diff --git a/apps/cli/ai/providers.ts b/apps/cli/ai/providers.ts
index 35c72514ea..d572edf8e1 100644
--- a/apps/cli/ai/providers.ts
+++ b/apps/cli/ai/providers.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import { password } from '@inquirer/prompts';
 import { validateAnthropicApiKey } from '@studio/common/ai/anthropic-key';
 import { DEFAULT_MODEL, type AiModelId } from '@studio/common/ai/models';
 import {
@@ -10,6 +9,7 @@ import {
 import { persistAnthropicApiKey, readAnthropicApiKey } from '@studio/common/ai/settings-store';
 import { readAuthToken } from '@studio/common/lib/shared-config';
 import { __ } from '@wordpress/i18n';
+import { password } from 'cli/lib/prompts';
 import { LoggerError } from 'cli/logger';
 
 export const AI_PROVIDERS: Record< AiProviderId, string > = {
diff --git a/apps/cli/commands/ai/sessions/helpers.ts b/apps/cli/commands/ai/sessions/helpers.ts
index bafb3a0c44..0aa96b6e5d 100644
--- a/apps/cli/commands/ai/sessions/helpers.ts
+++ b/apps/cli/commands/ai/sessions/helpers.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 import { truncateToWidth, visibleWidth } from '@earendil-works/pi-tui';
-import { select } from '@inquirer/prompts';
 import { listAiSessions } from '@studio/common/ai/sessions/store';
 import chalk from '@studio/common/lib/chalk';
 import { getSessionsDirectory } from '@studio/common/lib/well-known-paths';
 import { __ } from '@wordpress/i18n';
+import { select } from 'cli/lib/prompts';
 import type { AiSessionSummary } from '@studio/common/ai/sessions/types';
 
