diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 2b466965..8aa6a34c 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@
         "browser-encrypt-attachment": "0.3.0",
         "chroma-js": "3.1.2",
         "classnames": "2.3.2",
-        "dateformat": "5.0.3",
         "dayjs": "1.11.10",
         "domhandler": "5.0.3",
         "emojibase": "15.3.1",
@@ -116,7 +115,7 @@
         "wait-on": "9.0.10"
       },
       "engines": {
-        "node": ">=22.0.0"
+        "node": ">=22.12.0"
       }
     },
     "node_modules/@ampproject/remapping": {
@@ -8266,14 +8265,6 @@
         "url": "https://github.com/sponsors/ljharb"
       }
     },
-    "node_modules/dateformat": {
-      "version": "5.0.3",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/dateformat/-/dateformat-5.0.3.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-Kvr6HmPXUMerlLcLF+Pwq3K7apHpYmGDVqrxcDasBg86UcKeTSNWbEzU8bwdXnxnR44FtMhJAxI4Bov6Y/KUfA==",
-      "engines": {
-        "node": ">=12.20"
-      }
-    },
     "node_modules/dayjs": {
       "version": "1.11.10",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/dayjs/-/dayjs-1.11.10.tgz",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index a73f08a9..7d7d3552 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -76,7 +76,6 @@
     "browser-encrypt-attachment": "0.3.0",
     "chroma-js": "3.1.2",
     "classnames": "2.3.2",
-    "dateformat": "5.0.3",
     "dayjs": "1.11.10",
     "domhandler": "5.0.3",
     "emojibase": "15.3.1",
diff --git a/src/app/components/editor/autocomplete/EmoticonAutocomplete.tsx b/src/app/components/editor/autocomplete/EmoticonAutocomplete.tsx
index d358ff7d..a2387eb8 100644
--- a/src/app/components/editor/autocomplete/EmoticonAutocomplete.tsx
+++ b/src/app/components/editor/autocomplete/EmoticonAutocomplete.tsx
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@ import { onTabPress } from '../../../utils/keyboard';
 import { createEmoticonElement, moveCursor, replaceWithElement } from '../utils';
 import { useRecentEmoji } from '../../../hooks/useRecentEmoji';
 import { useRelevantImagePacks } from '../../../hooks/useImagePacks';
-import { IEmoji, emojis } from '../../../plugins/emoji';
+import { IEmoji } from '../../../plugins/emoji';
+import { emojis } from '../../../plugins/emoji-data';
 import { useKeyDown } from '../../../hooks/useKeyDown';
 import { mxcUrlToHttp } from '../../../utils/matrix';
 import { useMediaAuthentication } from '../../../hooks/useMediaAuthentication';
diff --git a/src/app/components/emoji-board/EmojiBoard.tsx b/src/app/components/emoji-board/EmojiBoard.tsx
index d5a76c71..be10a212 100644
--- a/src/app/components/emoji-board/EmojiBoard.tsx
+++ b/src/app/components/emoji-board/EmojiBoard.tsx
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@ import { isKeyHotkey } from 'is-hotkey';
 import { Room } from 'matrix-js-sdk';
 import { atom, PrimitiveAtom, useAtom, useSetAtom } from 'jotai';
 import { useVirtualizer } from '@tanstack/react-virtual';
-import { IEmoji, emojiGroups, emojis } from '../../plugins/emoji';
+import { IEmoji } from '../../plugins/emoji';
+import { emojiGroups, emojis } from '../../plugins/emoji-data';
 import { useEmojiGroupLabels } from './useEmojiGroupLabels';
 import { useEmojiGroupIcons } from './useEmojiGroupIcons';
 import { preventScrollWithArrowKey, stopPropagation } from '../../utils/keyboard';
diff --git a/src/app/components/mobile-tabs-pager/MobileTabsLayout.tsx b/src/app/components/mobile-tabs-pager/MobileTabsLayout.tsx
index 5f1cfcb5..d7ed9ccc 100644
--- a/src/app/components/mobile-tabs-pager/MobileTabsLayout.tsx
+++ b/src/app/components/mobile-tabs-pager/MobileTabsLayout.tsx
@@ -1,9 +1,17 @@
-import React from 'react';
+import React, { Suspense } from 'react';
 import { Outlet, useMatch } from 'react-router-dom';
 import { ScreenSize, useScreenSizeContext } from '../../hooks/useScreenSize';
 import { isNativePlatform } from '../../utils/capacitor';
 import { BOTS_PATH, CHANNELS_PATH, CHANNELS_SPACE_PATH, DIRECT_PATH } from '../../pages/paths';
-import { MobileTabsPager } from './MobileTabsPager';
+
+// MobileTabsPager is the ONLY static importer of the Channels and Bots feature
+// modules. It renders only on `mobile && native` (below), so lazy-loading it
+// here removes the static edge that otherwise pinned Channels + Bots into the
+// boot bundle for every target. On native the chunk streams from the local APK
+// filesystem (no network), so a null Suspense fallback is imperceptible.
