diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/pages/module.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/pages/module.ts
index 864a5701d5..6a27df6bb9 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/pages/module.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/pages/module.ts
@@ -47,11 +47,12 @@ export default defineNuxtModule({
     configKey: 'pages',
   },
   defaults: nuxt => ({
-    enabled: undefined as undefined | boolean,
+    enabled: typeof nuxt.options.pages === 'boolean' ? nuxt.options.pages : undefined as undefined | boolean,
     pattern: `**/*{${nuxt.options.extensions.join(',')}}` as string | string[],
   }),
   async setup (_options, nuxt) {
-    const options = typeof _options === 'boolean' ? { enabled: _options, pattern: `**/*{${nuxt.options.extensions.join(',')}}` } : _options
+    const options = typeof _options === 'boolean' ? { enabled: _options ?? nuxt.options.pages, pattern: `**/*{${nuxt.options.extensions.join(',')}}` } : { ..._options }
+    options.pattern = Array.isArray(options.pattern) ? [...new Set(options.pattern)] : options.pattern
 
     const useExperimentalTypedPages = nuxt.options.experimental.typedPages
     const builtInRouterOptions = await findPath(resolve(runtimeDir, 'router.options')) || resolve(runtimeDir, 'router.options')
@@ -95,6 +96,7 @@ export default defineNuxtModule({
       return false
     }
     options.enabled = await isPagesEnabled()
+    nuxt.options.pages = options
 
     if (nuxt.options.dev && options.enabled) {
       // Add plugin to check if pages are enabled without NuxtPage being instantiated
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/test/load-nuxt.test.ts b/packages/nuxt/test/load-nuxt.test.ts
index b6a99d4cec..0c21509373 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/test/load-nuxt.test.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/test/load-nuxt.test.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { normalize } from 'pathe'
 import { withoutTrailingSlash } from 'ufo'
 import { logger, tryUseNuxt, useNuxt } from '@nuxt/kit'
 import { loadNuxt } from '../src'
+import type { NuxtConfig } from '../schema'
 
 const repoRoot = withoutTrailingSlash(normalize(fileURLToPath(new URL('../../../', import.meta.url))))
 
@@ -107,3 +108,21 @@ describe('loadNuxt', () => {
     expect(loggerWarn).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
   })
 })
+
+const pagesDetectionTests: [test: string, overrides: NuxtConfig, result: NuxtConfig['pages']][] = [
+  ['pages dir', {}, { enabled: true }],
+  ['pages dir empty', { dir: { pages: 'empty-dir' } }, { enabled: false }],
+  ['user config', { pages: false }, { enabled: false }],
+  ['user config', { pages: { enabled: false } }, { enabled: false }],
+  ['user config', { pages: { enabled: true, pattern: '**/*{.vue}' } }, { enabled: true, pattern: '**/*{.vue}' }],
+]
+
+const pagesFixtureDir = withoutTrailingSlash(normalize(fileURLToPath(new URL('./pages-fixture', import.meta.url))))
+describe('pages detection', () => {
+  it.each(pagesDetectionTests)('%s `%s`', async (_, overrides, result) => {
+    const nuxt = await loadNuxt({ cwd: pagesFixtureDir, overrides, ready: true })
+    // @ts-expect-error should resolve to object?
+    expect(nuxt.options.pages).toMatchObject(result)
+    await nuxt.close()
+  })
+})
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/test/pages-fixture/nuxt.config.ts b/packages/nuxt/test/pages-fixture/nuxt.config.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..268da7f8c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/nuxt/test/pages-fixture/nuxt.config.ts
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+export default defineNuxtConfig({})
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/test/pages-fixture/pages/index.vue b/packages/nuxt/test/pages-fixture/pages/index.vue
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..04d85e1bdb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/nuxt/test/pages-fixture/pages/index.vue
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+<template>
+  <div />
+</template>