diff --git a/lnbits/core/wasm_ext/wasm/component.py b/lnbits/core/wasm_ext/wasm/component.py
index 9c1f7ffd6..5e712c259 100644
--- a/lnbits/core/wasm_ext/wasm/component.py
+++ b/lnbits/core/wasm_ext/wasm/component.py
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 from functools import lru_cache
 from typing import Any
 
+from wasmtime import Config, Engine
+
 from .loader import WasmExtension
 
 
@@ -12,14 +14,6 @@ def warm_wasm_extension(extension: WasmExtension) -> None:
 
 @lru_cache(maxsize=1)
 def _wasm_engine() -> Any:
-    try:
-        from wasmtime import Config, Engine
-    except ImportError as exc:
-        raise RuntimeError(
-            "WASM extension runtime is not installed. Install the 'wasmtime' "
-            "Python package to run WASM extensions."
-        ) from exc
-
     config = Config()
     config.wasm_component_model = True
     return Engine(config)
diff --git a/lnbits/core/wasm_ext/wasm/host.py b/lnbits/core/wasm_ext/wasm/host.py
index fd9e3e5ba..e89779a70 100644
--- a/lnbits/core/wasm_ext/wasm/host.py
+++ b/lnbits/core/wasm_ext/wasm/host.py
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import re
 from collections.abc import Mapping
 from typing import Any
 
+from wasmtime import component
+
 from ..api.models import EmptyRequest
 from ..api.registry import list_extension_api_methods
 from ..api.runtime import ExtensionAPIHost
@@ -73,7 +75,6 @@ def _component_payload_to_dict(value: Any) -> dict[str, Any]:
 
 
 def _dict_to_component_record(value: Mapping[str, Any]) -> Any:
-    from wasmtime import component
 
     record = component.Record()
     for key, item in value.items():