+const MobileTabsPager = React.lazy(() =>
+  import('./MobileTabsPager').then((m) => ({ default: m.MobileTabsPager }))
+);
 
 // Router-level wrapper around the three listing tabs (/direct/,
 // /channels/, /bots/). When all of (mobile breakpoint, Capacitor
@@ -44,5 +52,9 @@ export function MobileTabsLayout() {
   if (!(mobile && native) || !onListingRoot) {
     return <Outlet />;
   }
-  return <MobileTabsPager />;
+  return (
+    <Suspense fallback={null}>
+      <MobileTabsPager />
+    </Suspense>
+  );
 }
diff --git a/src/app/components/uia-stages/ReCaptchaStage.tsx b/src/app/components/uia-stages/ReCaptchaStage.tsx
index 68b3fcf4..78dcc98f 100644
--- a/src/app/components/uia-stages/ReCaptchaStage.tsx
+++ b/src/app/components/uia-stages/ReCaptchaStage.tsx
@@ -1,9 +1,13 @@
-import React from 'react';
+import React, { Suspense } from 'react';
 import { Dialog, Text, Box, Button, config } from 'folds';
 import { AuthType } from 'matrix-js-sdk';
-import ReCAPTCHA from 'react-google-recaptcha';
 import { StageComponentProps } from './types';
 
+// react-google-recaptcha (+ its grecaptcha loader) is only ever rendered in
+// the registration UIA captcha stage — a cold, rare path. Lazy-loading it
+// keeps it out of the boot bundle.
+const ReCAPTCHA = React.lazy(() => import('react-google-recaptcha'));
+
 function ReCaptchaErrorDialog({
   title,
   message,
@@ -57,7 +61,9 @@ export function ReCaptchaStageDialog({ stageData, submitAuthDict, onCancel }: St
     <Dialog>
       <Box style={{ padding: config.space.S400 }} direction="Column" gap="400">
         <Text>Please check the box below to proceed.</Text>
-        <ReCAPTCHA sitekey={publicKey} onChange={handleChange} />
+        <Suspense fallback={<Text size="T200">Loading…</Text>}>
+          <ReCAPTCHA sitekey={publicKey} onChange={handleChange} />
+        </Suspense>
       </Box>
     </Dialog>
   );
diff --git a/src/app/features/common-settings/permissions/PowersEditor.tsx b/src/app/features/common-settings/permissions/PowersEditor.tsx
index c94a0f7b..c3fc3c7b 100644
--- a/src/app/features/common-settings/permissions/PowersEditor.tsx
+++ b/src/app/features/common-settings/permissions/PowersEditor.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,11 @@
-import React, { FormEventHandler, MouseEventHandler, useCallback, useMemo, useState } from 'react';
+import React, {
+  FormEventHandler,
+  MouseEventHandler,
+  Suspense,
+  useCallback,
+  useMemo,
+  useState,
+} from 'react';
 import {
   Box,
   Text,
@@ -37,7 +44,6 @@ import { useRoom } from '../../../hooks/useRoom';
 import { HexColorPickerPopOut } from '../../../components/HexColorPickerPopOut';
 import { PowerColorBadge, PowerIcon } from '../../../components/power';
 import { UseStateProvider } from '../../../components/UseStateProvider';
-import { EmojiBoard } from '../../../components/emoji-board';
 import { useImagePackRooms } from '../../../hooks/useImagePackRooms';
 import { roomToParentsAtom } from '../../../state/room/roomToParents';
 import { useMediaAuthentication } from '../../../hooks/useMediaAuthentication';
@@ -52,6 +58,17 @@ import { BetaNoticeBadge } from '../../../components/BetaNoticeBadge';
 import { getPowerTagIconSrc } from '../../../hooks/useMemberPowerTag';
 import { creatorsSupported } from '../../../utils/matrix';
 
+// Lazy-loaded: EmojiBoard pulls the heavy emoji picker dataset (`emoji-data`,
+// ~506 KB compact.json). PowersEditor is reachable from the boot graph
+// (RoomSettingsRenderer / SpaceSettingsRenderer are mounted at the app root),
+// so a static import here would drag `emoji-data` into the initial bundle. The
+// board only mounts inside the PopOut below when the user opens the icon
+// picker, so deferring it keeps `emoji-data` off boot (the chat composer's own
+// static EmojiBoard import keeps the chunk in the lazy Room bundle).
