diff --git a/doc/execution-semantics.md b/doc/execution-semantics.md
index 212a0d0663d..e2c160a225b 100644
--- a/doc/execution-semantics.md
+++ b/doc/execution-semantics.md
@@ -542,7 +542,9 @@ private manifest before handing it to the controller; ordinary snapshot disposal
 removes that worker's temporary directory. A failed capture removes its temporary
 state before releasing its worker slot. This scheduling boundary does not replace
 source authorization, warm-stamp validation, Git identity checks or restore
-conflict detection. Legacy adapter snapshots remain inline.
+conflict detection. Legacy adapter snapshots remain inline. Snapshot-only workers
+do not load the adapter process-launch helpers. The directory merge loads those
+helpers when it resolves its instance-scoped lock root.
 
 ### Remote Codex model compatibility
 
diff --git a/packages/adapter-utils/src/workspace-restore-merge.ts b/packages/adapter-utils/src/workspace-restore-merge.ts
index e35923638ae..7e1d2f9a485 100644
--- a/packages/adapter-utils/src/workspace-restore-merge.ts
+++ b/packages/adapter-utils/src/workspace-restore-merge.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import path from "node:path";
 import { DatabaseSync } from "node:sqlite";
 import { createWorkspaceManifest, WorkspaceManifestMap, workspacePathMatcher, type PathManifest, type WorkspacePaths, type WorkspaceManifestWriter } from "./workspace-manifest.js";
 import { shouldExcludePath } from "./exclude-patterns.js";
-import { resolvePaperclipInstanceRootForAdapter } from "./server-utils.js";
 import { runSnapshotThread } from "./workspace-snapshot-thread.js";
 import type { WorkspaceRestoreDiagnostic } from "./workspace-restore-diagnostics.js";
 
@@ -493,6 +492,7 @@ function nonEmpty(value: string | undefined): string | null {
  * would follow the symlink) before any caller treats it as the lock root.
  */
 async function resolveDirectoryMergeLockRoot(env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env): Promise<string> {
+  const { resolvePaperclipInstanceRootForAdapter } = await import("./server-utils.js");
   const instanceRoot = resolvePaperclipInstanceRootForAdapter({
     homeDir: nonEmpty(env.PAPERCLIP_HOME) ?? undefined,
     instanceId: nonEmpty(env.PAPERCLIP_INSTANCE_ID) ?? undefined,