diff --git a/llama_toolchain/cli/distribution/configure.py b/llama_toolchain/cli/distribution/configure.py
index 88666f67e..20dc6955c 100644
--- a/llama_toolchain/cli/distribution/configure.py
+++ b/llama_toolchain/cli/distribution/configure.py
@@ -18,15 +18,8 @@ from pydantic import BaseModel
 from termcolor import cprint
 
 from llama_toolchain.cli.subcommand import Subcommand
-from llama_toolchain.distribution.datatypes import Distribution, PassthroughApiAdapter
-from llama_toolchain.distribution.registry import (
-    available_distributions,
-    resolve_distribution,
-)
 from llama_toolchain.utils import DISTRIBS_BASE_DIR, EnumEncoder
 
-from .utils import run_command
-
 
 class DistributionConfigure(Subcommand):
     """Llama cli for configuring llama toolchain configs"""
@@ -43,6 +36,7 @@ class DistributionConfigure(Subcommand):
         self.parser.set_defaults(func=self._run_distribution_configure_cmd)
 
     def _add_arguments(self):
+        from llama_toolchain.distribution.registry import available_distributions
         self.parser.add_argument(
             "--name",
             type=str,
@@ -52,6 +46,8 @@ class DistributionConfigure(Subcommand):
         )
 
     def _run_distribution_configure_cmd(self, args: argparse.Namespace) -> None:
+        from llama_toolchain.distribution.registry import resolve_distribution
+
         dist = resolve_distribution(args.name)
         if dist is None:
             self.parser.error(f"Could not find distribution {args.name}")
@@ -66,7 +62,10 @@ class DistributionConfigure(Subcommand):
         configure_llama_distribution(dist, conda_env)
 
 
-def configure_llama_distribution(dist: Distribution, conda_env: str):
+def configure_llama_distribution(dist: "Distribution", conda_env: str):
+    from llama_toolchain.distribution.datatypes import PassthroughApiAdapter
+    from .utils import run_command
+
     python_exe = run_command(shlex.split("which python"))
     # simple check
     if conda_env not in python_exe:
diff --git a/llama_toolchain/cli/distribution/create.py b/llama_toolchain/cli/distribution/create.py
index d169e46cc..e1cff1244 100644
--- a/llama_toolchain/cli/distribution/create.py
+++ b/llama_toolchain/cli/distribution/create.py
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 import argparse
 
 from llama_toolchain.cli.subcommand import Subcommand
-from llama_toolchain.distribution.registry import resolve_distribution
 
 
 class DistributionCreate(Subcommand):
@@ -35,6 +34,8 @@ class DistributionCreate(Subcommand):
         # wants to pick and then ask for their configuration.
 
     def _run_distribution_create_cmd(self, args: argparse.Namespace) -> None:
+        from llama_toolchain.distribution.registry import resolve_distribution
+
         dist = resolve_distribution(args.name)
         if dist is not None:
             self.parser.error(f"Distribution with name {args.name} already exists")
diff --git a/llama_toolchain/cli/distribution/install.py b/llama_toolchain/cli/distribution/install.py
index d45456f75..367906e32 100644
--- a/llama_toolchain/cli/distribution/install.py
+++ b/llama_toolchain/cli/distribution/install.py
@@ -11,17 +11,8 @@ import shlex
 import pkg_resources
 
 from llama_toolchain.cli.subcommand import Subcommand
-from llama_toolchain.distribution.distribution import distribution_dependencies
-from llama_toolchain.distribution.registry import (
-    available_distributions,
-    resolve_distribution,
-)
 from llama_toolchain.utils import DISTRIBS_BASE_DIR
 
