diff --git a/wp-admin/admin-functions.php b/wp-admin/admin-functions.php
index a9ff3f44b9..6ce4e06c47 100644
--- a/wp-admin/admin-functions.php
+++ b/wp-admin/admin-functions.php
@@ -9,6 +9,11 @@
  * @subpackage Administration
  */
 
+// Don't load directly.
+if ( ! defined( 'ABSPATH' ) ) {
+	die( '-1' );
+}
+
 _deprecated_file( basename( __FILE__ ), '2.5.0', 'wp-admin/includes/admin.php' );
 
 /** WordPress Administration API: Includes all Administration functions. */
diff --git a/wp-admin/admin-header.php b/wp-admin/admin-header.php
index 235468f146..54bcc11ca5 100644
--- a/wp-admin/admin-header.php
+++ b/wp-admin/admin-header.php
@@ -6,6 +6,11 @@
  * @subpackage Administration
  */
 
+// Don't load directly.
+if ( ! defined( 'ABSPATH' ) ) {
+	die( '-1' );
+}
+
 header( 'Content-Type: ' . get_option( 'html_type' ) . '; charset=' . get_option( 'blog_charset' ) );
 if ( ! defined( 'WP_ADMIN' ) ) {
 	require_once __DIR__ . '/admin.php';
diff --git a/wp-admin/custom-background.php b/wp-admin/custom-background.php
index 37b8c3d8b8..bbd56bdb6c 100644
--- a/wp-admin/custom-background.php
+++ b/wp-admin/custom-background.php
@@ -9,6 +9,11 @@
  * @subpackage Administration
  */
 
+// Don't load directly.
+if ( ! defined( 'ABSPATH' ) ) {
+	die( '-1' );
+}
+
 _deprecated_file( basename( __FILE__ ), '5.3.0', 'wp-admin/includes/class-custom-background.php' );
 
 /** Custom_Background class */
diff --git a/wp-admin/custom-header.php b/wp-admin/custom-header.php
index d89f03bbaa..31c78dcb5b 100644
--- a/wp-admin/custom-header.php
+++ b/wp-admin/custom-header.php
@@ -9,6 +9,11 @@
  * @subpackage Administration
  */
 
+// Don't load directly.
+if ( ! defined( 'ABSPATH' ) ) {
+	die( '-1' );
+}
+
 _deprecated_file( basename( __FILE__ ), '5.3.0', 'wp-admin/includes/class-custom-image-header.php' );
 
 /** Custom_Image_Header class */
diff --git a/wp-admin/menu-header.php b/wp-admin/menu-header.php
index 878779d325..9887dcb996 100644
--- a/wp-admin/menu-header.php
+++ b/wp-admin/menu-header.php
@@ -6,6 +6,11 @@
  * @subpackage Administration
  */
 
+// Don't load directly.
+if ( ! defined( 'ABSPATH' ) ) {
+	die( '-1' );
+}
+
 /**
  * The current page.
  *
diff --git a/wp-admin/menu.php b/wp-admin/menu.php
index 3f0a773414..5726570da6 100644
--- a/wp-admin/menu.php
+++ b/wp-admin/menu.php
@@ -6,6 +6,11 @@
  * @subpackage Administration
  */
 
+// Don't load directly.
+if ( ! defined( 'ABSPATH' ) ) {
+	die( '-1' );
+}
+
 /**
  * Constructs the admin menu.
  *
diff --git a/wp-admin/network/menu.php b/wp-admin/network/menu.php
index 73cc86b234..852c36004c 100644
--- a/wp-admin/network/menu.php
+++ b/wp-admin/network/menu.php
@@ -7,6 +7,11 @@
  * @since 3.1.0
  */
 
+// Don't load directly.
+if ( ! defined( 'ABSPATH' ) ) {
+	die( '-1' );
+}
+
 /* translators: Network menu item. */
 $menu[2] = array( __( 'Dashboard' ), 'manage_network', 'index.php', '', 'menu-top menu-top-first menu-icon-dashboard', 'menu-dashboard', 'dashicons-dashboard' );
 
diff --git a/wp-admin/options-head.php b/wp-admin/options-head.php
index 9dba3703c5..c951b77419 100644
--- a/wp-admin/options-head.php
+++ b/wp-admin/options-head.php
@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@
  * @subpackage Administration
  */
 
+// Don't load directly.
+if ( ! defined( 'ABSPATH' ) ) {
+	die( '-1' );
+}
+
 $action = ! empty( $_REQUEST['action'] ) ? sanitize_text_field( $_REQUEST['action'] ) : '';
 
 if ( isset( $_GET['updated'] ) && isset( $_GET['page'] ) ) {
diff --git a/wp-admin/user/menu.php b/wp-admin/user/menu.php
index 23e81a892c..587d0ec176 100644
--- a/wp-admin/user/menu.php
+++ b/wp-admin/user/menu.php
@@ -7,6 +7,11 @@
  * @since 3.1.0
  */
 
+// Don't load directly.
+if ( ! defined( 'ABSPATH' ) ) {
+	die( '-1' );
+}
+
 $menu[2] = array( __( 'Dashboard' ), 'exist', 'index.php', '', 'menu-top menu-top-first menu-icon-dashboard', 'menu-dashboard', 'dashicons-dashboard' );
 
 $menu[4] = array( '', 'exist', 'separator1', '', 'wp-menu-separator' );
diff --git a/wp-includes/version.php b/wp-includes/version.php
index 3167bb62ed..8a95e23baa 100644
--- a/wp-includes/version.php
+++ b/wp-includes/version.php
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
  *
  * @global string $wp_version
  */
-$wp_version = '6.8-alpha-59677';
+$wp_version = '6.8-alpha-59678';
 
 /**
  * Holds the WordPress DB revision, increments when changes are made to the WordPress DB schema.