+const EmojiBoard = React.lazy(() =>
+  import('../../../components/emoji-board').then((m) => ({ default: m.EmojiBoard }))
+);
+
 type EditPowerProps = {
   maxPower: number;
   power?: number;
@@ -208,23 +225,25 @@ function EditPower({ maxPower, power, tag, onSave, onClose }: EditPowerProps) {
                       position="Bottom"
                       anchor={cords}
                       content={
-                        <EmojiBoard
-                          imagePackRooms={imagePackRooms}
-                          returnFocusOnDeactivate={false}
-                          allowTextCustomEmoji={false}
-                          addToRecentEmoji={false}
-                          onEmojiSelect={(key) => {
-                            setTagIcon({ key });
-                            setCords(undefined);
-                          }}
-                          onCustomEmojiSelect={(mxc) => {
-                            setTagIcon({ key: mxc });
-                            setCords(undefined);
-                          }}
-                          requestClose={() => {
-                            setCords(undefined);
-                          }}
-                        />
+                        <Suspense fallback={null}>
+                          <EmojiBoard
+                            imagePackRooms={imagePackRooms}
+                            returnFocusOnDeactivate={false}
+                            allowTextCustomEmoji={false}
+                            addToRecentEmoji={false}
+                            onEmojiSelect={(key) => {
+                              setTagIcon({ key });
+                              setCords(undefined);
+                            }}
+                            onCustomEmojiSelect={(mxc) => {
+                              setTagIcon({ key: mxc });
+                              setCords(undefined);
+                            }}
+                            requestClose={() => {
+                              setCords(undefined);
+                            }}
+                          />
+                        </Suspense>
                       }
                     >
                       <Button
diff --git a/src/app/pages/App.tsx b/src/app/pages/App.tsx
index c02c00ee..21c8f620 100644
--- a/src/app/pages/App.tsx
+++ b/src/app/pages/App.tsx
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ import { Provider as JotaiProvider } from 'jotai';
 import { OverlayContainerProvider, PopOutContainerProvider, TooltipContainerProvider } from 'folds';
 import { RouterProvider } from 'react-router-dom';
 import { QueryClient, QueryClientProvider } from '@tanstack/react-query';
-import { ReactQueryDevtools } from '@tanstack/react-query-devtools';
 
 import { ClientConfigLoader } from '../components/ClientConfigLoader';
 import { ClientConfigProvider } from '../hooks/useClientConfig';
@@ -16,6 +15,15 @@ import { installPushLanguageBridge } from '../utils/pushLanguageBridge';
 
 const queryClient = new QueryClient();
 
+// Dev-only: react-query-devtools must never ship to production. The dynamic
+// import lives in a branch Vite statically eliminates (import.meta.env.DEV →
+// false in prod), so Rollup drops the chunk entirely from the prod bundle.
