diff --git a/src/cli/program/config-guard.ts b/src/cli/program/config-guard.ts
index 48ca6c26e88..e741b6a42ac 100644
--- a/src/cli/program/config-guard.ts
+++ b/src/cli/program/config-guard.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,6 @@
-import { loadAndMaybeMigrateDoctorConfig } from "../../commands/doctor-config-flow.js";
 import { readConfigFileSnapshot } from "../../config/config.js";
-import { formatConfigIssueLines } from "../../config/issue-format.js";
 import type { RuntimeEnv } from "../../runtime.js";
-import { colorize, isRich, theme } from "../../terminal/theme.js";
-import { shortenHomePath } from "../../utils.js";
 import { shouldMigrateStateFromPath } from "../argv.js";
-import { formatCliCommand } from "../command-format.js";
 
 const ALLOWED_INVALID_COMMANDS = new Set(["doctor", "logs", "health", "help", "status"]);
 const ALLOWED_INVALID_GATEWAY_SUBCOMMANDS = new Set([
@@ -47,7 +42,7 @@ export async function ensureConfigReady(params: {
   if (!didRunDoctorConfigFlow && shouldMigrateStateFromPath(commandPath)) {
     didRunDoctorConfigFlow = true;
     const runDoctorConfigFlow = async () =>
-      loadAndMaybeMigrateDoctorConfig({
+      (await import("../../commands/doctor-config-flow.js")).loadAndMaybeMigrateDoctorConfig({
         options: { nonInteractive: true },
         confirm: async () => false,
       });
@@ -80,6 +75,7 @@ export async function ensureConfigReady(params: {
         subcommandName &&
         ALLOWED_INVALID_GATEWAY_SUBCOMMANDS.has(subcommandName))
     : false;
+  const { formatConfigIssueLines } = await import("../../config/issue-format.js");
   const issues =
     snapshot.exists && !snapshot.valid
       ? formatConfigIssueLines(snapshot.issues, "-", { normalizeRoot: true })
@@ -92,6 +88,12 @@ export async function ensureConfigReady(params: {
     return;
   }
 
+  const [{ colorize, isRich, theme }, { shortenHomePath }, { formatCliCommand }] =
+    await Promise.all([
+      import("../../terminal/theme.js"),
+      import("../../utils.js"),
+      import("../command-format.js"),
+    ]);
   const rich = isRich();
   const muted = (value: string) => colorize(rich, theme.muted, value);
   const error = (value: string) => colorize(rich, theme.error, value);
diff --git a/src/cli/route.ts b/src/cli/route.ts
index 763000a3d0b..abd347be0a0 100644
--- a/src/cli/route.ts
+++ b/src/cli/route.ts
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@ import { defaultRuntime } from "../runtime.js";
 import { VERSION } from "../version.js";
 import { getCommandPathWithRootOptions, hasFlag, hasHelpOrVersion } from "./argv.js";
 import { emitCliBanner } from "./banner.js";
-import { ensurePluginRegistryLoaded } from "./plugin-registry.js";
-import { ensureConfigReady } from "./program/config-guard.js";
 import { findRoutedCommand } from "./program/routes.js";
 
 async function prepareRoutedCommand(params: {
@@ -14,6 +12,7 @@ async function prepareRoutedCommand(params: {
 }) {
   const suppressDoctorStdout = hasFlag(params.argv, "--json");
   emitCliBanner(VERSION, { argv: params.argv });
+  const { ensureConfigReady } = await import("./program/config-guard.js");
   await ensureConfigReady({
     runtime: defaultRuntime,
     commandPath: params.commandPath,
@@ -22,6 +21,7 @@ async function prepareRoutedCommand(params: {
   const shouldLoadPlugins =
     typeof params.loadPlugins === "function" ? params.loadPlugins(params.argv) : params.loadPlugins;
   if (shouldLoadPlugins) {
+    const { ensurePluginRegistryLoaded } = await import("./plugin-registry.js");
     ensurePluginRegistryLoaded({
       scope:
         params.commandPath[0] === "status" || params.commandPath[0] === "health"