diff --git a/packages/app/src/git/pull-request-panel/data.test.ts b/packages/app/src/git/pull-request-panel/data.test.ts
index 837433417e..1f72cb1d95 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/git/pull-request-panel/data.test.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/git/pull-request-panel/data.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { beforeAll, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
 import type {
   CheckoutPipelineJob,
   CheckoutPrStatusResponse,
@@ -780,6 +780,11 @@ describe("formatAge", () => {
   });
 });
 
+// Fixed translators do not select a language, so request their resources first.
+beforeAll(async () => {
+  await i18n.loadLanguages("fr");
+});
+
 const english = i18n.getFixedT("en");
 const french = i18n.getFixedT("fr");
 
diff --git a/packages/app/src/i18n/i18next.startup.test.ts b/packages/app/src/i18n/i18next.startup.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f439a5bb10
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/app/src/i18n/i18next.startup.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+import { execFileSync } from "node:child_process";
+import { readFile } from "node:fs/promises";
+import path from "node:path";
+import { build } from "esbuild";
+import { beforeAll, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+
+let bundle: string;
+
+// Exercise the bundled entry in fresh processes so the test runner's module cache
+// cannot hide eager evaluation. The probe only records resource module execution.
+beforeAll(async () => {
+  const result = await build({
+    entryPoints: [path.join(import.meta.dirname, "i18next.ts")],
+    bundle: true,
+    platform: "node",
+    format: "cjs",
+    external: ["i18next", "react-i18next"],
+    write: false,
+    plugins: [
+      {
+        name: "observe-translation-evaluation",
+        setup(builder) {
+          builder.onLoad(
+            { filter: /[/\\]i18n[/\\]resources[/\\][a-z]{2}(?:-[A-Z]{2})?\.ts$/ },
+            async ({ path: file }) => ({
+              contents: `globalThis.evaluatedLocales.push(${JSON.stringify(path.basename(file, ".ts"))});\n${await readFile(file, "utf8")}`,
+              loader: "ts",
+            }),
+          );
+        },
+      },
+    ],
+  });
+  bundle = result.outputFiles[0].text;
+});
+
+function runStartupProbe(actions = "") {
+  return JSON.parse(
+    execFileSync(process.execPath, ["-"], {
+      cwd: path.resolve(import.meta.dirname, "../.."),
+      encoding: "utf8",
+      input: `globalThis.evaluatedLocales = [];
+         (function () { ${bundle} })();
+         const { i18n } = module.exports;
+         ${actions}
+         console.log(JSON.stringify({
+           evaluated: globalThis.evaluatedLocales,
+           registered: Object.keys(i18n.store.data),
+           language: i18n.language,
+           cancel: i18n.t("common.actions.cancel"),
+           fallback: i18n.t("startupProbeOnlyInEnglish"),
+         }));`,
+    }),
+  );
+}
+
+describe("bundled translation startup", () => {
+  it("evaluates and registers only English before a language is selected", () => {
+    expect(runStartupProbe()).toMatchObject({
+      evaluated: ["en"],
+      registered: ["en"],
+      language: "en",
+      cancel: "Cancel",
+    });
+  });
+
+  it.each([
+    ["ar", "يلغي"],
+    ["es", "Cancelar"],
+    ["fr", "Annuler"],
+    ["ja", "キャンセル"],
+    ["ko", "취소"],
+    ["pt-BR", "Cancelar"],
+    ["ru", "Отмена"],
+    ["zh-CN", "取消"],
+  ])("loads %s synchronously on selection and reuses it", (locale, cancel) => {
+    const result = runStartupProbe(`
+      i18n.addResource("en", "translation", "startupProbeOnlyInEnglish", "English fallback");
+      i18n.changeLanguage(${JSON.stringify(locale)});
+      if (i18n.language !== ${JSON.stringify(locale)}) throw new Error("Language selection became asynchronous");
+      i18n.changeLanguage("en");
+      i18n.changeLanguage(${JSON.stringify(locale)});
+    `);
+    expect(result).toEqual({
+      evaluated: ["en", locale],
+      registered: ["en", locale],
+      language: locale,
+      cancel,
+      fallback: "English fallback",
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/app/src/i18n/i18next.ts b/packages/app/src/i18n/i18next.ts
index 05ceeee6ee..ccbfb8da46 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/i18n/i18next.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/i18n/i18next.ts
@@ -1,41 +1,70 @@
-import { createInstance } from "i18next";
+import { createInstance, type BackendModule } from "i18next";
 import { initReactI18next } from "react-i18next";
 import { observeI18nInit } from "./init";
-import { ar } from "./resources/ar";
 import { en } from "./resources/en";
-import { es } from "./resources/es";
-import { fr } from "./resources/fr";
-import { ja } from "./resources/ja";
-import { ko } from "./resources/ko";
-import { ptBR } from "./resources/pt-BR";
-import { ru } from "./resources/ru";
-import { zhCN } from "./resources/zh-CN";
+
+// Literal requires keep every locale bundled for offline use, while evaluating
+// its resource module only when selected. Synchronous reads preserve the language
+// provider's contract: translations are ready before it renders children.
+const bundledTranslations: BackendModule = {
+  type: "backend",
+  init() {},
+  read(language, _namespace, callback) {
+    switch (language) {
+      case "en":
+        callback(null, en);
+        return;
+      case "ar":
+        callback(null, require("./resources/ar").ar);
+        return;
+      case "es":
+        callback(null, require("./resources/es").es);
+        return;
+      case "fr":
+        callback(null, require("./resources/fr").fr);
+        return;
+      case "ja":
+        callback(null, require("./resources/ja").ja);
+        return;
+      case "ko":
+        callback(null, require("./resources/ko").ko);
+        return;
+      case "pt-BR":
+        callback(null, require("./resources/pt-BR").ptBR);
+        return;
+      case "ru":
+        callback(null, require("./resources/ru").ru);
+        return;
+      case "zh-CN":
+        callback(null, require("./resources/zh-CN").zhCN);
+        return;
+      default:
+        callback(null, undefined);
+    }
+  },
+};
 
