diff --git a/cmd_chat/__init__.py b/cmd_chat/__init__.py
index ef9bc2d..e1e9504 100644
--- a/cmd_chat/__init__.py
+++ b/cmd_chat/__init__.py
@@ -2,8 +2,11 @@ import argparse
 import getpass
 import os
 
-from cmd_chat.server.server import run_server
-from cmd_chat.client.client import Client
+# NOTE: the server (run_server) and client (Client) are imported lazily inside
+# main() below. Importing them here would pull sanic/pydantic (server) at
+# package-init time for *any* `cmd_chat.*` import — including
+# `python -m cmd_chat.operator` on a phone/Termux where those server-only deps
+# aren't installed. See docs/termux-operator.md (Phase 0).
 
 
 def resolve_password(args_password: str | None, prompt: str = "Room password: ") -> str:
@@ -43,6 +46,8 @@ def main():
     args = parser.parse_args()
 
     if args.command == "serve":
+        from cmd_chat.server.server import run_server
+
         password = resolve_password(args.password)
         run_server(
             host=args.ip_address,
@@ -53,6 +58,8 @@ def main():
             no_tls=args.no_tls,
         )
     elif args.command == "connect":
+        from cmd_chat.client.client import Client
+
         password = resolve_password(args.password)
         Client(
             server=args.ip_address,
diff --git a/tests/test_operator_import_termux.py b/tests/test_operator_import_termux.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d4f45a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_operator_import_termux.py
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+"""Guard the operator's lightweight import surface (docs/termux-operator.md P0).
+
+A phone/Termux operator installs only the operator deps (requests, rich,
+websockets, cryptography, srp) — never the server stack (sanic, pydantic) — and
+`srp` may be unbuildable there (pure-Python fallback). So `python -m
+cmd_chat.operator` must import with srp/sanic/pydantic ALL absent. This is easy
+to regress: any eager `import srp`/sanic on the operator path breaks it. Run the
+check in a subprocess so blocking modules can't pollute the test interpreter.
+"""
+
+import subprocess
+import sys
+
+
+_SNIPPET = """
+import sys
+# Simulate a Termux operator box: no srp C-ext build, no server-only deps.
+for missing in ("srp", "sanic", "sanic_ext", "pydantic"):
+    sys.modules[missing] = None  # 'import X' now raises ImportError
+
+import cmd_chat.operator                       # must not need srp/sanic/pydantic
+assert hasattr(cmd_chat.operator, "OperatorBridge")
+
+import cmd_chat.client.client as c             # client must fall back to the shim
+assert c.srp.__name__.endswith("_srp_pure"), c.srp.__name__
+print("OK")
+"""
+
+
+def test_operator_imports_without_srp_or_server_deps():
+    proc = subprocess.run(
+        [sys.executable, "-c", _SNIPPET],
+        capture_output=True,
+        text=True,
+    )
+    assert proc.returncode == 0, (
+        "operator import failed without srp/sanic/pydantic:\n"
+        f"stdout:\n{proc.stdout}\nstderr:\n{proc.stderr}"
+    )
+    assert proc.stdout.strip().endswith("OK"), proc.stdout