diff --git a/packages/video_player/video_player_avfoundation/CHANGELOG.md b/packages/video_player/video_player_avfoundation/CHANGELOG.md
index 3bfde743def7..5e16890885b1 100644
--- a/packages/video_player/video_player_avfoundation/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/packages/video_player/video_player_avfoundation/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+## 2.5.5
+
+* Fixes display of initial frame when paused.
+
 ## 2.5.4
 
 * Fixes new lint warnings.
diff --git a/packages/video_player/video_player_avfoundation/darwin/Classes/FVPVideoPlayerPlugin.m b/packages/video_player/video_player_avfoundation/darwin/Classes/FVPVideoPlayerPlugin.m
index 654c63fc2b67..70ede124f8e6 100644
--- a/packages/video_player/video_player_avfoundation/darwin/Classes/FVPVideoPlayerPlugin.m
+++ b/packages/video_player/video_player_avfoundation/darwin/Classes/FVPVideoPlayerPlugin.m
@@ -114,6 +114,10 @@ - (instancetype)initWithURL:(NSURL *)url
                 httpHeaders:(nonnull NSDictionary<NSString *, NSString *> *)headers
                   avFactory:(id<FVPAVFactory>)avFactory
                   registrar:(NSObject<FlutterPluginRegistrar> *)registrar;
+
+// Tells the player to run its frame updater until it receives a frame, regardless of the
+// play/pause state.
+- (void)expectFrame;
 @end
 
 static void *timeRangeContext = &timeRangeContext;
@@ -416,7 +420,9 @@ - (void)updatePlayingState {
   } else {
     [_player pause];
   }
-  _displayLink.running = _isPlaying;
+  // If the texture is still waiting for an expected frame, the display link needs to keep
+  // running until it arrives regardless of the play/pause state.
+  _displayLink.running = _isPlaying || self.waitingForFrame;
 }
 
 - (void)setupEventSinkIfReadyToPlay {
@@ -509,8 +515,7 @@ - (void)seekTo:(int64_t)location completionHandler:(void (^)(BOOL))completionHan
           // must use the display link rather than just informing the engine that a new frame is
           // available because the seek completing doesn't guarantee that the pixel buffer is
           // already available.
-          self.waitingForFrame = YES;
-          self.displayLink.running = YES;
+          [self expectFrame];
         }
 
         if (completionHandler) {
@@ -519,6 +524,11 @@ - (void)seekTo:(int64_t)location completionHandler:(void (^)(BOOL))completionHan
       }];
 }
 
+- (void)expectFrame {
+  self.waitingForFrame = YES;
+  self.displayLink.running = YES;
+}
+
 - (void)setIsLooping:(BOOL)isLooping {
   _isLooping = isLooping;
 }
@@ -710,6 +720,11 @@ - (FVPTextureMessage *)onPlayerSetup:(FVPVideoPlayer *)player
   [eventChannel setStreamHandler:player];
   player.eventChannel = eventChannel;
   self.playersByTextureId[@(textureId)] = player;
+
+  // Ensure that the first frame is drawn once available, even if the video isn't played, since
+  // the engine is now expecting the texture to be populated.
+  [player expectFrame];
+
   FVPTextureMessage *result = [FVPTextureMessage makeWithTextureId:textureId];
   return result;
 }
diff --git a/packages/video_player/video_player_avfoundation/darwin/RunnerTests/VideoPlayerTests.m b/packages/video_player/video_player_avfoundation/darwin/RunnerTests/VideoPlayerTests.m
index bebcb71885fe..fc47da6af7d3 100644
--- a/packages/video_player/video_player_avfoundation/darwin/RunnerTests/VideoPlayerTests.m
+++ b/packages/video_player/video_player_avfoundation/darwin/RunnerTests/VideoPlayerTests.m
@@ -255,6 +255,59 @@ - (void)testSeekToWhilePausedStartsDisplayLinkTemporarily {
   OCMVerify([mockDisplayLink setRunning:NO]);
 }
 
