diff --git a/tractor/devx/_frame_stack.py b/tractor/devx/_frame_stack.py
index 9c722def..cf067a5a 100644
--- a/tractor/devx/_frame_stack.py
+++ b/tractor/devx/_frame_stack.py
@@ -39,14 +39,15 @@ from typing import (
     Type,
 )
 
-import pdbp
+# NOTE, `pdbp` + `wrapt` are lazy-imported at their
+# single use-sites below to keep them off the eager
+# `import tractor` path (gh #470).
 from tractor.log import get_logger
 import trio
 from tractor.msg import (
     pretty_struct,
     NamespacePath,
 )
-import wrapt
 
 
 log = get_logger()
@@ -257,6 +258,7 @@ def api_frame(
     caller_frames_up: int = 1,
 
 ) -> Callable:
+    import wrapt
 
     # handle the decorator called WITHOUT () case,
     # i.e. just @api_frame, NOT @api_frame(extra=<blah>)
@@ -320,6 +322,8 @@ def hide_runtime_frames() -> dict[FunctionType, CodeType]:
     as possible, particularly from inside a `PdbREPL`.
 
     '''
+    import pdbp
+
     # XXX HACKZONE XXX
     #  hide exit stack frames on nurseries and cancel-scopes!
     # |_ so avoid seeing it when the `pdbp` REPL is first engaged from
diff --git a/tractor/discovery/_addr.py b/tractor/discovery/_addr.py
index 2697c5c9..ba473b69 100644
--- a/tractor/discovery/_addr.py
+++ b/tractor/discovery/_addr.py
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ from typing import (
     TYPE_CHECKING,
 )
 
-from bidict import bidict
 from trio import (
     SocketListener,
 )
@@ -35,6 +34,9 @@ from ..ipc._tcp import TCPAddress
 from ..ipc._uds import UDSAddress
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    # ONLY type-annots, the eager import costs ~4.5ms
+    # of `import tractor` wall-time (gh #470).
+    from bidict import bidict
     from ..runtime._runtime import Actor
 
 log = get_logger()
diff --git a/tractor/discovery/_multiaddr.py b/tractor/discovery/_multiaddr.py
index 74076fd4..3b7b79f6 100644
--- a/tractor/discovery/_multiaddr.py
+++ b/tractor/discovery/_multiaddr.py
@@ -24,13 +24,16 @@ Multiaddress support using the upstream `py-multiaddr` lib
 - https://github.com/multiformats/multiaddr/blob/master/protocols/unix.md
 
 '''
+from __future__ import annotations
 import ipaddress
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
 
-from multiaddr import Multiaddr
-
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    # NOTE, `multiaddr` is lazy-imported at first use
+    # (in the fns below) to keep it off the eager
+    # `import tractor` path (gh #470).
+    from multiaddr import Multiaddr
     from tractor.discovery._addr import Address
 
 # map from tractor-internal `proto_key` identifiers
@@ -56,6 +59,8 @@ def mk_maddr(
     multiaddr-spec-compliant protocol path.
 
     '''
+    from multiaddr import Multiaddr
+
     proto_key: str = addr.proto_key
     maddr_proto: str|None = _tpt_proto_to_maddr.get(proto_key)
     if maddr_proto is None:
@@ -98,6 +103,7 @@ def parse_maddr(
 
     '''
     # lazy imports to avoid circular deps
+    from multiaddr import Multiaddr
     from tractor.ipc._tcp import TCPAddress
     from tractor.ipc._uds import UDSAddress
 
diff --git a/tractor/ipc/_tcp.py b/tractor/ipc/_tcp.py
index 293ae4be..75519f3b 100644
--- a/tractor/ipc/_tcp.py
+++ b/tractor/ipc/_tcp.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 import ipaddress
 from typing import (
     ClassVar,
+    TYPE_CHECKING,
 )
 # from contextlib import (
 #     asynccontextmanager as acm,
@@ -33,7 +34,6 @@ from trio import (
     open_tcp_listeners,
 )
 
-from multiaddr import Multiaddr
 from tractor.msg import MsgCodec
 from tractor.log import get_logger
 from tractor.discovery._multiaddr import mk_maddr
@@ -42,6 +42,11 @@ from tractor.ipc._transport import (
     MsgpackTransport,
 )
 
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    # ONLY type-annots, the eager import costs
+    # `import tractor` wall-time (gh #470).
+    from multiaddr import Multiaddr
+
 
 log = get_logger()
 
diff --git a/tractor/ipc/_uds.py b/tractor/ipc/_uds.py
index d1e9d2f6..ca9eaca7 100644
--- a/tractor/ipc/_uds.py
+++ b/tractor/ipc/_uds.py
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@ from trio._highlevel_open_unix_stream import (
     has_unix,
 )
 
-from multiaddr import Multiaddr
 from tractor.msg import MsgCodec
 from tractor.log import get_logger
 from tractor.discovery._multiaddr import mk_maddr
@@ -63,6 +62,9 @@ from tractor.runtime._state import (
 )
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    # ONLY type-annots, the eager import costs
+    # `import tractor` wall-time (gh #470).
+    from multiaddr import Multiaddr
     from tractor.runtime._runtime import Actor
 
 
diff --git a/tractor/log.py b/tractor/log.py
index 53253f83..de07a7bd 100644
--- a/tractor/log.py
+++ b/tractor/log.py
@@ -39,7 +39,10 @@ from types import (
 )
 import warnings
 
-import colorlog  # type: ignore
+# NOTE, `colorlog` is lazy-imported in
+# `get_console_log()` to keep it off the eager
+# `import tractor` path (gh #470).
+#
 # ?TODO, some other (modern) alt libs?
 # import coloredlogs
 # import colored_traceback.auto  # ?TODO, need better config?
@@ -797,6 +800,10 @@ def get_console_log(
             None,
         )
     ):
+        # lazy-imported to keep it off the eager
+        # `import tractor` path (gh #470).
+        import colorlog  # type: ignore
+
         fmt: str = LOG_FORMAT  # always apply our format?
         handler = StreamHandler()
         formatter = colorlog.ColoredFormatter(
diff --git a/tractor/runtime/_state.py b/tractor/runtime/_state.py
index 0d9a4435..0020fd8d 100644
--- a/tractor/runtime/_state.py
+++ b/tractor/runtime/_state.py
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ from typing import (
     TYPE_CHECKING,
 )
 
-import platformdirs
 from trio.lowlevel import current_task
 
 from msgspec import (
@@ -332,6 +331,10 @@ def get_rt_dir(
     the lovely `platformdirs` lib.
 
     '''
+    # lazy-imported to keep it off the eager
+    # `import tractor` path (gh #470).
+    import platformdirs
+
     rt_dir: Path = Path(
         platformdirs.user_runtime_dir(
             appname=appname,