diff --git a/packages/react-native/scripts/featureflags/ReactNativeFeatureFlags.config.js b/packages/react-native/scripts/featureflags/ReactNativeFeatureFlags.config.js
index c344aadab61..74e6001241f 100644
--- a/packages/react-native/scripts/featureflags/ReactNativeFeatureFlags.config.js
+++ b/packages/react-native/scripts/featureflags/ReactNativeFeatureFlags.config.js
@@ -706,6 +706,17 @@ const definitions: FeatureFlagDefinitions = {
       },
       ossReleaseStage: 'none',
     },
+    deferFlatListFocusChangeRenderUpdate: {
+      defaultValue: false,
+      metadata: {
+        dateAdded: '2025-07-02',
+        description:
+          'Use the deferred cell render update mechanism for focus change in FlatList.',
+        expectedReleaseValue: true,
+        purpose: 'experimentation',
+      },
+      ossReleaseStage: 'none',
+    },
     disableInteractionManager: {
       defaultValue: true,
       metadata: {
diff --git a/packages/react-native/src/private/featureflags/ReactNativeFeatureFlags.js b/packages/react-native/src/private/featureflags/ReactNativeFeatureFlags.js
index 9989d78d7dd..f5720762666 100644
--- a/packages/react-native/src/private/featureflags/ReactNativeFeatureFlags.js
+++ b/packages/react-native/src/private/featureflags/ReactNativeFeatureFlags.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  * This source code is licensed under the MIT license found in the
  * LICENSE file in the root directory of this source tree.
  *
- * @generated SignedSource<<670f6eab8583db989988cbf1a28383a2>>
+ * @generated SignedSource<<b75fccb46a36b07c692d890f0659f9a3>>
  * @flow strict
  * @noformat
  */
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ export type ReactNativeFeatureFlagsJsOnly = $ReadOnly<{
   animatedShouldDebounceQueueFlush: Getter<boolean>,
   animatedShouldUseSingleOp: Getter<boolean>,
   avoidStateUpdateInAnimatedPropsMemo: Getter<boolean>,
+  deferFlatListFocusChangeRenderUpdate: Getter<boolean>,
   disableInteractionManager: Getter<boolean>,
   enableAccessToHostTreeInFabric: Getter<boolean>,
   fixVirtualizeListCollapseWindowSize: Getter<boolean>,
@@ -135,6 +136,11 @@ export const animatedShouldUseSingleOp: Getter<boolean> = createJavaScriptFlagGe
  */
 export const avoidStateUpdateInAnimatedPropsMemo: Getter<boolean> = createJavaScriptFlagGetter('avoidStateUpdateInAnimatedPropsMemo', true);
 
+/**
+ * Use the deferred cell render update mechanism for focus change in FlatList.
+ */
+export const deferFlatListFocusChangeRenderUpdate: Getter<boolean> = createJavaScriptFlagGetter('deferFlatListFocusChangeRenderUpdate', false);
+
 /**
  * Disables InteractionManager and replaces its scheduler with `setImmediate`.
  */
diff --git a/packages/virtualized-lists/Lists/VirtualizedList.js b/packages/virtualized-lists/Lists/VirtualizedList.js
index d9764aa0ace..5b8aaa525bd 100644
--- a/packages/virtualized-lists/Lists/VirtualizedList.js
+++ b/packages/virtualized-lists/Lists/VirtualizedList.js
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ import {
   View,
   findNodeHandle,
 } from 'react-native';
+import * as ReactNativeFeatureFlags from 'react-native/src/private/featureflags/ReactNativeFeatureFlags';
 
 export type {ListRenderItemInfo, ListRenderItem, Separators};
 
@@ -1332,7 +1333,12 @@ class VirtualizedList extends StateSafePureComponent<
 
   _onCellFocusCapture = (cellKey: string) => {
     this._lastFocusedCellKey = cellKey;
-    this._updateCellsToRender();
+    if (ReactNativeFeatureFlags.deferFlatListFocusChangeRenderUpdate()) {
+      // Schedule the cells to render update the same way we handle scroll or layout events.
+      this._scheduleCellsToRenderUpdate();
+    } else {
+      this._updateCellsToRender();
+    }
   };
 
   _onCellUnmount = (cellKey: string) => {