diff --git a/packages/vite/package.json b/packages/vite/package.json
index 67f52892abb05d..382dd7a6d98b8f 100644
--- a/packages/vite/package.json
+++ b/packages/vite/package.json
@@ -46,7 +46,8 @@
     "#module-sync-enabled": {
       "module-sync": "./misc/true.js",
       "default": "./misc/false.js"
-    }
+    },
+    "#deps-tracker": "./dist/node/deps-tracker.js"
   },
   "files": [
     "bin",
diff --git a/packages/vite/rollup.config.ts b/packages/vite/rollup.config.ts
index bec0eabdd65d38..7baba895d896d1 100644
--- a/packages/vite/rollup.config.ts
+++ b/packages/vite/rollup.config.ts
@@ -199,6 +199,14 @@ const moduleRunnerConfig = defineConfig({
   ],
 })
 
+const depsTrackerConfig = defineConfig({
+  ...sharedNodeOptions,
+  input: {
+    'deps-tracker': path.resolve(__dirname, 'src/deps-tracker/index.ts'),
+  },
+  plugins: [...createSharedNodePlugins({}), bundleSizeLimit(2)],
+})
+
 const cjsConfig = defineConfig({
   ...sharedNodeOptions,
   input: {
@@ -223,6 +231,7 @@ export default defineConfig([
   clientConfig,
   nodeConfig,
   moduleRunnerConfig,
+  depsTrackerConfig,
   cjsConfig,
 ])
 
diff --git a/packages/vite/src/deps-tracker/index.ts b/packages/vite/src/deps-tracker/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..37f5274dd04b3e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/vite/src/deps-tracker/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+import type { MessagePort } from 'node:worker_threads'
+import type { InitializeHook, ResolveHook } from 'node:module'
+
+const tQueryRE = /(?:\?|&)t=(\d+)(?:&|$)/
+const relativeImportRE = /^\.{1,2}(?:\/|\\)/
+
+let port: MessagePort
+let enabled = false
+
+export const initialize: InitializeHook = async ({
+  port: _port,
+  time: _time,
+}: {
+  port: MessagePort
+  time: string
+}) => {
+  port = _port
+  port.on('message', (_enabled) => {
+    enabled = _enabled
+  })
+}
+
+export const resolve: ResolveHook = async (specifier, context, nextResolve) => {
+  const isRelativeImport = relativeImportRE.test(specifier)
+  const result = await nextResolve(specifier, context)
+  if (result.format === 'builtin' || !isRelativeImport) return result
+
+  if (
+    // when tracking is not enabled
+    !enabled ||
+    // when parent does not exist (it is not a dependency of config file)
+    !context.parentURL ||
+    // if the t query is already present, do not add it
+    tQueryRE.test(result.url) ||
+    // if it's not a file url, no need to add the t query
+    !result.url.startsWith('file:')
+  )
+    return result
+
+  // propergate the t query
+  const m = tQueryRE.exec(context.parentURL)
+  if (m) {
+    // all dependencies from the config should have the t query
+    port.postMessage(result.url)
+
+    result.url = result.url.replace(
+      /(\?)|$/,
+      (_n, n1) => `?t=${m[1]}${n1 === '?' ? '&' : ''}`,
+    )
+  }
+  return result
+}
diff --git a/packages/vite/src/deps-tracker/tsconfig.json b/packages/vite/src/deps-tracker/tsconfig.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..cc0936af88b5c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/vite/src/deps-tracker/tsconfig.json
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+{
+  "extends": "../../tsconfig.base.json",
+  "include": ["./"],
+  "compilerOptions": {
+    // https://github.com/microsoft/TypeScript/wiki/Node-Target-Mapping#node-18
+    "lib": ["ES2023"],
+    "target": "ES2022",
+    "skipLibCheck": true, // lib check is done on final types
+    "stripInternal": true
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/vite/src/node/config.ts b/packages/vite/src/node/config.ts
index 74e4015b689bf1..df91fd54c305b0 100644
--- a/packages/vite/src/node/config.ts
+++ b/packages/vite/src/node/config.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 import fs from 'node:fs'
 import path from 'node:path'
 import fsp from 'node:fs/promises'
-import { pathToFileURL } from 'node:url'
+import { fileURLToPath, pathToFileURL } from 'node:url'
 import { promisify } from 'node:util'
 import { performance } from 'node:perf_hooks'
 import { createRequire } from 'node:module'
 import crypto from 'node:crypto'
+import { MessageChannel } from 'node:worker_threads'
 import colors from 'picocolors'
 import type { Alias, AliasOptions } from 'dep-types/alias'
 import type { RollupOptions } from 'rollup'
@@ -1771,6 +1772,14 @@ export async function loadConfigFromFile(
 }
 
 async function nativeImportConfigFile(resolvedPath: string) {
+  depsTracker ??= await createDepsTracker()
+  if (depsTracker) {
+    const { result, dependencies } = await depsTracker.collect(
+      () => import(pathToFileURL(resolvedPath).href + '?t=' + Date.now()),
+    )
+    return { configExport: result.default, dependencies }
+  }
+
   const module = await import(
     pathToFileURL(resolvedPath).href + '?t=' + Date.now()
   )
@@ -1780,6 +1789,70 @@ async function nativeImportConfigFile(resolvedPath: string) {
   }
 }
 
+// rather than a singleton, it would be better to unregister the loader
+// so that it doesn't incur the overhead when not needed
+// but unregistering a loader is not supported
+let depsTracker: DepsTracker | undefined
+
+type DepsTracker = {
+  collect: <T>(
+    cb: () => Promise<T>,
+  ) => Promise<{ result: T; dependencies: string[] }>
+}
+
+// This only tracks ESM dependencies that are statically imported (not dynamic imports)
+async function createDepsTracker(): Promise<DepsTracker | undefined> {
+  const { Module } = await import('node:module')
+  // register only exists in Node.js 18.19.0+, 20.6.0+
+  if (!Module.register) {
+    return
+  }
+
+  // we want to register this loader as the last one
+  // this is ensured for the first config load,
+  // but for the subsequent config loads, a different loader may be registered.
+  // we hope that that doesn't happen
+  const { port1, port2 } = new MessageChannel()
+  Module.register('#deps-tracker', {
+    parentURL: import.meta.url,
+    data: { port: port2 },
+    transferList: [port2],
+  })
+  port1.unref()
+
+  let collecting = false
+  return {
+    async collect(cb) {
+      if (collecting) throw new Error('already collecting')
+      collecting = true
+
+      const depsList: string[] = []
+      const onMessage = (e: string) => {
+        depsList.push(e)
+      }
+      port1.on('message', onMessage)
+      port1.postMessage(true)
+      port1.unref()
+
+      let result: Awaited<ReturnType<typeof cb>>
+      try {
+        result = await cb()
+      } finally {
+        collecting = false
+        port1.postMessage(false)
+        port1.off('message', onMessage)
+      }
+
+      return {
+        result,
+        dependencies: depsList
+          .filter((url) => url.startsWith('file:'))
+          .map((url) => fileURLToPath(url)),
+      }
+    },
+  }
+}
+
 async function runnerImportConfigFile(resolvedPath: string) {
   const { module, dependencies } = await runnerImport<{
     default: UserConfigExport