diff --git a/packages/canvas-polyfill/__test__/gamepad.test.mjs b/packages/canvas-polyfill/__test__/gamepad.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b9d39870d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/canvas-polyfill/__test__/gamepad.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+import { test } from 'node:test';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
+import { build } from 'esbuild';
+
+// Like the native backends, the fake reports already-connected pads synchronously when monitoring starts.
+const fakeGamepad = `
+const pad = { index: 0, id: 'Fake (STANDARD GAMEPAD)', connected: true };
+let started = false;
+export const gamepads = {
+	addListener(listener) {
+		if (!started) {
+			started = true;
+			listener({ type: 'gamepadconnected', gamepad: pad });
+		}
+	},
+};
+export function getGamepads() {
+	return started ? [pad, null, null, null] : [null, null, null, null];
+}
+`;
+
+async function loadPolyfill() {
+	const entry = fileURLToPath(new URL('../gamepad.ts', import.meta.url));
+	const { outputFiles } = await build({
+		entryPoints: [entry],
+		bundle: true,
+		format: 'esm',
+		write: false,
+		platform: 'neutral',
+		plugins: [
+			{
+				name: 'fake-canvas-gamepad',
+				setup(b) {
+					b.onResolve({ filter: /^@nativescript\/canvas-gamepad$/ }, () => ({ path: 'fake', namespace: 'fake' }));
+					b.onLoad({ filter: /.*/, namespace: 'fake' }, () => ({ contents: fakeGamepad, loader: 'js' }));
+				},
+			},
+		],
+	});
+	return import('data:text/javascript;base64,' + Buffer.from(outputFiles[0].text).toString('base64') + '#' + Math.random());
+}
+
+test('first gamepadconnected listener sees pads that were already connected', async () => {
+	const target = new EventTarget();
+	globalThis.addEventListener = target.addEventListener.bind(target);
+	globalThis.removeEventListener = target.removeEventListener.bind(target);
+	globalThis.dispatchEvent = target.dispatchEvent.bind(target);
+	globalThis.window = globalThis;
+
+	const { hookGamepadListeners } = await loadPolyfill();
+	hookGamepadListeners();
+
+	const seen = [];
+	window.addEventListener('gamepadconnected', (e) => seen.push(e.gamepad.id));
+
+	assert.deepEqual(seen, ['Fake (STANDARD GAMEPAD)']);
+});
diff --git a/packages/canvas-polyfill/gamepad.ts b/packages/canvas-polyfill/gamepad.ts
index f23a38a98..ee86e4a3a 100644
--- a/packages/canvas-polyfill/gamepad.ts
+++ b/packages/canvas-polyfill/gamepad.ts
@@ -32,10 +32,12 @@ export function hookGamepadListeners() {
 			continue;
 		}
 		const hooked = function (this: unknown, type: string, ...rest: unknown[]) {
+			const result = add.call(this, type, ...rest);
+			// Register first: starting the backend reports already-connected pads synchronously.
 			if (type === 'gamepadconnected' || type === 'gamepaddisconnected') {
 				gamepads();
 			}
-			return add.call(this, type, ...rest);
+			return result;
 		};
 		hooked.__gamepadHook = true;
 		host.addEventListener = hooked;
diff --git a/packages/canvas-polyfill/package.json b/packages/canvas-polyfill/package.json
index dfc6c6ad0..725cd242f 100644
--- a/packages/canvas-polyfill/package.json
+++ b/packages/canvas-polyfill/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
 	"name": "@nativescript/canvas-polyfill",
-	"version": "3.0.0-alpha.18",
+	"version": "3.0.0-alpha.19",
 	"description": "Polyfill for making NativeScript compatible with web libs like pixi.js, three.js, phaser.js, babylon.js, etc....",
 	"main": "index",
 	"typings": "global.d.ts",