diff --git a/apps/server/src/serverLayers.ts b/apps/server/src/serverLayers.ts
index 7250f8566..b75444173 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/serverLayers.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/serverLayers.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import * as NodeServices from "@effect/platform-node/NodeServices";
-import { Effect, FileSystem, Layer } from "effect";
+import { Effect, FileSystem, Layer, Path } from "effect";
 import * as SqlClient from "effect/unstable/sql/SqlClient";
 
 import { CheckpointDiffQueryLive } from "./checkpointing/Layers/CheckpointDiffQuery";
@@ -32,10 +32,26 @@ import { GitCoreLive } from "./git/Layers/GitCore";
 import { GitHubCliLive } from "./git/Layers/GitHubCli";
 import { CodexTextGenerationLive } from "./git/Layers/CodexTextGeneration";
 import { GitServiceLive } from "./git/Layers/GitService";
-import { BunPtyAdapterLive } from "./terminal/Layers/BunPTY";
-import { NodePtyAdapterLive } from "./terminal/Layers/NodePTY";
+import { PtyAdapter } from "./terminal/Services/PTY";
 import { AnalyticsService } from "./telemetry/Services/AnalyticsService";
 
+type RuntimePtyAdapterLoader = {
+  layer: Layer.Layer<PtyAdapter, never, FileSystem.FileSystem | Path.Path>;
+};
+
+const runtimePtyAdapterLoaders = {
+  bun: () => import("./terminal/Layers/BunPTY"),
+  node: () => import("./terminal/Layers/NodePTY"),
+} satisfies Record<string, () => Promise<RuntimePtyAdapterLoader>>;
+
+const makeRuntimePtyAdapterLayer = () =>
+  Effect.gen(function* () {
+    const runtime = process.versions.bun !== undefined ? "bun" : "node";
+    const loader = runtimePtyAdapterLoaders[runtime];
+    const ptyAdapterModule = yield* Effect.promise<RuntimePtyAdapterLoader>(loader);
+    return ptyAdapterModule.layer;
+  }).pipe(Layer.unwrap);
+
 export function makeServerProviderLayer(): Layer.Layer<
   ProviderService,
   ProviderUnsupportedError,
@@ -108,13 +124,7 @@ export function makeServerRuntimeServicesLayer() {
     Layer.provideMerge(checkpointReactorLayer),
   );
 
-  const terminalLayer = TerminalManagerLive.pipe(
-    Layer.provide(
-      typeof Bun !== "undefined" && process.platform !== "win32"
-        ? BunPtyAdapterLive
-        : NodePtyAdapterLive,
-    ),
-  );
+  const terminalLayer = TerminalManagerLive.pipe(Layer.provide(makeRuntimePtyAdapterLayer()));
 
   const gitManagerLayer = GitManagerLive.pipe(
     Layer.provideMerge(gitCoreLayer),
diff --git a/apps/server/src/terminal/Layers/BunPTY.ts b/apps/server/src/terminal/Layers/BunPTY.ts
index 48b6492b1..1fb4bdd63 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/terminal/Layers/BunPTY.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/terminal/Layers/BunPTY.ts
@@ -86,11 +86,13 @@ class BunPtyProcess implements PtyProcess {
   }
 }
 
-export const BunPtyAdapterLive = Layer.effect(
+export const layer = Layer.effect(
   PtyAdapter,
   Effect.gen(function* () {
     if (process.platform === "win32") {
-      return yield* Effect.die("Bun PTY terminal support is unavailable on Windows.");
+      return yield* Effect.die(
+        "Bun PTY terminal support is unavailable on Windows. Please use Node.js (e.g. by running `npx t3`) instead.",
+      );
     }
     return {
       spawn: (input) =>
diff --git a/apps/server/src/terminal/Layers/NodePTY.ts b/apps/server/src/terminal/Layers/NodePTY.ts
index 60a7ab622..cf1fdd219 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/terminal/Layers/NodePTY.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/terminal/Layers/NodePTY.ts
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ class NodePtyProcess implements PtyProcess {
   }
 }
 
-export const NodePtyAdapterLive = Layer.effect(
+export const layer = Layer.effect(
   PtyAdapter,
   Effect.gen(function* () {
     const fs = yield* FileSystem.FileSystem;