diff --git a/runtime/bin/loader.cc b/runtime/bin/loader.cc
index f92eb765e21..d0a95e259d1 100644
--- a/runtime/bin/loader.cc
+++ b/runtime/bin/loader.cc
@@ -370,6 +370,13 @@ bool Loader::ProcessResultLocked(Loader* loader, Loader::IOResult* result) {
       if (payload_type == DartUtils::kSnapshotMagicNumber) {
         dart_result = Dart_LoadScriptFromSnapshot(payload, payload_length);
         reload_extensions = true;
+      } else if (payload_type == DartUtils::kKernelMagicNumber) {
+        // TODO(27590): This code path is only hit when trying to spawn
+        // isolates. We currently do not have support for neither
+        // `Isolate.spawn()` nor `Isolate.spawnUri()` with kernel-based
+        // frontend.
+        void* kernel_binary = Dart_ReadKernelBinary(payload, payload_length);
+        dart_result = Dart_LoadKernel(kernel_binary);
       } else {
         dart_result = Dart_LoadScript(uri, resolved_uri, source, 0, 0);
       }