diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 5b18fa5302..51b8032459 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@
     {
       "path": "lib/components/internal/widget-exports.js",
       "brotli": false,
-      "limit": "890 kB",
+      "limit": "891 kB",
       "ignore": "react-dom"
     }
   ],
diff --git a/src/app-layout/__tests__/runtime-drawers-widgetized.test.tsx b/src/app-layout/__tests__/runtime-drawers-widgetized.test.tsx
index dcc32b9095..7df9ba1aa2 100644
--- a/src/app-layout/__tests__/runtime-drawers-widgetized.test.tsx
+++ b/src/app-layout/__tests__/runtime-drawers-widgetized.test.tsx
@@ -48,17 +48,36 @@ describeEachAppLayout({ themes: ['refresh-toolbar'] }, ({ size }) => {
     expect(globalDrawersWrapper.findDrawerById(drawerDefaults.id)!.isActive()).toBe(true);
   });
 
-  test('isAppLayoutReady returns true when app layout is ready', () => {
+  test('isAppLayoutReady returns true when app layout is ready', async () => {
     expect(awsuiWidgetPlugins.isAppLayoutReady()).toBe(false);
     const { rerender } = renderComponent(<AppLayout />);
 
     expect(awsuiWidgetPlugins.isAppLayoutReady()).toBe(true);
+    await expect(awsuiWidgetPlugins.whenAppLayoutReady()).resolves.toBe(undefined);
 
     rerender(<></>);
 
     expect(awsuiWidgetPlugins.isAppLayoutReady()).toBe(false);
   });
 
+  test('whenAppLayoutReady resolves when app layout is ready', async () => {
+    const readyPromise = awsuiWidgetPlugins.whenAppLayoutReady();
+
+    let isResolved = false;
+    readyPromise.then(() => {
+      isResolved = true;
+    });
+
+    expect(isResolved).toBe(false);
+
+    const { rerender } = renderComponent(<AppLayout />);
+
+    rerender(<></>);
+
+    await readyPromise;
+    expect(isResolved).toBe(true);
+  });
+
   test('adds ai drawer to an already rendered component', () => {
     const { globalDrawersWrapper } = renderComponent(<AppLayout />);
     expect(globalDrawersWrapper.findAiDrawerTrigger()).toBeFalsy();
diff --git a/src/internal/plugins/widget.ts b/src/internal/plugins/widget.ts
index a5456b944d..252e44c7b2 100644
--- a/src/internal/plugins/widget.ts
+++ b/src/internal/plugins/widget.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 // Copyright Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 export * from './widget/interfaces';
-export { registerLeftDrawer, updateDrawer, isAppLayoutReady } from './widget/internal';
+export { registerLeftDrawer, updateDrawer, isAppLayoutReady, whenAppLayoutReady } from './widget/internal';
diff --git a/src/internal/plugins/widget/internal.ts b/src/internal/plugins/widget/internal.ts
index 77efb3746b..a70122c207 100644
--- a/src/internal/plugins/widget/internal.ts
+++ b/src/internal/plugins/widget/internal.ts
@@ -6,10 +6,12 @@ import { AppLayoutMessage, AppLayoutUpdateMessage, DrawerPayload, RegisterDrawer
 
 const storageKeyMessageHandler = Symbol.for('awsui-widget-api-message-handler');
 const storageKeyInitialMessages = Symbol.for('awsui-widget-api-initial-messages');
+const storageKeyReadyDeferCallbacks = Symbol.for('awsui-widget-api-ready-defer');
 
 interface WindowWithApi extends Window {
   [storageKeyMessageHandler]: AppLayoutHandler | undefined;
   [storageKeyInitialMessages]: Array<RegisterDrawerMessage> | undefined;
+  [storageKeyReadyDeferCallbacks]: Array<(value?: unknown) => void> | undefined;
 }
 
 type AppLayoutHandler = (event: AppLayoutMessage) => void;
@@ -33,6 +35,8 @@ export function registerAppLayoutHandler(handler: AppLayoutHandler) {
     reportRuntimeApiWarning('AppLayoutWidget', 'Double registration attempt, the old handler will be overridden');
   }
   win[storageKeyMessageHandler] = handler;
+  win[storageKeyReadyDeferCallbacks]?.forEach(fn => fn());
+  win[storageKeyReadyDeferCallbacks] = [];
   return () => {
     win[storageKeyMessageHandler] = undefined;
   };
@@ -49,6 +53,18 @@ export function isAppLayoutReady() {
   return !!getAppLayoutMessageHandler();
 }
 
+/**
+ * Returns a promise that resolves once the app layout has loaded
+ */
+export function whenAppLayoutReady() {
+  if (isAppLayoutReady()) {
+    return Promise.resolve();
+  }
+  const win = getWindow();
+  win[storageKeyReadyDeferCallbacks] = win[storageKeyReadyDeferCallbacks] ?? [];
+  return new Promise(resolve => win[storageKeyReadyDeferCallbacks]?.push(resolve));
+}
+
 /**
  * Registers a new runtime drawer to app layout
  * @param drawer