diff --git a/packages/react/src/TreeView/TreeView.test.tsx b/packages/react/src/TreeView/TreeView.test.tsx
index 2252c9d339a..26f5f3eeefe 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/TreeView/TreeView.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/react/src/TreeView/TreeView.test.tsx
@@ -14,7 +14,12 @@ function renderWithTheme(
   ui: Parameters<typeof render>[0],
   options?: Parameters<typeof render>[1],
 ): ReturnType<typeof render> {
-  return render(ui, options)
+  const result = render(ui, options)
+  // Flush deferred focus zone initialization (requestAnimationFrame)
+  act(() => {
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(16)
+  })
+  return result
 }
 
 // Mock `scrollIntoView` because it's not implemented in JSDOM
diff --git a/packages/react/src/hooks/useFocusZone.ts b/packages/react/src/hooks/useFocusZone.ts
index 94901937564..f1d1a291e24 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/hooks/useFocusZone.ts
+++ b/packages/react/src/hooks/useFocusZone.ts
@@ -58,8 +58,15 @@ export function useFocusZone(
             ...settings,
             activeDescendantControl: activeDescendantControlRef.current ?? undefined,
           }
-          abortController.current = focusZone(containerRef.current, vanillaSettings)
+          const container = containerRef.current
+          const rafId = requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+            // Defer focus zone initialization to avoid blocking paint.
+            // Setting tabindex on focusable elements is invisible to the user,
+            // and keyboard navigation activating one frame later is imperceptible.
+            abortController.current = focusZone(container, vanillaSettings)
+          })
           return () => {
+            cancelAnimationFrame(rafId)
             abortController.current?.abort()
           }
         } else {