diff --git a/packages/block-editor/src/hooks/custom-class-name.js b/packages/block-editor/src/hooks/custom-class-name.js
index 3d4af47227670..fd7986e199666 100644
--- a/packages/block-editor/src/hooks/custom-class-name.js
+++ b/packages/block-editor/src/hooks/custom-class-name.js
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
 /**
  * External dependencies
  */
-import { assign, difference, omit } from 'lodash';
+import { assign, difference } from 'lodash';
 import classnames from 'classnames';
 
 /**
  * WordPress dependencies
  */
 import { Fragment } from '@wordpress/element';
-import { addFilter } from '@wordpress/hooks';
+import { addFilter, removeFilter } from '@wordpress/hooks';
 import { TextControl } from '@wordpress/components';
 import { __ } from '@wordpress/i18n';
 import {
@@ -132,19 +132,21 @@ export function getHTMLRootElementClasses( innerHTML ) {
  */
 export function addParsedDifference( blockAttributes, blockType, innerHTML ) {
 	if ( hasBlockSupport( blockType, 'customClassName', true ) ) {
-		// To determine difference, serialize block given the known set of
-		// attributes, with the exception of `className`. This will determine
-		// the default set of classes. From there, any difference in innerHTML
-		// can be considered as custom classes.
-		const attributesSansClassName = omit( blockAttributes, [ 'className' ] );
-		const serialized = getSaveContent( blockType, attributesSansClassName );
+		// To determine difference, serialize the block given the known set of
+		// attributes to determine the default set of classes. From there, any
+		// difference in innerHTML can be considered as custom classes.
+		removeFilter( 'blocks.getSaveContent.extraProps', 'core/custom-class-name/save-props' );
+		const serialized = getSaveContent( blockType, blockAttributes );
+		addFilter( 'blocks.getSaveContent.extraProps', 'core/custom-class-name/save-props', addSaveProps );
 		const defaultClasses = getHTMLRootElementClasses( serialized );
 		const actualClasses = getHTMLRootElementClasses( innerHTML );
 		const customClasses = difference( actualClasses, defaultClasses );
 
-		if ( customClasses.length ) {
-			blockAttributes.className = customClasses.join( ' ' );
-		} else if ( serialized ) {
+		blockAttributes.className = classnames( {
+			[ blockAttributes.className ]: ! serialized,
+		}, ...customClasses );
+
+		if ( ! blockAttributes.className ) {
 			delete blockAttributes.className;
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/packages/block-editor/src/hooks/test/custom-class-name.js b/packages/block-editor/src/hooks/test/custom-class-name.js
index 6b2c84b886139..c03703ab45b92 100644
--- a/packages/block-editor/src/hooks/test/custom-class-name.js
+++ b/packages/block-editor/src/hooks/test/custom-class-name.js
@@ -10,7 +10,13 @@ import { getHTMLRootElementClasses } from '../custom-class-name';
 
 describe( 'custom className', () => {
 	const blockSettings = {
-		save: () => <div className="default" />,
+		save: ( { attributes } ) => {
+			if ( attributes.className === 'is-varied-on-classname' ) {
+				return <div className="varied" />;
+			}
+
+			return <div className="default" />;
+		},
 		category: 'common',
 		title: 'block title',
 	};
@@ -157,6 +163,16 @@ describe( 'custom className', () => {
 			expect( attributes.className ).toBe( 'custom1 custom3' );
 		} );
 
+		it( 'should allow save to consider the className attribute', () => {
+			const attributes = addParsedDifference(
+				{ className: 'is-varied-on-classname' },
+				blockSettings,
+				'<div class="varied is-varied-on-classname foo"></div>'
+			);
+
+			expect( attributes.className ).toBe( 'is-varied-on-classname foo' );
+		} );
+
 		it( 'should not remove the custom classes for dynamic blocks', () => {
 			const attributes = addParsedDifference(
 				{ className: 'custom1' },
diff --git a/packages/blocks/src/api/validation.js b/packages/blocks/src/api/validation.js
index 452c8f832a43f..4cb616ac7b4f4 100644
--- a/packages/blocks/src/api/validation.js
+++ b/packages/blocks/src/api/validation.js
@@ -620,30 +620,30 @@ export function isEquivalentHTML( actual, expected ) {
  *
  * Logs to console in development environments when invalid.
  *
- * @param {string|Object} blockTypeOrName Block type.
- * @param {Object}        attributes      Parsed block attributes.
- * @param {string}        innerHTML       Original block content.
+ * @param {string|Object} blockTypeOrName      Block type.
+ * @param {Object}        attributes           Parsed block attributes.
+ * @param {string}        expectedBlockContent Original block content.
  *
  * @return {boolean} Whether block is valid.
  */
-export function isValidBlockContent( blockTypeOrName, attributes, innerHTML ) {
+export function isValidBlockContent( blockTypeOrName, attributes, expectedBlockContent ) {
 	const blockType = normalizeBlockType( blockTypeOrName );
-	let saveContent;
+	let actualBlockContent;
 	try {
-		saveContent = getSaveContent( blockType, attributes );
+		actualBlockContent = getSaveContent( blockType, attributes );
 	} catch ( error ) {
 		log.error( 'Block validation failed because an error occurred while generating block content:\n\n%s', error.toString() );
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	const isValid = isEquivalentHTML( innerHTML, saveContent );
+	const isValid = isEquivalentHTML( expectedBlockContent, actualBlockContent );
 	if ( ! isValid ) {
 		log.error(
 			'Block validation failed for `%s` (%o).\n\nExpected:\n\n%s\n\nActual:\n\n%s',
 			blockType.name,
 			blockType,
-			saveContent,
-			innerHTML
+			expectedBlockContent,
+			actualBlockContent
 		);
 	}