diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 4605ed2ac7..506031346c 100755
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
     "link-win": "node ./scripts/link-bin.js node_modules/amplify-cli-internal/bin/amplify amplify-dev",
     "lint": "eslint . --ext .js,.jsx,.ts,.tsx",
     "package": "lerna run package",
+    "pack-slim-construct": "ts-node ./scripts/pack-slim-construct.ts",
     "postpublish:release": "git fetch . release:main && git push origin main",
     "prettier-check": "yarn prettier --check .",
     "prettier-write": "yarn prettier --write .",
diff --git a/scripts/README-slim-construct-build.md b/scripts/README-slim-construct-build.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5e6374136e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/README-slim-construct-build.md
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+# DRAFT / RFC: opt-in "slim" (unbundled) construct build
+
+> Status: **draft for maintainer discussion** — not intended to change any
+> default publish behavior as-is.
+
+## Motivation
+
+`@aws-amplify/data-construct` and `@aws-amplify/graphql-api-construct` ship their
+non-jsii dependency closure via `bundledDependencies` (derived from each
+package's `nonJsiiDependencies.json`, enforced by
+`scripts/verify-construct-dependencies.ts`). That closure is large: each
+construct unpacks to roughly **225 MB / ~480 nested files**.
+
+For pure-npm / TypeScript consumers (e.g.
+[`aws-amplify/amplify-backend`](https://github.com/aws-amplify/amplify-backend)),
+this dominates `npm install` time — and is ~2x worse on Windows CI, where
+antivirus scans every extracted file on close. Because the dependencies are
+physically inside the published tarball, consumers **cannot** opt out with
+`overrides` / `resolutions` (see
+[#3464](https://github.com/aws-amplify/amplify-category-api/issues/3464)).
+
+Key observation: every bundled dependency is **also** declared as a normal
+`dependencies` entry. So for a pure-npm consumer, an *unbundled* tarball
+resolves the exact same packages and versions from the registry (npm
+hoists/dedupes them normally) — a smaller, faster install with identical
+resolved code, and one that consumers can patch via `overrides`.
+
+## What this PR adds
+
+A single additive, opt-in script — `scripts/pack-slim-construct.ts`
+(root script `yarn pack-slim-construct <constructPackageDir>`):
+
+1. Copies the already-built construct package dir to a temp location (never
+   mutating the source or the default build artifact).
+2. Removes `bundledDependencies` from the **copy's** `package.json` (leaving
+   `dependencies` intact) and annotates it (`amplifySlimBuild: true`).
+3. `npm pack`s the copy to emit a slim `.tgz`.
+
+The default `bundledDependencies` build — what every existing customer and
+every jsii/multi-language target consumes — is **untouched**. This is purely a
+way to *produce and measure* a slim artifact.
+
+## Explicitly out of scope for this draft (maintainer decisions)
+
+- **How to publish** the slim artifact so existing customers see no change:
+  a separate `@aws-amplify/*-slim` package name, or an opt-in `slim` dist-tag.
+- Whether/which jsii language targets must retain bundling (today both packages
+  build with jsii but declare `"targets": {}`, i.e. JS/TS only).
+- Wiring the slim pack into the release pipeline and adding a size/regression
+  check.
+
+## Compatibility
+
+- Default publish path, CI, and `verify-construct-dependencies` are unchanged.
+- Slim variant is byte-identical in *resolved* dependency versions for a
+  pure-npm consumer (same `dependencies`), differing only in delivery
+  (registry-resolved vs. tarball-embedded).
diff --git a/scripts/pack-slim-construct.ts b/scripts/pack-slim-construct.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c0e876d930
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/pack-slim-construct.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+/**
+ * DRAFT / RFC (see the accompanying PR): opt-in "slim" packaging for the CDK
+ * construct packages (`@aws-amplify/data-construct`,
+ * `@aws-amplify/graphql-api-construct`).
+ *
+ * Problem
+ * -------
+ * These packages ship their non-jsii dependency closure via
+ * `bundledDependencies` (derived from each package's `nonJsiiDependencies.json`
+ * and verified by `scripts/verify-construct-dependencies.ts`). That closure is
+ * large — each construct unpacks to ~225 MB / ~480 nested files — which
+ * dominates `npm install` time for pure-npm/TypeScript consumers (e.g.
+ * aws-amplify/amplify-backend), and is especially painful on Windows CI where
+ * per-file antivirus scans make the unpack ~2x slower. Because the deps are
+ * physically inside the published tarball, consumers cannot opt out via
+ * `overrides`/`resolutions` (see amplify-category-api issue #3464).
