diff --git a/packages/vitest/src/node/core.ts b/packages/vitest/src/node/core.ts
index fc77fdfd41e2..88ebd36e0c20 100644
--- a/packages/vitest/src/node/core.ts
+++ b/packages/vitest/src/node/core.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { existsSync, promises as fs } from 'node:fs'
 import type { Writable } from 'node:stream'
 import type { ViteDevServer } from 'vite'
-import { dirname, join, normalize, relative, resolve } from 'pathe'
+import { dirname, join, normalize, relative } from 'pathe'
 import mm from 'micromatch'
 import { ViteNodeRunner } from 'vite-node/client'
 import { SnapshotManager } from '@vitest/snapshot/manager'
@@ -12,10 +12,10 @@ import { version } from '../../package.json' with { type: 'json' }
 import { getTasks, hasFailed, noop, slash, toArray, wildcardPatternToRegExp } from '../utils'
 import { getCoverageProvider } from '../integrations/coverage'
 import { workspacesFiles as workspaceFiles } from '../constants'
-import { rootDir } from '../paths'
 import { WebSocketReporter } from '../api/setup'
 import type { SerializedCoverageConfig } from '../runtime/config'
 import type { ArgumentsType, OnServerRestartHandler, ProvidedContext, UserConsoleLog } from '../types/general'
+import { distDir } from '../paths'
 import type { ProcessPool, WorkspaceSpec } from './pool'
 import { createPool, getFilePoolName } from './pool'
 import { createBenchmarkReporters, createReporters } from './reporters/utils'
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ export class Vitest {
   private resolvedProjects: WorkspaceProject[] = []
   public projects: WorkspaceProject[] = []
 
-  public distPath!: string
+  public distPath = distDir
 
   private _cachedSpecs = new Map<string, WorkspaceSpec[]>()
 
@@ -106,7 +106,6 @@ export class Vitest {
     this.pool = undefined
     this.coverageProvider = undefined
     this.runningPromise = undefined
-    this.distPath = undefined!
     this._cachedSpecs.clear()
 
     const resolved = resolveConfig(this.mode, options, server.config, this.logger)
@@ -560,20 +559,7 @@ export class Vitest {
     }
   }
 
-  private async initializeDistPath() {
-    if (this.distPath) {
-      return
-    }
-
-    // if Vitest is running globally, then we should still import local vitest if possible
-    const projectVitestPath = await this.vitenode.resolveId('vitest')
-    const vitestDir = projectVitestPath ? resolve(projectVitestPath.id, '../..') : rootDir
-    this.distPath = join(vitestDir, 'dist')
-  }
-
   async runFiles(specs: TestSpecification[], allTestsRun: boolean) {
-    await this.initializeDistPath()
-
     const filepaths = specs.map(spec => spec.moduleId)
     this.state.collectPaths(filepaths)
 
@@ -638,8 +624,6 @@ export class Vitest {
   }
 
   async collectFiles(specs: WorkspaceSpec[]) {
-    await this.initializeDistPath()
-
     const filepaths = specs.map(spec => spec.moduleId)
     this.state.collectPaths(filepaths)
 
diff --git a/packages/vitest/src/node/plugins/index.ts b/packages/vitest/src/node/plugins/index.ts
index a22215c852bf..7c1077ee88d5 100644
--- a/packages/vitest/src/node/plugins/index.ts
+++ b/packages/vitest/src/node/plugins/index.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import {
 } from './utils'
 import { VitestOptimizer } from './optimizer'
 import { NormalizeURLPlugin } from './normalizeURL'
+import { VitestCoreResolver } from './vitestResolver'
 
 export async function VitestPlugin(
   options: UserConfig = {},
@@ -253,6 +254,7 @@ export async function VitestPlugin(
     SsrReplacerPlugin(),
     ...CSSEnablerPlugin(ctx),
     CoverageTransform(ctx),
+    VitestCoreResolver(ctx),
     options.ui ? await UIPlugin() : null,
     ...MocksPlugins(),
     VitestOptimizer(),
diff --git a/packages/vitest/src/node/plugins/vitestResolver.ts b/packages/vitest/src/node/plugins/vitestResolver.ts
index 7a18d2078b02..6582db943c48 100644
--- a/packages/vitest/src/node/plugins/vitestResolver.ts
+++ b/packages/vitest/src/node/plugins/vitestResolver.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
 import type { Plugin } from 'vite'
+import { join, resolve } from 'pathe'
 import type { Vitest } from '../core'
+import { distDir } from '../../paths'
 
-export function VitestResolver(ctx: Vitest): Plugin {
+export function VitestProjectResolver(ctx: Vitest): Plugin {
   const plugin: Plugin = {
     name: 'vitest:resolve-root',
     enforce: 'pre',
     async resolveId(id, _, { ssr }) {
-      if (id === 'vitest' || id.startsWith('@vitest/')) {
+      if (id === 'vitest' || id.startsWith('@vitest/') || id.startsWith('vitest/')) {
         // always redirect the request to the root vitest plugin since
         // it will be the one used to run Vitest
         const resolved = await ctx.server.pluginContainer.resolveId(id, undefined, {
@@ -19,3 +21,21 @@ export function VitestResolver(ctx: Vitest): Plugin {
   }
   return plugin
 }
+
+export function VitestCoreResolver(ctx: Vitest): Plugin {
+  return {
+    name: 'vitest:resolve-core',
+    enforce: 'pre',
+    async resolveId(id) {
+      if (id === 'vitest') {
+        return resolve(distDir, 'index.js')
+      }
+      if (id.startsWith('@vitest/') || id.startsWith('vitest/')) {
+        // ignore actual importer, we want it to be resolved relative to the root
+        return this.resolve(id, join(ctx.config.root, 'index.html'), {
+          skipSelf: true,
+        })
+      }
+    },
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/vitest/src/node/plugins/workspace.ts b/packages/vitest/src/node/plugins/workspace.ts
index 768f4ad1445f..1c5ff4878835 100644
--- a/packages/vitest/src/node/plugins/workspace.ts
+++ b/packages/vitest/src/node/plugins/workspace.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import {
   hijackVitePluginInject,
   resolveFsAllow,
 } from './utils'
-import { VitestResolver } from './vitestResolver'
+import { VitestProjectResolver } from './vitestResolver'
 import { VitestOptimizer } from './optimizer'
 import { NormalizeURLPlugin } from './normalizeURL'
 
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ export function WorkspaceVitestPlugin(
     ...CSSEnablerPlugin(project),
     CoverageTransform(project.ctx),
     ...MocksPlugins(),
-    VitestResolver(project.ctx),
+    VitestProjectResolver(project.ctx),
     VitestOptimizer(),
     NormalizeURLPlugin(),
   ]