diff --git a/apct-tests/perftests/core/Android.bp b/apct-tests/perftests/core/Android.bp
index 23464f8795188..ab20fdbde1e59 100644
--- a/apct-tests/perftests/core/Android.bp
+++ b/apct-tests/perftests/core/Android.bp
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ android_test {
         "apct-perftests-resources-manager-apps",
         "apct-perftests-utils",
         "collector-device-lib",
+        "compatibility-device-util-axt",
         "core-tests-support",
         "guava",
     ],
diff --git a/apct-tests/perftests/core/AndroidManifest.xml b/apct-tests/perftests/core/AndroidManifest.xml
index 56fa70cfc2207..eb3fb891965ef 100644
--- a/apct-tests/perftests/core/AndroidManifest.xml
+++ b/apct-tests/perftests/core/AndroidManifest.xml
@@ -43,6 +43,16 @@
             </intent-filter>
         </service>
 
+        <service android:name="android.view.HandwritingImeService"
+                 android:label="Handwriting IME"
+                 android:permission="android.permission.BIND_INPUT_METHOD"
+                 android:exported="true">
+            <intent-filter>
+                <action android:name="android.view.InputMethod"/>
+            </intent-filter>
+            <meta-data android:name="android.view.im"
+                       android:resource="@xml/ime_meta_handwriting"/>
+        </service>
     </application>
 
     <instrumentation android:name="androidx.benchmark.junit4.AndroidBenchmarkRunner"
diff --git a/apct-tests/perftests/core/res/xml/ime_meta_handwriting.xml b/apct-tests/perftests/core/res/xml/ime_meta_handwriting.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..24c0c255c2f3f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apct-tests/perftests/core/res/xml/ime_meta_handwriting.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<!--
+  ~ Copyright (C) 2022 The Android Open Source Project
+  ~
+  ~ Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+  ~ you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+  ~ You may obtain a copy of the License at
+  ~
+  ~      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+  ~
+  ~ Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+  ~ distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+  ~ WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+  ~ See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+  ~ limitations under the License.
+  -->
+
+<input-method
+    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
+    android:settingsActivity="com.android.inputmethod.latin.settings.SettingsActivity"
+    android:supportsStylusHandwriting="true"/>
diff --git a/apct-tests/perftests/core/src/android/view/HandwritingImeService.java b/apct-tests/perftests/core/src/android/view/HandwritingImeService.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..27cb16e9a19f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apct-tests/perftests/core/src/android/view/HandwritingImeService.java
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2022 The Android Open Source Project
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package android.view;
+
+import android.content.ComponentName;
+import android.inputmethodservice.InputMethodService;
+
+public class HandwritingImeService extends InputMethodService {
+    private static final String PACKAGE_NAME = "com.android.perftests.core";
+
+    private static ComponentName getComponentName() {
+        return new ComponentName(PACKAGE_NAME, HandwritingImeService.class.getName());
+    }
+
+    static String getImeId() {
+        return getComponentName().flattenToShortString();
+    }
+}
diff --git a/apct-tests/perftests/core/src/android/view/HandwritingInitiatorPerfTest.java b/apct-tests/perftests/core/src/android/view/HandwritingInitiatorPerfTest.java
index 123b2eeba5ddd..cf76334ceb109 100644
--- a/apct-tests/perftests/core/src/android/view/HandwritingInitiatorPerfTest.java
+++ b/apct-tests/perftests/core/src/android/view/HandwritingInitiatorPerfTest.java
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ import static android.view.MotionEvent.ACTION_UP;
 import static android.view.MotionEvent.TOOL_TYPE_FINGER;
 import static android.view.MotionEvent.TOOL_TYPE_STYLUS;
 
-
 import android.app.Instrumentation;
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.perftests.utils.BenchmarkState;
@@ -34,11 +33,15 @@ import androidx.test.filters.LargeTest;
 import androidx.test.platform.app.InstrumentationRegistry;
 import androidx.test.runner.AndroidJUnit4;
 
+import com.android.compatibility.common.util.PollingCheck;
+
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Rule;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
 
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+
 /**
  * Benchmark tests for {@link HandwritingInitiator}
  *
@@ -56,11 +59,21 @@ public class HandwritingInitiatorPerfTest {
     public PerfStatusReporter mPerfStatusReporter = new PerfStatusReporter();
 
     @Before
-    public void setup() {
-        final Instrumentation mInstrumentation = InstrumentationRegistry.getInstrumentation();
-        mContext = mInstrumentation.getTargetContext();
+    public void setup() throws Exception {
+        final Instrumentation instrumentation = InstrumentationRegistry.getInstrumentation();
+        mContext = instrumentation.getTargetContext();
+
+        String imeId = HandwritingImeService.getImeId();
+        instrumentation.getUiAutomation().executeShellCommand("ime enable " + imeId);
+        instrumentation.getUiAutomation().executeShellCommand("ime set " + imeId);
+        PollingCheck.check("Check that stylus handwriting is available",
+                TimeUnit.SECONDS.toMillis(10),
+                () -> mContext.getSystemService(InputMethodManager.class)
+                        .isStylusHandwritingAvailable());
+
         final ViewConfiguration viewConfiguration = ViewConfiguration.get(mContext);
         mTouchSlop = viewConfiguration.getScaledTouchSlop();
+
         final InputMethodManager inputMethodManager =
                 mContext.getSystemService(InputMethodManager.class);
         mHandwritingInitiator = new HandwritingInitiator(viewConfiguration, inputMethodManager);