diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index aec3faf..4de7827 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -56,7 +56,5 @@
       ]
     }
   },
-  "dependencies": {
-    "esbuild": "^0.27.4"
-  }
+  "dependencies": {}
 }
diff --git a/packages/vitest-react-native/package.json b/packages/vitest-react-native/package.json
index 003d094..ac4d7d4 100644
--- a/packages/vitest-react-native/package.json
+++ b/packages/vitest-react-native/package.json
@@ -59,13 +59,13 @@
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "@react-native/polyfills": "^2.0.0",
-    "esbuild": "^0.27.4",
     "flow-remove-types": "^2.257.1",
     "pirates": "^4.0.6",
     "regenerator-runtime": "^0.14.1"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@types/node": "^22.10.7",
+    "esbuild": "^0.27.4",
     "typescript": "^5.7.3",
     "vite": "^8.0.3",
     "vitest": "^4.1.2"
diff --git a/packages/vitest-react-native/src/plugin.ts b/packages/vitest-react-native/src/plugin.ts
index b5bb3ae..7ea3595 100644
--- a/packages/vitest-react-native/src/plugin.ts
+++ b/packages/vitest-react-native/src/plugin.ts
@@ -2,12 +2,28 @@ import { resolve, dirname } from 'path';
 import { fileURLToPath } from 'url';
 import { createRequire } from 'module';
 import type { Plugin, UserConfig } from 'vite';
-import * as esbuild from 'esbuild';
 
 const __dirname = dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
 const require = createRequire(import.meta.url);
 const removeTypes = require('flow-remove-types');
 
+// Lazily resolved rolldown transform (ships with Vite 8+)
+type TransformSyncFn = (filename: string, code: string, options?: { lang?: string }) => { code: string };
+let _transformSync: TransformSyncFn | null = null;
+let _transformSyncLoading: Promise<void> | null = null;
+const ensureTransformSync = async (): Promise<void> => {
+  if (_transformSync) return;
+  if (!_transformSyncLoading) {
+    _transformSyncLoading = (async () => {
+      const viteRequire = createRequire(require.resolve('vite'));
+      const rolldownPath = viteRequire.resolve('rolldown/utils');
+      const mod = await import(rolldownPath);
+      _transformSync = mod.transformSync;
+    })();
+  }
+  await _transformSyncLoading;
+};
+
 export interface VitestReactNativePluginOptions {
   /**
    * Additional file extensions to resolve for iOS platform
@@ -55,6 +71,9 @@ export function reactNative(options: VitestReactNativePluginOptions = {}): Plugi
   return {
     name: 'vitest-plugin-react-native',
     enforce: 'pre',
+    async buildStart() {
+      await ensureTransformSync();
+    },
     config(): UserConfig {
       return {
         resolve: {
@@ -107,10 +126,7 @@ export function reactNative(options: VitestReactNativePluginOptions = {}): Plugi
 
       // Strip Flow types then transform JSX
       const flowStripped = removeTypes(code, { all: true }).toString();
-      const result = esbuild.transformSync(flowStripped, {
-        loader: 'jsx',
-        sourcefile: id,
-      });
+      const result = _transformSync!(id, flowStripped, { lang: 'jsx' });
       return { code: result.code, map: null };
     },
   };
diff --git a/packages/vitest-react-native/src/setup.ts b/packages/vitest-react-native/src/setup.ts
index 4d37752..18090c5 100644
--- a/packages/vitest-react-native/src/setup.ts
+++ b/packages/vitest-react-native/src/setup.ts
@@ -101,7 +101,6 @@ g.performance = globalThis.performance || { now: Date.now };
 
 import { addHook } from 'pirates';
 import removeTypes from 'flow-remove-types';
-import * as esbuild from 'esbuild';
 import fs from 'fs';
 import os from 'os';
 import path from 'path';
@@ -109,6 +108,10 @@ import { createRequire } from 'module';
 
 const require = createRequire(import.meta.url);
 
+// Resolve esbuild through vite's dependencies (no direct dependency needed)
+const viteRequire = createRequire(require.resolve('vite'));
+const esbuild = viteRequire('esbuild') as typeof import('esbuild');
+
 // ============================================================================
 // STEP 3: Set up cache directory for transformed files
 // ============================================================================
diff --git a/pnpm-lock.yaml b/pnpm-lock.yaml
index 54c2170..452a314 100644
--- a/pnpm-lock.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-lock.yaml
@@ -7,10 +7,6 @@ settings:
 importers:
 
   .:
-    dependencies:
-      esbuild:
-        specifier: ^0.27.4
-        version: 0.27.4
     devDependencies:
       '@changesets/cli':
         specifier: ^2.29.8
@@ -160,9 +156,6 @@ importers:
       '@react-native/polyfills':
         specifier: ^2.0.0
         version: 2.0.0
-      esbuild:
-        specifier: ^0.27.4
-        version: 0.27.4
       flow-remove-types:
         specifier: ^2.257.1
         version: 2.298.0
@@ -182,6 +175,9 @@ importers:
       '@types/node':
         specifier: ^22.10.7
         version: 22.19.7
+      esbuild:
+        specifier: ^0.27.4
+        version: 0.27.4
       typescript:
         specifier: ^5.7.3
         version: 5.9.3
diff --git a/test/__tests__/JsxTransform.spec.tsx b/test/__tests__/JsxTransform.spec.tsx
index 2508886..c5533e2 100644
--- a/test/__tests__/JsxTransform.spec.tsx
+++ b/test/__tests__/JsxTransform.spec.tsx
@@ -28,6 +28,11 @@ describe('JSX transform for third-party packages (issue #4)', () => {
       transformPackages: ['react-native-modal-datetime-picker'],
     });
 
+    // Initialize rolldown (normally done by Vite via buildStart)
+    if (plugin.buildStart) {
+      await (plugin.buildStart as (...args: any[]) => any).call({});
+    }
+
     const jsxCode = `
       import React from 'react';
       export default function Picker() {
diff --git a/vitest.config.ts b/vitest.config.ts
index 2bf618c..6ebb3fe 100644
--- a/vitest.config.ts
+++ b/vitest.config.ts
@@ -3,11 +3,15 @@ import { defineConfig } from 'vitest/config';
 import { resolve } from 'path';
 import { createRequire } from 'module';
 import type { Plugin } from 'vite';
-import * as esbuild from 'esbuild';
 
 const require = createRequire(import.meta.url);
 const removeTypes = require('flow-remove-types');
 
+// Resolve rolldown through vite's dependencies (pnpm nests it)
+const viteRequire = createRequire(require.resolve('vite'));
+const rolldownPath = viteRequire.resolve('rolldown/utils');
+const { transformSync } = await import(rolldownPath) as { transformSync: (filename: string, code: string, options?: { lang?: string }) => { code: string } };
+
 function reactNativeDependencyTransformPlugin(): Plugin {
   const rnSpecificExts = ['.ios.js', '.ios.jsx', '.android.js', '.android.jsx', '.native.js', '.native.jsx'];
   const transformableExts = ['.js', '.jsx', ...rnSpecificExts];
@@ -36,7 +40,7 @@ function reactNativeDependencyTransformPlugin(): Plugin {
       if (!isRN) return;
 
       const flowStripped = removeTypes(code, { all: true }).toString();
-      const result = esbuild.transformSync(flowStripped, { loader: 'jsx', sourcefile: id });
+      const result = transformSync(id, flowStripped, { lang: 'jsx' });
       return { code: result.code, map: null };
     },
   };