diff --git a/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/assets/web/generated/plugin-loader.js b/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/assets/web/generated/plugin-loader.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..aab2aeb9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/assets/web/generated/plugin-loader.js
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+"use strict";
+const pluginGroups = {
+  "digital-modes": ["/ft8.js", "/ft4.js", "/ft2.js", "/wspr.js", "/cw.js", "/background-decode.js", "/sat.js", "/wefax.js"],
+  "map-data": ["/map-core.js", "/ais.js", "/vdes.js", "/aprs.js", "/hf-aprs.js"],
+  map: ["/map-core.js", "/ais.js", "/vdes.js", "/aprs.js", "/hf-aprs.js", "/sat.js", "/sat-scheduler.js"],
+  statistics: ["/map-core.js"],
+  bookmarks: ["/bookmarks.js"],
+  recorder: [],
+  settings: ["/vchan.js", "/scheduler.js"]
+};
+const loaded = /* @__PURE__ */ new Set();
+const loading = /* @__PURE__ */ new Map();
+const modulePlugins = /* @__PURE__ */ new Set(["/ft8.js", "/ft4.js", "/ft2.js", "/wspr.js", "/cw.js"]);
+function loadLegacyScript(path) {
+  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    const script = document.createElement("script");
+    script.src = path;
+    script.addEventListener("load", () => {
+      resolve();
+    }, { once: true });
+    script.addEventListener("error", () => {
+      reject(new Error(`Failed to load plugin script: ${path}`));
+    }, { once: true });
+    document.body.appendChild(script);
+  });
+}
+async function loadPlugin(path) {
+  if (loaded.has(path)) return;
+  const pending = loading.get(path);
+  if (pending) return pending;
+  const request = (modulePlugins.has(path) ? import(path).then(() => void 0) : loadLegacyScript(path)).then(() => {
+    loaded.add(path);
+    loading.delete(path);
+  }).catch((error) => {
+    loading.delete(path);
+    throw new Error(`Failed to load plugin module: ${path}`, { cause: error });
+  });
+  loading.set(path, request);
+  return request;
+}
+async function loadPlugins(group) {
+  if (!(group in pluginGroups)) return;
+  for (const path of pluginGroups[group]) await loadPlugin(path);
+}
+function requestPlugins(group) {
+  void loadPlugins(group).catch((error) => {
+    console.error(error);
+  });
+}
+const loaderWindow = window;
+loaderWindow.loadEagerPlugins = async () => {
+  await Promise.all(["digital-modes", "map-data", "bookmarks", "settings"].map(loadPlugins));
+};
+loaderWindow.loadPluginsForTab = loadPlugins;
+document.addEventListener("click", (event) => {
+  if (!(event.target instanceof Element)) return;
+  const tab = event.target.closest("[data-tab]")?.dataset.tab;
+  if (tab) requestPlugins(tab);
+});
diff --git a/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/assets/web/index.html b/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/assets/web/index.html
index 1ab75cc4..fa2df4cb 100644
--- a/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/assets/web/index.html
+++ b/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/assets/web/index.html
@@ -1640,74 +1640,8 @@ SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later
   <script defer src="/leaflet-ais-tracksymbol.js"></script>
   <script defer src="/webgl-renderer.js"></script>
   <script defer src="/ui-core.js"></script>
+  <script defer src="/plugin-loader.js"></script>
   <script defer src="/app.js"></script>
-  <script>
-// Lazy plugin loader: loads plugin scripts when their tab/feature is first activated
-(function() {
-  var pluginScripts = {
-    'digital-modes': ['/ft8.js', '/ft4.js', '/ft2.js', '/wspr.js', '/cw.js', '/background-decode.js', '/sat.js', '/wefax.js'],
-    'map-data': ['/map-core.js', '/ais.js', '/vdes.js', '/aprs.js', '/hf-aprs.js'],
-    'map': ['/map-core.js', '/ais.js', '/vdes.js', '/aprs.js', '/hf-aprs.js', '/sat.js', '/sat-scheduler.js'],
-    'statistics': ['/map-core.js'],
-    'bookmarks': ['/bookmarks.js'],
-    'recorder': [],
-    'settings': ['/vchan.js', '/scheduler.js']
-  };
-  var loaded = new Set();
-  var loading = new Map();
-
-  function loadScript(src) {
-    if (loaded.has(src)) return Promise.resolve();
-    if (loading.has(src)) return loading.get(src);
-
-    var request = new Promise(function(resolve, reject) {
-      var s = document.createElement('script');
-      s.src = src;
-      s.onload = function() {
-        loaded.add(src);
-        loading.delete(src);
-        resolve();
-      };
-      s.onerror = function() {
-        loading.delete(src);
-        reject(new Error('Failed to load plugin script: ' + src));
-      };
-      document.body.appendChild(s);
-    });
-    loading.set(src, request);
-    return request;
-  }
-
-  function loadPlugins(tab) {
-    var scripts = pluginScripts[tab];
-    if (!scripts) return Promise.resolve();
-    return scripts.reduce(function(sequence, src) {
-      return sequence.then(function() { return loadScript(src); });
-    }, Promise.resolve());
-  }
-
-  function requestPlugins(tab) {
-    return loadPlugins(tab).catch(function(err) {
-      console.error(err);
-    });
-  }
-  // Eager plugin loading is triggered by app.js (after window.trx is set up)
-  // via window.loadEagerPlugins().  Dynamic scripts are effectively async, so
-  // loading them before app.js would cause map-core.js to crash when
-  // window.trx is not yet defined.
