diff --git a/.changeset/warm-boats-taste.md b/.changeset/warm-boats-taste.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..b381aecec82d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/warm-boats-taste.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+"@sveltejs/kit": patch
+---
+
+chore: emit env modules to disk
+  
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/cli.js b/packages/kit/src/cli.js
index d5aa39564a92..d3eae6b4fd01 100755
--- a/packages/kit/src/cli.js
+++ b/packages/kit/src/cli.js
@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@ import fs from 'node:fs';
 import process from 'node:process';
 import { parseArgs, styleText } from 'node:util';
 import { extract_svelte_config, load_vite_config } from './core/config/index.js';
-import { resolve_explicit_env_entry } from './core/env.js';
 import { coalesce_to_error } from './utils/error.js';
 import { import_peer } from './utils/import.js';
+import { resolve_env_entry } from './core/env.js';
 
 /** @param {unknown} e */
 function handle_error(e) {
@@ -105,8 +105,8 @@ if (command === 'sync') {
 		const sync = await import('./core/sync/sync.js');
 		sync.all_types(sveltekit_config, vite_config.root);
 
-		const explicit_env_entry = resolve_explicit_env_entry(sveltekit_config);
-		await sync.env(vite, sveltekit_config, explicit_env_entry, vite_config.root, values.mode);
+		const entry = resolve_env_entry(sveltekit_config, vite_config.root);
+		await sync.env(sveltekit_config, entry, vite_config.root, values.mode);
 	} catch (error) {
 		handle_error(error);
 	} finally {
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/core/env.js b/packages/kit/src/core/env.js
index 372a1aeb525d..c70f50502bb7 100644
--- a/packages/kit/src/core/env.js
+++ b/packages/kit/src/core/env.js
@@ -3,13 +3,13 @@
 /** @import { ValidatedConfig } from 'types' */
 import path from 'node:path';
 import * as devalue from 'devalue';
-import { GENERATED_COMMENT } from '../constants.js';
 import { dedent } from './sync/utils.js';
 import { runtime_directory } from './utils.js';
 import { resolve_entry } from '../utils/filesystem.js';
 import { handle_issues, validate } from '../exports/internal/env.js';
 import { get_config_aliases } from '../exports/vite/utils.js';
 import { get_runner } from '../runner.js';
+import { import_peer } from '../utils/import.js';
 
 /**
  * @typedef {'public' | 'private'} EnvType
@@ -17,22 +17,30 @@ import { get_runner } from '../runner.js';
 
 /**
  * @param {ValidatedConfig} config
+ * @param {string} root
  * @returns {string | null}
  */
-export function resolve_explicit_env_entry(config) {
-	return resolve_entry(path.join(config.files.src, 'env')) ?? null;
+export function resolve_env_entry(config, root) {
+	return resolve_entry(path.resolve(root, config.files.src, 'env'));
 }
 
 /**
- * @param {typeof import('vite')} vite
  * @param {ValidatedConfig} kit
  * @param {string | null} file
  * @param {string} root
  * @param {string} mode
- * @returns {Promise<Record<string, EnvVarConfig<any>> | null>}
+ * @returns {Promise<{ variables: Record<string, EnvVarConfig<any>> | null, deps: Set<string> }>}
  */
-export async function load_explicit_env(vite, kit, file, root, mode) {
-	if (!file) return null;
+export async function load_explicit_env(kit, file, root, mode) {
+	/** @type {Set<string>} */
+	const deps = new Set();
+
+	if (!file) {
+		return { variables: null, deps };
+	}
+
+	/** @type {typeof import('vite')} */
+	const vite = await import_peer('vite', root);
 
 	const server = await vite.createServer({
 		configFile: false,
@@ -49,7 +57,15 @@ export async function load_explicit_env(vite, kit, file, root, mode) {
 				{ find: '$app/env', replacement: `${runtime_directory}/app/env` },
 				...get_config_aliases(kit, root)
 			]
-		}
+		},
+		plugins: [
+			{
+				name: 'dependency-scanner',
+				load(id) {
+					deps.add(id);
+				}
+			}
+		]
 	});
 
