diff --git a/plugins/optimization-detective/detect-loader.js b/plugins/optimization-detective/detect-loader.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..47b714786d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/optimization-detective/detect-loader.js
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+/**
+ * Loads the detect logic after the page has loaded to prevent a high-priority script module network request from competing with other critical resources.
+ *
+ * This JavaScript file must be contain a single top-level function which is not exported. The file is inlined as part of another module which wraps the module in an IIFE.
+ *
+ * @param {string} detectSrc
+ * @param {Object} detectArgs
+ */
+// eslint-disable-next-line no-unused-vars
+async function load( detectSrc, detectArgs ) {
+	const doc = document;
+	const win = window;
+
+	// Ensure the DOM is loaded (although it surely already is since we're executing in a module).
+	await new Promise( ( resolve ) => {
+		if ( doc.readyState !== 'loading' ) {
+			resolve();
+		} else {
+			doc.addEventListener( 'DOMContentLoaded', resolve, { once: true } );
+		}
+	} );
+
+	// Wait until the resources on the page have fully loaded.
+	await new Promise( ( resolve ) => {
+		if ( doc.readyState === 'complete' ) {
+			resolve();
+		} else {
+			win.addEventListener( 'load', resolve, { once: true } );
+		}
+	} );
+
+	// Wait yet further until idle.
+	if ( typeof requestIdleCallback === 'function' ) {
+		await new Promise( ( resolve ) => {
+			requestIdleCallback( resolve );
+		} );
+	}
+
+	const { default: detect } = await import( detectSrc );
+	await detect( detectArgs );
+}
diff --git a/plugins/optimization-detective/detect.js b/plugins/optimization-detective/detect.js
index c38c9efacd..e3477c90ec 100644
--- a/plugins/optimization-detective/detect.js
+++ b/plugins/optimization-detective/detect.js
@@ -635,31 +635,6 @@ export default async function detect( {
 		return;
 	}
 
-	// Ensure the DOM is loaded (although it surely already is since we're executing in a module).
-	await new Promise( ( resolve ) => {
-		if ( doc.readyState !== 'loading' ) {
-			resolve();
-		} else {
-			doc.addEventListener( 'DOMContentLoaded', resolve, { once: true } );
-		}
-	} );
-
-	// Wait until the resources on the page have fully loaded.
-	await new Promise( ( resolve ) => {
-		if ( doc.readyState === 'complete' ) {
-			resolve();
-		} else {
-			win.addEventListener( 'load', resolve, { once: true } );
-		}
-	} );
-
-	// Wait yet further until idle.
-	if ( typeof requestIdleCallback === 'function' ) {
-		await new Promise( ( resolve ) => {
-			requestIdleCallback( resolve );
-		} );
-	}
-
 	// TODO: Does this make sense here? Should it be moved up above the isViewportNeeded condition?
 	// As an alternative to this, the od_print_detection_script() function can short-circuit if the
 	// od_is_url_metric_storage_locked() function returns true. However, the downside with that is page caching could
diff --git a/plugins/optimization-detective/detection.php b/plugins/optimization-detective/detection.php
index efad149448..8fb4e7d48f 100644
--- a/plugins/optimization-detective/detection.php
+++ b/plugins/optimization-detective/detection.php
@@ -151,7 +151,8 @@ static function ( OD_URL_Metric_Group $group ): array {
 
 	return wp_get_inline_script_tag(
 		sprintf(
-			'import detect from %s; detect( %s );',
+			'( %s )( %s, %s );',
+			file_get_contents( __DIR__ . '/' . od_get_asset_path( 'detect-loader.js' ) ), // phpcs:ignore WordPress.WP.AlternativeFunctions.file_get_contents_file_get_contents -- It's a local filesystem path not a remote request.
 			wp_json_encode( plugins_url( add_query_arg( 'ver', OPTIMIZATION_DETECTIVE_VERSION, od_get_asset_path( 'detect.js' ) ), __FILE__ ) ),
 			wp_json_encode( $detect_args )
 		),
diff --git a/webpack.config.js b/webpack.config.js
index ddcf1f1a72..4b273521fa 100644
--- a/webpack.config.js
+++ b/webpack.config.js
@@ -214,6 +214,10 @@ const optimizationDetective = ( env ) => {
 							cache: false,
 						},
 					},
+					{
+						from: `${ destination }/detect-loader.js`,
+						to: `${ destination }/detect-loader.min.js`,
+					},
 					{
 						from: `${ destination }/detect.js`,
 						to: `${ destination }/detect.min.js`,