diff --git a/packages/webui/src/queue-read.mjs b/packages/webui/src/queue-read.mjs
index ae7e4509..b7661fbe 100644
--- a/packages/webui/src/queue-read.mjs
+++ b/packages/webui/src/queue-read.mjs
@@ -8,10 +8,10 @@
 // (a half-written file in a shared checkout) prints "the queue read failed",
 // never Node's own message, which names the file:// path and a stack.
 
-let QueueError = null;
+import { rows } from '../../queue/src/store.mjs';
+import { QueueError as QE } from '../../queue/src/errors.mjs';
+let QueueError = QE;
 try {
-  ({ QueueError } = await import('../../queue/src/errors.mjs'));
-  const { rows } = await import('../../queue/src/store.mjs');
   const r = rows({});
   process.stdout.write(`${JSON.stringify({ rows: r.rows, notes: r.err })}\n`);
 } catch (err) {