diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/macos/application_package.dart b/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/macos/application_package.dart
index 57f15ade722..27e93f8fc16 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/macos/application_package.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/macos/application_package.dart
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import 'package:meta/meta.dart';
 
 import '../application_package.dart';
 import '../base/file_system.dart';
+import '../base/io.dart';
 import '../base/utils.dart';
 import '../build_info.dart';
 import '../globals.dart' as globals;
@@ -32,18 +33,21 @@ abstract class MacOSApp extends ApplicationPackage {
   /// which is expected to start the application and send the observatory
   /// port over stdout.
   factory MacOSApp.fromPrebuiltApp(FileSystemEntity applicationBinary) {
-    final _ExecutableAndId executableAndId = _executableFromBundle(applicationBinary);
-    final Directory applicationBundle = globals.fs.directory(applicationBinary);
+    final _BundleInfo bundleInfo = _executableFromBundle(applicationBinary);
+    if (bundleInfo == null) {
+      return null;
+    }
+
     return PrebuiltMacOSApp(
-      bundleDir: applicationBundle,
-      bundleName: applicationBundle.path,
-      projectBundleId: executableAndId.id,
-      executable: executableAndId.executable,
+      bundleDir: bundleInfo.bundle,
+      bundleName: bundleInfo.bundle.path,
+      projectBundleId: bundleInfo.id,
+      executable: bundleInfo.executable,
     );
   }
 
   /// Look up the executable name for a macOS application bundle.
-  static _ExecutableAndId _executableFromBundle(FileSystemEntity applicationBundle) {
+  static _BundleInfo _executableFromBundle(FileSystemEntity applicationBundle) {
     final FileSystemEntityType entityType = globals.fs.typeSync(applicationBundle.path);
     if (entityType == FileSystemEntityType.notFound) {
       globals.printError('File "${applicationBundle.path}" does not exist.');
@@ -58,8 +62,23 @@ abstract class MacOSApp extends ApplicationPackage {
       }
       bundleDir = globals.fs.directory(applicationBundle);
     } else {
-      globals.printError('Folder "${applicationBundle.path}" is not an app bundle.');
-      return null;
+      // Try to unpack as a zip.
+      final Directory tempDir = globals.fs.systemTempDirectory.createTempSync('flutter_app.');
+      try {
+        globals.os.unzip(globals.fs.file(applicationBundle), tempDir);
+      } on ProcessException {
+        globals.printError('Invalid prebuilt macOS app. Unable to extract bundle from archive.');
+        return null;
+      }
+      try {
+        bundleDir = tempDir
+            .listSync()
+            .whereType<Directory>()
+            .singleWhere(_isBundleDirectory);
+      } on StateError {
+        globals.printError('Archive "${applicationBundle.path}" does not contain a single app bundle.');
+        return null;
+      }
     }
     final String plistPath = globals.fs.path.join(bundleDir.path, 'Contents', 'Info.plist');
     if (!globals.fs.file(plistPath).existsSync()) {
@@ -73,11 +92,15 @@ abstract class MacOSApp extends ApplicationPackage {
       globals.printError('Invalid prebuilt macOS app. Info.plist does not contain bundle identifier');
       return null;
     }
+    if (executableName == null) {
+      globals.printError('Invalid prebuilt macOS app. Info.plist does not contain bundle executable');
+      return null;
+    }
     final String executable = globals.fs.path.join(bundleDir.path, 'Contents', 'MacOS', executableName);
     if (!globals.fs.file(executable).existsSync()) {
       globals.printError('Could not find macOS binary at $executable');
     }
-    return _ExecutableAndId(executable, id);
+    return _BundleInfo(executable, id, bundleDir);
   }
 
   @override
@@ -142,14 +165,15 @@ class BuildableMacOSApp extends MacOSApp {
     if (directory == null) {
       return null;
     }
-    final _ExecutableAndId executableAndId = MacOSApp._executableFromBundle(globals.fs.directory(directory));
-    return executableAndId?.executable;
+    final _BundleInfo bundleInfo = MacOSApp._executableFromBundle(globals.fs.directory(directory));
+    return bundleInfo?.executable;
   }
 }
 
-class _ExecutableAndId {
-  _ExecutableAndId(this.executable, this.id);
+class _BundleInfo {
+  _BundleInfo(this.executable, this.id, this.bundle);
 
