp-includes/capabilities.php
index 38287dc7c3..f05c504cc1 100644
--- a/src/wp-includes/capabilities.php
+++ b/src/wp-includes/capabilities.php
@@ -241,6 +241,13 @@ function map_meta_cap( $cap, $user_id, ...$args ) {
 			}
 
 			$status_obj = get_post_status_object( $post->post_status );
+			if ( ! $status_obj ) {
+				/* translators: 1: Post status, 2: Capability name. */
+				_doing_it_wrong( __FUNCTION__, sprintf( __( 'The post status %1$s is not registered, so it may not be reliable to check the capability "%2$s" against a post with that status.' ), $post->post_status, $cap ), '5.4.0' );
+				$caps[] = 'edit_others_posts';
+				break;
+			}
+
 			if ( $status_obj->public ) {
 				$caps[] = $post_type->cap->read;
 				break;
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/tests/user/capabilities.php b/tests/phpunit/tests/user/capabilities.php
index 4e4ea12035..a5b7f3c55d 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/tests/user/capabilities.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/tests/user/capabilities.php
@@ -1773,6 +1773,29 @@ class Tests_User_Capabilities extends WP_UnitTestCase {
 		}
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @ticket 48653
+	 * @expectedIncorrectUsage map_meta_cap
+	 */
+	function test_require_edit_others_posts_if_post_status_doesnt_exist() {
+		register_post_status( 'existed' );
+		$post_id = self::factory()->post->create( array( 'post_status' => 'existed' ) );
+		_unregister_post_status( 'existed' );
+
+		$subscriber_id = self::$users['subscriber']->ID;
+		$editor_id     = self::$users['editor']->ID;
+
+		foreach ( array( 'read_post', 'read_page' ) as $cap ) {
+			wp_set_current_user( $subscriber_id );
+			$this->assertSame( array( 'edit_others_posts' ), map_meta_cap( $cap, $subscriber_id, $post_id ) );
+			$this->assertFalse( current_user_can( $cap, $post_id ) );
+
+			wp_set_current_user( $editor_id );
+			$this->assertSame( array( 'edit_others_posts' ), map_meta_cap( $cap, $editor_id, $post_id ) );
+			$this->assertTrue( current_user_can( $cap, $post_id ) );
+		}
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * @ticket 17253
 	 */