diff --git a/packages/react-native/React/CoreModules/RCTRedBox2Controller.mm b/packages/react-native/React/CoreModules/RCTRedBox2Controller.mm
index 1040e797562a..04a10a67219c 100644
--- a/packages/react-native/React/CoreModules/RCTRedBox2Controller.mm
+++ b/packages/react-native/React/CoreModules/RCTRedBox2Controller.mm
@@ -373,6 +373,12 @@ - (void)stopAutoRetry
 
 - (void)autoRetryTick
 {
+  // Don't reload while backgrounded: it re-inits TurboModules, and a
+  // requiresMainQueueSetup module dispatch_syncs onto the blocked main queue,
+  // deadlocking until the watchdog kills the app.
+  if (RCTSharedApplication().applicationState != UIApplicationStateActive) {
+    return;
+  }
   _autoRetryCountdown--;
   if (_autoRetryCountdown <= 0) {
     [self stopAutoRetry];