diff --git a/gitnexus/src/core/group/service.ts b/gitnexus/src/core/group/service.ts
index c18587ce2..f1356dcec 100644
--- a/gitnexus/src/core/group/service.ts
+++ b/gitnexus/src/core/group/service.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,10 @@ import {
   repoInSubgroup,
 } from './group-path-utils.js';
 import { getDefaultGitnexusDir, getGroupDir, listGroups, readContractRegistry } from './storage.js';
-import { syncGroup } from './sync.js';
+// `./sync.js` is imported LAZILY in `groupSync` — see the comment at its call
+// site. It statically pulls the six contract extractors and, through them, the
+// native tree-sitter binding; a static import here puts all of that on MCP
+// server startup, which never syncs.
 import { logger } from '../logger.js';
 import type {
   ContractRegistry,
@@ -338,6 +341,12 @@ export class GroupService {
         return { error: `Group "${name}" not found. Run group_list to see configured groups.` };
       throw err;
     }
+    // Lazy: `sync.js` reaches the six contract extractors and the native
+    // tree-sitter binding. `groupSync` is the ONLY consumer — the other seven
+    // group tools never need it — so deferring it here keeps that closure off
+    // MCP server startup entirely and off every non-sync group call. The CLI
+    // already does exactly this at `cli/group.ts`'s sync command.
+    const { syncGroup } = await import('./sync.js');
     const result = await syncGroup(config, {
       groupDir,
       exactOnly: Boolean(params.exactOnly),