 function formatSessionTimestamp( timestamp: string ): string {
diff --git a/apps/cli/commands/auth/login.ts b/apps/cli/commands/auth/login.ts
index a06ff1694d..33c48f31c3 100644
--- a/apps/cli/commands/auth/login.ts
+++ b/apps/cli/commands/auth/login.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
-import { input } from '@inquirer/prompts';
 import { readAuthToken } from '@studio/common/lib/shared-config';
 import { AuthCommandLoggerAction as LoggerAction } from '@studio/common/logger-actions';
 import { __ } from '@wordpress/i18n';
 import { openBrowser } from 'cli/lib/browser';
+import { input } from 'cli/lib/prompts';
 import { getCliAuthenticationUrl, storeAuthToken } from 'cli/lib/wpcom-auth';
 import { Logger, LoggerError } from 'cli/logger';
 import { StudioArgv } from 'cli/types';
diff --git a/apps/cli/commands/blueprint/use.ts b/apps/cli/commands/blueprint/use.ts
index 107cf1fb68..005e4e8898 100644
--- a/apps/cli/commands/blueprint/use.ts
+++ b/apps/cli/commands/blueprint/use.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import fs from 'fs';
 import path from 'path';
-import { select, input } from '@inquirer/prompts';
 import { DEFAULT_PHP_VERSION, DEFAULT_WORDPRESS_VERSION } from '@studio/common/constants';
 import {
 	createBlueprintTempDir,
@@ -15,6 +14,7 @@ import { BlueprintCommandLoggerAction as LoggerAction } from '@studio/common/log
 import { SupportedPHPVersions, type SupportedPHPVersion } from '@studio/common/types/php-versions';
 import { __, _n, sprintf } from '@wordpress/i18n';
 import { runCommand as runCreateSiteCommand } from 'cli/commands/site/create';
+import { select, input } from 'cli/lib/prompts';
 import { getDefaultSitePath } from 'cli/lib/site-paths';
 import { untildify } from 'cli/lib/utils';
 import {
diff --git a/apps/cli/commands/pull.ts b/apps/cli/commands/pull.ts
index 1ec1298270..777ca4c47f 100644
--- a/apps/cli/commands/pull.ts
+++ b/apps/cli/commands/pull.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import fs from 'fs';
 import os from 'os';
 import path from 'path';
-import { confirm } from '@inquirer/prompts';
 import {
 	addConnectedWpcomSite,
 	markConnectedWpcomSiteSynced,
@@ -20,6 +19,7 @@ import { __, sprintf } from '@wordpress/i18n';
 import { clearSiteLatestCliPid, getSiteByFolder } from 'cli/lib/cli-config/sites';
 import { connectToDaemon, disconnectFromDaemon } from 'cli/lib/daemon-client';
 import { DEFAULT_IMPORTER_OPTIONS, getImporter } from 'cli/lib/import-export/import/import-manager';
+import { confirm } from 'cli/lib/prompts';
 import { withSiteOperation } from 'cli/lib/site-operations';
 import { exitOnCancel, reportSyncActivity } from 'cli/lib/sync-activity';
 import {
diff --git a/apps/cli/commands/site/create.ts b/apps/cli/commands/site/create.ts
index e99a065a4b..efff860ac9 100644
--- a/apps/cli/commands/site/create.ts
+++ b/apps/cli/commands/site/create.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import crypto from 'crypto';
 import fs from 'fs';
 import path from 'path';
-import { confirm, input, password, select } from '@inquirer/prompts';
 import { DEFAULT_WORDPRESS_VERSION } from '@studio/common/constants';
 import { installAiInstructionsToSite } from '@studio/common/lib/agent-skills';
 import {
@@ -69,6 +68,7 @@ import { updateServerFiles } from 'cli/lib/dependency-management/setup';
 import { downloadWordPress } from 'cli/lib/dependency-management/wordpress';
 import { copyLanguagePackToSite } from 'cli/lib/language-packs';
 import { validateSupportedPhpVersion } from 'cli/lib/php-versions';
+import { confirm, input, password, select } from 'cli/lib/prompts';
 import { getPreferredSiteLanguage } from 'cli/lib/site-language';
 import { generateSiteName } from 'cli/lib/site-name';
 import { getDefaultSitePath } from 'cli/lib/site-paths';
diff --git a/apps/cli/commands/uninstall.ts b/apps/cli/commands/uninstall.ts
index 98ad40472a..ba8152e329 100644
--- a/apps/cli/commands/uninstall.ts
+++ b/apps/cli/commands/uninstall.ts
@@ -2,11 +2,11 @@ import { spawn } from 'node:child_process';
 import fs from 'node:fs';
 import os from 'node:os';
 import path from 'node:path';
-import { confirm } from '@inquirer/prompts';
 import { getConfigDirectory } from '@studio/common/lib/well-known-paths';
 import { __, sprintf } from '@wordpress/i18n';
 import trash from 'trash';
 import { Mode, runCommand as stopSites } from 'cli/commands/site/stop';
+import { confirm } from 'cli/lib/prompts';
 import { getCliInstallKind } from 'cli/lib/update-notifier';
 import { StudioArgv } from 'cli/types';
 
diff --git a/apps/cli/lib/prompts.ts b/apps/cli/lib/prompts.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ea63e025b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/cli/lib/prompts.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+import type * as Prompts from '@inquirer/prompts';
+
+// `@inquirer/prompts` loads every prompt type, each with its own copy of `@inquirer/core`,
+// so these load it when a prompt is shown instead of when `studio` starts.
+
+export async function confirm( ...args: Parameters< typeof Prompts.confirm > ) {
+	const { confirm: prompt } = await import( '@inquirer/prompts' );
+	return prompt( ...args );
+}
+
+export async function input( ...args: Parameters< typeof Prompts.input > ) {
+	const { input: prompt } = await import( '@inquirer/prompts' );
+	return prompt( ...args );
+}
+
+export async function password( ...args: Parameters< typeof Prompts.password > ) {
+	const { password: prompt } = await import( '@inquirer/prompts' );
+	return prompt( ...args );
+}
+
+export async function select< const Value >(
+	...args: Parameters< typeof Prompts.select< Value > >
+): Promise< Value > {
+	const { select: prompt } = await import( '@inquirer/prompts' );
+	return prompt< Value >( ...args );
+}
+
+export async function search< const Value >(
+	...args: Parameters< typeof Prompts.search< Value > >
+): Promise< Value > {
+	const { search: prompt } = await import( '@inquirer/prompts' );
+	return prompt< Value >( ...args );
+}
diff --git a/apps/cli/lib/sync-site-picker.ts b/apps/cli/lib/sync-site-picker.ts
index f5a769f2de..8647ef132f 100644
--- a/apps/cli/lib/sync-site-picker.ts
+++ b/apps/cli/lib/sync-site-picker.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-import { search } from '@inquirer/prompts';
 import chalk from '@studio/common/lib/chalk';
 import { __, sprintf } from '@wordpress/i18n';
+import { search } from 'cli/lib/prompts';
 import { normalizeHostname } from 'cli/lib/utils';
 import { LoggerError } from 'cli/logger';
 import type { SyncSite } from '@studio/common/types/sync';
diff --git a/apps/cli/migrations/00-check-studio-compatibility.ts b/apps/cli/migrations/00-check-studio-compatibility.ts
index 16c770abc0..0de386e8f9 100644
--- a/apps/cli/migrations/00-check-studio-compatibility.ts
+++ b/apps/cli/migrations/00-check-studio-compatibility.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 import { execFile } from 'child_process';
 import fs from 'fs';
 import path from 'path';
-import { confirm } from '@inquirer/prompts';
 import { getAppConfigPath } from '@studio/common/lib/well-known-paths';
 import { __ } from '@wordpress/i18n';
 import { getAppdataDirectory } from 'cli/lib/appdata';
+import { confirm } from 'cli/lib/prompts';
 import type { Migration } from '@studio/common/lib/migration';
 
