diff --git a/packages/agoric-cli/lib/deploy.js b/packages/agoric-cli/lib/deploy.js
index 7bcc553d437a..8398cf755252 100644
--- a/packages/agoric-cli/lib/deploy.js
+++ b/packages/agoric-cli/lib/deploy.js
@@ -1,13 +1,17 @@
 /* global process setTimeout setInterval clearInterval */
 /* eslint-disable no-await-in-loop */
+
 import { E, makeCapTP } from '@agoric/captp';
 import { makePromiseKit } from '@agoric/promise-kit';
 import bundleSource from '@agoric/bundle-source';
 import path from 'path';
 import inquirer from 'inquirer';
+import createRequire from 'esm';
 
 import { getAccessToken } from '@agoric/access-token';
 
+const require = createRequire({});
+
 // note: CapTP has its own HandledPromise instantiation, and the contract
 // must use the same one that CapTP uses. We achieve this by not bundling
 // captp, and doing a (non-isolated) dynamic import of the deploy script
@@ -220,7 +224,11 @@ export { bootPlugin } from ${JSON.stringify(absPath)};
           }
 
           // use a dynamic import to load the deploy script, it is unconfined
-          const mainNS = await import(pathResolve(moduleFile));
+          // eslint-disable-next-line import/no-dynamic-require
+          const mainNS = require(moduleFile);
+          // TODO Node.js ESM support if package.json of template says "type":
+          // "module":
+          //   const mainNS = await import(pathResolve(moduleFile));
           const main = mainNS.default;
           if (typeof main !== 'function') {
             console.error(
diff --git a/packages/agoric-cli/lib/entrypoint.js b/packages/agoric-cli/lib/entrypoint.js
index b6e6200c4b90..30c6cb015aa5 100755
--- a/packages/agoric-cli/lib/entrypoint.js
+++ b/packages/agoric-cli/lib/entrypoint.js
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env -S node
 
 /* global process */
-// TODO Remove babel-standalone preinitialization
+// TODO Remove babel-standalone and esm preinitialization
 // https://github.com/endojs/endo/issues/768
+import 'esm';
 import '@agoric/babel-standalone';
 import '@agoric/install-ses';
 
diff --git a/packages/agoric-cli/package.json b/packages/agoric-cli/package.json
index a1270c7fda9b..c76a7e34fdfc 100644
--- a/packages/agoric-cli/package.json
+++ b/packages/agoric-cli/package.json
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
     "chalk": "^2.4.2",
     "commander": "^5.0.0",
     "deterministic-json": "^1.0.5",
+    "esm": "agoric-labs/esm#Agoric-built",
     "inquirer": "^6.3.1",
     "opener": "^1.5.2",
     "ws": "^7.2.0"