diff --git a/build/dart/dart_action.gni b/build/dart/dart_action.gni
index 2058f0334c3..c357aad4d99 100644
--- a/build/dart/dart_action.gni
+++ b/build/dart/dart_action.gni
@@ -288,6 +288,10 @@ template("_built_tool_action") {
 #  script:
 #    The un-rebased path to the Dart script.
 #
+#  dfe (optional):
+#    Sets the DFE file used by Dart. If not set the VM will attempt to load it
+#    from a snapshot, or fall back on its built-in kernel.
+#
 #  vm_args (optional):
 #    Arguments to pass to the Dart VM.
 #
@@ -323,6 +327,17 @@ template("dart_action") {
                                "visibility",
                                "vm_args",
                              ])
+
+      # Dart has an implicit dependency on the kernel service so unless DFE is
+      # passed, we need to add this dep.
+      if (defined(invoker.dfe)) {
+        vm_args += [ "--dfe=" + rebase_path(invoker.dfe) ]
+      } else {
+        if (!defined(invoker.deps)) {
+          deps = []
+        }
+        deps += [ "$_dart_root/utils/kernel-service:kernel-service" ]
+      }
     }
   } else {
     prebuilt_dart_action(target_name) {
diff --git a/utils/application_snapshot.gni b/utils/application_snapshot.gni
index 7d981bd728a..81ec5eed094 100644
--- a/utils/application_snapshot.gni
+++ b/utils/application_snapshot.gni
@@ -134,6 +134,7 @@ template("_application_snapshot") {
     args += [ rebase_path(main_dart) ]
   }
 
+  # Create a snapshot from kernel built above.
   dart_action(target_name) {
     deps = extra_deps + [ ":${target_name}_dill" ]
     depfile = "$output.d"
@@ -144,6 +145,10 @@ template("_application_snapshot") {
 
     outputs = [ output ]
 
+    # Explicitly set DFE so Dart doesn't implicitly depend on the kernel service
+    # snapshot (creating a circular dep. for kernel-service_snapshot).
+    dfe = "$_dart_root/pkg/vm/bin/kernel_service.dart"
+
     abs_depfile = rebase_path(depfile)
     abs_output = rebase_path(output, root_build_dir)