+const ReactQueryDevtools = import.meta.env.DEV
+  ? React.lazy(() =>
+      import('@tanstack/react-query-devtools').then((m) => ({ default: m.ReactQueryDevtools }))
+    )
+  : null;
+
 function App() {
   const screenSize = useScreenSize();
   useCompositionEndTracking();
@@ -48,7 +56,11 @@ function App() {
                       <JotaiProvider>
                         <RouterProvider router={createRouter(clientConfig, screenSize)} />
                       </JotaiProvider>
-                      <ReactQueryDevtools initialIsOpen={false} />
+                      {ReactQueryDevtools && (
+                        <React.Suspense fallback={null}>
+                          <ReactQueryDevtools initialIsOpen={false} />
+                        </React.Suspense>
+                      )}
                     </QueryClientProvider>
                   </ClientConfigProvider>
                 )}
diff --git a/src/app/pages/Router.tsx b/src/app/pages/Router.tsx
index 27ca2c7b..60c2394d 100644
--- a/src/app/pages/Router.tsx
+++ b/src/app/pages/Router.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-import React from 'react';
+import React, { Suspense } from 'react';
+import { Box, Spinner } from 'folds';
 import {
   Navigate,
   Outlet,
@@ -53,13 +54,9 @@ import { getMxIdServer, isUserId } from '../utils/matrix';
 import { ClientBindAtoms, ClientLayout, ClientRoot } from './client';
 import { HomeRouteRoomProvider } from './client/home';
 import { Direct, DirectCreate, DirectRouteRoomProvider } from './client/direct';
-import { BotExperienceHost, Bots } from './client/bots';
-import { Channels, ChannelsRootNav, ChannelPickPlaceholder } from './client/channels';
+import { ChannelPickPlaceholder } from './client/channels/ChannelPickPlaceholder';
 import { RouteSpaceProvider, Space, SpaceRouteRoomProvider, SpaceSearch } from './client/space';
-import { Explore, FeaturedRooms, PublicRooms } from './client/explore';
 import { setAfterLoginRedirectPath } from './afterLoginRedirectPath';
-import { Room } from '../features/room';
-import { Lobby } from '../features/lobby';
 import { WelcomePage } from './client/WelcomePage';
 import { PageRoot } from '../components/page';
 import { ScreenSize } from '../hooks/useScreenSize';
@@ -73,11 +70,10 @@ import { RoomSettingsRenderer } from '../features/room-settings';
 import { ClientRoomsNotificationPreferences } from './client/ClientRoomsNotificationPreferences';
 import { SpaceSettingsRenderer } from '../features/space-settings';
 import { CreateRoomModalRenderer } from '../features/create-room';
-import { Create } from './client/create';
 import { CreateSpaceModalRenderer } from '../features/create-space';
 import { SearchModalRenderer } from '../features/search';
 import { useShareTargetReceiver } from '../hooks/useShareTargetReceiver';
-import { SettingsScreen } from '../features/settings';
+import { SettingsScreen } from '../features/settings/SettingsScreen';
 import { getFallbackSession } from '../state/sessions';
 import { CallEmbedProvider } from '../components/CallEmbedProvider';
 import { useIncomingRtcNotifications } from '../hooks/useIncomingRtcNotifications';
@@ -129,6 +125,59 @@ function UserLinkRedirect() {
   return <Navigate to={withSearchParam(getDirectCreatePath(), params)} replace />;
 }
 
+// Route-level code-splitting. Each heavy page is loaded on first navigation
+// instead of in the boot bundle — this pulls the timeline (Room), lobby,
+// explore, bots and channels subsystems off first load. Imports point at the
+// concrete source file (not the barrel) so each chunk stays tight.
+// `routeSuspense` wraps every usage so only the content area shows the fallback
+// while the chunk streams in — surrounding nav/chrome stays mounted.
+//
+// NOTE: SettingsScreen is intentionally NOT lazy here. The settings UI
+// (`features/settings/Settings`) is already pulled into the boot graph by
+// `Direct` → `MobileSettingsHorseshoe` (the mobile settings sheet, mounted in
+// the boot listing view), so a Router-level lazy split produces a Rollup
+// "dynamically + statically imported" warning and zero size win. Splitting
+// settings off boot requires lazy-loading `<Settings>` inside its two hosts
+// (MobileSettingsHorseshoe + SettingsScreen) — deferred as a separate change.
