diff --git a/packages/browser/src/client/main.ts b/packages/browser/src/client/main.ts
index 778cff644e97..0780333421f8 100644
--- a/packages/browser/src/client/main.ts
+++ b/packages/browser/src/client/main.ts
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ ws.addEventListener('open', async () => {
   await runTests(paths, config!)
 })
 
-async function runTests(paths: string[], config: ResolvedConfig) {
+async function prepareTestEnvironment(config: ResolvedConfig) {
   // need to import it before any other import, otherwise Vite optimizer will hang
   const viteClientPath = '/@vite/client'
   await import(viteClientPath)
@@ -157,6 +157,28 @@ async function runTests(paths: string[], config: ResolvedConfig) {
     runner = new BrowserRunner({ config, browserHashMap })
   }
 
+  return {
+    startTests,
+    setupCommonEnv,
+    loadDiffConfig,
+    executor,
+    runner,
+  }
+}
+
+async function runTests(paths: string[], config: ResolvedConfig) {
+  let preparedData: Awaited<ReturnType<typeof prepareTestEnvironment>> | undefined
+  // if importing /@id/ failed, we reload the page waiting until Vite prebundles it
+  try {
+    preparedData = await prepareTestEnvironment(config)
+  }
+  catch (err) {
+    location.reload()
+    return
+  }
+
+  const { startTests, setupCommonEnv, loadDiffConfig, executor, runner } = preparedData!
+
   onCancel.then((reason) => {
     runner?.onCancel?.(reason)
   })
diff --git a/packages/browser/src/client/utils.ts b/packages/browser/src/client/utils.ts
index aa9bebe46368..b79f353d319e 100644
--- a/packages/browser/src/client/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/browser/src/client/utils.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 // it's possible that import was not optimized yet
-async function tryImport(id: string, tries = 10): Promise<any> {
+async function tryImport(id: string, tries = 20): Promise<any> {
   try {
     return await import(id)
   }
diff --git a/packages/browser/src/node/index.ts b/packages/browser/src/node/index.ts
index 696eebfc3999..448665992c5d 100644
--- a/packages/browser/src/node/index.ts
+++ b/packages/browser/src/node/index.ts
@@ -47,7 +47,12 @@ export default (project: WorkspaceProject, base = '/'): Plugin[] => {
         const entries = await project.globAllTestFiles(include, exclude, includeSource, projectRoot)
         return {
           optimizeDeps: {
-            entries,
+            entries: [
+              ...entries,
+              'vitest/utils',
+              'vitest/browser',
+              'vitest/runners',
+            ],
             exclude: [
               ...builtinModules,
               'vitest',