 	/** @type {Record<string, EnvVarConfig<any>>} */
@@ -92,7 +108,7 @@ export async function load_explicit_env(vite, kit, file, root, mode) {
 		await server.close();
 	}
 
-	return variables;
+	return { variables, deps };
 }
 
 /**
@@ -100,9 +116,8 @@ export async function load_explicit_env(vite, kit, file, root, mode) {
  * @param {Record<string, EnvVarConfig<any> | undefined> | null} variables
  * @param {Record<string, string>} env
  * @param {string | null} entry
- * @param {boolean} is_dev
  */
-export function create_sveltekit_env(variables, env, entry, is_dev) {
+export function create_sveltekit_env(variables, env, entry) {
 	const imports = entry
 		? [
 				`import { variables } from ${JSON.stringify(entry)};`,
@@ -139,7 +154,6 @@ export function create_sveltekit_env(variables, env, entry, is_dev) {
 	handle_issues(issues);
 
 	const blocks = [
-		GENERATED_COMMENT,
 		imports.join('\n'),
 		`const issues = {};`,
 		'export { variables }',
@@ -156,22 +170,29 @@ export function create_sveltekit_env(variables, env, entry, is_dev) {
 			}`
 	];
 
+	return blocks.join('\n\n');
+}
+
+/**
+ * @param {Record<string, EnvVarConfig<any> | undefined> | null} variables
+ * @param {Record<string, string>} env
+ */
+export function create_sveltekit_env_dev(variables, env) {
 	// In dev, initialise the env immediately. Tools like `vite-node` load modules
 	// through the Vite config but don't run the SvelteKit dev server, which is what
 	// normally calls `set_env`. Without this, dynamic env vars imported from
 	// `$app/env/public` and `$app/env/private` would be `undefined` in such contexts.
-	if (is_dev) {
-		/** @type {Record<string, string>} */
-		const dev_env = {};
-		for (const name of Object.keys(variables ?? {})) {
-			if (name in env) dev_env[name] = env[name];
-		}
-		blocks.push(`set_env(${devalue.uneval(dev_env)});`);
+	/** @type {Record<string, string>} */
+	const dev_env = {};
+	for (const name of Object.keys(variables ?? {})) {
+		if (name in env) dev_env[name] = env[name];
 	}
 
-	const module = blocks.join('\n\n');
-
-	return module;
+	return [
+		`import { set_env } from './config.js';`,
+		`set_env(${devalue.uneval(dev_env)});`,
+		`export * from './config.js';`
+	].join('\n\n');
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/core/sync/sync.js b/packages/kit/src/core/sync/sync.js
index 50d3e53a4101..2a089e2a0e76 100644
--- a/packages/kit/src/core/sync/sync.js
+++ b/packages/kit/src/core/sync/sync.js
@@ -102,16 +102,15 @@ export function all_types(config, root) {
 
 /**
  * Generate modules and types for explicit env vars
- * @param {typeof import('vite')} vite
  * @param {import('types').ValidatedConfig} kit
  * @param {string | null} entry
  * @param {string} root The Vite root
  * @param {string} mode The Vite mode
  */
-export async function env(vite, kit, entry, root, mode) {
-	const env_config = await load_explicit_env(vite, kit, entry, root, mode);
+export async function env(kit, entry, root, mode) {
+	const env_config = await load_explicit_env(kit, entry, root, mode);
 
-	write_env(entry, env_config, root);
+	write_env(entry, env_config.variables, root);
 
