diff --git a/flash_mla/__init__.py b/flash_mla/__init__.py
index e37cd195..9513b14c 100644
--- a/flash_mla/__init__.py
+++ b/flash_mla/__init__.py
@@ -1,7 +1,50 @@
 # Adapted from deepseek-ai/FlashMLA(https://github.com/deepseek-ai/FlashMLA)
 __version__ = "1.0.1"
 
-from flash_mla.flash_mla_interface import(
-    get_mla_metadata,
-    flash_mla_with_kvcache
-)
+__all__ = ["__version__", "get_mla_metadata", "flash_mla_with_kvcache"]
+
+_INTERFACE_FUNCS = None
+
+
+def _load_interface():
+    global _INTERFACE_FUNCS
+    if _INTERFACE_FUNCS is None:
+        try:
+            from flash_mla.flash_mla_interface import flash_mla_with_kvcache, get_mla_metadata
+        except ImportError as exc:
+            raise ImportError(
+                "flash_mla_cuda is not available. Build and install FlashMLA from source "
+                "in a configured MACA environment before calling FlashMLA kernels."
+            ) from exc
+        _INTERFACE_FUNCS = (get_mla_metadata, flash_mla_with_kvcache)
+    return _INTERFACE_FUNCS
+
+
+def get_mla_metadata(cache_seqlens, num_heads_per_head_k, num_heads_k):
+    metadata_func, _ = _load_interface()
+    return metadata_func(cache_seqlens, num_heads_per_head_k, num_heads_k)
+
+
+def flash_mla_with_kvcache(
+    q,
+    k_cache,
+    block_table,
+    cache_seqlens,
+    head_dim_v,
+    tile_scheduler_metadata,
+    num_splits,
+    softmax_scale=None,
+    causal=False,
+):
+    _, flash_func = _load_interface()
+    return flash_func(
+        q,
+        k_cache,
+        block_table,
+        cache_seqlens,
+        head_dim_v,
+        tile_scheduler_metadata,
+        num_splits,
+        softmax_scale=softmax_scale,
+        causal=causal,
+    )
diff --git a/tests/test_lazy_import.py b/tests/test_lazy_import.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cad834b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_lazy_import.py
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+import importlib
+import inspect
+import sys
+import types
+import unittest
+from pathlib import Path
+
+sys.path.insert(0, str(Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1]))
+
+
+class LazyImportTest(unittest.TestCase):
+    def tearDown(self):
+        sys.modules.pop("flash_mla.flash_mla_interface", None)
+        sys.modules.pop("flash_mla", None)
+
+    def test_import_package_without_compiled_extension(self):
+        module = importlib.import_module("flash_mla")
+
+        self.assertEqual(module.__version__, "1.0.1")
+        self.assertEqual(
+            list(inspect.signature(module.get_mla_metadata).parameters),
+            ["cache_seqlens", "num_heads_per_head_k", "num_heads_k"],
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(
+            list(inspect.signature(module.flash_mla_with_kvcache).parameters),
+            [
+                "q",
+                "k_cache",
+                "block_table",
+                "cache_seqlens",
+                "head_dim_v",
+                "tile_scheduler_metadata",
+                "num_splits",
+                "softmax_scale",
+                "causal",
+            ],
+        )
+
+    def test_interface_functions_are_cached_after_first_load(self):
+        calls = []
+        fake_interface = types.ModuleType("flash_mla.flash_mla_interface")
+
+        def fake_get_mla_metadata(*args):
+            calls.append(("metadata", args))
+            return "metadata"
+
+        def fake_flash_mla_with_kvcache(*args, **kwargs):
+            calls.append(("flash", args, kwargs))
+            return "flash"
+
+        fake_interface.get_mla_metadata = fake_get_mla_metadata
+        fake_interface.flash_mla_with_kvcache = fake_flash_mla_with_kvcache
+        sys.modules["flash_mla.flash_mla_interface"] = fake_interface
+
+        module = importlib.import_module("flash_mla")
+        module._INTERFACE_FUNCS = None
+
+        self.assertEqual(module.get_mla_metadata("seq", 2, 3), "metadata")
+        sys.modules.pop("flash_mla.flash_mla_interface", None)
+        self.assertEqual(module.get_mla_metadata("cached", 4, 5), "metadata")
+
+        self.assertEqual(
+            calls,
+            [
+                ("metadata", ("seq", 2, 3)),
+                ("metadata", ("cached", 4, 5)),
+            ],
+        )
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main()