diff --git a/common/settings.h b/common/settings.h
index d9df7e707b172..eb07585a33fb0 100644
--- a/common/settings.h
+++ b/common/settings.h
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@ struct Settings {
   std::optional<std::vector<std::string>> trace_skia_allowlist;
   bool trace_startup = false;
   bool trace_systrace = false;
+  std::string trace_to_file;
   bool enable_timeline_event_handler = true;
   bool dump_skp_on_shader_compilation = false;
   bool cache_sksl = false;
diff --git a/runtime/dart_vm.cc b/runtime/dart_vm.cc
index fb1349214349a..48715c5cc2eec 100644
--- a/runtime/dart_vm.cc
+++ b/runtime/dart_vm.cc
@@ -99,6 +99,12 @@ static const char* kDartSystraceTraceBufferArgs[] = {
     "--systrace_timeline",
 };
 
+static std::string DartFileRecorderArgs(const std::string& path) {
+  std::ostringstream oss;
+  oss << "--timeline_recorder=perfettofile:" << path;
+  return oss.str();
+}
+
 FML_ALLOW_UNUSED_TYPE
 static const char* kDartDefaultTraceStreamsArgs[]{
     "--timeline_streams=Dart,Embedder,GC",
@@ -390,6 +396,14 @@ DartVM::DartVM(const std::shared_ptr<const DartVMData>& vm_data,
                 fml::size(kDartSystraceTraceStreamsArgs));
   }
 
+  std::string file_recorder_args;
+  if (!settings_.trace_to_file.empty()) {
+    file_recorder_args = DartFileRecorderArgs(settings_.trace_to_file);
+    args.push_back(file_recorder_args.c_str());
+    PushBackAll(&args, kDartSystraceTraceStreamsArgs,
+                fml::size(kDartSystraceTraceStreamsArgs));
+  }
+
   if (settings_.trace_startup) {
     PushBackAll(&args, kDartStartupTraceStreamsArgs,
                 fml::size(kDartStartupTraceStreamsArgs));
diff --git a/shell/common/switches.cc b/shell/common/switches.cc
index e0d4ae3d5826e..f9cbb548cc0f5 100644
--- a/shell/common/switches.cc
+++ b/shell/common/switches.cc
@@ -354,6 +354,9 @@ Settings SettingsFromCommandLine(const fml::CommandLine& command_line) {
   settings.trace_systrace =
       command_line.HasOption(FlagForSwitch(Switch::TraceSystrace));
 
+  command_line.GetOptionValue(FlagForSwitch(Switch::TraceToFile),
+                              &settings.trace_to_file);
+
   settings.skia_deterministic_rendering_on_cpu =
       command_line.HasOption(FlagForSwitch(Switch::SkiaDeterministicRendering));
 
diff --git a/shell/common/switches.h b/shell/common/switches.h
index c8a75f778664c..7dd04fc7e12e4 100644
--- a/shell/common/switches.h
+++ b/shell/common/switches.h
@@ -197,6 +197,11 @@ DEF_SWITCH(
     "Trace to the system tracer (instead of the timeline) on platforms where "
     "such a tracer is available. Currently only supported on Android and "
     "Fuchsia.")
+DEF_SWITCH(TraceToFile,
+           "trace-to-file",
+           "Write the timeline trace to a file at the specified path. The file "
+           "will be in Perfetto's proto format; it will be possible to load "
+           "the file into Perfetto's trace viewer.")
 DEF_SWITCH(UseTestFonts,
            "use-test-fonts",
            "Running tests that layout and measure text will not yield "
diff --git a/shell/common/switches_unittests.cc b/shell/common/switches_unittests.cc
index 0307b9d62bf91..617c0a891cfa7 100644
--- a/shell/common/switches_unittests.cc
+++ b/shell/common/switches_unittests.cc
@@ -51,6 +51,14 @@ TEST(SwitchesTest, SkiaTraceAllowlistFlag) {
 #endif
 }
 
+TEST(SwitchesTest, TraceToFile) {
+  fml::CommandLine command_line = fml::CommandLineFromInitializerList(
+      {"command", "--trace-to-file=trace.binpb"});
+  EXPECT_TRUE(command_line.HasOption("trace-to-file"));
+  Settings settings = SettingsFromCommandLine(command_line);
+  EXPECT_EQ(settings.trace_to_file, "trace.binpb");
+}
+
 TEST(SwitchesTest, RouteParsedFlag) {
   fml::CommandLine command_line =
       fml::CommandLineFromInitializerList({"command", "--route=/animation"});
diff --git a/shell/platform/android/io/flutter/app/FlutterActivityDelegate.java b/shell/platform/android/io/flutter/app/FlutterActivityDelegate.java
index bcc54b1e9786f..b57e20c061dfa 100644
--- a/shell/platform/android/io/flutter/app/FlutterActivityDelegate.java
+++ b/shell/platform/android/io/flutter/app/FlutterActivityDelegate.java
@@ -314,6 +314,9 @@ private static String[] getArgsFromIntent(Intent intent) {
     if (intent.getBooleanExtra("trace-systrace", false)) {
       args.add("--trace-systrace");
     }
+    if (intent.hasExtra("trace-to-file")) {
+      args.add("--trace-to-file=" + intent.getStringExtra("trace-to-file"));
+    }
     if (intent.getBooleanExtra("dump-skp-on-shader-compilation", false)) {
       args.add("--dump-skp-on-shader-compilation");
     }
diff --git a/shell/platform/android/io/flutter/embedding/engine/FlutterShellArgs.java b/shell/platform/android/io/flutter/embedding/engine/FlutterShellArgs.java
index e97eb66bfce05..b3775217a86fe 100644
--- a/shell/platform/android/io/flutter/embedding/engine/FlutterShellArgs.java
+++ b/shell/platform/android/io/flutter/embedding/engine/FlutterShellArgs.java
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ public class FlutterShellArgs {
   public static final String ARG_TRACE_SKIA_ALLOWLIST = "--trace-skia-allowlist=";
   public static final String ARG_KEY_TRACE_SYSTRACE = "trace-systrace";
   public static final String ARG_TRACE_SYSTRACE = "--trace-systrace";
+  public static final String ARG_KEY_TRACE_TO_FILE = "trace-to-file";
+  public static final String ARG_TRACE_TO_FILE = "--trace-to-file";
   public static final String ARG_KEY_ENABLE_IMPELLER = "enable-impeller";
   public static final String ARG_ENABLE_IMPELLER = "--enable-impeller";
   public static final String ARG_KEY_ENABLE_VULKAN_VALIDATION = "enable-vulkan-validation";
@@ -120,6 +122,9 @@ public static FlutterShellArgs fromIntent(@NonNull Intent intent) {
     if (intent.getBooleanExtra(ARG_KEY_TRACE_SYSTRACE, false)) {
       args.add(ARG_TRACE_SYSTRACE);
     }
+    if (intent.hasExtra(ARG_KEY_TRACE_TO_FILE)) {
+      args.add(ARG_TRACE_TO_FILE + "=" + intent.getStringExtra(ARG_KEY_TRACE_TO_FILE));
+    }
     if (intent.getBooleanExtra(ARG_KEY_ENABLE_IMPELLER, false)) {
       args.add(ARG_ENABLE_IMPELLER);
     }