diff --git a/packages/core/src/components/popover/popover.tsx b/packages/core/src/components/popover/popover.tsx
index 618548e2f4b..8420b23a241 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/components/popover/popover.tsx
+++ b/packages/core/src/components/popover/popover.tsx
@@ -249,11 +249,10 @@ export class Popover<
     }
 
     public render() {
-        const { disabled, content, placement, position = "auto", positioningStrategy } = this.props;
+        const { disabled, placement, position = "auto", positioningStrategy } = this.props;
         const { isOpen } = this.state;
 
-        const isContentEmpty = content == null || (typeof content === "string" && content.trim() === "");
-        if (isContentEmpty) {
+        if (this.getIsContentEmpty()) {
             // need to do this check in render(), because `isOpen` is derived from
             // state, and state can't necessarily be accessed in validateProps.
             if (!disabled && isOpen !== false && !Utils.isNodeEnv("production")) {
@@ -344,7 +343,7 @@ export class Popover<
     public reposition = () => this.popperScheduleUpdate?.();
 
     private renderTarget = ({ ref: popperChildRef }: ReferenceChildrenProps) => {
-        const { children, className, content, disabled, fill, openOnTargetFocus, renderTarget } = this.props;
+        const { children, className, disabled, fill, openOnTargetFocus, renderTarget } = this.props;
         const { isOpen } = this.state;
         const isControlled = this.isControlled();
         const isHoverInteractionKind = this.isHoverInteractionKind();
@@ -376,7 +375,7 @@ export class Popover<
                   };
         // Ensure target is focusable if relevant prop enabled
         const targetTabIndex =
-            content != null && !disabled && openOnTargetFocus && isHoverInteractionKind ? 0 : undefined;
+            !this.getIsContentEmpty() && !disabled && openOnTargetFocus && isHoverInteractionKind ? 0 : undefined;
         const ownTargetProps = {
             // N.B. this.props.className is passed along to renderTarget even though the user would have access to it.
             // If, instead, renderTarget is undefined and the target is provided as a child, this.props.className is
@@ -789,6 +788,11 @@ export class Popover<
     private isElementInPopover(element: Element) {
         return this.getPopoverElement()?.contains(element) ?? false;
     }
+
+    private getIsContentEmpty() {
+        const { content } = this.props;
+        return content == null || (typeof content === "string" && content.trim() === "");
+    }
 }
 
 function isEscapeKeypressEvent(e?: Event) {