+ *
+ * Every bundled dependency is ALSO declared as a normal `dependencies` entry,
+ * so for a pure-npm consumer an UNbundled tarball resolves the exact same
+ * packages+versions from the registry (npm hoists/dedupes them normally) — a
+ * smaller, faster install with identical resolved code.
+ *
+ * This script produces such a slim tarball WITHOUT changing the default build
+ * or the default published artifact in any way:
+ *   1. Copy the already-built package dir to a temp location.
+ *   2. In the COPY's package.json, remove `bundledDependencies` and mark it
+ *      with a `-slim`-suffixed name/tag (configurable) so it can be published
+ *      under an opt-in dist-tag / name and never collides with the default.
+ *   3. `npm pack` the copy to emit the slim `.tgz`.
+ *
+ * The default `bundledDependencies` build (what every existing customer, and
+ * every jsii/multi-language target, consumes) is untouched — this is purely
+ * additive and opt-in. Maintainers own the decision of HOW to publish the
+ * result (separate `-slim` package name vs. a `slim` dist-tag); this script
+ * only builds the artifact so the tradeoff can be measured.
+ *
+ * Usage:
+ *   ts-node scripts/pack-slim-construct.ts <constructPackageDir> [outDir]
+ * e.g.
+ *   ts-node scripts/pack-slim-construct.ts packages/amplify-data-construct
+ */
+import * as fs from 'fs';
+import * as path from 'path';
+import { execFileSync } from 'child_process';
+import * as os from 'os';
+
+const [, , constructPackageDirArg, outDirArg] = process.argv;
+
+if (!constructPackageDirArg) {
+  throw new Error(
+    'Usage: ts-node scripts/pack-slim-construct.ts <constructPackageDir> [outDir]',
+  );
+}
+
+const constructPackageDir = path.resolve(constructPackageDirArg);
+const outDir = path.resolve(outDirArg ?? process.cwd());
+const packageJsonPath = path.join(constructPackageDir, 'package.json');
+
+if (!fs.existsSync(packageJsonPath)) {
+  throw new Error(`No package.json found at ${packageJsonPath}`);
+}
+
+const originalPackageJson = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(packageJsonPath, 'utf-8'));
+
+const bundled: string[] =
+  originalPackageJson.bundledDependencies ??
+  originalPackageJson.bundleDependencies ??
+  [];
+
+if (bundled.length === 0) {
+  console.log(
+    `${originalPackageJson.name} declares no bundledDependencies; nothing to slim.`,
+  );
+}
+
+// Work on a throwaway copy so the source package dir (and the default build
+// artifact) is never mutated.
+const workDir = fs.mkdtempSync(
+  path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'amplify-slim-construct-'),
+);
+const stagedDir = path.join(workDir, path.basename(constructPackageDir));
+fs.cpSync(constructPackageDir, stagedDir, {
+  recursive: true,
+  // node_modules is not needed to pack a jsii-built package (lib/ + .jsii are
+  // what ship); skip it to keep the copy fast.
+  filter: (src) => path.basename(src) !== 'node_modules',
+});
+
+const stagedPackageJson = JSON.parse(
+  fs.readFileSync(path.join(stagedDir, 'package.json'), 'utf-8'),
+);
+
+// The core of the slim variant: drop the bundling directive. The regular
+// `dependencies` (which list the same packages with versions) are left intact,
+// so npm resolves them from the registry for a pure-npm consumer.
+delete stagedPackageJson.bundledDependencies;
+delete stagedPackageJson.bundleDependencies;
+
+// Publish-identity: default OFF. Maintainers can wire a `-slim` package name or
+// a `slim` dist-tag; here we only annotate so the artifact is unmistakable and
+// can never be mistaken for the default published package.
+stagedPackageJson.amplifySlimBuild = true;
+
+fs.writeFileSync(
+  path.join(stagedDir, 'package.json'),
+  JSON.stringify(stagedPackageJson, null, 2) + '\n',
+);
+
+fs.mkdirSync(outDir, { recursive: true });
+
+console.log(
+  `Packing SLIM (unbundled) variant of ${stagedPackageJson.name} ` +
+    `(${bundled.length} bundledDependencies removed) into ${outDir}`,
+);
+
+execFileSync('npm', ['pack', '--pack-destination', outDir], {
+  cwd: stagedDir,
+  stdio: 'inherit',
+});
+
+fs.rmSync(workDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+
+console.log('Slim pack complete. Default (bundled) build is unchanged.');