diff --git a/packages/@ember/-internals/glimmer/lib/base-renderer.ts b/packages/@ember/-internals/glimmer/lib/base-renderer.ts
index 955511c4389..83078e3e92c 100644
--- a/packages/@ember/-internals/glimmer/lib/base-renderer.ts
+++ b/packages/@ember/-internals/glimmer/lib/base-renderer.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import type { SimpleDocument, SimpleElement } from '@simple-dom/interface';
 import { hasDOM } from '../../browser-environment';
 import { EmberEnvironmentDelegate } from './environment';
 import ResolverImpl from './resolver';
+import { _registeredStrategy } from '@ember/scheduler';
 import { EvaluationContextImpl } from '@glimmer/opcode-compiler/lib/program-context';
 
 export type IBuilder = (env: Environment, cursor: Cursor) => TreeBuilder;
@@ -368,8 +369,28 @@ export class RendererState {
     }
   }
 
+  #renderer: BaseRenderer | null = null;
+
+  // stable identity so strategies (and classic scheduleOnce dedupe) can
+  // coalesce repeat scheduling between flushes
+  #revalidateCurrent = (): void => {
+    if (this.#renderer !== null) {
+      this.revalidate(this.#renderer);
+    }
+  };
+
   scheduleRevalidate(renderer: BaseRenderer): void {
-    _backburner.scheduleOnce('render', this, this.revalidate, renderer);
+    this.#renderer = renderer;
+
+    const strategy = _registeredStrategy;
+
+    if (strategy !== null && strategy._scheduleRevalidate !== undefined) {
+      strategy._scheduleRevalidate(this.#revalidateCurrent);
+    } else {
+      // pre-boot (no strategy registered yet) or a registered strategy
+      // without the internal seam: classic runloop scheduling
+      _backburner.scheduleOnce('render', this, this.revalidate, renderer);
+    }
   }
 
   isValid(): boolean {
diff --git a/packages/@ember/-internals/glimmer/lib/environment.ts b/packages/@ember/-internals/glimmer/lib/environment.ts
index fc2d99f4f4d..d292af27570 100644
--- a/packages/@ember/-internals/glimmer/lib/environment.ts
+++ b/packages/@ember/-internals/glimmer/lib/environment.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ import type { DeprecationOptions } from '@ember/debug/lib/deprecate';
 import { schedule, _backburner } from '@ember/runloop';
 import { DEBUG } from '@glimmer/env';
 import setGlobalContext from '@glimmer/global-context';
+import { registerStrategy } from '@ember/scheduler';
+import classicStrategy from '@ember/scheduler/-private/classic';
 import type { EnvironmentDelegate } from '@glimmer/runtime/lib/environment';
 import { debug } from '@glimmer/validator/lib/debug';
 import toIterator from './utils/iterator';
@@ -17,6 +19,13 @@ import toBool from './utils/to-bool';
 
 ///////////
 
+// The glimmer<->ember hookup is where the framework's scheduling
+// strategy is established: classic (today's runloop scheduling) unless
+// an application swaps it via `registerStrategy`.
+registerStrategy(classicStrategy);
+
+///////////
+
 // Setup global context
 
 setGlobalContext({
diff --git a/packages/@ember/scheduler/-private/classic.ts b/packages/@ember/scheduler/-private/classic.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..34ffe4435bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/@ember/scheduler/-private/classic.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+import { _backburner, next as runloopNext, schedule } from '@ember/runloop';
+import type { Strategy } from '@ember/scheduler';
+
+/**
+ * The ambient default strategy: schedules exactly the way Ember works
+ * today, so existing applications observe no change in timing. Phases
+ * map onto the runloop's queues (`render`, then `afterRender`, with
+ * `composite` re-scheduled behind `layout`'s queue entries within the
+ * same flush), and the renderer's revalidation is a
+ * `scheduleOnce('render', ...)`, just as it always was.
+ *
+ * Render-aware scheduling (frame-aligned phases, coalesced
+ * revalidation) is what a swapped-in strategy provides -- see
+ * `@ember/scheduler/strategy` -- and becomes the source of performance
+ * wins when it becomes the default.
+ *
+ * @internal
+ */
+class ClassicStrategy implements Strategy {
+  render(): Promise<void> {
+    return new Promise((resolve) => schedule('render', null, resolve));
+  }
+
+  layout(): Promise<void> {
+    return new Promise((resolve) => schedule('afterRender', null, resolve));
+  }
+
+  composite(): Promise<void> {
+    return new Promise((resolve) =>
+      schedule('afterRender', null, () => schedule('afterRender', null, resolve))
+    );
+  }
+
+  next(): Promise<void> {
+    return new Promise((resolve) => runloopNext(null, resolve));
+  }
+
+  idle(): Promise<void> {
+    return new Promise((resolve) => {
+      if (typeof requestIdleCallback === 'function') {
+        // fully-idle or backgrounded pages can starve requestIdleCallback
+        // indefinitely; cap the wait to keep the promise resolvable
+        requestIdleCallback(() => resolve(), { timeout: 500 });
+      } else {
+        setTimeout(resolve, 0);
+      }
+    });
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * The renderer's internal seam: how revalidation gets scheduled.
+   * Classic behavior is a runloop `scheduleOnce`, preserving today's
+   * timing exactly (the flush callback is stable per renderer, so
+   * scheduleOnce's dedupe applies as before).
+   */
+  _scheduleRevalidate(flush: () => void): void {
+    _backburner.scheduleOnce('render', null, flush);
+  }
+}
+
+const classicStrategy: ClassicStrategy = new ClassicStrategy();
+
+export default classicStrategy;
diff --git a/packages/@ember/scheduler/index.ts b/packages/@ember/scheduler/index.ts
index 2410c394eff..b2e17e7cb04 100644
--- a/packages/@ember/scheduler/index.ts
+++ b/packages/@ember/scheduler/index.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { assert } from '@ember/debug';
+import classicStrategy from '@ember/scheduler/-private/classic';
 
