diff --git a/lamindb_setup/_connect_instance.py b/lamindb_setup/_connect_instance.py
index 04b599de2..baba9b96e 100644
--- a/lamindb_setup/_connect_instance.py
+++ b/lamindb_setup/_connect_instance.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import functools
 import importlib
 import os
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@
 from .core._settings_store import instance_settings_file, settings_dir
 from .core.cloud_sqlite_locker import unlock_cloud_sqlite_upon_exception
 from .errors import CannotSwitchDefaultInstance
+from .lazy_import import disable_lazy_imports as _disable_lazy_imports
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from pathlib import Path
@@ -185,6 +187,16 @@ def _connect_instance(
     return isettings
 
 
+def _with_disable_lazy_imports(func):
+    @functools.wraps(func)
+    def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
+        with _disable_lazy_imports():
+            return func(*args, **kwargs)
+
+    return wrapper
+
+
+@_with_disable_lazy_imports
 @unlock_cloud_sqlite_upon_exception(ignore_prev_locker=True)
 def connect(instance: str | None = None, **kwargs: Any) -> str | tuple | None:
     """Connect to an instance.
diff --git a/lamindb_setup/lazy_import.py b/lamindb_setup/lazy_import.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f6ea96452
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lamindb_setup/lazy_import.py
@@ -0,0 +1,348 @@
+"""helpers for providing lazy imports of submodules."""
+
+import ast
+import contextlib
+import os
+import sys
+from collections.abc import Callable, Iterator, Sequence
+from importlib import import_module
+from importlib.abc import Loader, MetaPathFinder
+from importlib.machinery import ModuleSpec, SourceFileLoader
+from importlib.util import (
+    find_spec,
+    module_from_spec,
+    spec_from_file_location,
+    spec_from_loader,
+)
+from pathlib import Path
+from types import ModuleType, new_class
+from typing import Any, TypedDict
+
+__all__ = [
+    "enable_lazy_imports",
+    "disable_lazy_imports",
+]
+
+LAZY_PROXY_ATTR = "__lazy_proxy__"
+
+
+_ImportableNames = tuple[
+    list[str],
+    list[str],
+    list[str],
+    dict[str, tuple[str | None, str, int]],
+]
+
+
+def get_importable_names(file_path: str) -> _ImportableNames:
+    """Return names of top-level classes, functions, and variables in a Python file."""
+    with open(file_path, encoding="utf-8") as f:
+        tree = ast.parse(f.read(), filename=file_path)
+    class_names = []
+    func_names = []
+    var_names = []
+    from_imports: dict[str, tuple[str | None, str, int]] = {}
+    for node in tree.body:
+        if isinstance(node, ast.ClassDef):
+            # collect top-level class definitions
+            class_names.append(node.name)
+        elif isinstance(node, ast.FunctionDef):
+            # collect top-level function definitions
+            func_names.append(node.name)
+        elif isinstance(node, ast.Assign):
+            for target in node.targets:
+                if isinstance(target, ast.Name):
+                    if isinstance(node.value, ast.Name):
+                        # for direct aliases, assign appropriately
+                        if node.value.id in class_names:
+                            class_names.append(target.id)
+                        elif node.value.id in func_names:
+                            func_names.append(target.id)
+                        elif node.value.id in from_imports:
+                            from_imports[target.id] = from_imports[node.value.id]
+                        else:
+                            var_names.append(target.id)
+                    else:
+                        var_names.append(target.id)
+                elif isinstance(target, ast.Tuple | ast.List):
+                    for elt in target.elts:
+                        if isinstance(elt, ast.Name):
+                            var_names.append(elt.id)
+        elif isinstance(node, ast.ImportFrom):
+            for alias in node.names:
+                if alias.name == "*":
+                    continue  # skip star imports
+                from_imports[alias.asname or alias.name] = (
+                    node.module,
+                    alias.name,
+                    node.level,
+                )
+    return class_names, func_names, var_names, from_imports
+
+
+def iter_submodule_specs(fullname: str) -> Iterator[ModuleSpec]:
+    """Iterate over submodule names of a given module."""
