diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/MarkdownRenderer.svelte b/packages/ui/src/components/MarkdownRenderer.svelte
index 79a30f0..0dca3d1 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/MarkdownRenderer.svelte
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/MarkdownRenderer.svelte
@@ -1,19 +1,6 @@
 <script lang="ts">
 /* eslint-disable svelte/no-at-html-tags */
-  import * as markedPkg from "marked";
-  import * as markedHighlightPkg from "marked-highlight";
-  import * as hljsPkg from "highlight.js";
-  import * as DOMPurifyPkg from "isomorphic-dompurify";
-
-  const Marked = markedPkg.Marked;
-  const markedHighlight = markedHighlightPkg.markedHighlight;
-  const hljsModule = hljsPkg.default || hljsPkg;
-  const DOMPurify = 'default' in DOMPurifyPkg ? DOMPurifyPkg.default : DOMPurifyPkg;
-
-  // Only safely import css if hljs exists
-  if (hljsModule && Object.keys(hljsModule).length > 0) {
-    import("highlight.js/styles/github-dark.css").catch(() => {});
-  }
+  import { onMount } from "svelte";
 
   interface Props {
     /** The raw markdown string to render */
@@ -26,25 +13,81 @@
 
   let { content, streaming = false, class: className = "" }: Props = $props();
 
-  const hasMarkdownDeps = typeof Marked === "function" && typeof DOMPurify?.sanitize === "function";
+  type MarkedConstructor = typeof import("marked").Marked;
+  type MarkedHighlight = typeof import("marked-highlight").markedHighlight;
+  type HighlightApi = typeof import("highlight.js").default;
+  type Sanitizer = typeof import("isomorphic-dompurify").default;
+
+  // Lazily loaded optional peer dependencies (marked, marked-highlight,
+  // highlight.js, isomorphic-dompurify). They are declared as optional peer
+  // deps; statically importing them would crash consumers that have not
+  // installed them, even when MarkdownRenderer is never rendered. Load them
+  // dynamically so the module graph resolves without them and the component
+  // degrades to escaped-text rendering when they are absent.
+  let MarkedCtor = $state<MarkedConstructor | null>(null);
+  let markedHighlightFn = $state<MarkedHighlight | null>(null);
+  let hljs = $state<HighlightApi | null>(null);
+  let DOMPurify = $state<Sanitizer | null>(null);
+
+  onMount(() => {
+    let cancelled = false;
+    (async () => {
+      try {
+        const [markedPkg, markedHighlightPkg, hljsPkg, DOMPurifyPkg] = await Promise.all([
+          import("marked"),
+          import("marked-highlight"),
+          import("highlight.js"),
+          import("isomorphic-dompurify"),
+        ]);
+        if (cancelled) return;
+        MarkedCtor = markedPkg.Marked;
+        markedHighlightFn = markedHighlightPkg.markedHighlight;
+        hljs = hljsPkg.default;
+        DOMPurify = DOMPurifyPkg.default;
+        // Only import the theme css when highlight.js is available
+        if (hljs && Object.keys(hljs).length > 0) {
+          import("highlight.js/styles/github-dark.css").catch(() => {});
+        }
+      } catch {
+        // Optional deps not installed; fall back to escaped-text rendering.
+        if (cancelled) return;
+      }
+    })();
+    return () => { cancelled = true; };
+  });
+
+  const hasMarkdownDeps = $derived(
+    typeof MarkedCtor === "function" &&
+      typeof DOMPurify?.sanitize === "function" &&
+      typeof markedHighlightFn === "function",
+  );
 
   // Configure marked with syntax highlighting if available
-  const markedObj = hasMarkdownDeps ? new Marked(
-    markedHighlight({
-      langPrefix: "hljs language-",
-      highlight(code: string, lang: string) {
-        const language = hljsModule.getLanguage && hljsModule.getLanguage(lang) ? lang : "plaintext";
-        return hljsModule.highlight ? hljsModule.highlight(code, { language }).value : code;
-      },
-    }),
-  ) : null;
+  const markedObj = $derived.by(() => {
+    const Constructor = MarkedCtor;
+    const highlightExtension = markedHighlightFn;
+    if (!Constructor || !highlightExtension) return null;
+
+    return new Constructor(
+      highlightExtension({
+        langPrefix: "hljs language-",
+        highlight(code: string, lang: string) {
+          const language = hljs?.getLanguage && hljs.getLanguage(lang) ? lang : "plaintext";
+          return hljs?.highlight ? hljs.highlight(code, { language }).value : code;
+        },
+      }),
+    );
+  });
 