+- (void)testInitStartsDisplayLinkTemporarily {
+  NSObject<FlutterTextureRegistry> *mockTextureRegistry =
+      OCMProtocolMock(@protocol(FlutterTextureRegistry));
+  NSObject<FlutterPluginRegistrar> *registrar =
+      [GetPluginRegistry() registrarForPlugin:@"InitStartsDisplayLinkTemporarily"];
+  NSObject<FlutterPluginRegistrar> *partialRegistrar = OCMPartialMock(registrar);
+  OCMStub([partialRegistrar textures]).andReturn(mockTextureRegistry);
+  FVPDisplayLink *mockDisplayLink =
+      OCMPartialMock([[FVPDisplayLink alloc] initWithRegistrar:registrar
+                                                      callback:^(){
+                                                      }]);
+  StubFVPDisplayLinkFactory *stubDisplayLinkFactory =
+      [[StubFVPDisplayLinkFactory alloc] initWithDisplayLink:mockDisplayLink];
+  AVPlayerItemVideoOutput *mockVideoOutput = OCMPartialMock([[AVPlayerItemVideoOutput alloc] init]);
+  StubAVPlayer *stubAVPlayer = [[StubAVPlayer alloc] init];
+  FVPVideoPlayerPlugin *videoPlayerPlugin = [[FVPVideoPlayerPlugin alloc]
+       initWithAVFactory:[[StubFVPAVFactory alloc] initWithPlayer:stubAVPlayer
+                                                           output:mockVideoOutput]
+      displayLinkFactory:stubDisplayLinkFactory
+               registrar:partialRegistrar];
+
+  FlutterError *initalizationError;
+  [videoPlayerPlugin initialize:&initalizationError];
+  XCTAssertNil(initalizationError);
+  FVPCreateMessage *create = [FVPCreateMessage
+      makeWithAsset:nil
+                uri:@"https://flutter.github.io/assets-for-api-docs/assets/videos/hls/bee.m3u8"
+        packageName:nil
+         formatHint:nil
+        httpHeaders:@{}];
+  FlutterError *createError;
+  FVPTextureMessage *textureMessage = [videoPlayerPlugin create:create error:&createError];
+  NSInteger textureId = textureMessage.textureId;
+
+  // Init should start the display link temporarily.
+  OCMVerify([mockDisplayLink setRunning:YES]);
+
+  // Simulate a buffer being available.
+  OCMStub([mockVideoOutput hasNewPixelBufferForItemTime:kCMTimeZero])
+      .ignoringNonObjectArgs()
+      .andReturn(YES);
+  // Any non-zero value is fine here since it won't actually be used, just NULL-checked.
+  CVPixelBufferRef fakeBufferRef = (CVPixelBufferRef)1;
+  OCMStub([mockVideoOutput copyPixelBufferForItemTime:kCMTimeZero itemTimeForDisplay:NULL])
+      .ignoringNonObjectArgs()
+      .andReturn(fakeBufferRef);
+  // Simulate a callback from the engine to request a new frame.
+  FVPVideoPlayer *player = videoPlayerPlugin.playersByTextureId[@(textureId)];
+  [player copyPixelBuffer];
+  // Since a frame was found, and the video is paused, the display link should be paused again.
+  OCMVerify([mockDisplayLink setRunning:NO]);
+}
+
 - (void)testSeekToWhilePlayingDoesNotStopDisplayLink {
   NSObject<FlutterTextureRegistry> *mockTextureRegistry =
       OCMProtocolMock(@protocol(FlutterTextureRegistry));
@@ -288,8 +341,8 @@ - (void)testSeekToWhilePlayingDoesNotStopDisplayLink {
   NSInteger textureId = textureMessage.textureId;
 
   // Ensure that the video is playing before seeking.
-  FlutterError *pauseError;
-  [videoPlayerPlugin play:textureMessage error:&pauseError];
+  FlutterError *playError;
+  [videoPlayerPlugin play:textureMessage error:&playError];
 