 const i18n = createInstance();
 
 observeI18nInit(
-  i18n.use(initReactI18next).init({
-    compatibilityJSON: "v4",
-    fallbackLng: "en",
-    lng: "en",
-    resources: {
-      ar: { translation: ar },
-      en: { translation: en },
-      es: { translation: es },
-      fr: { translation: fr },
-      ja: { translation: ja },
-      ko: { translation: ko },
-      "pt-BR": { translation: ptBR },
-      ru: { translation: ru },
-      "zh-CN": { translation: zhCN },
-    },
-    interpolation: {
-      escapeValue: false,
-    },
-    react: {
-      useSuspense: false,
-    },
-  }),
+  i18n
+    .use(bundledTranslations)
+    .use(initReactI18next)
+    .init({
+      compatibilityJSON: "v4",
+      fallbackLng: "en",
+      lng: "en",
+      partialBundledLanguages: true,
+      resources: {
+        en: { translation: en },
+      },
+      interpolation: {
+        escapeValue: false,
+      },
+      react: {
+        useSuspense: false,
+      },
+    }),
 );
 
 export { i18n };
diff --git a/packages/app/vitest.config.ts b/packages/app/vitest.config.ts
index 7a45d4a771..6274691582 100644
--- a/packages/app/vitest.config.ts
+++ b/packages/app/vitest.config.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { playwright } from "@vitest/browser-playwright";
 import path from "path";
 import fs from "fs";
 import { transformSync } from "@babel/core";
+import { build } from "esbuild";
 
 // Set this before Vite resolves dependencies and Vitest starts its workers.
 Object.assign(process.env, { NODE_ENV: "test" });
@@ -35,6 +36,24 @@ export default defineConfig({
         if (result?.code) return { code: result.code, map: result.map };
       },
     },
+    {
+      name: "bundle-i18n-resources",
+      // Metro resolves literal requires lazily. Vite's TS transform leaves them
+      // to Node, which cannot resolve the resource modules. Bundle this boundary
+      // so unit and browser consumers exercise the same deferred module loading.
+      async transform(_source, id) {
+        if (path.resolve(id) !== path.resolve(__dirname, "src/i18n/i18next.ts")) return;
+        const result = await build({
+          entryPoints: [id],
+          bundle: true,
+          format: "esm",
+          platform: "neutral",
+          external: ["i18next", "react-i18next"],
+          write: false,
+        });
+        return { code: result.outputFiles[0].text, map: null };
+      },
+    },
   ],
   test: {
     environment: "node",