diff --git a/src/rootfilespec/bootstrap/RAnchor.py b/src/rootfilespec/bootstrap/RAnchor.py
index 38953a2..20bb174 100644
--- a/src/rootfilespec/bootstrap/RAnchor.py
+++ b/src/rootfilespec/bootstrap/RAnchor.py
@@ -1,11 +1,7 @@
 from collections.abc import Callable
-from typing import Annotated
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Annotated
 
 from rootfilespec.bootstrap.streamedobject import StreamedObject
-from rootfilespec.rntuple.envelope import REnvelopeLocator
-from rootfilespec.rntuple.footer import FooterEnvelope
-from rootfilespec.rntuple.header import HeaderEnvelope
-from rootfilespec.rntuple.RLocator import LargeLocator
 from rootfilespec.serializable import (
     Locator,
     ReadBuffer,
@@ -14,6 +10,14 @@
 )
 from rootfilespec.structutil import Fmt
 
+# rootfilespec.rntuple imports rootfilespec.bootstrap (for compression), whose
+# __init__ imports this module, so the rntuple names are imported where they are
+# used rather than here (#119)
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from rootfilespec.rntuple.envelope import REnvelopeLocator
+    from rootfilespec.rntuple.footer import FooterEnvelope
+    from rootfilespec.rntuple.header import HeaderEnvelope
+
 
 @serializable
 class ROOT3a3aRNTuple(StreamedObject):
@@ -30,8 +34,12 @@ class ROOT3a3aRNTuple(StreamedObject):
     fMaxKeySize: Annotated[int, Fmt(">Q")]
 
     @property
-    def header_locator(self) -> REnvelopeLocator[HeaderEnvelope]:
+    def header_locator(self) -> "REnvelopeLocator[HeaderEnvelope]":
         """Get a locator for the RNTuple Header Envelope."""
+        from rootfilespec.rntuple.envelope import REnvelopeLocator
+        from rootfilespec.rntuple.header import HeaderEnvelope
+        from rootfilespec.rntuple.RLocator import LargeLocator
+
         return REnvelopeLocator(
             self.fLenHeader,
             LargeLocator(self.fNBytesHeader, self.fSeekHeader),
@@ -39,8 +47,12 @@ def header_locator(self) -> REnvelopeLocator[HeaderEnvelope]:
         )
 
     @property
-    def footer_locator(self) -> REnvelopeLocator[FooterEnvelope]:
+    def footer_locator(self) -> "REnvelopeLocator[FooterEnvelope]":
         """Get a locator for the RNTuple Footer Envelope."""
+        from rootfilespec.rntuple.envelope import REnvelopeLocator
+        from rootfilespec.rntuple.footer import FooterEnvelope
+        from rootfilespec.rntuple.RLocator import LargeLocator
+
         return REnvelopeLocator(
             self.fLenFooter,
             LargeLocator(self.fNBytesFooter, self.fSeekFooter),
@@ -49,7 +61,7 @@ def footer_locator(self) -> REnvelopeLocator[FooterEnvelope]:
 
     def get_header(
         self, fetch_data: Callable[[Locator[ROOTSerializable]], ReadBuffer]
-    ) -> HeaderEnvelope:
+    ) -> "HeaderEnvelope":
         """Reads the RNTuple Header Envelope from the given buffer."""
         loc = self.header_locator
         buffer = fetch_data(loc)
@@ -57,7 +69,7 @@ def get_header(
 
     def get_footer(
         self, fetch_data: Callable[[Locator[ROOTSerializable]], ReadBuffer]
-    ) -> FooterEnvelope:
+    ) -> "FooterEnvelope":
         """Reads the RNTuple Footer Envelope from the given buffer."""
         loc = self.footer_locator
         buffer = fetch_data(loc)
diff --git a/tests/test_imports.py b/tests/test_imports.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2f75d8d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_imports.py
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+import pkgutil
+import subprocess
+import sys
+
+import pytest
+
+import rootfilespec
+
+MODULES = sorted(
+    info.name
+    for info in pkgutil.walk_packages(rootfilespec.__path__, "rootfilespec.")
+    if ".generated" not in info.name
+)
+
+# The same shape as #119 outside RNTuple: rootfilespec.container imports
+# rootfilespec.bootstrap, whose array module imports rootfilespec.container
+KNOWN_CYCLES = {"rootfilespec.container"}
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "module",
+    [
+        pytest.param(
+            m,
+            marks=pytest.mark.xfail(
+                strict=True, reason="circular import through rootfilespec.bootstrap"
+            ),
+        )
+        if m in KNOWN_CYCLES
+        else m
+        for m in MODULES
+    ],
+)
+def test_import_alone(module: str):
+    """Issue #119: every module imports in a fresh interpreter, on its own
+
+    Importing rootfilespec.rntuple.* before rootfilespec.bootstrap used to fail
+    with a circular import.
+    """
+    result = subprocess.run(
+        [sys.executable, "-c", f"import {module}"],
+        capture_output=True,
+        text=True,
+        check=False,
+    )
+    assert result.returncode == 0, result.stderr