diff --git a/eng/testing/scenarios/BuildWasmAppsJobsList.txt b/eng/testing/scenarios/BuildWasmAppsJobsList.txt
index 58c5621f45240..6b41da61285c2 100644
--- a/eng/testing/scenarios/BuildWasmAppsJobsList.txt
+++ b/eng/testing/scenarios/BuildWasmAppsJobsList.txt
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ Wasm.Build.Tests.PInvokeTableGeneratorTests
 Wasm.Build.Tests.RebuildTests
 Wasm.Build.Tests.SatelliteAssembliesTests
 Wasm.Build.Tests.TestAppScenarios.AppSettingsTests
+Wasm.Build.Tests.TestAppScenarios.DownloadThenInitTests
 Wasm.Build.Tests.TestAppScenarios.LazyLoadingTests
 Wasm.Build.Tests.TestAppScenarios.LibraryInitializerTests
 Wasm.Build.Tests.TestAppScenarios.SatelliteLoadingTests
diff --git a/src/mono/browser/runtime/dotnet.d.ts b/src/mono/browser/runtime/dotnet.d.ts
index 484d5dad3b762..94e31ff6a3e88 100644
--- a/src/mono/browser/runtime/dotnet.d.ts
+++ b/src/mono/browser/runtime/dotnet.d.ts
@@ -117,6 +117,10 @@ interface DotnetHostBuilder {
      * from a custom source, such as an external CDN.
      */
     withResourceLoader(loadBootResource?: LoadBootResourceCallback): DotnetHostBuilder;
+    /**
+     * Downloads all the assets but doesn't create the runtime instance.
+     */
+    download(): Promise<void>;
     /**
      * Starts the runtime and returns promise of the API object.
      */
diff --git a/src/mono/browser/runtime/loader/assets.ts b/src/mono/browser/runtime/loader/assets.ts
index 5a4e3e708c1a3..6d4232675d11d 100644
--- a/src/mono/browser/runtime/loader/assets.ts
+++ b/src/mono/browser/runtime/loader/assets.ts
@@ -151,7 +151,12 @@ export function resolve_single_asset_path (behavior: SingleAssetBehaviors): Asse
     return asset;
 }
 
+let downloadAssetsStarted = false;
 export async function mono_download_assets (): Promise<void> {
+    if (downloadAssetsStarted) {
+        return;
+    }
+    downloadAssetsStarted = true;
     mono_log_debug("mono_download_assets");
     try {
         const promises_of_assets_core: Promise<AssetEntryInternal>[] = [];
@@ -177,6 +182,14 @@ export async function mono_download_assets (): Promise<void> {
 
         loaderHelpers.allDownloadsQueued.promise_control.resolve();
 
+        Promise.all([...promises_of_assets_core, ...promises_of_assets_remaining]).then(() => {
+            loaderHelpers.allDownloadsFinished.promise_control.resolve();
+        }).catch(err => {
+            loaderHelpers.err("Error in mono_download_assets: " + err);
+            mono_exit(1, err);
+            throw err;
+        });
+
         // continue after the dotnet.runtime.js was loaded
         await loaderHelpers.runtimeModuleLoaded.promise;
 
@@ -262,7 +275,12 @@ export async function mono_download_assets (): Promise<void> {
     }
 }
 
+let assetsPrepared = false;
 export function prepareAssets () {
+    if (assetsPrepared) {
+        return;
+    }
+    assetsPrepared = true;
     const config = loaderHelpers.config;
     const modulesAssets: AssetEntryInternal[] = [];
 
diff --git a/src/mono/browser/runtime/loader/config.ts b/src/mono/browser/runtime/loader/config.ts
index 6b80f7326fb82..24afa653772fa 100644
--- a/src/mono/browser/runtime/loader/config.ts
+++ b/src/mono/browser/runtime/loader/config.ts
@@ -233,12 +233,19 @@ export function normalizeConfig () {
 
 let configLoaded = false;
 export async function mono_wasm_load_config (module: DotnetModuleInternal): Promise<void> {
-    const configFilePath = module.configSrc;
     if (configLoaded) {
         await loaderHelpers.afterConfigLoaded.promise;
         return;
     }
+    let configFilePath;
     try {
+        if (!module.configSrc && (!loaderHelpers.config || Object.keys(loaderHelpers.config).length === 0 || (!loaderHelpers.config.assets && !loaderHelpers.config.resources))) {
+            // if config file location nor assets are provided
+            module.configSrc = "./blazor.boot.json";
+        }
+
+        configFilePath = module.configSrc;
+
         configLoaded = true;
         if (configFilePath) {
             mono_log_debug("mono_wasm_load_config");
@@ -262,6 +269,7 @@ export async function mono_wasm_load_config (module: DotnetModuleInternal): Prom
         }
 