 	return env_config;
 }
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/exports/vite/index.js b/packages/kit/src/exports/vite/index.js
index 8cd15c9e170d..47a067e51548 100644
--- a/packages/kit/src/exports/vite/index.js
+++ b/packages/kit/src/exports/vite/index.js
@@ -23,15 +23,7 @@ import MagicString from 'magic-string';
 import { copy, read, resolve_entry } from '../../utils/filesystem.js';
 import { posixify } from '../../utils/os.js';
 import { to_fs } from '../../utils/vite.js';
-import {
-	create_sveltekit_env,
-	create_sveltekit_env_public,
-	resolve_explicit_env_entry,
-	create_sveltekit_env_service_worker,
-	create_sveltekit_env_service_worker_dev,
-	create_sveltekit_env_private,
-	create_exported_declarations
-} from '../../core/env.js';
+import { create_exported_declarations } from '../../core/env.js';
 import * as sync from '../../core/sync/sync.js';
 import { load_and_validate_params } from '../../utils/params.js';
 import { runtime_directory, logger } from '../../core/utils.js';
@@ -63,22 +55,14 @@ import {
 	is_page_route
 } from '../../core/sync/create_manifest_data/index.js';
 import { get_import_aliases, get_hash_import_keys } from '../../utils/imports.js';
-import {
-	app_env_private,
-	app_server,
-	sveltekit_env,
-	sveltekit_env_private,
-	sveltekit_env_service_worker,
-	sveltekit_manifest_data,
-	sveltekit_env_public_client,
-	sveltekit_env_public_server
-} from './module_ids.js';
+import { app_env_private, app_server, sveltekit_manifest_data } from './module_ids.js';
 import { import_peer } from '../../utils/import.js';
 import { compact } from '../../utils/array.js';
 import { should_ignore, has_children } from './static_analysis/utils.js';
 import { process_config, split_config, validate_config } from '../../core/config/index.js';
 import { treeshake_prerendered_remotes } from './build/remote.js';
 import { get_runner } from '../../runner.js';
+import { plugin_env_vars } from './plugins/env-vars.js';
 
 /** @type {import('./types.js').EnforcedConfig} */
 const enforced_config = {
@@ -653,9 +637,6 @@ function kit({ svelte_config }) {
 		}
 	};
 
-	/** @type {string | null} */
-	let explicit_env_entry = null;
-
 	/** @type {Record<string, EnvVarConfig<any>> | null} */
 	let explicit_env_config = null;
 
@@ -663,38 +644,6 @@ function kit({ svelte_config }) {
 	const plugin_virtual_modules = {
 		name: 'vite-plugin-sveltekit-virtual-modules',
 
-		async configResolved(config) {
-			explicit_env_entry = resolve_explicit_env_entry(kit);
-			explicit_env_config = await sync.env(vite, kit, explicit_env_entry, config.root, config.mode);
-		},
-
-		configureServer(server) {
-			server.watcher.on('all', async (_, file) => {
-				if (!file.includes('env')) {
-					return;
-				}
-
-				const resolved = resolve_explicit_env_entry(kit);
-
-				if (file === explicit_env_entry || file === resolved) {
-					explicit_env_entry = resolved;
-					explicit_env_config = await sync.env(
-						vite,
-						kit,
-						explicit_env_entry,
-						vite_config.root,
-						vite_config.mode
-					);
-
-					for (const id of [sveltekit_env, sveltekit_env_public_client]) {
-						invalidate_module(server, id);
-					}
-
-					server.hot.send({ type: 'full-reload' });
-				}
-			});
-		},
-
 		applyToEnvironment(environment) {
 			return environment.name !== 'serviceWorker';
 		},
@@ -718,56 +667,12 @@ function kit({ svelte_config }) {
 
 		load: {
 			filter: {
-				id: [
-					exactRegex(sveltekit_env),
-					exactRegex(sveltekit_env_private),
-					exactRegex(sveltekit_env_public_client),
-					exactRegex(sveltekit_env_public_server),
-					exactRegex(sveltekit_env_service_worker),
-					exactRegex(sveltekit_manifest_data)
-				]
+				id: [exactRegex(sveltekit_manifest_data)]
 			},
 			handler(id) {
 				switch (id) {
 					case sveltekit_manifest_data:
 						return create_manifest_data_module(is_build, manifest_data);
-
-					case sveltekit_env:
-						return create_sveltekit_env(explicit_env_config, env, explicit_env_entry, !is_build);
-
-					case sveltekit_env_public_client:
-						return create_sveltekit_env_public(
-							explicit_env_config,
-							env,
-							`import { payload } from ${s(`${runtime_directory}/client/payload.js`)};\nconst env = payload.env;`
-						);
-
-					case sveltekit_env_public_server:
-						return create_sveltekit_env_public(
-							explicit_env_config,
-							env,
-							`import { rendered_env as env } from '__sveltekit/env';`
-						);
-
-					case sveltekit_env_private:
-						return create_sveltekit_env_private(explicit_env_config, env);
-
-					case sveltekit_env_service_worker:
-						return is_build
-							? create_sveltekit_env_service_worker(
-									explicit_env_config,
-									env,
-									kit.version.name,
-									kit_global,
-									kit.paths.base,
-									kit.appDir
-								)
-							: create_sveltekit_env_service_worker_dev(
-									explicit_env_config,
-									env,
-									kit.version.name,
-									kit_global
-								);
 				}
 			}
 		}
@@ -1198,7 +1103,7 @@ function kit({ svelte_config }) {
 