-from .utils import run_command, run_with_pty
-
-DISTRIBS = available_distributions()
-
 
 class DistributionInstall(Subcommand):
     """Llama cli for configuring llama toolchain configs"""
@@ -38,12 +29,13 @@ class DistributionInstall(Subcommand):
         self.parser.set_defaults(func=self._run_distribution_install_cmd)
 
     def _add_arguments(self):
+        from llama_toolchain.distribution.registry import available_distributions
         self.parser.add_argument(
             "--name",
             type=str,
             help="Name of the distribution to install -- (try local-ollama)",
             required=True,
-            choices=[d.name for d in DISTRIBS],
+            choices=[d.name for d in available_distributions()],
         )
         self.parser.add_argument(
             "--conda-env",
@@ -53,6 +45,10 @@ class DistributionInstall(Subcommand):
         )
 
     def _run_distribution_install_cmd(self, args: argparse.Namespace) -> None:
+        from llama_toolchain.distribution.distribution import distribution_dependencies
+        from llama_toolchain.distribution.registry import resolve_distribution
+        from .utils import run_command, run_with_pty
+
         os.makedirs(DISTRIBS_BASE_DIR, exist_ok=True)
         script = pkg_resources.resource_filename(
             "llama_toolchain",
diff --git a/llama_toolchain/cli/distribution/list.py b/llama_toolchain/cli/distribution/list.py
index d20980432..c13c11e66 100644
--- a/llama_toolchain/cli/distribution/list.py
+++ b/llama_toolchain/cli/distribution/list.py
@@ -7,10 +7,6 @@
 import argparse
 
 from llama_toolchain.cli.subcommand import Subcommand
-from llama_toolchain.cli.table import print_table
-
-from llama_toolchain.distribution.distribution import distribution_dependencies
-from llama_toolchain.distribution.registry import available_distributions
 
 
 class DistributionList(Subcommand):
@@ -30,6 +26,10 @@ class DistributionList(Subcommand):
         pass
 
     def _run_distribution_list_cmd(self, args: argparse.Namespace) -> None:
+        from llama_toolchain.cli.table import print_table
+        from llama_toolchain.distribution.distribution import distribution_dependencies
+        from llama_toolchain.distribution.registry import available_distributions
+
         # eventually, this should query a registry at llama.meta.com/llamastack/distributions
         headers = [
             "Name",
diff --git a/llama_toolchain/cli/distribution/start.py b/llama_toolchain/cli/distribution/start.py
index b567726db..04caeca51 100644
--- a/llama_toolchain/cli/distribution/start.py
+++ b/llama_toolchain/cli/distribution/start.py
@@ -11,12 +11,8 @@ from pathlib import Path
 import yaml
 
 from llama_toolchain.cli.subcommand import Subcommand
-from llama_toolchain.distribution.registry import resolve_distribution
-from llama_toolchain.distribution.server import main as distribution_server_init
 from llama_toolchain.utils import DISTRIBS_BASE_DIR
 
-from .utils import run_command
-
 
 class DistributionStart(Subcommand):
 
@@ -52,6 +48,10 @@ class DistributionStart(Subcommand):
         )
 
     def _run_distribution_start_cmd(self, args: argparse.Namespace) -> None:
+        from llama_toolchain.distribution.registry import resolve_distribution
+        from llama_toolchain.distribution.server import main as distribution_server_init
+        from .utils import run_command
+
         dist = resolve_distribution(args.name)
         if dist is None:
             self.parser.error(f"Distribution with name {args.name} not found")
diff --git a/llama_toolchain/cli/download.py b/llama_toolchain/cli/download.py
index b71738bb7..892af927a 100644
--- a/llama_toolchain/cli/download.py
+++ b/llama_toolchain/cli/download.py
@@ -13,15 +13,6 @@ from pathlib import Path
 
 import httpx
 
-from huggingface_hub import snapshot_download
-from huggingface_hub.utils import GatedRepoError, RepositoryNotFoundError
-
-from llama_models.datatypes import Model
-from llama_models.sku_list import (
-    all_registered_models,
-    llama_meta_net_info,
-    resolve_model,
-)
 from termcolor import cprint
 
 from llama_toolchain.cli.subcommand import Subcommand
@@ -46,6 +37,8 @@ class Download(Subcommand):
         self.parser.set_defaults(func=self._run_download_cmd)
 
     def _add_arguments(self):
+        from llama_models.sku_list import all_registered_models
+
         models = all_registered_models()
         self.parser.add_argument(
             "--source",
@@ -81,7 +74,10 @@ safetensors files to avoid downloading duplicate weights.
 """,
         )
 
