diff --git a/index.ts b/index.ts
index 891003c2..c68d2075 100644
--- a/index.ts
+++ b/index.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
+import { createElement } from 'react';
 import { AppRegistry } from 'react-native';
 import { registerRootComponent } from 'expo';
 
-import App from './App';
 import { pushBackgroundTask } from './src/lib/push-background-task';
 
 // Runs in a fresh headless JS runtime when BulwarkPushTaskService is started
@@ -9,7 +9,15 @@ import { pushBackgroundTask } from './src/lib/push-background-task';
 // before the native service tries to invoke the task.
 AppRegistry.registerHeadlessTask('BulwarkPushTask', () => pushBackgroundTask);
 
-// registerRootComponent calls AppRegistry.registerComponent('main', () => App);
+// A headless push task evaluates this file too, so App is required when the
+// UI first renders instead of imported above: importing it here would load
+// every screen, store and icon before the task could run.
+function Root() {
+  const App = (require('./App') as typeof import('./App')).default;
+  return createElement(App);
+}
+
+// registerRootComponent calls AppRegistry.registerComponent('main', () => Root);
 // It also ensures that whether you load the app in Expo Go or in a native build,
 // the environment is set up appropriately
-registerRootComponent(App);
+registerRootComponent(Root);