diff --git a/runtime/tests/vm/dart/isolate_restricted_kill_test.dart b/runtime/tests/vm/dart/isolate_restricted_kill_test.dart
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2750cf2db3f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runtime/tests/vm/dart/isolate_restricted_kill_test.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2025, the Dart project authors.  Please see the AUTHORS file
+// for details. All rights reserved. Use of this source code is governed by a
+// BSD-style license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+//
+// Verifies that restricted isolate can't be terminated.
+//
+import 'dart:isolate';
+
+import 'package:expect/async_helper.dart';
+import 'package:expect/expect.dart';
+
+main() async {
+  asyncStart();
+
+  int receivedCounter = -1;
+  final rp = RawReceivePort((value) {
+    receivedCounter = value;
+  });
+  final rpExit = ReceivePort();
+
+  final isolate = await Isolate.spawn(
+    (sendPort) async {
+      int counter = 0;
+      while (true) {
+        sendPort.send(counter++);
+        await Future.delayed(Duration(milliseconds: 100));
+      }
+    },
+    rp.sendPort,
+    onExit: rpExit.sendPort,
+  );
+
+  // Wait for the isolate to start.
+  while (receivedCounter < 0) {
+    await Future.delayed(Duration(milliseconds: 100));
+  }
+
+  // Create restricted isolate, the one that can't be terminated.
+  final restricted = Isolate(isolate.controlPort);
+  restricted.kill();
+  final before_kill = receivedCounter;
+  // Wait couple cycles to ensure isolate is still alive.
+  while (receivedCounter < before_kill + 2) {
+    await Future.delayed(Duration(milliseconds: 100));
+  }
+
+  // Now kill the original isolate and wait for it to exit.
+  isolate.kill();
+  await rpExit.first;
+
+  rp.close();
+  asyncEnd();
+}
diff --git a/runtime/vm/isolate.cc b/runtime/vm/isolate.cc
index 0645ea7295f..8feb79104a3 100644
--- a/runtime/vm/isolate.cc
+++ b/runtime/vm/isolate.cc
@@ -1269,9 +1269,9 @@ ErrorPtr IsolateMessageHandler::HandleLibMessage(const Array& message) {
       if (!obj.IsSmi()) return Error::null();
       const intptr_t priority = Smi::Cast(obj).Value();
       if (priority == Isolate::kImmediateAction) {
-        Thread::Current()->StartUnwindError();
         obj = message.At(2);
         if (I->VerifyTerminateCapability(obj)) {
+          Thread::Current()->StartUnwindError();
           // We will kill the current isolate by returning an UnwindError.
           if (msg_type == Isolate::kKillMsg) {
             const String& msg = String::Handle(