+  final Directory bundle;
   final String executable;
   final String id;
 }
diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/macos/application_package_test.dart b/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/macos/application_package_test.dart
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..36848b5ad9e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/macos/application_package_test.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,230 @@
+// Copyright 2014 The Flutter Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license that can be
+// found in the LICENSE file.
+
+import 'dart:convert';
+
+import 'package:file/file.dart';
+import 'package:file/memory.dart';
+import 'package:flutter_tools/src/base/file_system.dart';
+import 'package:flutter_tools/src/base/os.dart';
+import 'package:flutter_tools/src/base/platform.dart';
+import 'package:flutter_tools/src/base/utils.dart';
+import 'package:flutter_tools/src/ios/plist_parser.dart';
+import 'package:flutter_tools/src/globals.dart' as globals;
+import 'package:flutter_tools/src/macos/application_package.dart';
+import 'package:mockito/mockito.dart';
+
+import '../../src/common.dart';
+import '../../src/context.dart';
+
+void main() {
+  group('PrebuiltMacOSApp', () {
+    MockOperatingSystemUtils os;
+    final Map<Type, Generator> overrides = <Type, Generator>{
+      FileSystem: () => MemoryFileSystem.test(),
+      ProcessManager: () => FakeProcessManager.any(),
+      PlistParser: () => MockPlistUtils(),
+      Platform: _kNoColorTerminalPlatform,
+      OperatingSystemUtils: () => os,
+    };
+
+    setUp(() {
+      os = MockOperatingSystemUtils();
+    });
+
+    testUsingContext('Error on non-existing file', () {
+      final PrebuiltMacOSApp macosApp =
+          MacOSApp.fromPrebuiltApp(globals.fs.file('not_existing.app'))
+              as PrebuiltMacOSApp;
+      expect(macosApp, isNull);
+      expect(
+        testLogger.errorText,
+        'File "not_existing.app" does not exist.\n',
+      );
+    }, overrides: overrides);
+
+    testUsingContext('Error on non-app-bundle folder', () {
+      globals.fs.directory('regular_folder').createSync();
+      final PrebuiltMacOSApp macosApp =
+          MacOSApp.fromPrebuiltApp(globals.fs.file('regular_folder'))
+              as PrebuiltMacOSApp;
+      expect(macosApp, isNull);
+      expect(testLogger.errorText,
+          'Folder "regular_folder" is not an app bundle.\n');
+    }, overrides: overrides);
+
+    testUsingContext('Error on no info.plist', () {
+      globals.fs.directory('bundle.app').createSync();
+      final PrebuiltMacOSApp macosApp =
+          MacOSApp.fromPrebuiltApp(globals.fs.file('bundle.app'))
+              as PrebuiltMacOSApp;
+      expect(macosApp, isNull);
+      expect(
+        testLogger.errorText,
+        'Invalid prebuilt macOS app. Does not contain Info.plist.\n',
+      );
+    }, overrides: overrides);
+
+    testUsingContext('Error on info.plist missing bundle identifier', () {
+      final String contentsDirectory =
+          globals.fs.path.join('bundle.app', 'Contents');
+      globals.fs.directory(contentsDirectory).createSync(recursive: true);
+      globals.fs
+          .file(globals.fs.path.join('bundle.app', 'Contents', 'Info.plist'))
+          .writeAsStringSync(badPlistData);
+      final PrebuiltMacOSApp macosApp =
+          MacOSApp.fromPrebuiltApp(globals.fs.file('bundle.app'))
+              as PrebuiltMacOSApp;
+      expect(macosApp, isNull);
+      expect(
+        testLogger.errorText,
+        contains(
+            'Invalid prebuilt macOS app. Info.plist does not contain bundle identifier\n'),
+      );
+    }, overrides: overrides);
+
+    testUsingContext('Error on info.plist missing executable', () {
+      final String contentsDirectory =
+          globals.fs.path.join('bundle.app', 'Contents');
+      globals.fs.directory(contentsDirectory).createSync(recursive: true);
+      globals.fs
+          .file(globals.fs.path.join('bundle.app', 'Contents', 'Info.plist'))
+          .writeAsStringSync(badPlistDataNoExecutable);
+      final PrebuiltMacOSApp macosApp =
+          MacOSApp.fromPrebuiltApp(globals.fs.file('bundle.app'))
+              as PrebuiltMacOSApp;
+      expect(macosApp, isNull);
+      expect(
+        testLogger.errorText,
+        contains(
+            'Invalid prebuilt macOS app. Info.plist does not contain bundle executable\n'),
+      );
+    }, overrides: overrides);
+
+    testUsingContext('Success with app bundle', () {
+      final String appDirectory =
+          globals.fs.path.join('bundle.app', 'Contents', 'MacOS');
+      globals.fs.directory(appDirectory).createSync(recursive: true);
+      globals.fs
