diff --git a/packages/kit/src/vite/dev/index.js b/packages/kit/src/vite/dev/index.js
index 44c4aa8070ea..c8f370250d02 100644
--- a/packages/kit/src/vite/dev/index.js
+++ b/packages/kit/src/vite/dev/index.js
@@ -286,7 +286,21 @@ export async function dev(vite, vite_config, svelte_config, illegal_imports) {
 		}
 	});
 
-	return async () => {
+	const runtime_base = runtime_directory.startsWith(process.cwd())
+		? `/${path.relative('.', runtime_directory)}`
+		: `/@fs${
+				// Windows/Linux separation - Windows starts with a drive letter, we need a / in front there
+				runtime_directory.startsWith('/') ? '' : '/'
+		  }${runtime_directory}`;
+
+	const { set_private_env } = await vite.ssrLoadModule(`${runtime_base}/env-private.js`);
+	const { set_public_env } = await vite.ssrLoadModule(`${runtime_base}/env-public.js`);
+
+	const env = get_env(vite_config.mode, svelte_config.kit.env.publicPrefix);
+	set_private_env(env.private);
+	set_public_env(env.public);
+
+	return () => {
 		const serve_static_middleware = vite.middlewares.stack.find(
 			(middleware) =>
 				/** @type {function} */ (middleware.handle).name === 'viteServeStaticMiddleware'
@@ -294,20 +308,6 @@ export async function dev(vite, vite_config, svelte_config, illegal_imports) {
 
 		remove_static_middlewares(vite.middlewares);
 
-		const runtime_base = runtime_directory.startsWith(process.cwd())
-			? `/${path.relative('.', runtime_directory)}`
-			: `/@fs${
-					// Windows/Linux separation - Windows starts with a drive letter, we need a / in front there
-					runtime_directory.startsWith('/') ? '' : '/'
-			  }${runtime_directory}`;
-
-		const { set_private_env } = await vite.ssrLoadModule(`${runtime_base}/env-private.js`);
-		const { set_public_env } = await vite.ssrLoadModule(`${runtime_base}/env-public.js`);
-
-		const env = get_env(vite_config.mode, svelte_config.kit.env.publicPrefix);
-		set_private_env(env.private);
-		set_public_env(env.public);
-
 		vite.middlewares.use(async (req, res) => {
 			try {
 				const base = `${vite.config.server.https ? 'https' : 'http'}://${