diff --git a/knip.json b/knip.json
index 0ca790a46..be860aa2a 100644
--- a/knip.json
+++ b/knip.json
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
     },
     "playground": {
       "entry": [
-        "{components,layouts,middleware,pages,plugins,server,store}/**",
+        "{components,composables,layouts,middleware,pages,plugins,server,store}/**",
         "*.ts"
       ]
     }
diff --git a/packages/bridge/src/app.ts b/packages/bridge/src/app.ts
index c378a8f93..28d8c59c4 100644
--- a/packages/bridge/src/app.ts
+++ b/packages/bridge/src/app.ts
@@ -106,6 +106,22 @@ export async function setupAppBridge (_options: any) {
 
   addTemplate(globalMiddlewareTemplate)
 
+  // Expose `$fetch` as a module export so that it can be imported regardless of plugin order
+  addTemplate({
+    filename: 'fetch.mjs',
+    getContents: () => [
+      'import { $fetch as _$fetch } from \'ofetch\'',
+      'if (!globalThis.$fetch) {',
+      '  globalThis.$fetch = _$fetch',
+      '}',
+      'export const $fetch = globalThis.$fetch'
+    ].join('\n')
+  })
+  addTemplate({
+    filename: 'fetch.d.ts',
+    getContents: () => 'export declare const $fetch: typeof globalThis.$fetch\n'
+  })
+
   addWebpackPlugin(new ProtocolImportPlugin())
 
   // Alias vue3 utilities to vue2
diff --git a/packages/bridge/src/imports/presets.ts b/packages/bridge/src/imports/presets.ts
index 011b5557f..5171ed836 100644
--- a/packages/bridge/src/imports/presets.ts
+++ b/packages/bridge/src/imports/presets.ts
@@ -40,6 +40,10 @@ const granularAppPresets: InlinePreset[] = [
     imports: ['useLazyFetch'],
     from: '#app/composables/fetch'
   },
+  {
+    imports: ['$fetch'],
+    from: '#build/fetch.mjs'
+  },
   {
     imports: ['useCookie'],
     from: '#app/composables/cookie'
diff --git a/packages/bridge/src/runtime/composables/fetch.ts b/packages/bridge/src/runtime/composables/fetch.ts
index 1fffbc43b..2ffa83d7f 100644
--- a/packages/bridge/src/runtime/composables/fetch.ts
+++ b/packages/bridge/src/runtime/composables/fetch.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,15 @@
 import type { FetchOptions, FetchError } from 'ofetch'
-import type { NitroFetchRequest, TypedInternalResponse, AvailableRouterMethod as _AvailableRouterMethod } from 'nitropack'
+import type { $Fetch, NitroFetchRequest, TypedInternalResponse, AvailableRouterMethod as _AvailableRouterMethod } from 'nitropack'
 import { hash } from 'ohash'
 import { computed, unref, reactive } from 'vue'
 import type { Ref } from 'vue'
 import type { AsyncData, AsyncDataOptions, KeysOf, MultiWatchSources, PickFrom } from './asyncData'
 import { useAsyncData } from './asyncData'
 import { useRequestFetch } from './ssr'
+// @ts-expect-error virtual file
+import { $fetch as _$fetch } from '#build/fetch.mjs'
+
+const $fetch: $Fetch = _$fetch
 
 // support uppercase methods, detail: https://github.com/nuxt/nuxt/issues/22313
 type AvailableRouterMethod<R extends NitroFetchRequest> = _AvailableRouterMethod<R> | Uppercase<_AvailableRouterMethod<R>>
@@ -31,7 +35,7 @@ export interface UseFetchOptions<
   M extends AvailableRouterMethod<R> = AvailableRouterMethod<R>
 > extends Omit<AsyncDataOptions<ResT, DataT, PickKeys, DefaultT>, 'watch'>, ComputedFetchOptions<R, M> {
   key?: string
-  $fetch?: typeof globalThis.$fetch
+  $fetch?: $Fetch
   watch?: MultiWatchSources | false
 }
 
@@ -150,7 +154,7 @@ export function useFetch<
       controller.signal.onabort = () => clearTimeout(timeoutId)
     }
 
-    let _$fetch = opts.$fetch || globalThis.$fetch
+    let _$fetch = opts.$fetch || $fetch
 