+    spec = find_spec(fullname)
+    if spec is None:
+        raise ModuleNotFoundError(f"module {fullname!r} not found")
+    if spec.submodule_search_locations:
+        for locations in spec.submodule_search_locations:
+            if not Path(locations).is_dir():
+                continue
+            for dirpath, _dirnames, filenames in os.walk(locations):
+                for filename in sorted(filenames):
+                    if not filename.endswith(".py"):
+                        continue
+
+                    a_pth = Path(dirpath, filename)
+                    r_pth = a_pth.relative_to(locations)
+                    if filename == "__init__.py":
+                        submodule_fullname = ".".join([fullname, *r_pth.parts[:-1]])
+                        submodule_search_locations = [str(a_pth.parent)]
+                    else:
+                        submodule_fullname = ".".join(
+                            [fullname, *r_pth.parts[:-1], r_pth.stem]
+                        )
+                        submodule_search_locations = None
+                    loader = SourceFileLoader(submodule_fullname, str(a_pth))
+                    s = spec_from_file_location(
+                        submodule_fullname,
+                        str(a_pth),
+                        loader=loader,
+                        submodule_search_locations=submodule_search_locations,
+                    )
+                    if s is not None:
+                        yield s
+    elif spec.origin:
+        yield spec
+
+
+def import_module_from_spec(spec: ModuleSpec) -> ModuleType:
+    """Import a module from a given ModuleSpec."""
+    mod = module_from_spec(spec)
+    sys.modules[mod.__name__] = mod
+    if spec.loader:
+        spec.loader.exec_module(mod)
+    return mod
+
+
+OnLoadCallable = Callable[[str, str], None]
+
+
+class _ProxyMeta(type):
+    """MetaClass to enable lazy import of classes."""
+
+    __lazy_on_load__: OnLoadCallable | None = None
+    __lazy_spec__: ModuleSpec
+
+    def _eager_load_cls(cls) -> Any:
+        try:
+            mod = sys.modules[cls.__module__]
+        except KeyError:
+            eager_load = True
+            mod = None
+        else:
+            eager_load = hasattr(mod, LAZY_PROXY_ATTR)
+        if eager_load or mod is None:
+            if cls.__lazy_on_load__:
+                cls.__lazy_on_load__(cls.__module__, cls.__name__)
+            with disable_lazy_imports():
+                mod = import_module_from_spec(cls.__lazy_spec__)
+        return getattr(mod, cls.__name__)
+
+    def __repr__(cls) -> str:
+        try:
+            mod = sys.modules[cls.__module__]
+        except KeyError:
+            proxy_repr = True
+            mod = None
+        else:
+            proxy_repr = hasattr(mod, LAZY_PROXY_ATTR)
+        if proxy_repr or mod is None:
+            return f"<proxy-class {cls.__module__}.{cls.__name__}>"
+        else:
+            return repr(getattr(mod, cls.__name__))
+
+    def __call__(cls, *args, **kwargs):
+        return cls._eager_load_cls()(*args, **kwargs)
+
+    def __subclasshook__(cls, __subclass):
+        return issubclass(__subclass, cls._eager_load_cls())
+
+    def __getattr__(cls, item):
+        return getattr(cls._eager_load_cls(), item)
+
+
+def new_metaclass_proxy(
+    name: str, module: str, *, spec: ModuleSpec, on_load: OnLoadCallable | None
+) -> Any:
+    """Create a metaclass proxy for module level classes."""
+    ns_dct = {
+        "__module__": module,
+        "__qualname__": name,
+        "__lazy_on_load__": staticmethod(on_load) if on_load else None,
+        "__lazy_spec__": spec,
+    }
+    return new_class(name, (), {"metaclass": _ProxyMeta}, lambda ns: ns.update(ns_dct))
+
+
+def new_callable_proxy(
+    name: str, module: str, *, spec: ModuleSpec, on_load: OnLoadCallable | None = None
+) -> Any:
+    """Create a callable proxy for module level functions."""
+
+    def func(*args, **kwargs):
+        try:
+            mod = sys.modules[module]
+        except KeyError:
+            eager_load = True
+            mod = None
+        else:
+            eager_load = hasattr(mod, LAZY_PROXY_ATTR)
+        if eager_load or mod is None:
+            if on_load:
+                on_load(module, name)
+            with disable_lazy_imports():
+                mod = import_module_from_spec(spec)
+        return getattr(mod, name)(*args, **kwargs)
+
+    func.__module__ = module
+    func.__name__ = func.__qualname__ = name
+    return func
+
+
+class LazyProxyLoader(Loader):
+    """Loader to enable lazy import of submodules."""
