diff --git a/lib/internal/main/check_syntax.js b/lib/internal/main/check_syntax.js
index 1b32a4d569f494..467a740363f772 100644
--- a/lib/internal/main/check_syntax.js
+++ b/lib/internal/main/check_syntax.js
@@ -52,7 +52,8 @@ function loadESMIfNeeded(cb) {
   const hasModulePreImport = getOptionValue('--import').length > 0;
 
   if (hasModulePreImport) {
-    const { loadESM } = require('internal/process/esm_loader');
+    const { loadESM, init } = require('internal/process/esm_loader');
+    init();
     loadESM(cb);
     return;
   }
diff --git a/lib/internal/main/eval_stdin.js b/lib/internal/main/eval_stdin.js
index d947af49a6a942..310cffaaca94e7 100644
--- a/lib/internal/main/eval_stdin.js
+++ b/lib/internal/main/eval_stdin.js
@@ -25,12 +25,15 @@ readStdin((code) => {
 
   const print = getOptionValue('--print');
   const loadESM = getOptionValue('--import').length > 0;
-  if (getOptionValue('--input-type') === 'module')
+  if (getOptionValue('--input-type') === 'module') {
+    require('internal/process/esm_loader').init();
     evalModule(code, print);
-  else
+  } else {
     evalScript('[stdin]',
                code,
                getOptionValue('--inspect-brk'),
                print,
                loadESM);
+    require('internal/process/esm_loader').initIfNeeded();
+  }
 });
diff --git a/lib/internal/main/eval_string.js b/lib/internal/main/eval_string.js
index ec6a2d51af5450..4495f18d0aa75f 100644
--- a/lib/internal/main/eval_string.js
+++ b/lib/internal/main/eval_string.js
@@ -25,9 +25,11 @@ markBootstrapComplete();
 const source = getOptionValue('--eval');
 const print = getOptionValue('--print');
 const loadESM = getOptionValue('--import').length > 0;
-if (getOptionValue('--input-type') === 'module')
+const esmLoader = require('internal/process/esm_loader');
+if (getOptionValue('--input-type') === 'module') {
+  esmLoader.init();
   evalModule(source, print);
-else {
+} else {
   // For backward compatibility, we want the identifier crypto to be the
   // `node:crypto` module rather than WebCrypto.
   const isUsingCryptoIdentifier =
@@ -54,4 +56,5 @@ else {
              getOptionValue('--inspect-brk'),
              print,
              loadESM);
+  esmLoader.initIfNeeded();
 }
diff --git a/lib/internal/main/repl.js b/lib/internal/main/repl.js
index da1764a9c80d95..97cb1b8ac61c9e 100644
--- a/lib/internal/main/repl.js
+++ b/lib/internal/main/repl.js
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ if (process.env.NODE_REPL_EXTERNAL_MODULE) {
   }
 
   const esmLoader = require('internal/process/esm_loader');
+  esmLoader.init();
   esmLoader.loadESM(() => {
     console.log(`Welcome to Node.js ${process.version}.\n` +
       'Type ".help" for more information.');
diff --git a/lib/internal/main/run_main_module.js b/lib/internal/main/run_main_module.js
index 51331270a2161f..b754e0784bfbc8 100644
--- a/lib/internal/main/run_main_module.js
+++ b/lib/internal/main/run_main_module.js
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ prepareMainThreadExecution(true);
 
 markBootstrapComplete();
 
+require('internal/process/esm_loader').init();
+
 // Necessary to reset RegExp statics before user code runs.
 RegExpPrototypeExec(/^/, '');
 
diff --git a/lib/internal/main/test_runner.js b/lib/internal/main/test_runner.js
index 5ce9e51e4b6af6..f29d88a9b9098b 100644
--- a/lib/internal/main/test_runner.js
+++ b/lib/internal/main/test_runner.js
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ if (isUsingInspector()) {
   inspectPort = process.debugPort;
 }
 