         normalizeConfig();
+        loaderHelpers.afterConfigLoaded.promise_control.resolve(loaderHelpers.config);
     } catch (err) {
         const errMessage = `Failed to load config file ${configFilePath} ${err} ${(err as Error)?.stack}`;
         loaderHelpers.config = module.config = Object.assign(loaderHelpers.config, { message: errMessage, error: err, isError: true });
diff --git a/src/mono/browser/runtime/loader/exit.ts b/src/mono/browser/runtime/loader/exit.ts
index 3632969487868..6c690dde8ec9b 100644
--- a/src/mono/browser/runtime/loader/exit.ts
+++ b/src/mono/browser/runtime/loader/exit.ts
@@ -229,6 +229,7 @@ async function flush_node_streams () {
 
 function abort_promises (reason: any) {
     loaderHelpers.allDownloadsQueued.promise_control.reject(reason);
+    loaderHelpers.allDownloadsFinished.promise_control.reject(reason);
     loaderHelpers.afterConfigLoaded.promise_control.reject(reason);
     loaderHelpers.wasmCompilePromise.promise_control.reject(reason);
     loaderHelpers.runtimeModuleLoaded.promise_control.reject(reason);
diff --git a/src/mono/browser/runtime/loader/globals.ts b/src/mono/browser/runtime/loader/globals.ts
index d9d3ec0183827..91e0a89f2c0f9 100644
--- a/src/mono/browser/runtime/loader/globals.ts
+++ b/src/mono/browser/runtime/loader/globals.ts
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ export function setLoaderGlobals (
 
         afterConfigLoaded: createPromiseController<MonoConfig>(),
         allDownloadsQueued: createPromiseController<void>(),
+        allDownloadsFinished: createPromiseController<void>(),
         wasmCompilePromise: createPromiseController<WebAssembly.Module>(),
         runtimeModuleLoaded: createPromiseController<void>(),
         loadingWorkers: createPromiseController<PThreadWorker[]>(),
diff --git a/src/mono/browser/runtime/loader/run.ts b/src/mono/browser/runtime/loader/run.ts
index 936f81e78b19d..2a9173bc3dcb4 100644
--- a/src/mono/browser/runtime/loader/run.ts
+++ b/src/mono/browser/runtime/loader/run.ts
@@ -348,6 +348,15 @@ export class HostBuilder implements DotnetHostBuilder {
         }
     }
 
+    async download (): Promise<void> {
+        try {
+            await downloadOnly();
+        } catch (err) {
+            mono_exit(1, err);
+            throw err;
+        }
+    }
+
     async create (): Promise<RuntimeAPI> {
         try {
             if (!this.instance) {
@@ -375,16 +384,22 @@ export class HostBuilder implements DotnetHostBuilder {
 }
 
 export async function createApi (): Promise<RuntimeAPI> {
+    await createEmscripten(emscriptenModule);
+    return globalObjectsRoot.api;
+}
+
+let emscriptenPrepared = false;
+async function prepareEmscripten (moduleFactory: DotnetModuleConfig | ((api: RuntimeAPI) => DotnetModuleConfig)) {
+    if (emscriptenPrepared) {
+        return;
+    }
+    emscriptenPrepared = true;
     if (ENVIRONMENT_IS_WEB && loaderHelpers.config.forwardConsoleLogsToWS && typeof globalThis.WebSocket != "undefined") {
         setup_proxy_console("main", globalThis.console, globalThis.location.origin);
     }
     mono_assert(emscriptenModule, "Null moduleConfig");
     mono_assert(loaderHelpers.config, "Null moduleConfig.config");
-    await createEmscripten(emscriptenModule);
-    return globalObjectsRoot.api;
-}
 