   // Render HTML safely
-  const html = $derived(
-    hasMarkdownDeps
-      ? DOMPurify.sanitize(markedObj?.parse(content || "") as string)
-      : `<div style="white-space: pre-wrap">${String(content || "").replace(/</g, "&lt;").replace(/>/g, "&gt;")}</div>`
-  );
+  const html = $derived.by(() => {
+    const purifier = DOMPurify;
+    const parser = markedObj;
+    if (hasMarkdownDeps && purifier && parser) {
+      return purifier.sanitize(parser.parse(content || ""));
+    }
+    return `<div style="white-space: pre-wrap">${String(content || "").replace(/</g, "&lt;").replace(/>/g, "&gt;")}</div>`;
+  });
 
   // Handle copy code blocks
   let copiedBlock = $state<string | null>(null);
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/markdown-renderer.test.ts b/packages/ui/src/components/markdown-renderer.test.ts
index dac315e..c38d124 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/markdown-renderer.test.ts
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/markdown-renderer.test.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,17 @@
-import { fireEvent, render } from '@testing-library/svelte';
-import { tick } from 'svelte';
+import { fireEvent, render, waitFor } from '@testing-library/svelte';
 import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
 import MarkdownRenderer from './MarkdownRenderer.svelte';
 
+// MarkdownRenderer loads its optional peer deps (marked, highlight.js,
+// isomorphic-dompurify) dynamically on mount, so rendering is asynchronous.
+// Wait until markdown has actually been parsed and rendered (presence of a
+// rendered <a>/<pre> element signals the deps resolved and parsing ran).
+async function waitForMarkdown(container: HTMLElement) {
+  await waitFor(() => {
+    expect(container.querySelector('a, pre, .code-block-wrapper')).not.toBeNull();
+  });
+}
+
 afterEach(() => {
   vi.restoreAllMocks();
 });
@@ -12,7 +21,7 @@ describe('MarkdownRenderer security and enhancement', () => {
     const { container } = render(MarkdownRenderer, {
       content: '<script>globalThis.__markdownXss = 1</script><img src="x" onerror="globalThis.__markdownXss = 2"><a href="javascript:globalThis.__markdownXss=3">unsafe link</a>',
     });
-    await tick();
+    await waitForMarkdown(container);
 
     expect(container.querySelector('script')).toBeNull();
     expect(container.querySelector('[onerror]')).toBeNull();
@@ -30,7 +39,9 @@ describe('MarkdownRenderer security and enhancement', () => {
     const { container } = render(MarkdownRenderer, {
       content: '```js\nconst answer = 42;\n```',
     });
-    await tick();
+    await waitFor(() => {
+      expect(container.querySelector('.code-block-wrapper')).not.toBeNull();
+    });
 
     const wrapper = container.querySelector('.code-block-wrapper');
     const code = wrapper?.querySelector('code');
@@ -55,7 +66,7 @@ describe('MarkdownRenderer security and enhancement', () => {
     await rerender({
       content: '```"><img/src=x/onerror=globalThis.__markdownXss=1>\nunsafe\n```',
     });
-    await tick();
+    await waitForMarkdown(container);
 
     const header = container.querySelector('.code-block-wrapper > div');
     expect(header).not.toBeNull();
@@ -80,10 +91,11 @@ describe('MarkdownRenderer security and enhancement', () => {
       originalAddEventListener.call(this, type, listener, options);
     });
 
-    const { rerender } = render(MarkdownRenderer, { content: '```text\none\n```' });
+    const { container, rerender } = render(MarkdownRenderer, { content: '```text\none\n```' });
+    await waitForMarkdown(container);
     await rerender({ content: '```text\ntwo\n```' });
     await rerender({ content: '```text\nthree\n```' });
-    await tick();
+    await waitForMarkdown(container);
 
     expect(delegatedClickBindings).toBe(1);
   });
diff --git a/scripts/check-package-packs.ts b/scripts/check-package-packs.ts
index 1cfb7db..d475150 100644
--- a/scripts/check-package-packs.ts
+++ b/scripts/check-package-packs.ts
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ interface PackageManifest {
   bin?: string | Record<string, string>;
   exports?: unknown;
   dependencies?: Record<string, string>;
+  devDependencies?: Record<string, string>;
   peerDependencies?: Record<string, string>;
 }
 