 		resolveId: {
 			filter: {
-				id: prefixRegex('__sveltekit/')
+				id: exactRegex('__sveltekit/manifest-data')
 			},
 			handler(id) {
 				return `\0virtual:${id}`;
@@ -1207,12 +1112,7 @@ function kit({ svelte_config }) {
 
 		load: {
 			filter: {
-				id: [
-					exactRegex('\0virtual:app/manifest'),
-					exactRegex(sveltekit_manifest_data),
-					exactRegex(sveltekit_env_service_worker),
-					exactRegex(sveltekit_env_public_client)
-				]
+				id: [exactRegex('\0virtual:app/manifest'), exactRegex(sveltekit_manifest_data)]
 			},
 			handler(id) {
 				if (!manifest_data_code) {
@@ -1246,32 +1146,6 @@ function kit({ svelte_config }) {
 				if (id === sveltekit_manifest_data) {
 					return manifest_data_code;
 				}
-
-				if (id === sveltekit_env_service_worker) {
-					return is_build
-						? create_sveltekit_env_service_worker(
-								explicit_env_config,
-								env,
-								kit.version.name,
-								kit_global,
-								kit.paths.base,
-								kit.appDir
-							)
-						: create_sveltekit_env_service_worker_dev(
-								explicit_env_config,
-								env,
-								kit.version.name,
-								kit_global
-							);
-				}
-
-				if (id === sveltekit_env_public_client) {
-					return create_sveltekit_env_public(
-						explicit_env_config,
-						env,
-						`const env = ${kit_global}.env;`
-					);
-				}
 			}
 		},
 
@@ -1889,7 +1763,8 @@ function kit({ svelte_config }) {
 					const uses_env_dynamic_public =
 						has_explicit_dynamic_public_env &&
 						client_chunks.some(
-							(chunk) => chunk.type === 'chunk' && chunk.modules[sveltekit_env_public_client]
+							(chunk) =>
+								chunk.type === 'chunk' && chunk.modules[`${out_dir}/generated/env/public/client.js`]
 						);
 
 					if (kit.output.bundleStrategy === 'split') {
@@ -2173,15 +2048,6 @@ function kit({ svelte_config }) {
 
 				fs.mkdirSync(out, { recursive: true });
 
-				explicit_env_entry = resolve_explicit_env_entry(kit);
-				explicit_env_config = await sync.env(
-					vite,
-					kit,
-					explicit_env_entry,
-					vite_config.root,
-					vite_config.mode
-				);
-
 				await load_and_validate_params({
 					routes: manifest_data.routes,
 					params_path: manifest_data.params,
@@ -2244,6 +2110,9 @@ function kit({ svelte_config }) {
 			plugin_setup,
 			plugin_remote_guard,
 			plugin_remote,
+			plugin_env_vars(svelte_config, (vars) => {
+				explicit_env_config = vars;
+			}),
 			plugin_virtual_modules,
 			process.env.TEST !== 'true' ? plugin_guard : undefined,
 			plugin_service_worker,
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/exports/vite/module_ids.js b/packages/kit/src/exports/vite/module_ids.js
index 065df4df902e..a1a07875e4c9 100644
--- a/packages/kit/src/exports/vite/module_ids.js
+++ b/packages/kit/src/exports/vite/module_ids.js
@@ -1,11 +1,6 @@
 import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
 import { posixify } from '../../utils/os.js';
 
-export const sveltekit_env = '\0virtual:__sveltekit/env';
-export const sveltekit_env_public_client = '\0virtual:__sveltekit/env/public/client';
-export const sveltekit_env_public_server = '\0virtual:__sveltekit/env/public/server';
-export const sveltekit_env_private = '\0virtual:__sveltekit/env/private';
-export const sveltekit_env_service_worker = '\0virtual:__sveltekit/env/service-worker';
 export const sveltekit_server = '\0virtual:__sveltekit/server';
 export const service_worker = '\0virtual:service-worker';
 
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/exports/vite/plugins/env-vars.js b/packages/kit/src/exports/vite/plugins/env-vars.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..45bbd6cfcb77
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/kit/src/exports/vite/plugins/env-vars.js
@@ -0,0 +1,215 @@
+/** @import { Plugin, ResolvedConfig } from 'vite' */
+/** @import { EnvVarConfig } from '@sveltejs/kit/env' */
+/** @import { ValidatedConfig } from 'types' */
+import path from 'node:path';
+import * as sync from '../../../core/sync/sync.js';
+import {
+	create_sveltekit_env,
+	create_sveltekit_env_dev,
+	create_sveltekit_env_private,
+	create_sveltekit_env_public,
+	create_sveltekit_env_service_worker,
+	create_sveltekit_env_service_worker_dev,
+	resolve_env_entry
+} from '../../../core/env.js';
+import { import_peer } from '../../../utils/import.js';
+import { runtime_directory } from '../../../core/utils.js';
+import { s } from '../../../utils/misc.js';
+import { write_if_changed } from '../../../core/sync/utils.js';
+import { hash } from '../../../utils/hash.js';
+import { posixify } from '../../../utils/os.js';
+import { prefixRegex } from '@rolldown/pluginutils';
+
+/**
+ * Generate (and, in dev, maintain) a `${outDir}/generated/env/config.js` module
+ * derived from `src/env.ts`
+ *
+ * @param {ValidatedConfig} config
+ * @param {(variables: Record<string, EnvVarConfig<any>> | null) => void} callback
+ * @returns {Plugin}
+ */
+export function plugin_env_vars(config, callback) {
+	// grab these values eagerly because they get mutated (TODO stop mutating them)
+	const dir = config.env.dir;
+	const out = config.outDir;
+
+	const version_hash = hash(config.version.name);
+
+	/** @type {string} */
+	let out_dir;
+
+	/** @type {Record<string, any>} */
+	let env;
+
+	/** @type {ResolvedConfig} */
+	let resolved_config;
+
+	/** @type {string | null} */
+	let resolved_entry = null;
+
+	/** @type {Set<string>} */
+	let deps = new Set();
+
+	let is_build = false;
+
+	/** @type {Promise<void> | undefined} */
+	let generated;
+
+	async function generate() {
+		const synced = await sync.env(
+			config,
+			resolved_entry,
+			resolved_config.root,
+			resolved_config.mode
+		);
+
+		deps = synced.deps;
+
+		const vars = synced.variables;
+		const dir = `${out_dir}/generated/env`;
+
+		write_if_changed(
+			`${dir}/config.js`,
+			create_sveltekit_env(
+				vars,
+				env,
+				resolved_entry && posixify(path.relative(dir, resolved_entry))
+			)
+		);
+
+		write_if_changed(`${dir}/config-dev.js`, create_sveltekit_env_dev(vars, env));
+
+		write_if_changed(
+			`${dir}/public/client.js`,
+			create_sveltekit_env_public(
+				vars,
+				env,
+				`import { payload } from ${s(posixify(path.relative(`${dir}/public`, `${runtime_directory}/client/payload.js`)))};\nconst env = payload.env;`
+			)
+		);
+
+		write_if_changed(
+			`${dir}/public/server.js`,
+			create_sveltekit_env_public(
+				vars,
+				env,
+				`import { rendered_env as env } from '__sveltekit/env';`
+			)
+		);
+
+		write_if_changed(
+			`${dir}/public/service-worker.js`,
+			create_sveltekit_env_public(
+				vars,
+				env,
+				`const env = globalThis.__sveltekit_${version_hash}.env;`
+			)
+		);
+
+		write_if_changed(`${dir}/private/server.js`, create_sveltekit_env_private(vars, env));
+
+		write_if_changed(
+			`${dir}/service-worker-prod.js`,
