diff --git a/lib/shiki-helpers.mjs b/lib/shiki-helpers.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bd68d01d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/shiki-helpers.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+// @ts-check
+
+import { bundledLanguages } from 'shiki'
+import { runAsWorker } from 'synckit'
+
+runAsWorker(async (lang) => {
+  const fn = bundledLanguages[lang]
+  if (!fn) return null
+  return (await fn()).default
+})
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 4cef1f81..e37aa777 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@
     },
     "./vue-demi": {
       "default": "./lib/vue-demi.mjs"
+    },
+    "./shiki-helpers": {
+      "default": "./lib/shiki-helpers.mjs"
     }
   },
   "main": "dist/node/index.js",
@@ -185,6 +188,7 @@
     "sirv": "^3.0.0",
     "sitemap": "^8.0.0",
     "supports-color": "^9.4.0",
+    "synckit": "^0.9.2",
     "tinyglobby": "^0.2.10",
     "typescript": "^5.6.3",
     "vitest": "^2.1.4",
diff --git a/pnpm-lock.yaml b/pnpm-lock.yaml
index 333cabfa..3c7b1692 100644
--- a/pnpm-lock.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-lock.yaml
@@ -272,6 +272,9 @@ importers:
       supports-color:
         specifier: ^9.4.0
         version: 9.4.0
+      synckit:
+        specifier: ^0.9.2
+        version: 0.9.2
       tinyglobby:
         specifier: ^0.2.10
         version: 0.2.10
@@ -796,6 +799,10 @@ packages:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-oGB+UxlgWcgQkgwo8GcEGwemoTFt3FIO9ababBmaGwXIoBKZ+GTy0pP185beGg7Llih/NSHSV2XAs1lnznocSg==}
     engines: {node: '>= 8'}
 
+  '@pkgr/core@0.1.1':
+    resolution: {integrity: sha512-cq8o4cWH0ibXh9VGi5P20Tu9XF/0fFXl9EUinr9QfTM7a7p0oTA4iJRCQWppXR1Pg8dSM0UCItCkPwsk9qWWYA==}
+    engines: {node: ^12.20.0 || ^14.18.0 || >=16.0.0}
+
   '@polka/compression@1.0.0-next.28':
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-aDmrBhgHJtxE+jy145WfhW9WmTAFmES/dNnn1LAs8UnnkFgBUj4T8I4ScQ9+rOkpDZStvnVP5iqhN3tvt7O1NA==}
     engines: {node: '>=6'}
@@ -2569,6 +2576,10 @@ packages:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-ot0WnXS9fgdkgIcePe6RHNk1WA8+muPa6cSjeR3V8K27q9BB1rTE3R1p7Hv0z1ZyAc8s6Vvv8DIyWf681MAt0w==}
     engines: {node: '>= 0.4'}
 
+  synckit@0.9.2:
+    resolution: {integrity: sha512-vrozgXDQwYO72vHjUb/HnFbQx1exDjoKzqx23aXEg2a9VIg2TSFZ8FmeZpTjUCFMYw7mpX4BE2SFu8wI7asYsw==}
+    engines: {node: ^14.18.0 || >=16.0.0}
+
   tabbable@6.2.0:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-Cat63mxsVJlzYvN51JmVXIgNoUokrIaT2zLclCXjRd8boZ0004U4KCs/sToJ75C6sdlByWxpYnb5Boif1VSFew==}
 
@@ -3278,6 +3289,8 @@ snapshots:
       '@nodelib/fs.scandir': 2.1.5
       fastq: 1.17.1
 
+  '@pkgr/core@0.1.1': {}
+
   '@polka/compression@1.0.0-next.28': {}
 
   '@polka/url@1.0.0-next.28': {}
@@ -5095,6 +5108,11 @@ snapshots:
 
   supports-preserve-symlinks-flag@1.0.0: {}
 
+  synckit@0.9.2:
+    dependencies:
+      '@pkgr/core': 0.1.1
+      tslib: 2.7.0
+
   tabbable@6.2.0: {}
 
   temp-dir@3.0.0: {}
diff --git a/src/node/markdown/plugins/highlight.ts b/src/node/markdown/plugins/highlight.ts
index 26c72c22..bb2ffd42 100644
--- a/src/node/markdown/plugins/highlight.ts
+++ b/src/node/markdown/plugins/highlight.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { customAlphabet } from 'nanoid'
 import c from 'picocolors'
 import type { ShikiTransformer } from 'shiki'
-import { bundledLanguages, createHighlighter, isSpecialLang } from 'shiki'
+import { createHighlighter, isSpecialLang } from 'shiki'
 import {
   transformerCompactLineOptions,
   transformerNotationDiff,
@@ -12,7 +12,12 @@ import {
 } from '@shikijs/transformers'
 import type { Logger } from 'vite'
 import type { MarkdownOptions, ThemeOptions } from '../markdown'
+import { createSyncFn } from 'synckit'
+import { createRequire } from 'node:module'
 
+const require = createRequire(import.meta.url)
+
+const resolveLang = createSyncFn(require.resolve('vitepress/shiki-helpers'))
 const nanoid = customAlphabet('abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz', 10)
 
 /**
@@ -62,7 +67,7 @@ export async function highlight(
       typeof theme === 'object' && 'light' in theme && 'dark' in theme
         ? [theme.light, theme.dark]
         : [theme],
-    langs: [...Object.keys(bundledLanguages), ...(options.languages || [])],
+    langs: options.languages || [],
     langAlias: options.languageAlias
   })
 
@@ -108,14 +113,19 @@ export async function highlight(
       if (lang) {
         const langLoaded = highlighter.getLoadedLanguages().includes(lang)
         if (!langLoaded && !isSpecialLang(lang)) {
-          logger.warn(
-            c.yellow(
-              `\nThe language '${lang}' is not loaded, falling back to '${
-                defaultLang || 'txt'
-              }' for syntax highlighting.`
+          const resolvedLang = resolveLang(lang)
+          if (!resolveLang) {
+            logger.warn(
+              c.yellow(
+                `\nThe language '${lang}' is not loaded, falling back to '${
+                  defaultLang || 'txt'
+                }' for syntax highlighting.`
+              )
             )
-          )
-          lang = defaultLang
+            lang = defaultLang
+          } else {
+            highlighter.loadLanguageSync(resolvedLang as any)
+          }
         }
       }