diff --git a/.changeset/state-eager-let-declaration.md b/.changeset/state-eager-let-declaration.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6939094109
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/state-eager-let-declaration.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'svelte': patch
+---
+
+fix: keep `$state.eager` when used as a variable initializer
diff --git a/packages/svelte/src/compiler/phases/3-transform/client/visitors/VariableDeclaration.js b/packages/svelte/src/compiler/phases/3-transform/client/visitors/VariableDeclaration.js
index 246feaccf6..0ad52dc457 100644
--- a/packages/svelte/src/compiler/phases/3-transform/client/visitors/VariableDeclaration.js
+++ b/packages/svelte/src/compiler/phases/3-transform/client/visitors/VariableDeclaration.js
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ export function VariableDeclaration(node, context) {
 				rune === '$inspect' ||
 				rune === '$inspect.trace' ||
 				rune === '$state.snapshot' ||
+				rune === '$state.eager' ||
 				rune === '$host'
 			) {
 				declarations.push(/** @type {VariableDeclarator} */ (context.visit(declarator)));
diff --git a/packages/svelte/tests/runtime-runes/samples/state-eager-declaration/_config.js b/packages/svelte/tests/runtime-runes/samples/state-eager-declaration/_config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..61811ad0d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/svelte/tests/runtime-runes/samples/state-eager-declaration/_config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+import { test } from '../../test';
+
+export default test({
+	html: `<p>20</p>`
+});
diff --git a/packages/svelte/tests/runtime-runes/samples/state-eager-declaration/main.svelte b/packages/svelte/tests/runtime-runes/samples/state-eager-declaration/main.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ed5e175c55
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/svelte/tests/runtime-runes/samples/state-eager-declaration/main.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+<script>
+	let n = $state(2);
+	let d = $derived(n * 10);
+	let x = $state.eager(d);
+</script>
+
+<p>{x}</p>