diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/isolated/devfs_web.dart b/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/isolated/devfs_web.dart
index 7c98428f8f..cfffb87005 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/isolated/devfs_web.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/isolated/devfs_web.dart
@@ -660,15 +660,45 @@ class WebDevFS implements DevFS {
 
   Dwds get dwds => webAssetServer.dwds;
 
-  @visibleForTesting
-  Future<DebugConnection> cachedExtensionFuture;
-
-  @visibleForTesting
-  StreamSubscription<void> connectedApps;
+  Future<DebugConnection> _cachedExtensionFuture;
+  StreamSubscription<void> _connectedApps;
 
   /// Connect and retrieve the [DebugConnection] for the current application.
+  ///
+  /// Only calls [AppConnection.runMain] on the subsequent connections.
   Future<ConnectionResult> connect(bool useDebugExtension) {
-    return connectToApplication(useDebugExtension, this, globals.logger, createVmServiceDelegate);
+    final Completer<ConnectionResult> firstConnection =
+        Completer<ConnectionResult>();
+    _connectedApps =
+        dwds.connectedApps.listen((AppConnection appConnection) async {
+      try {
+        final DebugConnection debugConnection = useDebugExtension
+            ? await (_cachedExtensionFuture ??=
+                dwds.extensionDebugConnections.stream.first)
+            : await dwds.debugConnection(appConnection);
+        if (firstConnection.isCompleted) {
+          appConnection.runMain();
+        } else {
+          final vm_service.VmService vmService = await createVmServiceDelegate(
+            Uri.parse(debugConnection.uri),
+            logger: globals.logger,
+          );
+          firstConnection
+              .complete(ConnectionResult(appConnection, debugConnection, vmService));
+        }
+      } on Exception catch (error, stackTrace) {
+        if (!firstConnection.isCompleted) {
+          firstConnection.completeError(error, stackTrace);
+        }
+      }
+    }, onError: (dynamic error, StackTrace stackTrace) {
+      globals.printError(
+          'Unknown error while waiting for debug connection:$error\n$stackTrace');
+      if (!firstConnection.isCompleted) {
+        firstConnection.completeError(error, stackTrace);
+      }
+    });
+    return firstConnection.future;
   }
 
   @override
@@ -723,7 +753,7 @@ class WebDevFS implements DevFS {
   @override
   Future<void> destroy() async {
     await webAssetServer.dispose();
-    await connectedApps?.cancel();
+    await _connectedApps?.cancel();
   }
 
   @override
@@ -1038,35 +1068,3 @@ To serve from a subpath "foo" (i.e. http://localhost:8080/foo/ instead of http:/
 
 For more information, see: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Element/base
 ''';
-
-
-/// Connect and retrieve the [DebugConnection] for the current application.
-@visibleForTesting
-Future<ConnectionResult> connectToApplication(bool useDebugExtension, WebDevFS devFS, Logger logger, Future<vm_service.VmService> Function(Uri, {Logger logger}) createVmService) {
-  final Completer<ConnectionResult> firstConnection = Completer<ConnectionResult>();
-  devFS.connectedApps = devFS.dwds.connectedApps.listen((AppConnection appConnection) async {
-    try {
-      final DebugConnection debugConnection = useDebugExtension
-          ? await (devFS.cachedExtensionFuture ??=
-              devFS.dwds.extensionDebugConnections.stream.first)
-          : await devFS.dwds.debugConnection(appConnection);
-      if (!firstConnection.isCompleted) {
-        final vm_service.VmService vmService = await createVmService(
-          Uri.parse(debugConnection.uri),
-          logger: logger,
-        );
-        firstConnection.complete(ConnectionResult(appConnection, debugConnection, vmService));
-      }
-    } on Exception catch (error, stackTrace) {
-      if (!firstConnection.isCompleted) {
-        firstConnection.completeError(error, stackTrace);
-      }
-    }
-  }, onError: (dynamic error, StackTrace stackTrace) {
-    logger.printError('Unknown error while waiting for debug connection:$error\n$stackTrace');
-    if (!firstConnection.isCompleted) {
-      firstConnection.completeError(error, stackTrace);
-    }
-  });
-  return firstConnection.future;
-}
diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/web/devfs_web_test.dart b/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/web/devfs_web_test.dart
index a73e7eab9b..80db64bba3 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/web/devfs_web_test.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/web/devfs_web_test.dart
@@ -4,14 +4,10 @@
 
