diff --git a/packages/devtools_app/lib/src/screens/performance/panes/timeline_events/timeline_events_controller.dart b/packages/devtools_app/lib/src/screens/performance/panes/timeline_events/timeline_events_controller.dart
index c37291140d6..4e1303cc957 100644
--- a/packages/devtools_app/lib/src/screens/performance/panes/timeline_events/timeline_events_controller.dart
+++ b/packages/devtools_app/lib/src/screens/performance/panes/timeline_events/timeline_events_controller.dart
@@ -129,6 +129,10 @@ class TimelineEventsController extends PerformanceFeatureController
 
   RateLimiter? _timelinePollingRateLimiter;
 
+  /// Whether the connected app uses a timeline recorder, such as systrace,
+  /// that does not store timeline events in the VM.
+  bool _vmTimelineUnavailable = false;
+
   @override
   Future<void> init() async {
     perfettoController.init();
@@ -155,10 +159,11 @@ class TimelineEventsController extends PerformanceFeatureController
 
     // Load available timeline events.
     await forceRefresh();
+    if (_vmTimelineUnavailable) return;
 
     _timelinePollingRateLimiter = RateLimiter(
       _timelinePollingRateLimit,
-      _pullPerfettoVmTimeline,
+      _maybePullPerfettoVmTimeline,
     );
 
     // Poll for new timeline events.
@@ -170,6 +175,24 @@ class TimelineEventsController extends PerformanceFeatureController
     });
   }
 
+  /// Pulls the VM timeline, unless the VM has already reported that it does
+  /// not store timeline events for the connected app's recorder.
+  ///
+  /// The VM answers with [RPCErrorKind.kInvalidTimelineRequest] for recorders
+  /// such as systrace, so that error is handled here instead of failing
+  /// [init]. Any other error is rethrown.
+  Future<void> _maybePullPerfettoVmTimeline() async {
+    if (_vmTimelineUnavailable) return;
+    try {
+      await _pullPerfettoVmTimeline();
+    } on RPCError catch (e) {
+      if (e.code != RPCErrorKind.kInvalidTimelineRequest.code) rethrow;
+      _vmTimelineUnavailable = true;
+      _log.info(e.details ?? e.message);
+      pushVmTimelineUnavailableWarning();
+    }
+  }
+
   Future<void> _pullPerfettoVmTimeline({bool isInitialPull = false}) async {
     final service = serviceConnection.serviceManager.service;
     if (service == null) return;
@@ -337,7 +360,7 @@ class TimelineEventsController extends PerformanceFeatureController
 
   Future<void> _forceRefresh() async {
     debugTraceCallback(() => _log.info('[forceRefresh]'));
-    await _pullPerfettoVmTimeline();
+    await _maybePullPerfettoVmTimeline();
     processTrackEvents();
     await loadPerfettoTrace();
   }
@@ -491,7 +514,7 @@ class TimelineEventsController extends PerformanceFeatureController
   }
 
   void _maybePushNoTimelineEventsWarning() {
-    if (isActiveFeature) {
+    if (isActiveFeature && !_vmTimelineUnavailable) {
       pushNoTimelineEventsAvailableWarning();
     }
   }
diff --git a/packages/devtools_app/lib/src/screens/performance/performance_utils.dart b/packages/devtools_app/lib/src/screens/performance/performance_utils.dart
index 835da156156..c676f1a768e 100644
--- a/packages/devtools_app/lib/src/screens/performance/performance_utils.dart
+++ b/packages/devtools_app/lib/src/screens/performance/performance_utils.dart
@@ -17,3 +17,14 @@ void pushNoTimelineEventsAvailableWarning() {
     'To avoid this, open the DevTools Performance page earlier.',
   );
 }
+
+/// Warns that timeline events are unavailable because the connected app uses
+/// a timeline recorder that does not store events in the Dart VM.
+void pushVmTimelineUnavailableWarning() {
+  notificationService.push(
+    'Timeline events are not available because the app uses a timeline '
+    'recorder, such as systrace, that does not store events in the Dart VM. '
+    'To see timeline events, restart the app without system tracing enabled.',
+    isDismissible: true,
+  );
+}
diff --git a/packages/devtools_app/release_notes/NEXT_RELEASE_NOTES.md b/packages/devtools_app/release_notes/NEXT_RELEASE_NOTES.md
index 7d47c6b982a..e81626c873c 100644
--- a/packages/devtools_app/release_notes/NEXT_RELEASE_NOTES.md
+++ b/packages/devtools_app/release_notes/NEXT_RELEASE_NOTES.md
@@ -24,7 +24,9 @@ TODO: Remove this section if there are not any updates.
 
 ## Performance updates
 
-TODO: Remove this section if there are not any updates.
+* Fixed the Performance page loading forever when the connected app uses a
+  timeline recorder that DevTools cannot read from, such as systrace.
+  [#6524](https://github.com/flutter/devtools/issues/6524)
 
 ## CPU profiler updates
 
diff --git a/packages/devtools_app/test/screens/performance/timeline_events/timeline_events_controller_test.dart b/packages/devtools_app/test/screens/performance/timeline_events/timeline_events_controller_test.dart
index 740325d17c5..f0beb23ab07 100644
--- a/packages/devtools_app/test/screens/performance/timeline_events/timeline_events_controller_test.dart
+++ b/packages/devtools_app/test/screens/performance/timeline_events/timeline_events_controller_test.dart
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import 'package:devtools_app_shared/utils.dart';
 import 'package:devtools_test/devtools_test.dart';
 import 'package:flutter_test/flutter_test.dart';
 import 'package:mockito/mockito.dart';
+import 'package:vm_service/vm_service.dart';
 
 import '../../../test_infra/test_data/performance/sample_performance_data.dart';
 
@@ -109,5 +110,43 @@ void main() {
         expect(eventsController.fullPerfettoTrace, isEmpty);
       });
     });
+
+    test('init completes when the VM timeline is unavailable', () async {
+      final originalService = fakeServiceManager.serviceManager.service;
+      addTearDown(
+        () => fakeServiceManager.serviceManager.service = originalService,
+      );
+      final service = MockVmServiceWrapper();
+      fakeServiceManager.serviceManager.service = service;
+      when(service.setVMTimelineFlags(any)).thenAnswer((_) async => Success());
+      when(
+        service.getVMTimelineMicros(),
+      ).thenAnswer((_) async => Timestamp(timestamp: 0));
+      // The VM rejects timeline requests while the systrace recorder is used.
+      when(
+        service.getPerfettoVMTimeline(
+          timeOriginMicros: anyNamed('timeOriginMicros'),
+          timeExtentMicros: anyNamed('timeExtentMicros'),
+        ),
+      ).thenAnswer(
+        (_) async => throw RPCError(
+          'getPerfettoVMTimeline',
+          RPCErrorKind.kInvalidTimelineRequest.code,
+        ),
+      );
+      setGlobal(PreferencesController, PreferencesController());
+      setGlobal(NotificationService, NotificationService());
+      addTearDown(eventsController.dispose);
+
+      await eventsController.init();
+      await eventsController.forceRefresh();
+
+      expect(eventsController.status.value, EventsControllerStatus.ready);
+      verify(service.getVMTimelineMicros()).called(1);
+      expect(
+        notificationService.activeMessages.single.text,
+        contains('systrace'),
+      );
+    });
   });
 }