-export async function createEmscripten (moduleFactory: DotnetModuleConfig | ((api: RuntimeAPI) => DotnetModuleConfig)): Promise<RuntimeAPI | EmscriptenModuleInternal> {
     // extract ModuleConfig
     if (typeof moduleFactory === "function") {
         const extension = moduleFactory(globalObjectsRoot.api) as any;
@@ -400,6 +415,11 @@ export async function createEmscripten (moduleFactory: DotnetModuleConfig | ((ap
     }
 
     await detect_features_and_polyfill(emscriptenModule);
+}
+
+export async function createEmscripten (moduleFactory: DotnetModuleConfig | ((api: RuntimeAPI) => DotnetModuleConfig)): Promise<RuntimeAPI | EmscriptenModuleInternal> {
+    await prepareEmscripten(moduleFactory);
+
     if (BuildConfiguration === "Debug" && !ENVIRONMENT_IS_WORKER) {
         mono_log_info(`starting script ${loaderHelpers.scriptUrl}`);
         mono_log_info(`starting in ${loaderHelpers.scriptDirectory}`);
@@ -412,13 +432,16 @@ export async function createEmscripten (moduleFactory: DotnetModuleConfig | ((ap
         : createEmscriptenMain();
 }
 
+let jsModuleRuntimePromise: Promise<RuntimeModuleExportsInternal>;
+let jsModuleNativePromise: Promise<NativeModuleExportsInternal>;
+
 // in the future we can use feature detection to load different flavors
 function importModules () {
     const jsModuleRuntimeAsset = resolve_single_asset_path("js-module-runtime");
     const jsModuleNativeAsset = resolve_single_asset_path("js-module-native");
-
-    let jsModuleRuntimePromise: Promise<RuntimeModuleExportsInternal>;
-    let jsModuleNativePromise: Promise<NativeModuleExportsInternal>;
+    if (jsModuleRuntimePromise && jsModuleNativePromise) {
+        return [jsModuleRuntimePromise, jsModuleNativePromise];
+    }
 
     if (typeof jsModuleRuntimeAsset.moduleExports === "object") {
         jsModuleRuntimePromise = jsModuleRuntimeAsset.moduleExports;
@@ -475,12 +498,24 @@ async function initializeModules (es6Modules: [RuntimeModuleExportsInternal, Nat
     });
 }
 
-async function createEmscriptenMain (): Promise<RuntimeAPI> {
-    if (!emscriptenModule.configSrc && (!loaderHelpers.config || Object.keys(loaderHelpers.config).length === 0 || (!loaderHelpers.config.assets && !loaderHelpers.config.resources))) {
-        // if config file location nor assets are provided
-        emscriptenModule.configSrc = "./blazor.boot.json";
-    }
+async function downloadOnly ():Promise<void> {
+    prepareEmscripten(emscriptenModule);
+
+    // download config
+    await mono_wasm_load_config(emscriptenModule);
 
+    prepareAssets();
+
+    await initCacheToUseIfEnabled();
+
+    init_globalization();
+
+    mono_download_assets(); // intentionally not awaited
+
+    await loaderHelpers.allDownloadsFinished.promise;
+}
+
+async function createEmscriptenMain (): Promise<RuntimeAPI> {
     // download config
     await mono_wasm_load_config(emscriptenModule);
 
diff --git a/src/mono/browser/runtime/types/index.ts b/src/mono/browser/runtime/types/index.ts
index d4417065b8330..5e8e8c9d18bb7 100644
--- a/src/mono/browser/runtime/types/index.ts
+++ b/src/mono/browser/runtime/types/index.ts
@@ -65,6 +65,10 @@ export interface DotnetHostBuilder {
      * from a custom source, such as an external CDN.
      */
     withResourceLoader(loadBootResource?: LoadBootResourceCallback): DotnetHostBuilder;
+    /**
+     * Downloads all the assets but doesn't create the runtime instance.
+     */
+    download(): Promise<void>;
     /**
      * Starts the runtime and returns promise of the API object.
      */
diff --git a/src/mono/browser/runtime/types/internal.ts b/src/mono/browser/runtime/types/internal.ts
index 827c9787af27c..26f66bcf2d1f8 100644
--- a/src/mono/browser/runtime/types/internal.ts
+++ b/src/mono/browser/runtime/types/internal.ts
@@ -141,6 +141,7 @@ export type LoaderHelpers = {
 