-  window.loadEagerPlugins = function() {
-    return Promise.all(
-      ['digital-modes', 'map-data', 'bookmarks', 'settings'].map(requestPlugins)
-    );
-  };
-  // Load others on tab switch
-  document.addEventListener('click', function(e) {
-    var tab = e.target.closest('[data-tab]');
-    if (tab) requestPlugins(tab.dataset.tab);
-  });
-  window.loadPluginsForTab = loadPlugins;
-})();
-  </script>
   <!-- Template cloning is handled by navigateToTab() in app.js -->
 </body>
 </html>
diff --git a/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/frontend/build.mjs b/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/frontend/build.mjs
index 0cb620bb..53e313bd 100644
--- a/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/frontend/build.mjs
+++ b/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/frontend/build.mjs
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ await build({
     app: path.join(sourceDir, "app.js"),
     "ui-core": path.join(sourceDir, "ui-core.ts"),
     "map-core": path.join(sourceDir, "map-core.js"),
+    "plugin-loader": path.join(sourceDir, "plugin-loader.ts"),
     screenshot: path.join(sourceDir, "screenshot.ts"),
     "webgl-renderer": path.join(sourceDir, "webgl-renderer.ts"),
     ais: path.join(sourceDir, "plugins", "ais.js"),
diff --git a/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/frontend/src/plugin-loader.ts b/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/frontend/src/plugin-loader.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cdf6c769
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/frontend/src/plugin-loader.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2026 Stan Grams <sjg@haxx.space>
+//
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later
+
+type PluginGroup = "digital-modes" | "map-data" | "map" | "statistics" | "bookmarks" | "recorder" | "settings";
+
+const pluginGroups: Readonly<Record<PluginGroup, readonly string[]>> = {
+  "digital-modes": ["/ft8.js", "/ft4.js", "/ft2.js", "/wspr.js", "/cw.js", "/background-decode.js", "/sat.js", "/wefax.js"],
+  "map-data": ["/map-core.js", "/ais.js", "/vdes.js", "/aprs.js", "/hf-aprs.js"],
+  map: ["/map-core.js", "/ais.js", "/vdes.js", "/aprs.js", "/hf-aprs.js", "/sat.js", "/sat-scheduler.js"],
+  statistics: ["/map-core.js"],
+  bookmarks: ["/bookmarks.js"],
+  recorder: [],
+  settings: ["/vchan.js", "/scheduler.js"],
+};
+
+const loaded = new Set<string>();
+const loading = new Map<string, Promise<void>>();
+const modulePlugins = new Set(["/ft8.js", "/ft4.js", "/ft2.js", "/wspr.js", "/cw.js"]);
+
+function loadLegacyScript(path: string): Promise<void> {
+  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    const script = document.createElement("script");
+    script.src = path;
+    script.addEventListener("load", () => { resolve(); }, { once: true });
+    script.addEventListener("error", () => { reject(new Error(`Failed to load plugin script: ${path}`)); }, { once: true });
+    document.body.appendChild(script);
+  });
+}
+
+async function loadPlugin(path: string): Promise<void> {
+  if (loaded.has(path)) return;
+  const pending = loading.get(path);
+  if (pending) return pending;
+  const request = (modulePlugins.has(path) ? import(path).then(() => undefined) : loadLegacyScript(path)).then(() => {
+    loaded.add(path);
+    loading.delete(path);
+  }).catch((error: unknown) => {
+    loading.delete(path);
+    throw new Error(`Failed to load plugin module: ${path}`, { cause: error });
+  });
+  loading.set(path, request);
+  return request;
+}
+
+async function loadPlugins(group: string): Promise<void> {
+  if (!(group in pluginGroups)) return;
+  for (const path of pluginGroups[group as PluginGroup]) await loadPlugin(path);
+}
+
+function requestPlugins(group: string): void {
+  void loadPlugins(group).catch((error: unknown) => { console.error(error); });
+}
+
+const loaderWindow = window as typeof window & {
+  loadEagerPlugins?: () => Promise<void>;
+  loadPluginsForTab?: (tab: string) => Promise<void>;
+};
+loaderWindow.loadEagerPlugins = async () => {
+  await Promise.all(["digital-modes", "map-data", "bookmarks", "settings"].map(loadPlugins));
+};
+loaderWindow.loadPluginsForTab = loadPlugins;
+
+document.addEventListener("click", (event) => {
+  if (!(event.target instanceof Element)) return;
+  const tab = event.target.closest<HTMLElement>("[data-tab]")?.dataset.tab;
+  if (tab) requestPlugins(tab);
+});
diff --git a/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/frontend/tests/smoke.test.mjs b/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/frontend/tests/smoke.test.mjs
