diff --git a/js/js-resources.gresource.xml b/js/js-resources.gresource.xml
index 76b5f9553..4213081d2 100644
--- a/js/js-resources.gresource.xml
+++ b/js/js-resources.gresource.xml
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 
     <file>perf/basic.js</file>
     <file>perf/core.js</file>
+    <file>perf/headlessStart.js</file>
     <file>perf/hwtest.js</file>
 
     <file>ui/accessDialog.js</file>
diff --git a/js/perf/headlessStart.js b/js/perf/headlessStart.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ace645355
--- /dev/null
+++ b/js/perf/headlessStart.js
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+// -*- mode: js; js-indent-level: 4; indent-tabs-mode: nil -*-
+/* exported init, run, finish, script_monitorsChanged, script_overviewHideDone,
+   script_overviewShowDone, METRICS,
+*/
+/* eslint camelcase: ["error", { properties: "never", allow: ["^script_"] }] */
+
+const {GLib, MetaTest, Shell} = imports.gi;
+
+const Main = imports.ui.main;
+const Scripting = imports.ui.scripting;
+
+// This script tests that the shell handles connecting monitors after startup
+// is properly handled.
+
+var METRICS = {};
+
+let _testMonitor = null;
+
+/**
+ * init:
+ */
+function init() {
+    global.connect('shutdown', () => {
+        _testMonitor?.destroy();
+    });
+    global.context.connect('started',
+        () => {
+            GLib.timeout_add_seconds(
+                GLib.PRIORITY_LOW, 2,
+                () => {
+                    log('Connecting 1280x720 test monitor');
+                    _testMonitor = MetaTest.TestMonitor.new(
+                        global.context, 1280, 720, 60.0);
+                });
+        });
+    Scripting.defineScriptEvent('monitorsChanged', 'Monitors changed');
+
+    const display = global.display;
+    console.assert(display.get_n_monitors() === 0, 'Not running headless');
+
+    const monitorManager = global.backend.get_monitor_manager();
+    const monitorsChangedHandlerId = monitorManager.connect('monitors-changed',
+        () => {
+            console.assert(display.get_n_monitors() === 1,
+                'Expected a single monitor');
+            Scripting.scriptEvent('monitorsChanged');
+            monitorManager.disconnect(monitorsChangedHandlerId);
+        });
+    Shell.PerfLog.get_default().set_enabled(true);
+}
+
+/**
+ * run:
+ */
+async function run() {
+    /* eslint-disable no-await-in-loop */
+    Scripting.defineScriptEvent('overviewShowDone', 'Overview finished showing');
+    Scripting.defineScriptEvent('overviewHideDone', 'Overview finished hiding');
+
+    Main.overview.connect('shown',
+        () => Scripting.scriptEvent('overviewShowDone'));
+    Main.overview.connect('hidden',
+        () => Scripting.scriptEvent('overviewHideDone'));
+
+    Main.overview.hide();
+    await Scripting.waitLeisure();
+
+    Main.overview.show();
+    await Scripting.waitLeisure();
+
+    /* eslint-enable no-await-in-loop */
+}
+
+let monitorsChanged = false;
+let overviewHidden = false;
+let overviewShown = false;
+
+/**
+ * script_monitorsChanged:
+ */
+function script_monitorsChanged() {
+    monitorsChanged = true;
+}
+
+/**
+ * script_overviewHideDone:
+ */
+function script_overviewHideDone() {
+    overviewHidden = true;
+}
+
+/**
+ * script_overviewShowDone:
+ */
+function script_overviewShowDone() {
+    overviewShown = true;
+}
+
+/**
+ * finish:
+ */
+function finish() {
+    if (!monitorsChanged)
+        throw new Error('Monitors never changed');
+
+    if (!overviewHidden)
+        throw new Error('Failed to hide overview');
+
+    if (!overviewShown)
+        throw new Error('Failed to show overview');
+}
diff --git a/tests/meson.build b/tests/meson.build
index 1d12d0786..2f96a7325 100644
--- a/tests/meson.build
+++ b/tests/meson.build
@@ -40,7 +40,13 @@ foreach test : tests
 endforeach
 
 perf_tests = [
-  'basic',
+  {
+    'name': 'basic',
+  },
+  {
+    'name': 'headlessStart',
+    'options': ['--hotplug'],
+  },
 ]
 
 gvc_typelib_path = fs.parent(libgvc.get_variable('libgvc_gir')[1].full_path())
@@ -58,11 +64,15 @@ perf_testenv.append('GI_TYPELIB_PATH', gvc_typelib_path, separator: ':')
 perf_testenv.append('LD_LIBRARY_PATH', libgvc_path, separator: ':')
 
 foreach perf_test : perf_tests
-  test('perf-' + perf_test, dbus_runner,
+  test_name = perf_test['name']
+  options = perf_test.get('options', [])
+
+  test('perf-' + test_name, dbus_runner,
     args: [
       perf_tool,
       '--headless',
-      '--perf=@0@'.format(perf_test),
+      '--perf=@0@'.format(test_name),
+      options,
     ],
     is_parallel: false,
     env: perf_testenv,