     afterConfigLoaded: PromiseAndController<MonoConfig>,
     allDownloadsQueued: PromiseAndController<void>,
+    allDownloadsFinished: PromiseAndController<void>,
     wasmCompilePromise: PromiseAndController<WebAssembly.Module>,
     runtimeModuleLoaded: PromiseAndController<void>,
     loadingWorkers: PromiseAndController<PThreadWorker[]>,
diff --git a/src/mono/sample/wasm/browser-advanced/main.js b/src/mono/sample/wasm/browser-advanced/main.js
index 115514db72991..fe0331693d6de 100644
--- a/src/mono/sample/wasm/browser-advanced/main.js
+++ b/src/mono/sample/wasm/browser-advanced/main.js
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ try {
         }
         return originalFetch(url, fetchArgs);
     };
-    const { runtimeBuildInfo, setModuleImports, getAssemblyExports, runMain, getConfig, Module } = await dotnet
+    dotnet
         .withElementOnExit()
         // 'withModuleConfig' is internal lower level API 
         // here we show how emscripten could be further configured
@@ -69,8 +69,11 @@ try {
         .withResourceLoader((type, name, defaultUri, integrity, behavior) => {
             // loadBootResource could return string with unqualified name of resource. It assumes that we resolve it with document.baseURI
             return name;
-        })
-        .create();
+        });
+
+    await dotnet.download();
+
+    const { runtimeBuildInfo, setModuleImports, getAssemblyExports, runMain, getConfig, Module } = await dotnet.create();
 
     // at this point both emscripten and monoVM are fully initialized.
     console.log('user code after dotnet.create');
diff --git a/src/mono/wasm/Wasm.Build.Tests/TestAppScenarios/DownloadThenInitTests.cs b/src/mono/wasm/Wasm.Build.Tests/TestAppScenarios/DownloadThenInitTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..aaa2df9b59655
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/mono/wasm/Wasm.Build.Tests/TestAppScenarios/DownloadThenInitTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+// Licensed to the .NET Foundation under one or more agreements.
+// The .NET Foundation licenses this file to you under the MIT license.
+
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Linq;
+using System.Threading.Tasks;
+using Xunit.Abstractions;
+using Xunit;
+
+#nullable enable
+
+namespace Wasm.Build.Tests.TestAppScenarios;
+
+public class DownloadThenInitTests : AppTestBase
+{
+    public DownloadThenInitTests(ITestOutputHelper output, SharedBuildPerTestClassFixture buildContext)
+        : base(output, buildContext)
+    {
+    }
+
+    [Theory]
+    [InlineData("Debug")]
+    [InlineData("Release")]
+    public async Task NoResourcesReFetchedAfterDownloadFinished(string config)
+    {
+        CopyTestAsset("WasmBasicTestApp", "DownloadThenInitTests", "App");
+        BuildProject(config);
+
+        var result = await RunSdkStyleAppForBuild(new(Configuration: config, TestScenario: "DownloadThenInit"));
+        var resultTestOutput = result.TestOutput.ToList();
+        int index = resultTestOutput.FindIndex(s => s == "download finished");
+        Assert.True(index > 0); // number of fetched resources cannot be 0
+        var afterDownload = resultTestOutput.Skip(index + 1).Where(s => s.StartsWith("fetching")).ToList();
+        if (afterDownload.Count > 0)
+        {
+            var duringDownload = resultTestOutput.Take(index + 1).Where(s => s.StartsWith("fetching")).ToList();
+            var reFetchedResources = afterDownload.Intersect(duringDownload).ToList();
+            if (reFetchedResources.Any())
+                Assert.Fail($"Resources should not be fetched twice. Re-fetched on init: {string.Join(", ", reFetchedResources)}");
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/mono/wasm/testassets/WasmBasicTestApp/App/wwwroot/main.js b/src/mono/wasm/testassets/WasmBasicTestApp/App/wwwroot/main.js
index e426886485d9d..3c8e36199d25e 100644
--- a/src/mono/wasm/testassets/WasmBasicTestApp/App/wwwroot/main.js
+++ b/src/mono/wasm/testassets/WasmBasicTestApp/App/wwwroot/main.js
@@ -84,6 +84,15 @@ switch (testCase) {
             .withRuntimeOptions(['--interp-pgo-logging'])
             .withInterpreterPgo(true);
         break;
+    case "DownloadThenInit":
+        const originalFetch = globalThis.fetch;
+        globalThis.fetch = (url, fetchArgs) => {
+            testOutput("fetching " + url);
+            return originalFetch(url, fetchArgs);
+        };
+        await dotnet.download();
+        testOutput("download finished");
+        break;
 }
 
 const { setModuleImports, getAssemblyExports, getConfig, INTERNAL } = await dotnet.create();
@@ -137,6 +146,9 @@ try {
             await INTERNAL.interp_pgo_save_data();
             exit(0);
             break;
+        case "DownloadThenInit":
+            exit(0);
+            break;
         default:
             console.error(`Unknown test case: ${testCase}`);
             exit(3);