   XCTestExpectation *initializedExpectation = [self expectationWithDescription:@"seekTo completes"];
   FVPPositionMessage *message = [FVPPositionMessage makeWithTextureId:textureId position:1234];
@@ -318,6 +371,46 @@ - (void)testSeekToWhilePlayingDoesNotStopDisplayLink {
   OCMVerify(never(), [mockDisplayLink setRunning:NO]);
 }
 
+- (void)testPauseWhileWaitingForFrameDoesNotStopDisplayLink {
+  NSObject<FlutterTextureRegistry> *mockTextureRegistry =
+      OCMProtocolMock(@protocol(FlutterTextureRegistry));
+  NSObject<FlutterPluginRegistrar> *registrar =
+      [GetPluginRegistry() registrarForPlugin:@"PauseWhileWaitingForFrameDoesNotStopDisplayLink"];
+  NSObject<FlutterPluginRegistrar> *partialRegistrar = OCMPartialMock(registrar);
+  OCMStub([partialRegistrar textures]).andReturn(mockTextureRegistry);
+  FVPDisplayLink *mockDisplayLink =
+      OCMPartialMock([[FVPDisplayLink alloc] initWithRegistrar:registrar
+                                                      callback:^(){
+                                                      }]);
+  StubFVPDisplayLinkFactory *stubDisplayLinkFactory =
+      [[StubFVPDisplayLinkFactory alloc] initWithDisplayLink:mockDisplayLink];
+  AVPlayerItemVideoOutput *mockVideoOutput = OCMPartialMock([[AVPlayerItemVideoOutput alloc] init]);
+  FVPVideoPlayerPlugin *videoPlayerPlugin = [[FVPVideoPlayerPlugin alloc]
+       initWithAVFactory:[[StubFVPAVFactory alloc] initWithPlayer:nil output:mockVideoOutput]
+      displayLinkFactory:stubDisplayLinkFactory
+               registrar:partialRegistrar];
+
+  FlutterError *initalizationError;
+  [videoPlayerPlugin initialize:&initalizationError];
+  XCTAssertNil(initalizationError);
+  FVPCreateMessage *create = [FVPCreateMessage
+      makeWithAsset:nil
+                uri:@"https://flutter.github.io/assets-for-api-docs/assets/videos/hls/bee.m3u8"
+        packageName:nil
+         formatHint:nil
+        httpHeaders:@{}];
+  FlutterError *createError;
+  FVPTextureMessage *textureMessage = [videoPlayerPlugin create:create error:&createError];
+
+  // Run a play/pause cycle to force the pause codepath to run completely.
+  FlutterError *playPauseError;
+  [videoPlayerPlugin play:textureMessage error:&playPauseError];
+  [videoPlayerPlugin pause:textureMessage error:&playPauseError];
+
+  // Since a buffer hasn't been available yet, the pause should not have stopped the display link.
+  OCMVerify(never(), [mockDisplayLink setRunning:NO]);
+}
+
 - (void)testDeregistersFromPlayer {
   NSObject<FlutterPluginRegistrar> *registrar =
       [GetPluginRegistry() registrarForPlugin:@"testDeregistersFromPlayer"];
diff --git a/packages/video_player/video_player_avfoundation/pubspec.yaml b/packages/video_player/video_player_avfoundation/pubspec.yaml
index cef4a092526e..6c6976124875 100644
--- a/packages/video_player/video_player_avfoundation/pubspec.yaml
+++ b/packages/video_player/video_player_avfoundation/pubspec.yaml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ name: video_player_avfoundation
 description: iOS and macOS implementation of the video_player plugin.
 repository: https://github.com/flutter/packages/tree/main/packages/video_player/video_player_avfoundation
 issue_tracker: https://github.com/flutter/flutter/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+label%3A%22p%3A+video_player%22
-version: 2.5.4
+version: 2.5.5
 
 environment:
   sdk: ">=3.2.0 <4.0.0"