@@ -43,6 +44,12 @@ const repositoryRoot = resolve(import.meta.dir, '..');
 const packagesRoot = join(repositoryRoot, 'packages');
 const tscPath = join(repositoryRoot, 'node_modules', 'typescript', 'bin', 'tsc');
 const pnpmVersion = '11.11.0';
+const optionalMarkdownPeers = [
+  'highlight.js',
+  'isomorphic-dompurify',
+  'marked',
+  'marked-highlight',
+] as const;
 
 const expectations: PackageExpectation[] = [
   {
@@ -291,9 +298,16 @@ async function verifyUiPnpmPeerTree(
     await readFile(join(repositoryRoot, 'package.json'), 'utf8'),
   ) as { overrides?: Record<string, string> };
   const svelteVersion = rootManifest.overrides?.svelte;
+  const viteVersion = rootManifest.overrides?.vite;
   const queryVersion = uiManifest.peerDependencies?.['@tanstack/svelte-query'];
+  const sveltePluginVersion = uiManifest.devDependencies?.['@sveltejs/vite-plugin-svelte'];
   assert(svelteVersion, 'root package.json: overrides.svelte is required for pnpm verification');
+  assert(viteVersion, 'root package.json: overrides.vite is required for pnpm verification');
   assert(queryVersion, '@svadmin/ui: @tanstack/svelte-query peer range is required for pnpm verification');
+  assert(
+    sveltePluginVersion,
+    '@svadmin/ui: @sveltejs/vite-plugin-svelte dev dependency is required for pnpm verification',
+  );
 
   const consumerDirectory = join(packDirectory, 'pnpm-peer-consumer');
   await mkdir(consumerDirectory, { recursive: true });
@@ -309,6 +323,10 @@ async function verifyUiPnpmPeerTree(
         '@tanstack/svelte-query': queryVersion,
         svelte: svelteVersion,
       },
+      devDependencies: {
+        '@sveltejs/vite-plugin-svelte': sveltePluginVersion,
+        vite: viteVersion,
+      },
     }, null, 2)}\n`,
   );
 
@@ -352,6 +370,12 @@ async function verifyUiPnpmPeerTree(
   );
 
   const virtualStoreEntries = await readdir(join(consumerDirectory, 'node_modules', '.pnpm'));
+  for (const optionalPeer of optionalMarkdownPeers) {
+    assert(
+      !virtualStoreEntries.some((entry) => entry.startsWith(`${optionalPeer}@`)),
+      `@svadmin/ui: pnpm strict consumer unexpectedly installed optional peer ${optionalPeer}`,
+    );
+  }
   const svelteVersions = new Set(
     virtualStoreEntries
       .map((entry) => /^svelte@([^_]+)(?:_|$)/.exec(entry)?.[1])
@@ -372,7 +396,25 @@ async function verifyUiPnpmPeerTree(
     ['--yes', `pnpm@${pnpmVersion}`, 'list', 'svelte', '--depth', 'Infinity'],
     consumerDirectory,
   );
-  return `pnpm@${pnpmVersion} strict packed consumer passed\nforbidden dependencies absent: cmdk-sv, sonner-svelte, @melt-ui/svelte\n${dependencyTree.trim()}\nresolved Svelte versions: ${resolvedSvelteVersion}`;
+
+  const consumerEntry = join(consumerDirectory, 'markdown-import.ts');
+  await writeFile(
+    consumerEntry,
+    `import { MarkdownRenderer } from '@svadmin/ui';\nconsole.info(typeof MarkdownRenderer);\n`,
+  );
+  const viteConfig = join(consumerDirectory, 'vite.config.mjs');
+  await writeFile(
+    viteConfig,
+    `import { svelte } from '@sveltejs/vite-plugin-svelte';\nexport default { root: ${JSON.stringify(consumerDirectory)}, plugins: [svelte()], build: { lib: { entry: ${JSON.stringify(consumerEntry)}, formats: ['es'] } } };\n`,
+  );
+  const vitePath = join(repositoryRoot, 'node_modules', 'vite', 'bin', 'vite.js');
+  const optionalPeerBuild = run(
+    'node',
+    [vitePath, 'build', '--config', viteConfig],
+    consumerDirectory,
+  );
+
+  return `pnpm@${pnpmVersion} strict packed consumer passed\nforbidden dependencies absent: cmdk-sv, sonner-svelte, @melt-ui/svelte\noptional markdown peers absent: ${optionalMarkdownPeers.join(', ')}\n${optionalPeerBuild.trim()}\n${dependencyTree.trim()}\nresolved Svelte versions: ${resolvedSvelteVersion}`;
 }
 
 async function createConsumer(packDirectory: string, results: Map<string, PackResult>): Promise<string> {