+const Room = React.lazy(() => import('../features/room/Room').then((m) => ({ default: m.Room })));
+const Lobby = React.lazy(() =>
+  import('../features/lobby/Lobby').then((m) => ({ default: m.Lobby }))
+);
+const Explore = React.lazy(() =>
+  import('./client/explore/Explore').then((m) => ({ default: m.Explore }))
+);
+const FeaturedRooms = React.lazy(() =>
+  import('./client/explore/Featured').then((m) => ({ default: m.FeaturedRooms }))
+);
+const PublicRooms = React.lazy(() =>
+  import('./client/explore/Server').then((m) => ({ default: m.PublicRooms }))
+);
+const Bots = React.lazy(() => import('./client/bots/Bots').then((m) => ({ default: m.Bots })));
+const BotExperienceHost = React.lazy(() =>
+  import('./client/bots/BotExperienceHost').then((m) => ({ default: m.BotExperienceHost }))
+);
+const Channels = React.lazy(() =>
+  import('./client/channels/Channels').then((m) => ({ default: m.Channels }))
+);
+const ChannelsRootNav = React.lazy(() =>
+  import('./client/channels/Channels').then((m) => ({ default: m.ChannelsRootNav }))
+);
+const Create = React.lazy(() =>
+  import('./client/create/Create').then((m) => ({ default: m.Create }))
+);
+
+function RouteSuspenseFallback() {
+  return (
+    <Box grow="Yes" style={{ height: '100%' }} alignItems="Center" justifyContent="Center">
+      <Spinner variant="Secondary" size="600" />
+    </Box>
+  );
+}
+
+const routeSuspense = (node: React.ReactNode) => (
+  <Suspense fallback={<RouteSuspenseFallback />}>{node}</Suspense>
+);
+
 export const createRouter = (clientConfig: ClientConfig, screenSize: ScreenSize) => {
   const { hashRouter } = clientConfig;
   const mobile = screenSize === ScreenSize.Mobile;
@@ -225,11 +274,7 @@ export const createRouter = (clientConfig: ClientConfig, screenSize: ScreenSize)
           <Route path={_SEARCH_PATH} element={<Navigate to={DIRECT_PATH} replace />} />
           <Route
             path={_ROOM_PATH}
-            element={
-              <HomeRouteRoomProvider>
-                <Room />
-              </HomeRouteRoomProvider>
-            }
+            element={<HomeRouteRoomProvider>{routeSuspense(<Room />)}</HomeRouteRoomProvider>}
           />
         </Route>
         {/* Mobile + Capacitor horizontal swipe pager. The layout-route
@@ -258,11 +303,7 @@ export const createRouter = (clientConfig: ClientConfig, screenSize: ScreenSize)
             <Route path={_CREATE_PATH} element={<DirectCreate />} />
             <Route
               path={_ROOM_PATH}
-              element={
-                <DirectRouteRoomProvider>
-                  <Room />
-                </DirectRouteRoomProvider>
-              }
+              element={<DirectRouteRoomProvider>{routeSuspense(<Room />)}</DirectRouteRoomProvider>}
             />
           </Route>
           {/* Bots reuses StreamHeader segments. /bots/* is reserved before SPACE_PATH so deep URLs don't fall to /:spaceIdOrAlias/. */}
@@ -272,7 +313,7 @@ export const createRouter = (clientConfig: ClientConfig, screenSize: ScreenSize)
               <PageRoot
                 nav={
                   <MobileFriendlyPageNav path={BOTS_PATH}>
-                    <Bots />
+                    {routeSuspense(<Bots />)}
                   </MobileFriendlyPageNav>
                 }
               >
@@ -281,7 +322,7 @@ export const createRouter = (clientConfig: ClientConfig, screenSize: ScreenSize)
             }
           >
             {mobile ? null : <Route index element={<WelcomePage />} />}
-            <Route path=":botId" element={<BotExperienceHost />} />
+            <Route path=":botId" element={routeSuspense(<BotExperienceHost />)} />
           </Route>
           <Route path="/bots/*" element={<Navigate to={BOTS_PATH} replace />} />
           {/* Channels segment. /channels/* is reserved before SPACE_PATH so the
@@ -302,7 +343,7 @@ export const createRouter = (clientConfig: ClientConfig, screenSize: ScreenSize)
                 <PageRoot
                   nav={
                     <MobileFriendlyPageNav path={CHANNELS_PATH}>
-                      <ChannelsRootNav />
+                      {routeSuspense(<ChannelsRootNav />)}
                     </MobileFriendlyPageNav>
                   }
                 >
@@ -317,7 +358,7 @@ export const createRouter = (clientConfig: ClientConfig, screenSize: ScreenSize)