     // Use fetch with request context and headers for server direct API calls
     if (process.server && !opts.$fetch) {
diff --git a/packages/bridge/src/runtime/composables/ssr.ts b/packages/bridge/src/runtime/composables/ssr.ts
index deda053bd..be457b76b 100644
--- a/packages/bridge/src/runtime/composables/ssr.ts
+++ b/packages/bridge/src/runtime/composables/ssr.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,12 @@
 import type { H3Event } from 'h3'
 import type { NuxtAppCompat } from '@nuxt/bridge-schema'
 import { getRequestHeaders, createEvent } from 'h3'
-import type { H3Event$Fetch } from 'nitropack'
+import type { $Fetch, H3Event$Fetch } from 'nitropack'
 import { useNuxtApp } from '../nuxt'
+// @ts-expect-error virtual file
+import { $fetch as _$fetch } from '#build/fetch.mjs'
+
+const $fetch: $Fetch = _$fetch
 
 export function useRequestHeaders<K extends string = string> (include: K[]): { [key in Lowercase<K>]?: string }
 export function useRequestHeaders (): Readonly<Record<string, string>>
@@ -27,9 +31,9 @@ export function useRequestEvent (nuxtApp: NuxtAppCompat = useNuxtApp()): H3Event
   return nuxtApp.ssrContext._event
 }
 
-export function useRequestFetch (): H3Event$Fetch | typeof global.$fetch {
+export function useRequestFetch (): H3Event$Fetch | $Fetch {
   if (process.client) {
-    return globalThis.$fetch
+    return $fetch
   }
-  return useRequestEvent()?.$fetch || globalThis.$fetch
+  return useRequestEvent()?.$fetch || $fetch
 }
diff --git a/packages/bridge/src/runtime/nitro-bridge.client.mjs b/packages/bridge/src/runtime/nitro-bridge.client.mjs
index dedee4910..af3dd773d 100644
--- a/packages/bridge/src/runtime/nitro-bridge.client.mjs
+++ b/packages/bridge/src/runtime/nitro-bridge.client.mjs
@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
-import { $fetch } from 'ofetch'
-
-if (!globalThis.$fetch) {
-  globalThis.$fetch = $fetch
-}
+// Ensure `globalThis.$fetch` is set for code that does not import `$fetch` explicitly
+import '#build/fetch.mjs'
 
 export default () => {}
diff --git a/packages/bridge/test/mocks/fetch.mjs b/packages/bridge/test/mocks/fetch.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0c6db3158
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/bridge/test/mocks/fetch.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+// Mock for `#build/fetch.mjs`, which is generated by `setupAppBridge`
+export { $fetch } from 'ofetch'
diff --git a/playground/composables/global-fetch.ts b/playground/composables/global-fetch.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..822f142eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playground/composables/global-fetch.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+// `$fetch` is used at the top level of a module imported by a layout, which is evaluated before plugins
+export const customFetch = $fetch.create({})
diff --git a/playground/layouts/custom.vue b/playground/layouts/custom.vue
index ac9ef32e7..e55d523a2 100644
--- a/playground/layouts/custom.vue
+++ b/playground/layouts/custom.vue
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 <script setup lang="ts">
 const count = ref(0)
+const customFetchType = typeof customFetch
 
 </script>
 
@@ -14,5 +15,8 @@ const count = ref(0)
     <button class="add-count" @click="count++">
       add count
     </button>
+    <div class="custom-fetch">
+      customFetch: {{ customFetchType }}
+    </div>
   </div>
 </template>
diff --git a/test/bridge.test.ts b/test/bridge.test.ts
index ad1e12094..d6c41ff59 100644
--- a/test/bridge.test.ts
+++ b/test/bridge.test.ts
@@ -380,6 +380,17 @@ describe('layouts', () => {
     expect(html).toContain('with-layout.vue')
     expect(html).toContain('Custom Layout:')
   })
+
+  it('should hydrate when a layout uses `$fetch` at the top level of a module', async () => {
+    const { page, pageErrors } = await renderPage('/with-layout')
+
+    expect(pageErrors).toEqual([])
+    expect(await page.locator('.custom-fetch').textContent()).toContain('customFetch: function')
+    await page.locator('.add-count').click()
+    await page.waitForFunction(() => document.querySelector('.count')?.textContent?.trim() === '1')
+
+    await page.close()
+  })
 })
 
 describe('nitro plugins', () => {
diff --git a/vitest.config.ts b/vitest.config.ts
index abed6b211..96a0ee1c7 100644
--- a/vitest.config.ts
+++ b/vitest.config.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'url'
 import { defineConfig } from 'vitest/config'
 
-export default defineConfig({})
+export default defineConfig({
+  resolve: {
+    alias: {
+      '#build/fetch.mjs': fileURLToPath(new URL('./packages/bridge/test/mocks/fetch.mjs', import.meta.url))
+    }
+  }
+})