diff --git a/hermes_plugin_kit/__init__.py b/hermes_plugin_kit/__init__.py
index f52f3f1..fe9c423 100644
--- a/hermes_plugin_kit/__init__.py
+++ b/hermes_plugin_kit/__init__.py
@@ -140,7 +140,11 @@ def register(ctx):
 _MAX_LOG_CHARS = 200
 _TOOL_NAME_RE = re.compile(r"^[a-z][a-z0-9_]*$")
 _COMMAND_NAME_RE = re.compile(r"^[a-z][a-z0-9]*(?:-[a-z0-9]+)*$")
-# Fallback for _agent_loop_tool_names() outside a Hermes host; matches v0.22.5.
+# Names Hermes intercepts or rewrites before registry dispatch (v0.22.5
+# model_tools._AGENT_LOOP_TOOLS | _LEGACY_TOOL_ALIASES). Never import the host to
+# read them: plugins register while model_tools is mid-import, from loader
+# threads, so that import deadlocks on the module lock. The contract lane pins
+# this copy to the deployed host instead.
 _AGENT_LOOP_TOOL_NAMES = frozenset({
     "todo_list", "memory", "session_search", "delegate_task",
     "todo", "cronjob", "process", "tour", "tip",
@@ -711,15 +715,6 @@ def as_dict(self) -> dict[str, Any]:
 # Tool naming
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-def _agent_loop_tool_names() -> frozenset[str]:
-    """Names Hermes intercepts or rewrites before registry dispatch, read from the host itself."""
-    try:
-        from model_tools import _AGENT_LOOP_TOOLS, _LEGACY_TOOL_ALIASES
-    except ImportError:  # not inside a Hermes host (unit tests, tooling)
-        return _AGENT_LOOP_TOOL_NAMES
-    return frozenset(_AGENT_LOOP_TOOLS) | frozenset(_LEGACY_TOOL_ALIASES)
-
-
 def validate_tool_name(name: str, *, namespace: str | None = None) -> str:
     """Validate a Hermes plugin tool name and return it unchanged.
 
@@ -733,7 +728,7 @@ def validate_tool_name(name: str, *, namespace: str | None = None) -> str:
         raise ValueError(
             f"tool name {name!r} must match {_TOOL_NAME_RE.pattern!r}"
         )
-    reserved = _agent_loop_tool_names()
+    reserved = _AGENT_LOOP_TOOL_NAMES
     if name in reserved:
         raise ValueError(
             f"tool name {name!r} is reserved by the Hermes agent loop"
diff --git a/tests/test_hermes_contract.py b/tests/test_hermes_contract.py
index d080cd4..24e87fb 100644
--- a/tests/test_hermes_contract.py
+++ b/tests/test_hermes_contract.py
@@ -717,7 +717,6 @@ def test_reserved_tool_names_match_the_host(self) -> None:
         from model_tools import _AGENT_LOOP_TOOLS, _LEGACY_TOOL_ALIASES  # type: ignore
 
         host = frozenset(_AGENT_LOOP_TOOLS) | frozenset(_LEGACY_TOOL_ALIASES)
-        self.assertEqual(hpk._agent_loop_tool_names(), host)
         self.assertEqual(hpk._AGENT_LOOP_TOOL_NAMES, host)
 
     def test_host_tool_invocation_reaches_real_telegram_media_contract(self) -> None:
diff --git a/tests/test_kit.py b/tests/test_kit.py
index 89066a9..156be60 100644
--- a/tests/test_kit.py
+++ b/tests/test_kit.py
@@ -443,6 +443,28 @@ def test_renamed_and_legacy_agent_loop_names_rejected(self) -> None:
             with self.subTest(name=name), self.assertRaisesRegex(ValueError, "reserved"):
                 hpk.validate_tool_name(name)
 
+    def test_tool_name_validation_never_imports_the_host(self) -> None:
+        # Hermes registers plugins from loader threads while model_tools is still
+        # importing; importing it here waits on that module lock until the 10 s
+        # plugin-load deadline, for every plugin (infra#1558).
+        class RefuseModelTools:
+            def find_spec(self, name, path=None, target=None):
+                if name == "model_tools":
+                    raise AssertionError("tool-name validation imported model_tools")
+                return None
+
+        blocker = RefuseModelTools()
+        saved = sys.modules.pop("model_tools", None)
+        sys.meta_path.insert(0, blocker)
+        try:
+            self.assertEqual(hpk.validate_tool_name("sample_read_note"), "sample_read_note")
+            with self.assertRaisesRegex(ValueError, "reserved"):
+                hpk.validate_tool_name("todo_list")
+        finally:
+            sys.meta_path.remove(blocker)
+            if saved is not None:
+                sys.modules["model_tools"] = saved
+
     def test_reserved_core_namespace_prefix_rejected(self) -> None:
         with self.assertRaisesRegex(ValueError, "reserved Hermes core namespace"):
             hpk.tool_name("memory", "write", "entry")