                   <PageRoot
                     nav={
                       <MobileFriendlyPageNav path={CHANNELS_SPACE_PATH}>
-                        <Channels />
+                        {routeSuspense(<Channels />)}
                       </MobileFriendlyPageNav>
                     }
                   >
@@ -329,11 +370,7 @@ export const createRouter = (clientConfig: ClientConfig, screenSize: ScreenSize)
               {mobile ? null : <Route index element={<ChannelPickPlaceholder />} />}
               <Route
                 path={CHANNELS_ROOM_PATH.slice(CHANNELS_SPACE_PATH.length)}
-                element={
-                  <SpaceRouteRoomProvider>
-                    <Room />
-                  </SpaceRouteRoomProvider>
-                }
+                element={<SpaceRouteRoomProvider>{routeSuspense(<Room />)}</SpaceRouteRoomProvider>}
               >
                 {/* Thread drawer URL — same Room element renders, drawer
                     opens by reading `:rootId` via useParams. The
@@ -383,15 +420,11 @@ export const createRouter = (clientConfig: ClientConfig, screenSize: ScreenSize)
               element={<WelcomePage />}
             />
           )}
-          <Route path={_LOBBY_PATH} element={<Lobby />} />
+          <Route path={_LOBBY_PATH} element={routeSuspense(<Lobby />)} />
           <Route path={_SEARCH_PATH} element={<SpaceSearch />} />
           <Route
             path={_ROOM_PATH}
-            element={
-              <SpaceRouteRoomProvider>
-                <Room />
-              </SpaceRouteRoomProvider>
-            }
+            element={<SpaceRouteRoomProvider>{routeSuspense(<Room />)}</SpaceRouteRoomProvider>}
           />
         </Route>
         <Route
@@ -400,7 +433,7 @@ export const createRouter = (clientConfig: ClientConfig, screenSize: ScreenSize)
             <PageRoot
               nav={
                 <MobileFriendlyPageNav path={EXPLORE_PATH}>
-                  <Explore />
+                  {routeSuspense(<Explore />)}
                 </MobileFriendlyPageNav>
               }
             >
@@ -415,10 +448,10 @@ export const createRouter = (clientConfig: ClientConfig, screenSize: ScreenSize)
               element={<WelcomePage />}
             />
           )}
-          <Route path={_FEATURED_PATH} element={<FeaturedRooms />} />
-          <Route path={_SERVER_PATH} element={<PublicRooms />} />
+          <Route path={_FEATURED_PATH} element={routeSuspense(<FeaturedRooms />)} />
+          <Route path={_SERVER_PATH} element={routeSuspense(<PublicRooms />)} />
         </Route>
-        <Route path={CREATE_PATH} element={<Create />} />
+        <Route path={CREATE_PATH} element={routeSuspense(<Create />)} />
         {/* /settings shares the DIRECT_PATH shell — left page-nav stays
             the DM list, the right pane swaps the chat outlet for the
             Settings UI. The horseshoe rounded TL/BL on the right pane
diff --git a/src/app/plugins/emoji-data.ts b/src/app/plugins/emoji-data.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f3b3d726
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/plugins/emoji-data.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+import emojisData from 'emojibase-data/en/compact.json';
+import { EmojiGroupId, IEmoji, IEmojiGroup, getShortcodesFor } from './emoji';
+
+// Heavy emoji dataset (~506 KB raw `compact.json`). Split out of `./emoji` so
+// it is bundled only into the lazy chunks that render the emoji picker /
+// autocomplete (EmojiBoard, EmoticonAutocomplete) and never into the initial
+// app bundle. The module-level processing below runs once on first import of
+// this file.
+export const emojiGroups: IEmojiGroup[] = [
+  {
+    id: EmojiGroupId.People,
+    order: 0,
+    emojis: [],
+  },
+  {
+    id: EmojiGroupId.Nature,
+    order: 1,
+    emojis: [],
+  },
+  {
+    id: EmojiGroupId.Food,
+    order: 2,
+    emojis: [],
+  },
+  {
+    id: EmojiGroupId.Activity,
+    order: 3,
+    emojis: [],
+  },
+  {
+    id: EmojiGroupId.Travel,
+    order: 4,
+    emojis: [],
+  },
+  {
+    id: EmojiGroupId.Object,
+    order: 5,
+    emojis: [],
+  },
+  {
+    id: EmojiGroupId.Symbol,
+    order: 6,
+    emojis: [],
+  },
+  {
