rafaelaugustos · Oct 25, 2026 · Oct 30, 2026 · Nov 12, 2026
diff --git a/apps/automated/src/ui/view/view-tests.ios.ts b/apps/automated/src/ui/view/view-tests.ios.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,30 @@
-import { View, Page, Button, GridLayout, Color, Utils } from '@nativescript/core';
+import { View, Page, Button, GridLayout, Color, Utils, Frame } from '@nativescript/core';
 import * as helper from '../../ui-helper';
 import * as TKUnit from '../../tk-unit';
 import { _createBackgroundColorView, _createLabelWithBorder } from './view-tests-common';
 
 export * from './view-tests-common';
 
+export function test_requestLayout_doesNotLoadFrameControllerView() {
+	const frame = new Frame();
+	const controller = frame.ios.controller;
+	TKUnit.assert(!controller.viewIfLoaded, 'A new Frame should keep its controller view unloaded.');
+	frame.requestLayout();
+	TKUnit.assert(!controller.viewIfLoaded, 'Layout invalidation must preserve lazy controller loading.');
+	TKUnit.assert(frame.isLayoutRequested, 'The deferred layout must remain requested.');
+}
+
+export function test_inheritedDirection_doesNotLoadFrameControllerView() {
+	const root = new GridLayout();
+	const frame = new Frame();
+	root.style.direction = 'ltr';
+	root.addChild(frame);
+	TKUnit.assertEqual(frame.style.direction, 'ltr', 'The Frame must inherit direction.');
+	TKUnit.assert(!frame.ios.controller.viewIfLoaded, 'Inherited direction must preserve lazy controller loading.');
+	TKUnit.assert(frame.isLayoutRequested, 'Inherited direction must still request layout.');
+	root.removeChild(frame);
+}
+
 class MyGrid extends GridLayout {
 	public backgroundDrawCount: number = 0;
 

diff --git a/packages/core/ui/core/view/index.ios.ts b/packages/core/ui/core/view/index.ios.ts
@@ -105,8 +105,10 @@ export class View extends ViewCommon {
 			nativeView.setNeedsLayout();
 		}
 
-		if (this.viewController && this.viewController.view !== nativeView) {
-			this.viewController.view.setNeedsLayout();
+		// Layout invalidation must not load controllers before UIApplicationMain.
+		const controllerView = this.viewController?.viewIfLoaded;
+		if (controllerView && controllerView !== nativeView) {
+			controllerView.setNeedsLayout();
 		}
 
 		if (!requestedThisTurn) {

diff --git a/packages/core/ui/core/view/request-layout.spec.ts b/packages/core/ui/core/view/request-layout.spec.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,48 @@
 import { StackLayout } from '../../layouts/stack-layout';
 
 describe('iOS requestLayout', () => {
+	it('invalidates layout without loading an unloaded controller view', () => {
+		const view = new StackLayout();
+		const controller = new UIViewController();
+		const loadView = vi.spyOn(controller, 'view', 'get');
+		view.viewController = controller;
+		view.layout(0, 0, 100, 100);
+		expect(view.isLayoutRequested).toBe(false);
+
+		view.requestLayout();
+
+		expect(loadView).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+		expect(controller.viewIfLoaded).toBeNull();
+		expect(view.isLayoutRequested).toBe(true);
+	});
+
+	it('invalidates an already loaded controller view and its distinct native view', () => {
+		const view = new StackLayout();
+		const controller = new UIViewController();
+		const nativeController = new UIViewController();
+		view.viewController = controller;
+		view.nativeViewProtected = nativeController.view;
+		const controllerLayout = vi.spyOn(controller.view, 'setNeedsLayout');
+		const nativeLayout = vi.spyOn(view.nativeViewProtected, 'setNeedsLayout');
+
+		view.requestLayout();
+
+		expect(controllerLayout).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+		expect(nativeLayout).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+	});
+
+	it('invalidates only once when the native view is the loaded controller view', () => {
+		const view = new StackLayout();
+		const controller = new UIViewController();
+		view.viewController = controller;
+		view.nativeViewProtected = controller.view;
+		const nativeLayout = vi.spyOn(controller.view, 'setNeedsLayout');
+
+		view.requestLayout();
+
+		expect(nativeLayout).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+	});
+
 	async function tree() {
 		const parent = new StackLayout();
 		const child = new StackLayout();

diff --git a/packages/core/vitest.setup.ts b/packages/core/vitest.setup.ts
@@ -221,7 +221,15 @@ global.UIApplicationDidReceiveMemoryWarningNotification = 'UIApplicationDidRecei
 global.UIApplicationDidChangeStatusBarOrientationNotification = 'UIApplicationDidChangeStatusBarOrientationNotification';
 global.UIResponder = function () {};
 global.UIResponder.extend = function () {};
-global.UIViewController = function () {};
+global.UIViewController = class UIViewController {
+	_view = null;
+	get view() {
+		return (this._view ??= { setNeedsLayout() {} });
+	}
+	get viewIfLoaded() {
+		return this._view;
+	}
+};
 global.UIViewControllerTransitioningDelegate = function () {};
 global.UINavigationControllerDelegate = function () {};
 global.UINavigationController = function () {};