+
+    def __init__(self, spec: ModuleSpec, on_load: OnLoadCallable | None = None) -> None:
+        self.spec = spec
+        self.on_load = on_load
+
+    def create_module(self, spec: ModuleSpec) -> ModuleType | None:
+        return ModuleType(spec.name)
+
+    def exec_module(self, module: ModuleType) -> None:
+        if self.spec.origin:
+            classes, functions, variables, from_imports = get_importable_names(
+                self.spec.origin
+            )
+        else:
+            classes = functions = variables = []
+            from_imports = {}
+
+        def __getattr__(item):
+            if item in from_imports:
+                from_module, item_name, level = from_imports[item]
+                if level == 0:
+                    module_name = from_module
+                elif self.spec.submodule_search_locations is not None:
+                    module_name = f"{module.__name__}.{from_module}"
+                else:
+                    module_name = (
+                        f"{module.__name__.rsplit('.', level)[0]}.{from_module}"
+                    )
+                mod = import_module(module_name)
+                return getattr(mod, item_name)
+            if item in classes:
+                return new_metaclass_proxy(
+                    item, module=module.__name__, spec=self.spec, on_load=self.on_load
+                )
+            elif item in functions:
+                return new_callable_proxy(
+                    item, module=module.__name__, spec=self.spec, on_load=self.on_load
+                )
+            elif item in variables:
+                raise NotImplementedError("fixme: handle variables in lazy import")
+            else:
+                raise AttributeError(
+                    f"Module '{module.__name__}' has no attribute '{item}'"
+                )
+
+        module.__dict__["__getattr__"] = __getattr__
+        setattr(module, LAZY_PROXY_ATTR, True)
+
+
+class LazyProxyFinder(MetaPathFinder):
+    """MetaPathFinder to enable lazy import of specific submodules."""
+
+    enabled: bool = True
+
+    def __init__(self, *prefixes: str, on_load: OnLoadCallable | None = None) -> None:
+        self.prefixes = prefixes
+        self.on_load = on_load
+        self.submodules: dict[str, ModuleSpec] = {
+            spec.name: spec
+            for prefix in prefixes
+            for spec in iter_submodule_specs(prefix)
+        }
+
+    def __repr__(self):
+        return f"<{self.__class__.__module__}.{self.__class__.__name__} prefixes={self.prefixes!r} enabled={self.enabled} at 0x{hex(id(self))}>"
+
+    def find_spec(
+        self,
+        fullname: str,
+        path: Sequence[str] | None,
+        target: ModuleType | None = None,
+    ) -> ModuleSpec | None:
+        if self.enabled and fullname in self.submodules:
+            spec = self.submodules[fullname]
+            is_package = spec.submodule_search_locations is not None
+            return spec_from_loader(
+                fullname,
+                LazyProxyLoader(spec, on_load=self.on_load),
+                is_package=is_package,
+            )
+        return None
+
+
+def enable_lazy_imports(
+    prefix: str,
+    /,
+    *prefixes: str,
+    on_load: OnLoadCallable | None = None,
+) -> None:
+    """register lazy import mechanism."""
+    all_prefixes = {prefix, *prefixes}
+
+    if loaded := all_prefixes.intersection(sys.modules):
+        for module_name in sorted(loaded, reverse=True):
+            try:
+                mod = sys.modules[module_name]
+            except KeyError:
+                pass
+            else:
+                if hasattr(mod, LAZY_PROXY_ATTR):
+                    del sys.modules[module_name]
+
+    for finder in sys.meta_path:
+        if isinstance(finder, LazyProxyFinder) and all_prefixes == set(finder.prefixes):
+            continue
+    else:
+        sys.meta_path.insert(0, LazyProxyFinder(*all_prefixes, on_load=on_load))
+
+
+@contextlib.contextmanager
+def disable_lazy_imports(*, restore_on_error: bool = True) -> Iterator[None]:
+    """disable lazy import mechanism."""
+    # disable all lazy finders and remove their submodules from sys.modules
+    for finder in sys.meta_path:
+        if isinstance(finder, LazyProxyFinder):
+            finder.enabled = False
+            submodules = set(sys.modules).intersection(finder.submodules)
+            for m in sorted(submodules, reverse=True):
+                try:
+                    mod = sys.modules[m]
+                except KeyError:
+                    pass
+                else:
+                    if hasattr(mod, LAZY_PROXY_ATTR):
+                        del sys.modules[m]
+    try:
+        yield
+    except:
+        if restore_on_error:
+            for finder in sys.meta_path:
+                if isinstance(finder, LazyProxyFinder):
+                    finder.enabled = True
+        raise