+			create_sveltekit_env_service_worker(
+				vars,
+				env,
+				config.version.name,
+				`globalThis.__sveltekit_${version_hash}`,
+				config.paths.base,
+				config.appDir
+			)
+		);
+
+		write_if_changed(
+			`${dir}/service-worker-dev.js`,
+			create_sveltekit_env_service_worker_dev(
+				vars,
+				env,
+				config.version.name,
+				'globalThis.__sveltekit_dev'
+			)
+		);
+
+		callback(vars);
+	}
+
+	return {
+		name: 'vite-plugin-sveltekit-env-vars',
+
+		async configResolved(c) {
+			resolved_config = c;
+
+			const vite = await import_peer('vite', c.root);
+			env = vite.loadEnv(c.mode, path.resolve(c.root, dir), '');
+
+			out_dir = posixify(path.resolve(c.root, out));
+
+			is_build = c.command === 'build';
+		},
+
+		async buildStart() {
+			// runs once via the memo — per-process, whichever environment starts first
+			// (environment names vary by adapter), and never in the postbuild forks,
+			// which resolve the config without building
+			await (generated ??= (async () => {
+				resolved_entry = resolve_env_entry(config, resolved_config.root);
+				await generate();
+			})());
+		},
+
+		configureServer(server) {
+			// `handleHotUpdate` only fires for `change` events on files Vite already knows about,
+			// so it doesn't cover the env entry being created or deleted while the dev server is
+			// running. Watch for those events explicitly, re-resolve the entry, regenerate the
+			// modules and trigger a full reload (mirroring the previous behaviour).
+			const on_entry_add_unlink = async (/** @type {string} */ file) => {
+				const resolved = resolve_env_entry(config, resolved_config.root);
+
+				if (file === resolved_entry || file === resolved) {
+					resolved_entry = resolved;
+					await generate();
+					server.hot.send({ type: 'full-reload' });
+				}
+			};
+
+			server.watcher.on('add', on_entry_add_unlink);
+			server.watcher.on('unlink', on_entry_add_unlink);
+		},
+
+		async handleHotUpdate(update) {
+			if (!deps.has(update.file)) return;
+			await generate();
+		},
+
+		resolveId: {
+			filter: {
+				id: prefixRegex('__sveltekit/env')
+			},
+			handler(id) {
+				const dir = `${out_dir}/generated/env`;
+
+				if (id === '__sveltekit/env') {
+					return is_build ? `${dir}/config.js` : `${dir}/config-dev.js`;
+				}
+
+				if (id === '__sveltekit/env/private') {
+					return `${dir}/private/server.js`;
+				}
+
+				if (id === '__sveltekit/env/public/server') {
+					return `${dir}/public/server.js`;
+				}
+
+				if (id === '__sveltekit/env/public/client') {
+					return this.environment.name === 'serviceWorker'
+						? `${dir}/public/service-worker.js`
+						: `${dir}/public/client.js`;
+				}
+
+				if (id === '__sveltekit/env/service-worker') {
+					return is_build ? `${dir}/service-worker-prod.js` : `${dir}/service-worker-dev.js`;
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	};
+}
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/exports/vite/utils.js b/packages/kit/src/exports/vite/utils.js
index a9ddf2279206..81a6960a2676 100644
--- a/packages/kit/src/exports/vite/utils.js
+++ b/packages/kit/src/exports/vite/utils.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import { escape_html } from '../../utils/escape.js';
 import { escape_for_regexp } from '../../utils/regex.js';
 import { stackless } from '../../utils/error.js';
 import { dedent } from '../../core/sync/utils.js';
-import { app_server, app_env_private, sveltekit_env_private } from './module_ids.js';
+import { app_server, app_env_private } from './module_ids.js';
 
 /**
  * Transforms alias to a valid vite.resolve.alias array.
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ export function normalize_id(id, aliases, cwd) {
 		return '$app/server';
 	}
 
-	if (id === app_env_private || id === sveltekit_env_private) {
+	if (id === app_env_private) {
 		return '$app/env/private';
 	}