diff --git a/docs/en/tutorials/extra-lazy-associations.rst b/docs/en/tutorials/extra-lazy-associations.rst
index 4c31357eec..1dae001a36 100644
--- a/docs/en/tutorials/extra-lazy-associations.rst
+++ b/docs/en/tutorials/extra-lazy-associations.rst
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ can be called without triggering a full load of the collection:
 -  ``Collection#contains($entity)``
 -  ``Collection#containsKey($key)``
 -  ``Collection#count()``
+-  ``Collection#first()``
 -  ``Collection#get($key)``
 -  ``Collection#slice($offset, $length = null)``
 
diff --git a/src/PersistentCollection.php b/src/PersistentCollection.php
index d54d3d1b99..ef5f28c3cb 100644
--- a/src/PersistentCollection.php
+++ b/src/PersistentCollection.php
@@ -504,6 +504,20 @@ public function __wakeup(): void
         $this->em = null;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * {@inheritDoc}
+     */
+    public function first()
+    {
+        if (! $this->initialized && ! $this->isDirty && $this->getMapping()['fetch'] === ClassMetadata::FETCH_EXTRA_LAZY) {
+            $persister = $this->getUnitOfWork()->getCollectionPersister($this->getMapping());
+
+            return array_values($persister->slice($this, 0, 1))[0] ?? false;
+        }
+
+        return parent::first();
+    }
+
     /**
      * Extracts a slice of $length elements starting at position $offset from the Collection.
      *
diff --git a/tests/Tests/ORM/Functional/ExtraLazyCollectionTest.php b/tests/Tests/ORM/Functional/ExtraLazyCollectionTest.php
index a092f6555c..569ea13500 100644
--- a/tests/Tests/ORM/Functional/ExtraLazyCollectionTest.php
+++ b/tests/Tests/ORM/Functional/ExtraLazyCollectionTest.php
@@ -179,6 +179,63 @@ public function testCountOneToManyJoinedInheritance(): void
         self::assertCount(2, $otherClass->childClasses);
     }
 
+    #[Group('non-cacheable')]
+    public function testFirstWhenInitialized(): void
+    {
+        $user = $this->_em->find(CmsUser::class, $this->userId);
+        $this->getQueryLog()->reset()->enable();
+        $user->groups->toArray();
+
+        self::assertTrue($user->groups->isInitialized());
+        self::assertInstanceOf(CmsGroup::class, $user->groups->first());
+        $this->assertQueryCount(1, 'Should only execute one query to initialize collection, no extra query for first().');
+    }
+
+    public function testFirstOnEmptyCollectionWhenInitialized(): void
+    {
+        foreach ($this->_em->getRepository(CmsGroup::class)->findAll() as $group) {
+            $this->_em->remove($group);
+        }
+
+        $this->_em->flush();
+
+        $user = $this->_em->find(CmsUser::class, $this->userId);
+        $this->getQueryLog()->reset()->enable();
+        $user->groups->toArray();
+
+        self::assertTrue($user->groups->isInitialized());
+        self::assertFalse($user->groups->first());
+        $this->assertQueryCount(1, 'Should only execute one query to initialize collection, no extra query for first().');
+    }
+
+    public function testFirstWhenNotInitialized(): void
+    {
+        $user = $this->_em->find(CmsUser::class, $this->userId);
+        $this->getQueryLog()->reset()->enable();
+
+        self::assertFalse($user->groups->isInitialized());
+        self::assertInstanceOf(CmsGroup::class, $user->groups->first());
+        self::assertFalse($user->groups->isInitialized());
+        $this->assertQueryCount(1, 'Should only execute one query for first().');
+    }
+
+    public function testFirstOnEmptyCollectionWhenNotInitialized(): void
+    {
+        foreach ($this->_em->getRepository(CmsGroup::class)->findAll() as $group) {
+            $this->_em->remove($group);
+        }
+
+        $this->_em->flush();
+
+        $user = $this->_em->find(CmsUser::class, $this->userId);
+        $this->getQueryLog()->reset()->enable();
+
+        self::assertFalse($user->groups->isInitialized());
+        self::assertFalse($user->groups->first());
+        self::assertFalse($user->groups->isInitialized());
+        $this->assertQueryCount(1, 'Should only execute one query for first().');
+    }
+
     #[Group('DDC-546')]
     public function testFullSlice(): void
     {