diff --git a/packages/eui/src/components/delay_render/delay_render.test.tsx b/packages/eui/src/components/delay_render/delay_render.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..7d2af87eb29e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/eui/src/components/delay_render/delay_render.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,177 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License
+ * 2.0 and the Server Side Public License, v 1; you may not use this file except
+ * in compliance with, at your election, the Elastic License 2.0 or the Server
+ * Side Public License, v 1.
+ */
+
+import React from 'react';
+import { act } from '@testing-library/react';
+import { render } from '../../test/rtl';
+
+import { EuiDelayRender } from './delay_render';
+
+describe('EuiDelayRender', () => {
+  jest.useFakeTimers();
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    jest.clearAllTimers();
+  });
+
+  it('renders its children after the default 500ms delay', () => {
+    const { container, getByText } = render(
+      <EuiDelayRender>
+        <span>content</span>
+      </EuiDelayRender>
+    );
+    expect(container).toBeEmptyDOMElement();
+
+    act(() => {
+      jest.advanceTimersByTime(499);
+    });
+    expect(container).toBeEmptyDOMElement();
+
+    act(() => {
+      jest.advanceTimersByTime(1);
+    });
+    expect(getByText('content')).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it('respects a custom `delay`', () => {
+    const { container, getByText } = render(
+      <EuiDelayRender delay={1000}>
+        <span>content</span>
+      </EuiDelayRender>
+    );
+
+    act(() => {
+      jest.advanceTimersByTime(999);
+    });
+    expect(container).toBeEmptyDOMElement();
+
+    act(() => {
+      jest.advanceTimersByTime(1);
+    });
+    expect(getByText('content')).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it('hides updated children and shows them again after the delay', () => {
+    const { container, getByText, rerender } = render(
+      <EuiDelayRender>
+        <span>first</span>
+      </EuiDelayRender>
+    );
+    act(() => {
+      jest.advanceTimersByTime(500);
+    });
+    expect(getByText('first')).toBeInTheDocument();
+
+    rerender(
+      <EuiDelayRender>
+        <span>second</span>
+      </EuiDelayRender>
+    );
+    expect(container).toBeEmptyDOMElement();
+
+    act(() => {
+      jest.advanceTimersByTime(500);
+    });
+    expect(getByText('second')).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it('never renders updated children before the delay has passed', () => {
+    // Unlike the DOM assertions above, this catches content being committed
+    // and immediately hidden again within the same act() flush, which would
+    // still trigger aria-live announcements
+    const onRender = jest.fn();
+    const Probe = ({ label }: { label: string }) => {
+      onRender(label);
+      return <span>{label}</span>;
+    };
+
+    const { getByText, rerender } = render(
+      <EuiDelayRender>
+        <Probe label="first" />
+      </EuiDelayRender>
+    );
+    act(() => {
+      jest.advanceTimersByTime(500);
+    });
+    expect(getByText('first')).toBeInTheDocument();
+
+    rerender(
+      <EuiDelayRender>
+        <Probe label="second" />
+      </EuiDelayRender>
+    );
+    expect(onRender).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith('second');
+
+    act(() => {
+      jest.advanceTimersByTime(500);
+    });
+    expect(getByText('second')).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it('stays hidden until updates stop arriving for the delay duration', () => {
+    const { container, getByText, rerender } = render(
+      <EuiDelayRender>
+        <span>first</span>
+      </EuiDelayRender>
+    );
+    act(() => {
+      jest.advanceTimersByTime(500);
+    });
+
+    rerender(
+      <EuiDelayRender>
+        <span>second</span>
+      </EuiDelayRender>
+    );
+    act(() => {
+      jest.advanceTimersByTime(300);
+    });
+    expect(container).toBeEmptyDOMElement();
+
+    rerender(
+      <EuiDelayRender>
+        <span>third</span>
+      </EuiDelayRender>
+    );
+    act(() => {
+      jest.advanceTimersByTime(300);
+    });
+    expect(container).toBeEmptyDOMElement();
+
+    act(() => {
+      jest.advanceTimersByTime(200);
+    });
+    expect(getByText('third')).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it('does not re-delay when re-rendered with unchanged children', () => {
+    const children = <span>stable</span>;
+    const { getByText, rerender } = render(
+      <EuiDelayRender>{children}</EuiDelayRender>
+    );
+    act(() => {
+      jest.advanceTimersByTime(500);
+    });
+    expect(getByText('stable')).toBeInTheDocument();
+
+    rerender(<EuiDelayRender>{children}</EuiDelayRender>);
+    expect(getByText('stable')).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it('clears the pending timeout on unmount', () => {
+    const { unmount } = render(
+      <EuiDelayRender>
+        <span>content</span>
+      </EuiDelayRender>
+    );
+    expect(jest.getTimerCount()).toBe(1);
+
+    unmount();
+    expect(jest.getTimerCount()).toBe(0);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/eui/src/components/delay_render/delay_render.tsx b/packages/eui/src/components/delay_render/delay_render.tsx
index d4c2ad452baa..2e9a462c305f 100644
--- a/packages/eui/src/components/delay_render/delay_render.tsx
+++ b/packages/eui/src/components/delay_render/delay_render.tsx
@@ -6,66 +6,36 @@
  * Side Public License, v 1.
  */
 