+          .file(globals.fs.path.join('bundle.app', 'Contents', 'Info.plist'))
+          .writeAsStringSync(plistData);
+      globals.fs
+          .file(globals.fs.path.join(appDirectory, executableName))
+          .createSync();
+      final PrebuiltMacOSApp macosApp =
+          MacOSApp.fromPrebuiltApp(globals.fs.file('bundle.app'))
+              as PrebuiltMacOSApp;
+      expect(testLogger.errorText, isEmpty);
+      expect(macosApp.bundleDir.path, 'bundle.app');
+      expect(macosApp.id, 'fooBundleId');
+      expect(macosApp.bundleName, 'bundle.app');
+    }, overrides: overrides);
+
+    testUsingContext('Bad zipped app, no payload dir', () {
+      globals.fs.file('app.zip').createSync();
+      when(os.unzip(globals.fs.file('app.zip'), any))
+          .thenAnswer((Invocation _) {});
+      final PrebuiltMacOSApp macosApp =
+          MacOSApp.fromPrebuiltApp(globals.fs.file('app.zip'))
+              as PrebuiltMacOSApp;
+      expect(macosApp, isNull);
+      expect(
+        testLogger.errorText,
+        'Archive "app.zip" does not contain a single app bundle.\n',
+      );
+    }, overrides: overrides);
+
+    testUsingContext('Bad zipped app, two app bundles', () {
+      globals.fs.file('app.zip').createSync();
+      when(os.unzip(any, any)).thenAnswer((Invocation invocation) {
+        final File zipFile = invocation.positionalArguments[0] as File;
+        if (zipFile.path != 'app.zip') {
+          return;
+        }
+        final Directory targetDirectory =
+            invocation.positionalArguments[1] as Directory;
+        final String bundlePath1 =
+            globals.fs.path.join(targetDirectory.path, 'bundle1.app');
+        final String bundlePath2 =
+            globals.fs.path.join(targetDirectory.path, 'bundle2.app');
+        globals.fs.directory(bundlePath1).createSync(recursive: true);
+        globals.fs.directory(bundlePath2).createSync(recursive: true);
+      });
+      final PrebuiltMacOSApp macosApp =
+          MacOSApp.fromPrebuiltApp(globals.fs.file('app.zip'))
+              as PrebuiltMacOSApp;
+      expect(macosApp, isNull);
+      expect(testLogger.errorText,
+          'Archive "app.zip" does not contain a single app bundle.\n');
+    }, overrides: overrides);
+
+    testUsingContext('Success with zipped app', () {
+      globals.fs.file('app.zip').createSync();
+      when(os.unzip(any, any)).thenAnswer((Invocation invocation) {
+        final File zipFile = invocation.positionalArguments[0] as File;
+        if (zipFile.path != 'app.zip') {
+          return;
+        }
+        final Directory targetDirectory =
+            invocation.positionalArguments[1] as Directory;
+        final Directory bundleAppContentsDir = globals.fs.directory(globals
+            .fs.path
+            .join(targetDirectory.path, 'bundle.app', 'Contents'));
+        bundleAppContentsDir.createSync(recursive: true);
+        globals.fs
+            .file(globals.fs.path.join(bundleAppContentsDir.path, 'Info.plist'))
+            .writeAsStringSync(plistData);
+        globals.fs
+            .directory(globals.fs.path.join(bundleAppContentsDir.path, 'MacOS'))
+            .createSync();
+        globals.fs
+            .file(globals.fs.path
+                .join(bundleAppContentsDir.path, 'MacOS', executableName))
+            .createSync();
+      });
+      final PrebuiltMacOSApp macosApp =
+          MacOSApp.fromPrebuiltApp(globals.fs.file('app.zip'))
+              as PrebuiltMacOSApp;
+      expect(testLogger.errorText, isEmpty);
+      expect(macosApp.bundleDir.path, endsWith('bundle.app'));
+      expect(macosApp.id, 'fooBundleId');
+      expect(macosApp.bundleName, endsWith('bundle.app'));
+    }, overrides: overrides);
+  });
+}
+
+class MockOperatingSystemUtils extends Mock implements OperatingSystemUtils {}
+
+final Generator _kNoColorTerminalPlatform =
+    () => FakePlatform(stdoutSupportsAnsi: false);
+final Map<Type, Generator> noColorTerminalOverride = <Type, Generator>{
+  Platform: _kNoColorTerminalPlatform,
+};
+
+class MockPlistUtils extends Mock implements PlistParser {
+  @override
+  Map<String, dynamic> parseFile(String plistFilePath) {
+    final File file = globals.fs.file(plistFilePath);
+    if (!file.existsSync()) {
+      return <String, dynamic>{};
+    }
+    return castStringKeyedMap(json.decode(file.readAsStringSync()));
+  }
+}
+
+// Contains no bundle identifier.
+const String badPlistData = '''
+{}
+''';
+
+// Contains no bundle executable.
+const String badPlistDataNoExecutable = '''
+{"CFBundleIdentifier": "fooBundleId"}
+''';
+
+const String executableName = 'foo';
+
+const String plistData = '''
+{"CFBundleIdentifier": "fooBundleId", "CFBundleExecutable": "$executableName"}
+''';