 /**
   The `@ember/scheduler` package provides a render-aware scheduling interface,
@@ -67,9 +68,28 @@ export interface Strategy {
   composite(): Promise<void>;
   next(): Promise<void>;
   idle(): Promise<void>;
+
+  /**
+   * Internal seam used by the renderer to schedule revalidation. The
+   * public phase functions are for user work; revalidation is hotter
+   * than any user phase, so the renderer talks to the strategy through
+   * this callback-based hook rather than allocating promises per
+   * invalidation. Optional: strategies that do not implement it leave
+   * the renderer on its classic runloop scheduling.
+   *
+   * @internal
+   */
+  _scheduleRevalidate?(flush: () => void): void;
 }
 
-let registeredStrategy: Strategy | null = null;
+/**
+ * The active strategy, as a live binding for the renderer's hot path.
+ * The framework registers the classic strategy at the glimmer<->ember
+ * hookup during boot, so this is non-null in any booted application.
+ *
+ * @internal
+ */
+export let _registeredStrategy: Strategy | null = null;
 
 /**
   Registers the scheduling strategy which the phase functions of
@@ -113,22 +133,16 @@ let registeredStrategy: Strategy | null = null;
 export function registerStrategy(strategy: Strategy): void {
   assert(
     'Cannot call `registerStrategy`: a different scheduling strategy has already been registered. The scheduling strategy should be registered exactly once, when defining the Application.',
-    registeredStrategy === null || registeredStrategy === strategy
+    _registeredStrategy === null ||
+      _registeredStrategy === strategy ||
+      _registeredStrategy === classicStrategy
   );
-  registeredStrategy = strategy;
+  _registeredStrategy = strategy;
 }
 
 // Private API used by tests to swap out the registered strategy.
 export function _clearRegisteredStrategy(): void {
-  registeredStrategy = null;
-}
-
-function getStrategy(phaseName: string): Strategy {
-  assert(
-    `Attempted to schedule work into the '${phaseName}' phase, but no scheduling strategy is registered. Register a strategy when defining your Application, e.g. the default strategy:\n\n\timport { registerStrategy } from '@ember/scheduler';\n\timport strategy from '@ember/scheduler/strategy';\n\n\tregisterStrategy(strategy);`,
-    registeredStrategy !== null
-  );
-  return registeredStrategy;
+  _registeredStrategy = null;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -156,7 +170,11 @@ function getStrategy(phaseName: string): Strategy {
   @public
 */
 export function render(): Promise<void> {
-  return getStrategy('render').render();
+  assert(
+    `Attempted to schedule work into the 'render' phase before a scheduling strategy was available. The framework registers the default strategy during boot.`,
+    _registeredStrategy !== null
+  );
+  return _registeredStrategy.render();
 }
 
 /**
@@ -182,7 +200,11 @@ export function render(): Promise<void> {
   @public
 */
 export function layout(): Promise<void> {
-  return getStrategy('layout').layout();
+  assert(
+    `Attempted to schedule work into the 'layout' phase before a scheduling strategy was available. The framework registers the default strategy during boot.`,
+    _registeredStrategy !== null
+  );
+  return _registeredStrategy.layout();
 }
 
 /**
@@ -212,7 +234,11 @@ export function layout(): Promise<void> {
   @public
 */
 export function composite(): Promise<void> {
-  return getStrategy('composite').composite();
+  assert(
+    `Attempted to schedule work into the 'composite' phase before a scheduling strategy was available. The framework registers the default strategy during boot.`,
+    _registeredStrategy !== null
+  );
+  return _registeredStrategy.composite();
 }
 