 function isInstalledOnMacOs() {
diff --git a/apps/cli/tests/startup-imports.test.ts b/apps/cli/tests/startup-imports.test.ts
index e3d06f5b99..13b02b468d 100644
--- a/apps/cli/tests/startup-imports.test.ts
+++ b/apps/cli/tests/startup-imports.test.ts
@@ -2,25 +2,31 @@ import { readFileSync } from 'fs';
 import path from 'path';
 import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
 
-const agentRuntimeLoaded = vi.hoisted( () => ( { value: false } ) );
-const dateFnsRootLoaded = vi.hoisted( () => ( { value: false } ) );
+const loadedAtStartup = vi.hoisted( () => new Set< string >() );
 
+// Modules that each cost hundreds of milliseconds to load in the packaged app, so only the
+// code that uses them loads them.
+// The agent runtime is large.
 vi.mock( '@earendil-works/pi-coding-agent', () => {
-	agentRuntimeLoaded.value = true;
+	loadedAtStartup.add( '@earendil-works/pi-coding-agent' );
 	return {};
 } );
-
-// The `date-fns` root loads every one of its functions, about 300 modules, which took
-// about 0.9 s in the packaged app. Each function has its own path, e.g. `date-fns/format`.
+// The `date-fns` root loads every one of its functions, about 300 modules. Each function
+// has its own path, e.g. `date-fns/format`.
 vi.mock( 'date-fns', () => {
-	dateFnsRootLoaded.value = true;
+	loadedAtStartup.add( 'date-fns' );
+	return {};
+} );
+// `@inquirer/prompts` loads every prompt type, each with its own copy of `@inquirer/core`.
+// `cli/lib/prompts` loads it when a prompt is shown.
+vi.mock( '@inquirer/prompts', () => {
+	loadedAtStartup.add( '@inquirer/prompts' );
 	return {};
 } );
 
-// Every `studio` command loads what the CLI entry imports statically before it
-// runs. The agent runtime is large, so only the commands that use it load it.
+// Every `studio` command loads what the CLI entry imports statically before it runs.
 describe( 'CLI startup', () => {
-	it( 'loads no agent runtime or date-fns root before a command runs', async () => {
+	it( 'loads no heavy module before a command runs', async () => {
 		const entry = readFileSync( path.join( import.meta.dirname, '..', 'index.ts' ), 'utf8' );
 		const staticImports = [ ...entry.matchAll( /^import [^;]*? from '(cli\/[^']+)';$/gm ) ].map(
 			( [ , specifier ] ) => specifier
@@ -31,7 +37,6 @@ describe( 'CLI startup', () => {
 			await import( /* @vite-ignore */ specifier );
 		}
 
-		expect( agentRuntimeLoaded.value ).toBe( false );
-		expect( dateFnsRootLoaded.value ).toBe( false );
+		expect( [ ...loadedAtStartup ] ).toEqual( [] );
 	} );
 } );