diff --git a/src/components-examples/material/sidenav/index.ts b/src/components-examples/material/sidenav/index.ts
index 86e5e276dc64..a726006091c5 100644
--- a/src/components-examples/material/sidenav/index.ts
+++ b/src/components-examples/material/sidenav/index.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ export {SidenavBackdropExample} from './sidenav-backdrop/sidenav-backdrop-exampl
 export {SidenavDisableCloseExample} from './sidenav-disable-close/sidenav-disable-close-example';
 export {SidenavDrawerOverviewExample} from './sidenav-drawer-overview/sidenav-drawer-overview-example';
 export {SidenavFixedExample} from './sidenav-fixed/sidenav-fixed-example';
-export {SidenavModeExample} from './sidenav-mode/sidenav-mode-example';
+export {SidenavConfigurableFocusTrapExample} from './sidenav-configurable-focus-trap/sidenav-configurable-focus-trap-example';
 export {SidenavOpenCloseExample} from './sidenav-open-close/sidenav-open-close-example';
 export {SidenavOverviewExample} from './sidenav-overview/sidenav-overview-example';
 export {SidenavPositionExample} from './sidenav-position/sidenav-position-example';
diff --git a/src/components-examples/material/sidenav/sidenav-configurable-focus-trap/sidenav-configurable-focus-trap-example.css b/src/components-examples/material/sidenav/sidenav-configurable-focus-trap/sidenav-configurable-focus-trap-example.css
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..cd425d420f9c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components-examples/material/sidenav/sidenav-configurable-focus-trap/sidenav-configurable-focus-trap-example.css
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+.example-container {
+  position: absolute;
+  top: 0;
+  bottom: 0;
+  left: 0;
+  right: 0;
+}
+
+.example-radio-group {
+  display: block;
+  border: 1px solid #555;
+  margin: 20px;
+  padding: 10px;
+}
diff --git a/src/components-examples/material/sidenav/sidenav-configurable-focus-trap/sidenav-configurable-focus-trap-example.html b/src/components-examples/material/sidenav/sidenav-configurable-focus-trap/sidenav-configurable-focus-trap-example.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..e9542d34307c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components-examples/material/sidenav/sidenav-configurable-focus-trap/sidenav-configurable-focus-trap-example.html
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+<mat-sidenav-container class="example-container" *ngIf="shouldRun" [hasBackdrop]="hasBackdrop.value">
+  <mat-sidenav #sidenav [mode]="mode.value!" [position]="position.value!">
+    <p><button mat-button (click)="sidenav.toggle()">Toggle</button></p>
+    <p>
+      <label>Test input for drawer<input/></label>
+    </p>
+  </mat-sidenav>
+
+  <mat-sidenav-content>
+    <p><button mat-button (click)="sidenav.toggle()">Toggle</button></p>
+    <p>
+      <mat-radio-group class="example-radio-group" [formControl]="mode">
+        <label>Mode:</label>
+        <mat-radio-button value="over">Over</mat-radio-button>
+        <mat-radio-button value="side">Side</mat-radio-button>
+        <mat-radio-button value="push">Push</mat-radio-button>
+      </mat-radio-group>
+      <mat-radio-group class="example-radio-group" [formControl]="hasBackdrop">
+        <label>Has Backdrop:</label>
+        <mat-radio-button [value]="null">Default</mat-radio-button>
+        <mat-radio-button [value]="true">true</mat-radio-button>
+        <mat-radio-button [value]="false">false</mat-radio-button>
+      </mat-radio-group>
+      <mat-radio-group class="example-radio-group" [formControl]="position">
+        <label>Position:</label>
+        <mat-radio-button value="start">Start</mat-radio-button>
+        <mat-radio-button value="end">End</mat-radio-button>
+      </mat-radio-group>
+    </p>
+    <p>
+      <label>Test input for drawer content<input/></label>
+    </p>
+  </mat-sidenav-content>
+</mat-sidenav-container>
+
+<div *ngIf="!shouldRun">Please open on Stackblitz to see result</div>
diff --git a/src/components-examples/material/sidenav/sidenav-configurable-focus-trap/sidenav-configurable-focus-trap-example.ts b/src/components-examples/material/sidenav/sidenav-configurable-focus-trap/sidenav-configurable-focus-trap-example.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..f397fcd2d04d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components-examples/material/sidenav/sidenav-configurable-focus-trap/sidenav-configurable-focus-trap-example.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+import {Component} from '@angular/core';
+import {NgIf} from '@angular/common';
+import {FormControl, FormsModule, ReactiveFormsModule} from '@angular/forms';
+import {MatDrawerMode, MatSidenavModule} from '@angular/material/sidenav';
+import {MatRadioModule} from '@angular/material/radio';
+import {MatButtonModule} from '@angular/material/button';
+import {ConfigurableFocusTrapFactory, FocusTrapFactory} from '@angular/cdk/a11y';
+
+/** @title Sidenav using injected ConfigurableFocusTrap */
+@Component({
+  selector: 'sidenav-configurable-focus-trap-example',
+  templateUrl: 'sidenav-configurable-focus-trap-example.html',
+  styleUrls: ['sidenav-configurable-focus-trap-example.css'],
+  standalone: true,
+  imports: [
+    NgIf,
+    MatSidenavModule,
+    MatButtonModule,
+    MatRadioModule,
+    FormsModule,
+    ReactiveFormsModule,
+  ],
+  providers: [{provide: FocusTrapFactory, useClass: ConfigurableFocusTrapFactory}],
+})
+export class SidenavConfigurableFocusTrapExample {
+  mode = new FormControl('over' as MatDrawerMode);
+  hasBackdrop = new FormControl(null as null | boolean);
+  position = new FormControl('start' as 'start' | 'end');
+
+  shouldRun = /(^|.)(stackblitz|webcontainer).(io|com)$/.test(window.location.host);
+}
diff --git a/src/material/sidenav/drawer.spec.ts b/src/material/sidenav/drawer.spec.ts
index 8ec61d14b97d..3758567e0f39 100644
--- a/src/material/sidenav/drawer.spec.ts
+++ b/src/material/sidenav/drawer.spec.ts
@@ -567,6 +567,19 @@ describe('MatDrawer', () => {
       expect(document.activeElement).toBe(firstFocusableElement);
     }));
 
