diff --git a/e2e/rspack/tests/rspack.spec.ts b/e2e/rspack/tests/rspack.spec.ts
index b56dbbc19b5..67566edcf60 100644
--- a/e2e/rspack/tests/rspack.spec.ts
+++ b/e2e/rspack/tests/rspack.spec.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@ import {
   updateFile,
   runCLI,
   createFile,
+  packageInstall,
   readJson,
+  removeFile,
   updateJson,
 } from '@nx/e2e-utils';
 
@@ -39,6 +41,65 @@ describe('rspack e2e', () => {
     expect(rspackPlugin).toBeDefined();
   });
 
+  it('should infer targets from a rspack.config.ts that imports @rspack/core and an extensionless .ts sibling', () => {
+    const appName = uniq('app');
+
+    runCLI(
+      `generate @nx/react:application --directory=apps/${appName} --bundler=rspack --e2eTestRunner=none`
+    );
+
+    // The extensionless `.ts` import fails Node's native ESM link, so the
+    // config falls back to swc-node (installed below) and re-requires
+    // @rspack/core, which the failed link left cached (see #36685).
+    packageInstall('@swc-node/register', undefined, '~1.11.1');
+    packageInstall('@swc/core', undefined, '~1.15.5');
+    removeFile(`apps/${appName}/rspack.config.js`);
+    createFile(
+      `apps/${appName}/rspack.shared.ts`,
+      `export const devServerPort = 4310;`
+    );
+    createFile(
+      `apps/${appName}/rspack.config.ts`,
+      `
+        import { NxAppRspackPlugin } from '@nx/rspack/app-plugin';
+        import { NxReactRspackPlugin } from '@nx/rspack/react-plugin';
+        import { CopyRspackPlugin } from '@rspack/core';
+        import { join } from 'path';
+
+        import { devServerPort } from './rspack.shared';
+
+        export default {
+          output: {
+            path: join(__dirname, '../../dist/${appName}'),
+          },
+          devServer: {
+            port: devServerPort,
+          },
+          plugins: [
+            new NxAppRspackPlugin({
+              tsConfig: './tsconfig.app.json',
+              main: './src/main.tsx',
+              index: './src/index.html',
+              baseHref: '/',
+              assets: ['./src/favicon.ico', './src/assets'],
+              styles: ['./src/styles.scss'],
+              outputHashing: process.env['NODE_ENV'] === 'production' ? 'all' : 'none',
+              optimization: process.env['NODE_ENV'] === 'production',
+            }),
+            new NxReactRspackPlugin(),
+            new CopyRspackPlugin({ patterns: [] }),
+          ],
+        };`
+    );
+
+    const project = JSON.parse(
+      runCLI(`show project ${appName} --json`, { daemon: false })
+    );
+
+    expect(project.targets.build).toBeDefined();
+    expect(project.targets['serve-static'].options.port).toBe(4310);
+  });
+
   describe('config types', () => {
     it('should support a standard config object', () => {
       const appName = uniq('app');
diff --git a/packages/rspack/src/utils/resolve-user-defined-rspack-config.ts b/packages/rspack/src/utils/resolve-user-defined-rspack-config.ts
index 35965884399..9c071469312 100644
--- a/packages/rspack/src/utils/resolve-user-defined-rspack-config.ts
+++ b/packages/rspack/src/utils/resolve-user-defined-rspack-config.ts
@@ -6,5 +6,19 @@ export async function resolveUserDefinedRspackConfig(
   /** Skip require cache and return latest content */
   reload = false
 ) {
+  await preloadRspackCore();
   return await loadConfigFile(path);
 }
+
+// Node keeps @rspack/core cached un-instantiated when a config's require(esm)
+// link fails (e.g. an extensionless `.ts` sibling import under native type
+// stripping), and every later require('@rspack/core') then throws
+// "Unexpected module status 0". See https://github.com/nrwl/nx/issues/36685
+async function preloadRspackCore(): Promise<void> {
+  try {
+    await new Function('return import("@rspack/core")')();
+  } catch {
+    // Not resolvable from here, or import() unavailable (e.g. under Jest).
+    // Whatever is actually wrong surfaces when the config itself loads.
+  }
+}