index 6fa1f158..3d02b278 100644
--- a/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/frontend/tests/smoke.test.mjs
+++ b/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/frontend/tests/smoke.test.mjs
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ const indexPath = new URL("../../assets/web/index.html", import.meta.url);
 test("index loads the shared UI before the application", async () => {
   const html = await readFile(indexPath, "utf8");
   assert.ok(html.indexOf("/ui-core.js") < html.indexOf("/app.js"));
+  assert.ok(html.indexOf("/plugin-loader.js") < html.indexOf("/app.js"));
+  assert.equal(html.includes("var pluginScripts"), false);
 });
 
 test("startup has no remote script or stylesheet dependencies", async () => {
diff --git a/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/src/api/assets.rs b/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/src/api/assets.rs
index bbd67c9a..2632276c 100644
--- a/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/src/api/assets.rs
+++ b/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/src/api/assets.rs
@@ -31,6 +31,11 @@ define_gz_cache!(gz_themes_css, status::THEMES_CSS, "themes.css");
 define_gz_cache!(gz_app_js, status::APP_JS, "app.js");
 define_gz_cache!(gz_ui_core_js, status::UI_CORE_JS, "ui-core.js");
 define_gz_cache!(gz_map_core_js, status::MAP_CORE_JS, "map-core.js");
+define_gz_cache!(
+    gz_plugin_loader_js,
+    status::PLUGIN_LOADER_JS,
+    "plugin-loader.js"
+);
 define_gz_cache!(gz_screenshot_js, status::SCREENSHOT_JS, "screenshot.js");
 define_gz_cache!(
     gz_decode_history_worker_js,
@@ -193,6 +198,12 @@ pub(crate) async fn map_core_js(req: HttpRequest) -> impl Responder {
     static_asset_response(&req, "application/javascript; charset=utf-8", c)
 }
 
+#[get("/plugin-loader.js")]
+pub(crate) async fn plugin_loader_js(req: HttpRequest) -> impl Responder {
+    let c = gz_plugin_loader_js();
+    static_asset_response(&req, "application/javascript; charset=utf-8", c)
+}
+
 #[get("/screenshot.js")]
 pub(crate) async fn screenshot_js(req: HttpRequest) -> impl Responder {
     let c = gz_screenshot_js();
diff --git a/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/src/api/mod.rs b/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/src/api/mod.rs
index 81019b68..9c92f34b 100644
--- a/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/src/api/mod.rs
+++ b/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/src/api/mod.rs
@@ -645,6 +645,7 @@ pub fn configure(cfg: &mut web::ServiceConfig) {
         .service(assets::app_js)
         .service(assets::ui_core_js)
         .service(assets::map_core_js)
+        .service(assets::plugin_loader_js)
         .service(assets::screenshot_js)
         .service(assets::decode_history_worker_js)
         .service(assets::webgl_renderer_js)
diff --git a/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/src/status.rs b/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/src/status.rs
index adbf1db6..ed88a73d 100644
--- a/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/src/status.rs
+++ b/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/src/status.rs
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ pub const THEMES_CSS: &str = include_str!("../assets/web/themes.css");
 pub const APP_JS: &str = include_str!("../assets/web/generated/app.js");
 pub const UI_CORE_JS: &str = include_str!("../assets/web/generated/ui-core.js");
 pub const MAP_CORE_JS: &str = include_str!("../assets/web/generated/map-core.js");
+pub const PLUGIN_LOADER_JS: &str = include_str!("../assets/web/generated/plugin-loader.js");
 pub const SCREENSHOT_JS: &str = include_str!("../assets/web/generated/screenshot.js");
 pub const DECODE_HISTORY_WORKER_JS: &str =
     include_str!("../assets/web/generated/decode-history-worker.js");
@@ -88,7 +89,12 @@ mod tests {
             ui_core < app,
             "UI primitives must load before application code"
         );
-        assert!(UI_CORE_JS.contains("window.trxUi"));
+        assert!(UI_CORE_JS.contains("trxUi"));
+        let plugin_loader = html
+            .find("/plugin-loader.js")
+            .expect("typed plugin loader is loaded");
+        assert!(plugin_loader < app, "plugin registry must load before app");
+        assert!(PLUGIN_LOADER_JS.contains("import(path)"));
         assert!(html.contains("<summary>Scheduler controls</summary>"));
         assert!(html.contains("<summary>Audio controls</summary>"));
     }