diff --git a/cli/build/transpile/index.ts b/cli/build/transpile/index.ts
index f4994561d..a79892c20 100644
--- a/cli/build/transpile/index.ts
+++ b/cli/build/transpile/index.ts
@@ -1,33 +1,12 @@
 import path from "node:path"
 import fs from "node:fs"
-import { rollup } from "rollup"
-import typescript from "@rollup/plugin-typescript"
-import resolve from "@rollup/plugin-node-resolve"
-import commonjs from "@rollup/plugin-commonjs"
-import json from "@rollup/plugin-json"
-import dts from "rollup-plugin-dts"
 import kleur from "kleur"
-import ts from "typescript"
 
 import {
   createStaticAssetPlugin,
   STATIC_ASSET_EXTENSIONS,
 } from "./static-asset-plugin"
 
-const [typescriptMajor, typescriptMinor] = ts.versionMajorMinor
-  .split(".")
-  .map(Number)
-// TypeScript 5.7+ can emit projects that import .ts/.tsx paths by rewriting
-// those specifiers, instead of reporting TS5097 or requiring noEmit.
-const supportsRewriteRelativeImportExtensions =
-  typescriptMajor > 5 || (typescriptMajor === 5 && typescriptMinor >= 7)
-const typescriptExtensionEmitOptions = supportsRewriteRelativeImportExtensions
-  ? {
-      allowImportingTsExtensions: true,
-      rewriteRelativeImportExtensions: true,
-    }
-  : { allowImportingTsExtensions: false }
-
 const createExternalFunction =
   (projectDir: string, tsconfigPath?: string) =>
   (id: string): boolean => {
@@ -100,6 +79,52 @@ export const transpileFile = async ({
   projectDir: string
 }): Promise<boolean> => {
   try {
+    const { default: ts } = await import("typescript")
+    if (
+      !ts.ModuleKind ||
+      !ts.SyntaxKind ||
+      typeof ts.createProgram !== "function"
+    ) {
+      throw new Error(
+        `TypeScript ${ts.version} does not provide the JavaScript compiler API required for transpilation. ` +
+          "Install a compatible compiler in your project with `bun add --dev --exact typescript@5.9.3` " +
+          "or `npm install --save-dev --save-exact typescript@5.9.3`, then retry.",
+      )
+    }
+
+    // These plugins access the compiler API during module initialization.
+    // Load them only after checking compatibility, so help/version output and
+    // circuit builds without transpilation can run without that API.
+    const [
+      { rollup },
+      { default: typescript },
+      { default: resolve },
+      { default: commonjs },
+      { default: json },
+      { default: dts },
+    ] = await Promise.all([
+      import("rollup"),
+      import("@rollup/plugin-typescript"),
+      import("@rollup/plugin-node-resolve"),
+      import("@rollup/plugin-commonjs"),
+      import("@rollup/plugin-json"),
+      import("rollup-plugin-dts"),
+    ])
+
+    const [typescriptMajor, typescriptMinor] = ts.versionMajorMinor
+      .split(".")
+      .map(Number)
+    // TypeScript 5.7+ can rewrite explicit .ts/.tsx imports during emit.
+    const supportsRewriteRelativeImportExtensions =
+      typescriptMajor > 5 || (typescriptMajor === 5 && typescriptMinor >= 7)
+    const typescriptExtensionEmitOptions =
+      supportsRewriteRelativeImportExtensions
+        ? {
+            allowImportingTsExtensions: true,
+            rewriteRelativeImportExtensions: true,
+          }
+        : { allowImportingTsExtensions: false }
+
     fs.mkdirSync(outputDir, { recursive: true })
 
     // Check if user has a tsconfig.json
diff --git a/tests/cli/transpile/typescript-compiler-compatibility.test.ts b/tests/cli/transpile/typescript-compiler-compatibility.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..25ea91ef2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/cli/transpile/typescript-compiler-compatibility.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+import { expect, test } from "bun:test"
+import { mkdtemp, readFile, rm, writeFile } from "node:fs/promises"
+import { tmpdir } from "node:os"
+import path from "node:path"
+
+const cliPath = path.resolve(import.meta.dir, "../../../cli/main.ts")
+
+test("help, version and non-transpiling builds work without the TypeScript compiler API", async () => {
+  const projectDir = await mkdtemp(path.join(tmpdir(), "tsci-typescript7-"))
+  try {
+    // TypeScript 7's main entry point only exports version information.
+    // Isolate the mock in child processes so other tests retain their compiler.
+    const preloadPath = path.join(projectDir, "typescript7-preload.ts")
+    await writeFile(
+      preloadPath,
+      `import { mock } from "bun:test"
+const ts = { version: "7.0.2", versionMajorMinor: "7.0" }
+mock.module(${JSON.stringify(import.meta.resolve("typescript"))}, () => ({ ...ts, default: ts }))
+`,
+    )
+    // importFromUserLand falls back to the CLI's own React/tscircuit packages
+    // when the project has no local node_modules.
+    await writeFile(path.join(projectDir, "package.json"), "{}")
+    await writeFile(
+      path.join(projectDir, "index.tsx"),
+      `export default () => <board width={10} height={10}>
+  <resistor name="R1" resistance="1k" footprint="0603" />
+</board>`,
+    )
+
+    const run = async (...args: string[]) => {
+      const child = Bun.spawn(
+        [process.execPath, "--preload", preloadPath, cliPath, ...args],
+        {
+          cwd: projectDir,
+          env: { ...process.env, TSCI_TEST_MODE: "true", FORCE_COLOR: "0" },
+          stdout: "pipe",
+          stderr: "pipe",
+        },
+      )
+      const [exitCode, stdout, stderr] = await Promise.all([
+        child.exited,
+        new Response(child.stdout).text(),
+        new Response(child.stderr).text(),
+      ])
+      return { exitCode, stdout, stderr }
+    }
+
+    const expectIncompatibleCompiler = (
+      result: Awaited<ReturnType<typeof run>>,
+    ) => {
+      expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1)
+      expect(result.stderr).toContain("TypeScript 7.0.2")
+      expect(result.stderr).toContain("JavaScript compiler API")
+      expect(result.stderr).toContain("typescript@5.9.3")
+      expect(result.stderr).not.toContain("ModuleKind.ES2015")
+    }
+
+    for (const arg of ["--help", "--version"]) {
+      const result = await run(arg)
+      expect(result.exitCode, result.stderr).toBe(0)
+      expect(result.stderr).not.toContain("ES2015")
+    }
+
+    const build = await run("build", "index.tsx")
+    expect(build.exitCode, build.stderr).toBe(0)
+    const circuitJson = JSON.parse(
+      await readFile(path.join(projectDir, "dist/index/circuit.json"), "utf8"),
+    )
+    expect(
+      circuitJson.some(
+        (element: { type: string }) => element.type === "pcb_board",
+      ),
+    ).toBe(true)
+    expect(
+      circuitJson.some(
+        (element: { type: string; name?: string }) =>
+          element.type === "source_component" && element.name === "R1",
+      ),
+    ).toBe(true)
+
+    for (const args of [
+      ["transpile", "index.tsx"],
+      ["build", "index.tsx", "--transpile"],
+    ]) {
+      expectIncompatibleCompiler(await run(...args))
+    }
+
+    await writeFile(
+      path.join(projectDir, "tscircuit.config.json"),
+      JSON.stringify({ build: { typescriptLibrary: true } }),
+    )
+    expectIncompatibleCompiler(await run("build", "index.tsx"))
+  } finally {
+    await rm(projectDir, { recursive: true, force: true })
+  }
+}, 60_000)