+    it('should trap focus when opened in "side" mode if backdrop is explicitly enabled', fakeAsync(() => {
+      testComponent.mode = 'push';
+      testComponent.hasBackdrop = true;
+      fixture.detectChanges();
+      lastFocusableElement.focus();
+
+      drawer.open();
+      fixture.detectChanges();
+      tick();
+
+      expect(document.activeElement).toBe(firstFocusableElement);
+    }));
+
     it('should not auto-focus by default when opened in "side" mode', fakeAsync(() => {
       testComponent.mode = 'side';
       fixture.detectChanges();
@@ -596,6 +609,23 @@ describe('MatDrawer', () => {
       }),
     );
 
+    it(
+      'should auto-focus to first tabbable element when opened in "push" mode' +
+        'when backdrop is enabled explicitly',
+      fakeAsync(() => {
+        testComponent.mode = 'push';
+        testComponent.hasBackdrop = true;
+        fixture.detectChanges();
+        lastFocusableElement.focus();
+
+        drawer.open();
+        fixture.detectChanges();
+        tick();
+
+        expect(document.activeElement).toBe(firstFocusableElement);
+      }),
+    );
+
     it('should focus the drawer if there are no focusable elements', fakeAsync(() => {
       fixture.destroy();
 
@@ -1229,7 +1259,7 @@ class DrawerDynamicPosition {
   // Note: we use inputs here, because they're guaranteed
   // to be focusable across all platforms.
   template: `
-    <mat-drawer-container>
+    <mat-drawer-container [hasBackdrop]="hasBackdrop">
       <mat-drawer position="start" [mode]="mode">
         <input type="text" class="input1"/>
       </mat-drawer>
@@ -1238,6 +1268,7 @@ class DrawerDynamicPosition {
 })
 class DrawerWithFocusableElements {
   mode: string = 'over';
+  hasBackdrop: boolean | null = null;
 }
 
 @Component({
diff --git a/src/material/sidenav/drawer.ts b/src/material/sidenav/drawer.ts
index 342124513a0d..11f591dfd879 100644
--- a/src/material/sidenav/drawer.ts
+++ b/src/material/sidenav/drawer.ts
@@ -595,8 +595,9 @@ export class MatDrawer implements AfterViewInit, AfterContentChecked, OnDestroy
   /** Updates the enabled state of the focus trap. */
   private _updateFocusTrapState() {
     if (this._focusTrap) {
-      // The focus trap is only enabled when the drawer is open in any mode other than side.
-      this._focusTrap.enabled = this.opened && this.mode !== 'side';
+      // Trap focus only if the backdrop is enabled. Otherwise, allow end user to interact with the
+      // sidenav content.
+      this._focusTrap.enabled = !!this._container?.hasBackdrop;
     }
   }
 
@@ -697,11 +698,7 @@ export class MatDrawerContainer implements AfterContentInit, DoCheck, OnDestroy
    */
   @Input()
   get hasBackdrop(): boolean {
-    if (this._backdropOverride == null) {
-      return !this._start || this._start.mode !== 'side' || !this._end || this._end.mode !== 'side';
-    }
-
-    return this._backdropOverride;
+    return this._drawerHasBackdrop(this._start) || this._drawerHasBackdrop(this._end);
   }
   set hasBackdrop(value: BooleanInput) {
     this._backdropOverride = value == null ? null : coerceBooleanProperty(value);
@@ -1004,22 +1001,27 @@ export class MatDrawerContainer implements AfterContentInit, DoCheck, OnDestroy
   _closeModalDrawersViaBackdrop() {
     // Close all open drawers where closing is not disabled and the mode is not `side`.
     [this._start, this._end]
-      .filter(drawer => drawer && !drawer.disableClose && this._canHaveBackdrop(drawer))
+      .filter(drawer => drawer && !drawer.disableClose && this._drawerHasBackdrop(drawer))
       .forEach(drawer => drawer!._closeViaBackdropClick());
   }
 
   _isShowingBackdrop(): boolean {
     return (
-      (this._isDrawerOpen(this._start) && this._canHaveBackdrop(this._start)) ||
-      (this._isDrawerOpen(this._end) && this._canHaveBackdrop(this._end))
+      (this._isDrawerOpen(this._start) && this._drawerHasBackdrop(this._start)) ||
+      (this._isDrawerOpen(this._end) && this._drawerHasBackdrop(this._end))
     );
   }
 
-  private _canHaveBackdrop(drawer: MatDrawer): boolean {
-    return drawer.mode !== 'side' || !!this._backdropOverride;
-  }
-
   private _isDrawerOpen(drawer: MatDrawer | null): drawer is MatDrawer {
     return drawer != null && drawer.opened;
   }
+
+  // Whether argument drawer should have a backdrop when it opens
+  private _drawerHasBackdrop(drawer: MatDrawer | null) {
+    if (this._backdropOverride == null) {
+      return !!drawer && drawer.mode !== 'side';
+    }
+
+    return this._backdropOverride;
+  }
 }