+    id: EmojiGroupId.Flag,
+    order: 7,
+    emojis: [],
+  },
+];
+
+export const emojis: IEmoji[] = [];
+
+function addEmojiToGroup(groupIndex: number, emoji: IEmoji) {
+  emojiGroups[groupIndex].emojis.push(emoji);
+}
+
+function getGroupIndex(emoji: IEmoji): number | undefined {
+  if (emoji.group === 0 || emoji.group === 1) return 0;
+  if (emoji.group === 3) return 1;
+  if (emoji.group === 4) return 2;
+  if (emoji.group === 6) return 3;
+  if (emoji.group === 5) return 4;
+  if (emoji.group === 7) return 5;
+  if (emoji.group === 8 || typeof emoji.group === 'undefined') return 6;
+  if (emoji.group === 9) return 7;
+  return undefined;
+}
+
+emojisData.forEach((emoji) => {
+  const myShortCodes = getShortcodesFor(emoji.hexcode);
+  if (!myShortCodes) return;
+  if (Array.isArray(myShortCodes) && myShortCodes.length === 0) return;
+
+  const em: IEmoji = {
+    ...emoji,
+    shortcode: Array.isArray(myShortCodes) ? myShortCodes[0] : myShortCodes,
+    shortcodes: Array.isArray(myShortCodes) ? myShortCodes : emoji.shortcodes,
+  };
+
+  const groupIndex = getGroupIndex(em);
+  if (groupIndex !== undefined) {
+    addEmojiToGroup(groupIndex, em);
+    emojis.push(em);
+  }
+});
diff --git a/src/app/plugins/emoji.ts b/src/app/plugins/emoji.ts
index 2462b7ff..2a75fafb 100644
--- a/src/app/plugins/emoji.ts
+++ b/src/app/plugins/emoji.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,15 @@
 import { CompactEmoji, fromUnicodeToHexcode } from 'emojibase';
-import emojisData from 'emojibase-data/en/compact.json';
 import joypixels from 'emojibase-data/en/shortcodes/joypixels.json';
 import emojibase from 'emojibase-data/en/shortcodes/emojibase.json';
 
+// Light emoji module. Holds the shortcode lookups + types + group enum — the
+// only emoji surface the broadly-imported HTML parser (and thus the boot
+// graph, via RoomNavItem/SpaceTabs → InviteUserPrompt → react-custom-html-parser)
+// actually needs. The heavy `compact.json` dataset (~506 KB) that builds the
+// `emojis` / `emojiGroups` arrays for the picker + autocomplete lives in
+// `./emoji-data` so it only loads inside the lazy Room/Settings chunks instead
+// of the initial bundle. Don't re-import `compact.json` here or the split
+// regresses.
 export type IEmoji = CompactEmoji & {
   shortcode: string;
 };
@@ -33,82 +40,3 @@ export const getShortcodeFor = (hexcode: string): string | undefined => {
 };
 
 export const getHexcodeForEmoji = fromUnicodeToHexcode;
-
-export const emojiGroups: IEmojiGroup[] = [
-  {
-    id: EmojiGroupId.People,
-    order: 0,
-    emojis: [],
-  },
-  {
-    id: EmojiGroupId.Nature,
-    order: 1,
-    emojis: [],
-  },
-  {
-    id: EmojiGroupId.Food,
-    order: 2,
-    emojis: [],
-  },
-  {
-    id: EmojiGroupId.Activity,
-    order: 3,
-    emojis: [],
-  },
-  {
-    id: EmojiGroupId.Travel,
-    order: 4,
-    emojis: [],
-  },
-  {
-    id: EmojiGroupId.Object,
-    order: 5,
-    emojis: [],
-  },
-  {
-    id: EmojiGroupId.Symbol,
-    order: 6,
-    emojis: [],
-  },
-  {
-    id: EmojiGroupId.Flag,
-    order: 7,
-    emojis: [],
-  },
-];
-
-export const emojis: IEmoji[] = [];
-
-function addEmojiToGroup(groupIndex: number, emoji: IEmoji) {
-  emojiGroups[groupIndex].emojis.push(emoji);
-}
-
-function getGroupIndex(emoji: IEmoji): number | undefined {
-  if (emoji.group === 0 || emoji.group === 1) return 0;
-  if (emoji.group === 3) return 1;
-  if (emoji.group === 4) return 2;
-  if (emoji.group === 6) return 3;
-  if (emoji.group === 5) return 4;
-  if (emoji.group === 7) return 5;
-  if (emoji.group === 8 || typeof emoji.group === 'undefined') return 6;
-  if (emoji.group === 9) return 7;
-  return undefined;
-}
-
-emojisData.forEach((emoji) => {
-  const myShortCodes = getShortcodesFor(emoji.hexcode);
-  if (!myShortCodes) return;
-  if (Array.isArray(myShortCodes) && myShortCodes.length === 0) return;
-
-  const em: IEmoji = {
-    ...emoji,
-    shortcode: Array.isArray(myShortCodes) ? myShortCodes[0] : myShortCodes,
-    shortcodes: Array.isArray(myShortCodes) ? myShortCodes : emoji.shortcodes,
-  };
-
-  const groupIndex = getGroupIndex(em);
-  if (groupIndex !== undefined) {
-    addEmojiToGroup(groupIndex, em);
-    emojis.push(em);
-  }
-});
diff --git a/src/app/plugins/recent-emoji.ts b/src/app/plugins/recent-emoji.ts
