diff --git a/packages/host-watcher/src/parcel-watcher-backend.ts b/packages/host-watcher/src/parcel-watcher-backend.ts
index 2d928d3d3..3cfe7f064 100644
--- a/packages/host-watcher/src/parcel-watcher-backend.ts
+++ b/packages/host-watcher/src/parcel-watcher-backend.ts
@@ -40,9 +40,13 @@ function createInProcessBackend(): ParcelWatcherBackend {
   return {
     async subscribe(dir, callback, opts) {
       // Lazy import keeps the native addon out of the parent unless we actually
-      // watch in-process.
-      const { realParcelWatcher } = await import("./real-parcel-watcher.js");
-      return realParcelWatcher.subscribe(dir, callback, opts);
+      // watch in-process. Import the EXTERNAL package directly: a dynamic
+      // import of an internal module gets inlined by esbuild, and its static
+      // `import ... from "@parcel/watcher"` is then hoisted to the top of the
+      // daemon bundle, loading watcher.node into the parent at startup.
+      const { default: parcelWatcher }: { default: ParcelWatcherBackend } =
+        await import("@parcel/watcher");
+      return parcelWatcher.subscribe(dir, callback, opts);
     },
   };
 }