diff --git a/src/vite/imports.ts b/src/vite/imports.ts
index c093126bda..de62d30948 100644
--- a/src/vite/imports.ts
+++ b/src/vite/imports.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ export function ensure_imports({
 	importKind,
 }: {
 	page: TransformPage
-	import: string
+	import?: string
 	as?: never
 	sourceModule: string
 	importKind?: 'value' | 'type'
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ export function ensure_imports({
 	importKind,
 }: {
 	page: TransformPage
-	import: string[]
+	import?: string[]
 	as?: string[]
 	sourceModule: string
 	importKind?: 'value' | 'type'
@@ -39,11 +39,29 @@ export function ensure_imports({
 	as,
 }: {
 	page: TransformPage
-	import: string[] | string
+	import?: string[] | string
 	as?: string[]
 	sourceModule: string
 	importKind?: 'value' | 'type'
 }): { ids: Identifier[] | Identifier; added: number } {
+	// if there is no import, we can simplify the logic, just look for something with a matching source
+	if (!importID) {
+		// look for an import from the source module
+		const has_import = page.script.body.find(
+			(statement) =>
+				statement.type === 'ImportDeclaration' && statement.source.value === sourceModule
+		)
+		if (!has_import) {
+			page.script.body.unshift({
+				type: 'ImportDeclaration',
+				source: AST.stringLiteral(sourceModule),
+				importKind,
+			})
+		}
+
+		return { ids: [], added: has_import ? 0 : 1 }
+	}
+
 	const idList = (Array.isArray(importID) ? importID : [importID]).map((id) => AST.identifier(id))
 
 	// figure out the list of things to import
diff --git a/src/vite/transforms/kit/index.ts b/src/vite/transforms/kit/index.ts
index 61a8461061..9cc72ae0c2 100644
--- a/src/vite/transforms/kit/index.ts
+++ b/src/vite/transforms/kit/index.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import * as recast from 'recast'
 
 import { Config } from '../../../common'
 import { TransformPage } from '../../plugin'
+import init from './init'
 import load from './load'
 import session from './session'
 
@@ -15,5 +16,5 @@ export default async function SvelteKitProcessor(config: Config, page: Transform
 		return
 	}
 
-	await Promise.all([load(page), session(page)])
+	await Promise.all([load(page), session(page), init(page)])
 }
diff --git a/src/vite/transforms/kit/init.test.ts b/src/vite/transforms/kit/init.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..771cc7d0ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/vite/transforms/kit/init.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+import { test, expect } from 'vitest'
+
+import { transform_svelte_test } from '../../tests'
+
+test('modifies root +layout.svelte to import adapter', async function () {
+	// run the test
+	const result = await transform_svelte_test(
+		'src/routes/+layout.svelte',
+		`
+<script>
+    export let data
+</script>
+    `
+	)
+
+	expect(result).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+		import "$houdini/runtime/adapter";
+		import __houdini_client__ from "../../../my/client/path";
+		export let data;
+		__houdini_client__.receiveServerSession(data);
+	`)
+})
diff --git a/src/vite/transforms/kit/init.ts b/src/vite/transforms/kit/init.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2246006e0c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/vite/transforms/kit/init.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+import { ensure_imports } from '../../imports'
+import { TransformPage } from '../../plugin'
+
+export default async function kit_init(page: TransformPage) {
+	// we only care about the root layout file
+	if (!page.config.isRootLayout(page.filepath)) {
+		return
+	}
+
+	// all we need to do is make sure that something imports the adapter
+	ensure_imports({
+		page,
+		sourceModule: '$houdini/runtime/adapter',
+	})
+}
diff --git a/src/vite/transforms/kit/load.test.ts b/src/vite/transforms/kit/load.test.ts
index 27bbd3439a..abc7e44ded 100644
--- a/src/vite/transforms/kit/load.test.ts
+++ b/src/vite/transforms/kit/load.test.ts
@@ -1012,6 +1012,7 @@ test('layout loads', async function () {
 	`)
 
 	expect(route.layout).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+		import "$houdini/runtime/adapter";
 		import __houdini_client__ from "../../../my/client/path";
 		export let data;
 		__houdini_client__.receiveServerSession(data);
@@ -1034,6 +1035,7 @@ test('layout inline query', async function () {
 	})
 
 	expect(route.layout).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+		import "$houdini/runtime/adapter";
 		import __houdini_client__ from "../../../my/client/path";
 		export let data;
 
diff --git a/src/vite/transforms/kit/session.test.ts b/src/vite/transforms/kit/session.test.ts
index 23758e1249..4dcf499117 100644
--- a/src/vite/transforms/kit/session.test.ts
+++ b/src/vite/transforms/kit/session.test.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ test('modifies root +layout.svelte with data prop', async function () {
 	)
 
 	expect(result).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+		import "$houdini/runtime/adapter";
 		import __houdini_client__ from "../../../my/client/path";
 		export let data;
 		__houdini_client__.receiveServerSession(data);
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@ test('modifies root +layout.svelte without data prop', async function () {
 	)
 
 	expect(result).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+		import "$houdini/runtime/adapter";
 		import __houdini_client__ from "../../../my/client/path";
 		export let data;
 		__houdini_client__.receiveServerSession(data);