+// We might need ESM loader for custom test reporters.
+require('internal/process/esm_loader').initIfNeeded();
+
 run({ concurrency, inspectPort, watch: getOptionValue('--watch'), setup: setupTestReporters })
 .once('test:fail', () => {
   process.exitCode = kGenericUserError;
diff --git a/lib/internal/main/worker_thread.js b/lib/internal/main/worker_thread.js
index 4d8938e58bdf33..84f82e8d9f8556 100644
--- a/lib/internal/main/worker_thread.js
+++ b/lib/internal/main/worker_thread.js
@@ -162,11 +162,13 @@ port.on('message', (message) => {
         });
         ArrayPrototypeSplice(process.argv, 1, 0, name);
         evalScript(name, filename);
+        require('internal/process/esm_loader').initIfNeeded();
         break;
       }
 
       case 'module': {
         const { evalModule } = require('internal/process/execution');
+        require('internal/process/esm_loader').init();
         PromisePrototypeThen(evalModule(filename), undefined, (e) => {
           workerOnGlobalUncaughtException(e, true);
         });
@@ -179,6 +181,7 @@ port.on('message', (message) => {
         // XXX: the monkey-patchability here should probably be deprecated.
         ArrayPrototypeSplice(process.argv, 1, 0, filename);
         const CJSLoader = require('internal/modules/cjs/loader');
+        require('internal/process/esm_loader').initIfNeeded();
         CJSLoader.Module.runMain(filename);
         break;
       }
diff --git a/lib/internal/modules/esm/utils.js b/lib/internal/modules/esm/utils.js
index 1c01dd13b3ab21..12d00970d480e2 100644
--- a/lib/internal/modules/esm/utils.js
+++ b/lib/internal/modules/esm/utils.js
@@ -115,7 +115,11 @@ async function initializeHooks() {
   const hooks = new Hooks();
 
   const { DefaultModuleLoader } = require('internal/modules/esm/loader');
+  const { init } = require('internal/process/esm_loader');
   class ModuleLoader extends DefaultModuleLoader {
+    // eslint-disable-next-line no-useless-constructor
+    constructor() { super(); }
+
     loaderType = 'internal';
     async #getModuleJob(specifier, parentURL, importAssertions) {
       const resolveResult = await hooks.resolve(specifier, parentURL, importAssertions);
@@ -156,6 +160,8 @@ async function initializeHooks() {
 
   const preloadScripts = hooks.initializeGlobalPreload();
 
+  init(privateModuleLoader);
+
   return { __proto__: null, hooks, preloadScripts };
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/internal/process/esm_loader.js b/lib/internal/process/esm_loader.js
index e7d70ebbca1ca4..f34e39763482bc 100644
--- a/lib/internal/process/esm_loader.js
+++ b/lib/internal/process/esm_loader.js
@@ -1,21 +1,59 @@
 'use strict';
 
+const {
+  ArrayPrototypePush,
+  PromisePrototypeThen,
+  ReflectApply,
+  SafeMap,
+} = primordials;
+
+const assert = require('internal/assert');
 const { createModuleLoader } = require('internal/modules/esm/loader');
 const { getOptionValue } = require('internal/options');
 const {
   hasUncaughtExceptionCaptureCallback,
 } = require('internal/process/execution');
 const { pathToFileURL } = require('internal/url');
-const { kEmptyObject } = require('internal/util');
+const { kEmptyObject, createDeferredPromise } = require('internal/util');
 
 let esmLoader;
+let init = false;
 