 /**
@@ -237,7 +263,11 @@ export function composite(): Promise<void> {
   @public
 */
 export function next(): Promise<void> {
-  return getStrategy('next').next();
+  assert(
+    `Attempted to schedule work into the 'next' phase before a scheduling strategy was available. The framework registers the default strategy during boot.`,
+    _registeredStrategy !== null
+  );
+  return _registeredStrategy.next();
 }
 
 /**
@@ -261,5 +291,9 @@ export function next(): Promise<void> {
   @public
 */
 export function idle(): Promise<void> {
-  return getStrategy('idle').idle();
+  assert(
+    `Attempted to schedule work into the 'idle' phase before a scheduling strategy was available. The framework registers the default strategy during boot.`,
+    _registeredStrategy !== null
+  );
+  return _registeredStrategy.idle();
 }
diff --git a/packages/@ember/scheduler/package.json b/packages/@ember/scheduler/package.json
index 5bd1d404312..db843346fb5 100644
--- a/packages/@ember/scheduler/package.json
+++ b/packages/@ember/scheduler/package.json
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "@ember/debug": "workspace:*",
-    "internal-test-helpers": "workspace:*"
+    "internal-test-helpers": "workspace:*",
+    "@ember/runloop": "workspace:*"
   }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/@ember/scheduler/tests/scheduler_test.js b/packages/@ember/scheduler/tests/scheduler_test.js
index 0f14cc8fc7f..4260653bc3a 100644
--- a/packages/@ember/scheduler/tests/scheduler_test.js
+++ b/packages/@ember/scheduler/tests/scheduler_test.js
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@ import {
   idle,
   registerStrategy,
   _clearRegisteredStrategy,
+  _registeredStrategy,
 } from '..';
+import classicStrategy from '../-private/classic';
 import { moduleFor, AbstractTestCase } from 'internal-test-helpers';
 
 class StubStrategy {
@@ -45,16 +47,57 @@ moduleFor(
       _clearRegisteredStrategy();
     }
 
-    ['@test phase functions assert when no strategy is registered'](assert) {
+    ['@test phase functions assert before any strategy is registered'](assert) {
+      // the framework hookup registered classic when the bundle loaded;
+      // simulate the pre-boot state
+      _clearRegisteredStrategy();
+
       for (let phase of [render, layout, composite, next, idle]) {
         expectAssertion(() => {
           phase();
-        }, /no scheduling strategy is registered/);
+        }, /before a scheduling strategy was available/);
       }
 
       assert.expect(5);
     }
 
+    async ['@test the classic strategy resolves phases in runloop order'](assert) {
+      // the framework registers this at the glimmer<->ember hookup
+      // during boot; tests clear registration, so re-register here
+      registerStrategy(classicStrategy);
+
+      let order = [];
+
+      await Promise.all([
+        composite().then(() => order.push('composite')),
+        layout().then(() => order.push('layout')),
+        render().then(() => order.push('render')),
+      ]);
+
+      assert.deepEqual(order, ['render', 'layout', 'composite']);
+    }
+
+    ['@test the renderer seam prefers a registered strategy that implements it'](assert) {
+      let scheduled = [];
+
+      registerStrategy({
+        render: () => Promise.resolve(),
+        layout: () => Promise.resolve(),
+        composite: () => Promise.resolve(),
+        next: () => Promise.resolve(),
+        idle: () => Promise.resolve(),
+        _scheduleRevalidate(flush) {
+          scheduled.push(flush);
+        },
+      });
+
+      let flush = () => {};
+      _registeredStrategy._scheduleRevalidate(flush);
+
+      assert.strictEqual(scheduled.length, 1, 'the registered strategy received the flush');
+      assert.strictEqual(scheduled[0], flush, 'with the stable callback');
+    }
+
     ['@test phase functions delegate to the registered strategy'](assert) {
       let strategy = new StubStrategy();
       registerStrategy(strategy);
@@ -84,6 +127,20 @@ moduleFor(
       }
     }
 
+    ['@test registerStrategy may replace the classic default, once'](assert) {
+      registerStrategy(classicStrategy);
+
+      let strategy = new StubStrategy();
+      registerStrategy(strategy);
+
+      render();
+      assert.deepEqual(strategy.calls, ['render'], 'the swapped-in strategy is active');
+
+      expectAssertion(() => {
+        registerStrategy(new StubStrategy());
+      }, /a different scheduling strategy has already been registered/);
+    }
+
     ['@test registerStrategy asserts when a different strategy is already registered'](assert) {
       let strategy = new StubStrategy();
       registerStrategy(strategy);