diff --git a/engine/src/flutter/shell/platform/darwin/macos/framework/Headers/FlutterViewController.h b/engine/src/flutter/shell/platform/darwin/macos/framework/Headers/FlutterViewController.h
index 43c88215d3f..038db1f322e 100644
--- a/engine/src/flutter/shell/platform/darwin/macos/framework/Headers/FlutterViewController.h
+++ b/engine/src/flutter/shell/platform/darwin/macos/framework/Headers/FlutterViewController.h
@@ -53,7 +53,18 @@ FLUTTER_DARWIN_EXPORT
                                  bundle:(nullable NSBundle*)nibBundleOrNil
     NS_DESIGNATED_INITIALIZER;
 - (nonnull instancetype)initWithCoder:(nonnull NSCoder*)nibNameOrNil NS_DESIGNATED_INITIALIZER;
-
+/**
+ * Initializes this FlutterViewController with the specified `FlutterEngine`.
+ *
+ * The initialized viewcontroller will attach itself to the engine as part of this process.
+ *
+ * @param engine The `FlutterEngine` instance to attach to. Cannot be nil.
+ * @param nibName The NIB name to initialize this controller with.
+ * @param nibBundle The NIB bundle.
+ */
+- (nonnull instancetype)initWithEngine:(nonnull FlutterEngine*)engine
+                               nibName:(nullable NSString*)nibName
+                                bundle:(nullable NSBundle*)nibBundle NS_DESIGNATED_INITIALIZER;
 /**
  * Invoked by the engine right before the engine is restarted.
  *
diff --git a/engine/src/flutter/shell/platform/darwin/macos/framework/Source/FlutterViewController.mm b/engine/src/flutter/shell/platform/darwin/macos/framework/Source/FlutterViewController.mm
index bf13f616782..cb472018404 100644
--- a/engine/src/flutter/shell/platform/darwin/macos/framework/Source/FlutterViewController.mm
+++ b/engine/src/flutter/shell/platform/darwin/macos/framework/Source/FlutterViewController.mm
@@ -329,18 +329,21 @@ static void CommonInit(FlutterViewController* controller) {
                        nibName:(nullable NSString*)nibName
                         bundle:(nullable NSBundle*)nibBundle {
   NSAssert(engine != nil, @"Engine is required");
+  NSAssert(engine.viewController == nil,
+           @"The supplied FlutterEngine is already used with FlutterViewController "
+            "instance. One instance of the FlutterEngine can only be attached to one "
+            "FlutterViewController at a time. Set FlutterEngine.viewController "
+            "to nil before attaching it to another FlutterViewController.");
+
   self = [super initWithNibName:nibName bundle:nibBundle];
   if (self) {
-    if (engine.viewController) {
-      NSLog(@"The supplied FlutterEngine %@ is already used with FlutterViewController "
-             "instance %@. One instance of the FlutterEngine can only be attached to one "
-             "FlutterViewController at a time. Set FlutterEngine.viewController "
-             "to nil before attaching it to another FlutterViewController.",
-            [engine description], [engine.viewController description]);
-    }
     _engine = engine;
     CommonInit(self);
-    [engine setViewController:self];
+    if (engine.running) {
+      [self loadView];
+      engine.viewController = self;
+      [self initializeKeyboard];
+    }
   }
 
   return self;
diff --git a/engine/src/flutter/shell/platform/darwin/macos/framework/Source/FlutterViewControllerTest.mm b/engine/src/flutter/shell/platform/darwin/macos/framework/Source/FlutterViewControllerTest.mm
index 5905600b6d1..eb373819a8f 100644
--- a/engine/src/flutter/shell/platform/darwin/macos/framework/Source/FlutterViewControllerTest.mm
+++ b/engine/src/flutter/shell/platform/darwin/macos/framework/Source/FlutterViewControllerTest.mm
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 - (bool)testKeyboardIsRestartedOnEngineRestart;
 - (bool)testTrackpadGesturesAreSentToFramework;
 - (bool)testViewWillAppearCalledMultipleTimes;
+- (bool)testFlutterViewIsConfigured;
 
 + (void)respondFalseForSendEvent:(const FlutterKeyEvent&)event
                         callback:(nullable FlutterKeyEventCallback)callback
@@ -164,6 +165,10 @@ TEST(FlutterViewControllerTest, testViewWillAppearCalledMultipleTimes) {
   ASSERT_TRUE([[FlutterViewControllerTestObjC alloc] testViewWillAppearCalledMultipleTimes]);
 }
 
+TEST(FlutterViewControllerTest, testFlutterViewIsConfigured) {
+  ASSERT_TRUE([[FlutterViewControllerTestObjC alloc] testFlutterViewIsConfigured]);
+}
+
 }  // namespace flutter::testing
 
 @implementation FlutterViewControllerTestObjC
@@ -261,6 +266,27 @@ TEST(FlutterViewControllerTest, testViewWillAppearCalledMultipleTimes) {
   return true;
 }
 
+- (bool)testFlutterViewIsConfigured {
+  id engineMock = OCMClassMock([FlutterEngine class]);
+
+  id renderer_ = [[FlutterMetalRenderer alloc] initWithFlutterEngine:engineMock];
+  OCMStub([engineMock renderer]).andReturn(renderer_);
+
+  FlutterViewController* viewController = [[FlutterViewController alloc] initWithEngine:engineMock
+                                                                                nibName:@""
+                                                                                 bundle:nil];
+  [viewController loadView];
+
+  @try {
+    // Make sure "renderer" was called during "loadView", which means "flutterView" is created
+    OCMVerify([engineMock renderer]);
+  } @catch (...) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  return true;
+}
+
 - (bool)testFlagsChangedEventsArePropagatedIfNotHandled {
   id engineMock = OCMClassMock([FlutterEngine class]);
   id binaryMessengerMock = OCMProtocolMock(@protocol(FlutterBinaryMessenger));
diff --git a/engine/src/flutter/shell/platform/darwin/macos/framework/Source/FlutterViewController_Internal.h b/engine/src/flutter/shell/platform/darwin/macos/framework/Source/FlutterViewController_Internal.h
index 04ed474602c..19870cf5b18 100644
--- a/engine/src/flutter/shell/platform/darwin/macos/framework/Source/FlutterViewController_Internal.h
+++ b/engine/src/flutter/shell/platform/darwin/macos/framework/Source/FlutterViewController_Internal.h
@@ -18,19 +18,6 @@
  */
 @property(nonatomic, readonly, nonnull) FlutterTextInputPlugin* textInputPlugin;
 
-/**
- * Initializes this FlutterViewController with the specified `FlutterEngine`.
- *
- * The initialized viewcontroller will attach itself to the engine as part of this process.
- *
- * @param engine The `FlutterEngine` instance to attach to. Cannot be nil.
- * @param nibName The NIB name to initialize this controller with.
- * @param nibBundle The NIB bundle.
- */
-- (nonnull instancetype)initWithEngine:(nonnull FlutterEngine*)engine
-                               nibName:(nullable NSString*)nibName
-                                bundle:(nullable NSBundle*)nibBundle NS_DESIGNATED_INITIALIZER;
-
 /**
  * Returns YES if provided event is being currently redispatched by keyboard manager.
  */