-import { Component, PropsWithChildren } from 'react';
+import {
+  FunctionComponent,
+  PropsWithChildren,
+  useEffect,
+  useState,
+} from 'react';
 
 export interface EuiDelayRenderProps extends PropsWithChildren {
-  delay: number;
+  delay?: number;
 }
 
-interface EuiDelayRenderState {
-  toggle: boolean;
-}
-
-export class EuiDelayRender extends Component<
-  EuiDelayRenderProps,
-  EuiDelayRenderState
-> {
-  static defaultProps = {
-    delay: 500,
-  };
-
-  private delayID: number | undefined;
-  private toBeDelayed: boolean = true;
-
-  constructor(props: EuiDelayRenderProps) {
-    super(props);
-    this.state = {
-      toggle: false,
-    };
+export const EuiDelayRender: FunctionComponent<EuiDelayRenderProps> = ({
+  delay = 500,
+  children,
+}) => {
+  const [shouldRender, setShouldRender] = useState(false);
+  const [prevProps, setPrevProps] = useState({ children, delay });
+
+  // Hiding must happen during the render phase: waiting for an effect would
+  // briefly commit updated children before hiding them again, flashing the
+  // content and triggering any aria-live announcements it may contain
+  if (children !== prevProps.children || delay !== prevProps.delay) {
+    setPrevProps({ children, delay });
+    setShouldRender(false);
   }
 
-  shouldUpdate() {
-    this.setState(({ toggle }) => ({ toggle: !toggle }));
-  }
-
-  startDelaying = () => {
-    window.clearTimeout(this.delayID);
-    this.toBeDelayed = true;
-    this.delayID = window.setTimeout(this.stopDelaying, this.props.delay);
-  };
-  stopDelaying = () => {
-    window.clearTimeout(this.delayID);
-    this.toBeDelayed = false;
-    this.shouldUpdate();
-  };
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const timeoutId = window.setTimeout(() => setShouldRender(true), delay);
+    return () => window.clearTimeout(timeoutId);
+  }, [children, delay]);
 
-  componentDidMount() {
-    this.startDelaying();
-  }
-  shouldComponentUpdate() {
-    if (this.toBeDelayed) {
-      this.startDelaying();
-    }
-    return true;
-  }
-  componentWillUnmount() {
-    this.stopDelaying();
-  }
-  componentDidUpdate() {
-    this.toBeDelayed = true;
-  }
-
-  render() {
-    return !this.toBeDelayed ? this.props.children : null;
-  }
-}
+  return shouldRender ? children : null;
+};