 module.exports = {
   get esmLoader() {
-    return esmLoader ??= createModuleLoader(true);
+    return esmLoader ??= { __proto__: null, cjsCache: new SafeMap(), import() {
+      const { promise, resolve, reject } = createDeferredPromise();
+      ArrayPrototypePush(this.importRequests, { arguments: arguments, resolve, reject });
+      return promise;
+    }, importRequests: [] };
+  },
+  initIfNeeded() {
+    // TODO: we could try to avoid loading ESM loader on CJS-only codebase
+    return module.exports.init();
+  },
+  init(loader = undefined) {
+    assert(!init);
+    init = true;
+
+    loader ??= createModuleLoader(true);
+
+    if (esmLoader != null) {
+      for (const { 0: key, 1: value } of esmLoader.cjsCache) {
+        // Getting back the values from the mocked loader.
+        loader.cjsCache.set(key, value);
+      }
+      for (let i = 0; i < esmLoader.importRequests.length; i++) {
+        PromisePrototypeThen(
+          ReflectApply(loader.import, loader, esmLoader.importRequests[i].arguments),
+          esmLoader.importRequests[i].resolve,
+          esmLoader.importRequests[i].reject,
+        );
+      }
+    }
+    esmLoader = loader;
   },
   async loadESM(callback) {
-    esmLoader ??= createModuleLoader(true);
+    const { esmLoader } = module.exports;
     try {
       const userImports = getOptionValue('--import');
       if (userImports.length > 0) {
diff --git a/lib/internal/process/pre_execution.js b/lib/internal/process/pre_execution.js
index 53cda5737f07c0..1f360e536b9b4d 100644
--- a/lib/internal/process/pre_execution.js
+++ b/lib/internal/process/pre_execution.js
@@ -120,8 +120,8 @@ function prepareExecution(options) {
 }
 
 function setupUserModules() {
-  initializeCJSLoader();
   initializeESMLoader();
+  initializeCJSLoader();
   const CJSLoader = require('internal/modules/cjs/loader');
   assert(!CJSLoader.hasLoadedAnyUserCJSModule);
   loadPreloadModules();
diff --git a/test/es-module/test-esm-loader-hooks.mjs b/test/es-module/test-esm-loader-hooks.mjs
index 76d55fd7815cdc..7f1a042d5adc0d 100644
--- a/test/es-module/test-esm-loader-hooks.mjs
+++ b/test/es-module/test-esm-loader-hooks.mjs
@@ -195,4 +195,43 @@ describe('Loader hooks', { concurrency: true }, () => {
     assert.strictEqual(code, 0);
     assert.strictEqual(signal, null);
   });
+
+  it('should let users require and import along loaders', async () => {
+    const { code, signal, stdout, stderr } = await spawnPromisified(execPath, [
+      '--no-warnings',
+      '--require',
+      fixtures.path('printA.js'),
+      '--import',
+      fixtures.fileURL('printB.js'),
+      '--experimental-loader',
+      fixtures.fileURL('empty.js'),
+      '--eval',
+      'setTimeout(() => console.log("C"),99)',
+    ]);
+
+    assert.strictEqual(stderr, '');
+    assert.match(stdout, /^A\r?\nA\r?\nB\r?\nC\r?\n$/);
+    assert.strictEqual(code, 0);
+    assert.strictEqual(signal, null);
+  });
+
+  it('should let users require and import along loaders with ESM', async () => {
+    const { code, signal, stdout, stderr } = await spawnPromisified(execPath, [
+      '--no-warnings',
+      '--require',
+      fixtures.path('printA.js'),
+      '--import',
+      fixtures.fileURL('printB.js'),
+      '--experimental-loader',
+      fixtures.fileURL('empty.js'),
+      '--input-type=module',
+      '--eval',
+      'setTimeout(() => console.log("C"),99)',
+    ]);
+
+    assert.strictEqual(stderr, '');
+    assert.match(stdout, /^A\r?\nA\r?\nB\r?\nC\r?\n$/);
+    assert.strictEqual(code, 0);
+    assert.strictEqual(signal, null);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-bootstrap-modules.js b/test/parallel/test-bootstrap-modules.js
index 0a671eb95eb6d4..4f66bbd39e2f37 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-bootstrap-modules.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-bootstrap-modules.js
@@ -93,6 +93,11 @@ const expectedModules = new Set([
   'NativeModule internal/net',
   'NativeModule internal/dns/utils',
   'NativeModule internal/process/pre_execution',
+  'NativeModule internal/modules/esm/loader',
+  'NativeModule internal/process/esm_loader',
+  'NativeModule internal/modules/esm/assert',
+  'NativeModule internal/modules/esm/module_map',
+  'NativeModule internal/modules/esm/translators',
 ]);
 
 if (!common.isMainThread) {