diff --git a/.changeset/dirty-tools-travel.md b/.changeset/dirty-tools-travel.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..91a69ee4311
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/dirty-tools-travel.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@builder.io/qwik-city': patch
+---
+
+fix: `zod` is now imported as `import * as z from 'zod'`, which vastly improves bundling. The Insights app client code reduced by 12kB.
diff --git a/packages/docs/src/routes/docs/labs/typed-routes/index.mdx b/packages/docs/src/routes/docs/labs/typed-routes/index.mdx
index 39a096b5fe6..d5655a4666f 100644
--- a/packages/docs/src/routes/docs/labs/typed-routes/index.mdx
+++ b/packages/docs/src/routes/docs/labs/typed-routes/index.mdx
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ The initialization process will create some important files for you.
 
 ### Declare Route Details
 ```typescript title="/src/routes/pokemon/[pokemonId]/routeInfo.ts"
-import { z } from "zod";
+import * as z from "zod";
 
 export const Route = {
   name: "PokemonDetail",
diff --git a/packages/insights/src/routes/app/[publicApiKey]/app.form.tsx b/packages/insights/src/routes/app/[publicApiKey]/app.form.tsx
index 01ab8c54b19..78f9ffce70d 100644
--- a/packages/insights/src/routes/app/[publicApiKey]/app.form.tsx
+++ b/packages/insights/src/routes/app/[publicApiKey]/app.form.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { z } from 'zod';
+import * as z from 'zod';
 
 export const ApplicationForm = z.object({
   name: z.string().min(1, 'Application name is required.'),
diff --git a/packages/insights/src/types/q-manifest.ts b/packages/insights/src/types/q-manifest.ts
index 40f84041a56..e67c8456e66 100644
--- a/packages/insights/src/types/q-manifest.ts
+++ b/packages/insights/src/types/q-manifest.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { z } from 'zod';
+import * as z from 'zod';
 
 export const QManifestSymbol = z.object({
   origin: z.string(),
diff --git a/packages/qwik-city/src/buildtime/vite/plugin.ts b/packages/qwik-city/src/buildtime/vite/plugin.ts
index e9d0d2ae287..93e24df160a 100644
--- a/packages/qwik-city/src/buildtime/vite/plugin.ts
+++ b/packages/qwik-city/src/buildtime/vite/plugin.ts
@@ -70,7 +70,14 @@ function qwikCityPlugin(userOpts?: QwikCityVitePluginOptions): any {
         },
         ssr: {
           external: ['node:async_hooks'],
-          noExternal: [QWIK_CITY, QWIK_CITY_PLAN_ID, QWIK_CITY_ENTRIES_ID, QWIK_CITY_SW_REGISTER],
+          noExternal: [
+            QWIK_CITY,
+            QWIK_CITY_PLAN_ID,
+            QWIK_CITY_ENTRIES_ID,
+            QWIK_CITY_SW_REGISTER,
+            // We've had reports of bundling issues with zod
+            'zod',
+          ],
         },
       };
       return updatedViteConfig;
diff --git a/packages/qwik-city/src/runtime/src/server-functions.ts b/packages/qwik-city/src/runtime/src/server-functions.ts
index 193362a61ab..19bda322639 100644
--- a/packages/qwik-city/src/runtime/src/server-functions.ts
+++ b/packages/qwik-city/src/runtime/src/server-functions.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import {
 } from '@builder.io/qwik';
 
 import * as v from 'valibot';
-import { z } from 'zod';
+import * as z from 'zod';
 import type { RequestEventLoader } from '../../middleware/request-handler/types';
 import { QACTION_KEY, QDATA_KEY, QFN_KEY } from './constants';
 import { RouteStateContext } from './contexts';
diff --git a/packages/qwik-city/src/runtime/src/server-functions.unit.ts b/packages/qwik-city/src/runtime/src/server-functions.unit.ts
index 2e581e62ac4..1b8e3c2014b 100644
--- a/packages/qwik-city/src/runtime/src/server-functions.unit.ts
+++ b/packages/qwik-city/src/runtime/src/server-functions.unit.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { describe, expectTypeOf, test } from 'vitest';
-import { z } from 'zod';
+import * as z from 'zod';
 import { server$ } from './server-functions';
 import type { RequestEventBase, ValidatorErrorType } from './types';
 
diff --git a/packages/qwik-labs/src/insights/index.tsx b/packages/qwik-labs/src/insights/index.tsx
index 7ef4a9cf248..217ecd89723 100644
--- a/packages/qwik-labs/src/insights/index.tsx
+++ b/packages/qwik-labs/src/insights/index.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { component$, sync$ } from '@builder.io/qwik';
-import { z } from 'zod';
+import * as z from 'zod';
 
 export interface InsightsPayload {
   /** Qwik version */
diff --git a/starters/apps/qwikcity-test/src/routes/(common)/(auth)/sign-in/index.tsx b/starters/apps/qwikcity-test/src/routes/(common)/(auth)/sign-in/index.tsx
index 64563ce051c..2d70b6cb3e7 100644
--- a/starters/apps/qwikcity-test/src/routes/(common)/(auth)/sign-in/index.tsx
+++ b/starters/apps/qwikcity-test/src/routes/(common)/(auth)/sign-in/index.tsx
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import {
   zod$,
 } from "@builder.io/qwik-city";
 import { isUserAuthenticated, signIn } from "../../../../auth/auth";
-import { z } from "zod";
+import * as z from "zod";
 
 export const onGet: RequestHandler = async ({ redirect, cookie }) => {
   if (await isUserAuthenticated(cookie)) {