-    def _hf_download(self, model: Model, hf_token: str, ignore_patterns: str):
+    def _hf_download(self, model: "Model", hf_token: str, ignore_patterns: str):
+        from huggingface_hub import snapshot_download
+        from huggingface_hub.utils import GatedRepoError, RepositoryNotFoundError
+
         repo_id = model.huggingface_repo
         if repo_id is None:
             raise ValueError(f"No repo id found for model {model.descriptor()}")
@@ -112,7 +108,9 @@ safetensors files to avoid downloading duplicate weights.
 
         print(f"Successfully downloaded model to {true_output_dir}")
 
-    def _meta_download(self, model: Model, meta_url: str):
+    def _meta_download(self, model: "Model", meta_url: str):
+        from llama_models.sku_list import llama_meta_net_info
+
         output_dir = Path(DEFAULT_CHECKPOINT_DIR) / model.descriptor()
         os.makedirs(output_dir, exist_ok=True)
 
@@ -128,6 +126,8 @@ safetensors files to avoid downloading duplicate weights.
             asyncio.run(downloader.download())
 
     def _run_download_cmd(self, args: argparse.Namespace):
+        from llama_models.sku_list import resolve_model
+
         model = resolve_model(args.model_id)
         if model is None:
             self.parser.error(f"Model {args.model_id} not found")
diff --git a/llama_toolchain/cli/llama.py b/llama_toolchain/cli/llama.py
index 4764cf32e..5ff11ae84 100644
--- a/llama_toolchain/cli/llama.py
+++ b/llama_toolchain/cli/llama.py
@@ -8,8 +8,6 @@ import argparse
 
 from .distribution import DistributionParser
 from .download import Download
-
-# from .inference import InferenceParser
 from .model import ModelParser
 
 
@@ -30,7 +28,6 @@ class LlamaCLIParser:
 
         # Add sub-commands
         Download.create(subparsers)
-        # InferenceParser.create(subparsers)
         ModelParser.create(subparsers)
         DistributionParser.create(subparsers)
 
diff --git a/llama_toolchain/cli/model/template.py b/llama_toolchain/cli/model/template.py
index 1fdeab3e7..c0ba60882 100644
--- a/llama_toolchain/cli/model/template.py
+++ b/llama_toolchain/cli/model/template.py
@@ -7,14 +7,9 @@
 import argparse
 import textwrap
 
-from llama_models.llama3_1.api.interface import (
-    list_jinja_templates,
-    render_jinja_template,
-)
 from termcolor import colored
 
 from llama_toolchain.cli.subcommand import Subcommand
-from llama_toolchain.cli.table import print_table
 
 
 class ModelTemplate(Subcommand):
@@ -53,6 +48,12 @@ class ModelTemplate(Subcommand):
         )
 
     def _run_model_template_cmd(self, args: argparse.Namespace) -> None:
+        from llama_models.llama3_1.api.interface import (
+            list_jinja_templates,
+            render_jinja_template,
+        )
+        from llama_toolchain.cli.table import print_table
+
         if args.name:
             template, tokens_info = render_jinja_template(args.name)
             rendered = ""
diff --git a/llama_toolchain/distribution/registry.py b/llama_toolchain/distribution/registry.py
index 48124c7d1..ef27a2bbc 100644
--- a/llama_toolchain/distribution/registry.py
+++ b/llama_toolchain/distribution/registry.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 # This source code is licensed under the terms described in the LICENSE file in
 # the root directory of this source tree.
 
+from functools import lru_cache
 from typing import List, Optional
 
 from llama_toolchain.inference.adapters import available_inference_adapters
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ COMMON_DEPENDENCIES = [
     "hydra-core",
     "hydra-zen",
     "json-strong-typing",
-    "llama-models",
+    "git+ssh://git@github.com/meta-llama/llama-models.git",
     "omegaconf",
     "pandas",
     "Pillow",
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ COMMON_DEPENDENCIES = [
 ]
 
 
+@lru_cache()
 def available_distributions() -> List[Distribution]:
     inference_adapters_by_id = {a.adapter_id: a for a in available_inference_adapters()}
 
@@ -66,6 +68,7 @@ def available_distributions() -> List[Distribution]:
     ]
 
 
+@lru_cache()
 def resolve_distribution(name: str) -> Optional[Distribution]:
     for dist in available_distributions():
         if dist.name == name: