diff --git a/localstack/aws/client.py b/localstack/aws/client.py
index 726473c63b70c..37d18820380af 100644
--- a/localstack/aws/client.py
+++ b/localstack/aws/client.py
@@ -6,9 +6,11 @@
 
 from botocore.model import OperationModel
 from botocore.parsers import ResponseParser, ResponseParserFactory
-from werkzeug import Response
+from werkzeug import Request, Response
 
 from localstack.aws.api import CommonServiceException, ServiceException, ServiceResponse
+from localstack.aws.gateway import Gateway
+from localstack.http.client import HttpClient
 from localstack.runtime import hooks
 from localstack.utils.patch import patch
 
@@ -220,3 +222,21 @@ def raise_service_exception(response: Response, parsed_response: Dict) -> None:
     """
     if service_exception := parse_service_exception(response, parsed_response):
         raise service_exception
+
+
+class GatewayClient(HttpClient):
+    """
+    HttpClient implementation that injects the request directly into the Gateway.
+    """
+
+    gateway: Gateway
+
+    def __init__(self, gateway: Gateway):
+        self.gateway = gateway
+
+    def request(self, request: Request, server: str | None = None) -> Response:
+        from localstack.http.response import Response
+
+        response = Response()
+        self.gateway.process(request, response)
+        return response
diff --git a/localstack/aws/serving/edge.py b/localstack/aws/serving/edge.py
index f93441e077851..234585425eea1 100644
--- a/localstack/aws/serving/edge.py
+++ b/localstack/aws/serving/edge.py
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 from localstack.http.hypercorn import GatewayServer
 from localstack.runtime.shutdown import SHUTDOWN_HANDLERS
-from localstack.services.plugins import SERVICE_PLUGINS
 
 
 def serve_gateway(bind_address, port, use_ssl, asynchronous=False):
@@ -8,12 +7,10 @@ def serve_gateway(bind_address, port, use_ssl, asynchronous=False):
     Implementation of the edge.do_start_edge_proxy interface to start a Hypercorn server instance serving the
     LocalstackAwsGateway.
     """
-    from localstack.aws.app import LocalstackAwsGateway
-
-    gateway = LocalstackAwsGateway(SERVICE_PLUGINS)
+    from localstack.runtime import components
 
     # start serving gateway
-    server = GatewayServer(gateway, port, bind_address, use_ssl)
+    server = GatewayServer(components.gateway, port, bind_address, use_ssl)
     server.start()
 
     # with the current way the infrastructure is started, this is the easiest way to shut down the server correctly
diff --git a/localstack/runtime/components.py b/localstack/runtime/components.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..c7893e0cfb655
--- /dev/null
+++ b/localstack/runtime/components.py
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+"""
+Core components of the runtime available as global singletons.
+"""
+from functools import cached_property
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from localstack.aws.app import LocalstackAwsGateway
+    from localstack.services.plugins import ServicePluginManager
+
+gateway: "LocalstackAwsGateway"
+"""The Gateway processes incoming HTTP request and dispatches them to AWS services or internal resources"""
+
+service_plugin_manager: "ServicePluginManager"
+"""The plugin manager """
+
+
+class RuntimeContainer:
+    """
+    Class that provides the core runtime components as singleton factories.
+    """
+
+    @cached_property
+    def service_plugin_manager(self) -> "ServicePluginManager":
+        # TODO: migrate creation here
+        from localstack.services.plugins import SERVICE_PLUGINS
+
+        return SERVICE_PLUGINS
+
+    @cached_property
+    def gateway(self) -> "LocalstackAwsGateway":
+        from localstack.aws.app import LocalstackAwsGateway
+
+        return LocalstackAwsGateway(self.service_plugin_manager)
+
+
+_container = RuntimeContainer()
+
+
+def __getattr__(name) -> Any:
+    """
+    Provides dynamic and lazy access to runtime components. Can be used like this::
+
+        from localstack.runtime import components
+
+        assert isinstance(components.gateway, LocalstackAwsGateway)
+
+    or even::
+
+        from localstack.runtime.components import gateway
+
+        assert isinstance(gateway, LocalstackAwsGateway)
+
+    :param name: the component to get
+    :return: the component if it exists
+    """
+    return getattr(_container, name)
diff --git a/localstack/services/s3/virtual_host.py b/localstack/services/s3/virtual_host.py
index b9ad819af46a1..ad12e70578b3d 100644
--- a/localstack/services/s3/virtual_host.py
+++ b/localstack/services/s3/virtual_host.py
@@ -3,9 +3,9 @@
 from urllib.parse import urlsplit, urlunsplit
 
 from localstack import config
+from localstack.aws.client import GatewayClient
 from localstack.constants import LOCALHOST_HOSTNAME
 from localstack.http import Request, Response
-from localstack.http.client import SimpleStreamingRequestsClient
 from localstack.http.proxy import Proxy
 from localstack.runtime import hooks
 from localstack.services.edge import ROUTER
@@ -54,15 +54,18 @@ def __call__(self, request: Request, **kwargs) -> Response:
 
     def _create_proxy(self) -> Proxy:
         """
-        Factory for creating proxy instance used when proxying s3 calls.
+        Factory for creating proxy instance used when proxying s3 calls, injects directly into the handler
+        chain.
 
         :return: a proxy instance
         """
+        from localstack.runtime import components
+
         return Proxy(
             forward_base_url=config.get_edge_url(),
             # do not preserve the Host when forwarding (to avoid an endless loop)
             preserve_host=False,
-            client=SimpleStreamingRequestsClient(),
+            client=GatewayClient(components.gateway),
         )
 
     @staticmethod