index 811ed9d5..6fde909b 100644
--- a/src/app/plugins/recent-emoji.ts
+++ b/src/app/plugins/recent-emoji.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { MatrixClient } from 'matrix-js-sdk';
 import { getAccountData } from '../utils/room';
-import { IEmoji, emojis } from './emoji';
+import { IEmoji } from './emoji';
+import { emojis } from './emoji-data';
 import { AccountDataEvent } from '../../types/matrix/accountData';
 
 type EmojiUnicode = string;
diff --git a/vite.config.js b/vite.config.js
index 110dd4f8..972c078f 100644
--- a/vite.config.js
+++ b/vite.config.js
@@ -306,6 +306,64 @@ export default defineConfig({
     copyPublicDir: false,
     rollupOptions: {
       plugins: [inject({ Buffer: ['buffer', 'Buffer'] })],
+      output: {
+        // Conservative vendor splitting: carve only the large, stable,
+        // leaf-ish dependency families out of the single ~1 MB-gzip app
+        // chunk into their own cacheable chunks. The win is cache stability
+        // — an app-code redeploy no longer busts the matrix-js-sdk / slate
+        // bytes for returning users, and the two load in parallel with the
+        // entry. We deliberately do NOT split react / folds / react-aria:
+        // they are boot-critical and tightly coupled, and aggressive vendor
+        // splitting under topLevelAwait + wasm can reorder init and break
+        // shared singletons (element-web likewise avoids hand-rolled vendor
+        // cacheGroups). Heavy *feature* code is code-split via React.lazy in
+        // Router.tsx instead — that's what actually shrinks first load.
+        manualChunks(id) {
+          // Pin the heavy emoji PICKER dataset (~506 KB `compact.json` + the
+          // `emoji-data.ts` module that processes it) to its own chunk so it
+          // stays OFF the initial bundle — only the lazy Room / Settings chunks
+          // import it (on first room open / picker mount). Runs BEFORE the
+          // node_modules guard so the src module is pinned too.
+          if (id.includes('/plugins/emoji-data') || id.includes('emojibase-data/en/compact')) {
+            return 'emoji-data';
+          }
+          // Pin the LIGHT emoji module (shortcode lookups + `getHexcodeForEmoji`)
+          // and its shortcode maps to a SEPARATE chunk. These are genuinely on the
+          // boot path — the HTML parser (react-custom-html-parser, reachable from
+          // RoomNavItem → InviteUserPrompt) statically imports them. Pinning them
+          // here is what KEEPS `emoji-data` off boot: without it Rollup folds the
+          // light module into the `emoji-data` chunk (it's a dependency of
+          // `emoji-data.ts`), and the entry's boot import of the light functions
+          // then drags the 506 KB `compact.json` into the initial load with it.
+          // `.ts` is matched specifically so this never catches `emoji-data.ts`
+          // (already returned above).
+          if (id.includes('/plugins/emoji.ts') || id.includes('emojibase-data/en/shortcodes')) {
+            return 'emoji-shortcodes';
+          }
+          if (!id.includes('node_modules')) return undefined;
+          // Conservative vendor splitting: carve only the large, stable,
+          // leaf-ish dependency families out of the single app chunk into their
+          // own cacheable chunks. The win is cache stability — an app-code
+          // redeploy no longer busts the matrix-js-sdk / slate bytes for
+          // returning users. We deliberately do NOT split react / folds /
+          // react-aria: they are boot-critical and tightly coupled, and
+          // aggressive vendor splitting under topLevelAwait + wasm can reorder
+          // init and break shared singletons (element-web likewise avoids
+          // hand-rolled vendor cacheGroups).
+          if (
+            id.includes('matrix-js-sdk') ||
+            id.includes('@matrix-org/') ||
+            id.includes('matrix-events-sdk') ||
+            id.includes('matrix-widget-api')
+          ) {
+            return 'matrix-sdk';
+          }
+          if (/[\\/]node_modules[\\/](slate|slate-react|slate-dom|slate-history)[\\/]/.test(id)) {
+            return 'editor';
+          }
+          return undefined;
+        },
+      },
     },
   },
 });