 // @dart = 2.8
 
-import 'dart:async';
 import 'dart:io' hide Directory, File;
 
-import 'package:dwds/dwds.dart';
 import 'package:flutter_tools/src/artifacts.dart';
-import 'package:flutter_tools/src/base/common.dart';
 import 'package:flutter_tools/src/base/file_system.dart';
-import 'package:flutter_tools/src/base/logger.dart';
 import 'package:flutter_tools/src/base/platform.dart';
 import 'package:flutter_tools/src/build_info.dart';
 import 'package:flutter_tools/src/build_system/targets/web.dart';
@@ -23,11 +19,8 @@ import 'package:flutter_tools/src/web/compile.dart';
 import 'package:package_config/package_config.dart';
 import 'package:shelf/shelf.dart';
 import 'package:test/fake.dart';
-import 'package:vm_service/vm_service.dart' as vm_service;
 
 import '../../src/common.dart';
-import '../../src/context.dart';
-import '../../src/fake_vm_services.dart';
 import '../../src/testbed.dart';
 
 const List<int> kTransparentImage = <int>[
@@ -1060,48 +1053,6 @@ void main() {
   }, overrides: <Type, Generator>{
     Artifacts: () => Artifacts.test(),
   }));
-
-  testWithoutContext('connectToApplication completes the future', () async {
-    final FakeDwds dwds = FakeDwds();
-    final FakeDevFS devfs = FakeDevFS()..dwds = dwds;
-    final BufferLogger logger = BufferLogger.test();
-
-    final Future<void> result = connectToApplication(false, devfs, logger, (Uri uri, {Logger logger}) async {
-      return FakeVmService();
-    });
-
-    dwds.controller.add(FakeAppConnection());
-
-    await expectLater(result, completes);
-  });
-
-  testWithoutContext('Multiple runs of connectToApplication does not complete the future more than once', () async {
-    final FakeDwds dwds = FakeDwds();
-    final FakeDevFS devfs = FakeDevFS()..dwds = dwds;
-    final BufferLogger logger = BufferLogger.test();
-    final Future<void> result = connectToApplication(false, devfs, logger, (Uri uri, {Logger logger}) async {
-      return FakeVmService();
-    });
-
-    dwds.controller.add(FakeAppConnection());
-    dwds.controller.add(FakeAppConnection());
-    unawaited(dwds.controller.close());
-
-    await expectLater(result, completes);
-  });
-
-  testWithoutContext('connectToApplication surfaces errors', () async {
-    final FakeDwds dwds = FakeDwds();
-    final FakeDevFS devfs = FakeDevFS()..dwds = dwds;
-    final BufferLogger logger = BufferLogger.test();
-    final Future<void> result = connectToApplication(false, devfs, logger, (Uri uri, {Logger logger}) async {
-      return FakeVmService();
-    });
-
-    dwds.controller.addError(Exception('test'));
-
-    await expectLater(() => result, throwsException);
-  });
 }
 
 class FakeHttpServer extends Fake implements HttpServer {
@@ -1130,38 +1081,3 @@ class FakeResidentCompiler extends Fake implements ResidentCompiler {
     return output;
   }
 }
-
-class FakeDevFS extends Fake implements WebDevFS {
-  @override
-  StreamSubscription<void> connectedApps;
-
-  @override
-  Future<DebugConnection> cachedExtensionFuture;
-
-  @override
-  Dwds dwds;
-
-  void dispose() {
-    connectedApps.cancel();
-  }
-}
-
-class FakeDwds extends Fake implements Dwds {
-  final StreamController<AppConnection> controller = StreamController<AppConnection>();
-
-  @override
-  Stream<AppConnection> get connectedApps => controller.stream;
-
-  @override
-  Future<DebugConnection> debugConnection(AppConnection appConnection) async {
-    return FakeDebugConnection();
-  }
-}
-
-class FakeAppConnection extends Fake implements AppConnection {}
-class FakeDebugConnection extends Fake implements DebugConnection {
-  @override
-  String get uri => '';
-}
-
-class FakeVmService extends Fake implements vm_service.VmService {}