diff --git a/lib/compat/wordpress-6.5/class-wp-script-modules.php b/lib/compat/wordpress-6.5/class-wp-script-modules.php
index 714e7ae77d098..d7eaff177823c 100644
--- a/lib/compat/wordpress-6.5/class-wp-script-modules.php
+++ b/lib/compat/wordpress-6.5/class-wp-script-modules.php
@@ -167,8 +167,6 @@ public function add_hooks() {
 			add_action( $position, array( $this, 'print_import_map' ) );
 			add_action( $position, array( $this, 'print_enqueued_script_modules' ) );
 			add_action( $position, array( $this, 'print_script_module_preloads' ) );
-			// Prints the script that loads the import map polyfill in the footer.
-			add_action( 'wp_footer', array( $this, 'print_import_map_polyfill' ), 11 );
 		}
 
 		/**
@@ -214,10 +212,37 @@ public function print_script_module_preloads() {
 		 * Prints the import map using a script tag with a type="importmap" attribute.
 		 *
 		 * @since 6.5.0
+		 *
+		 * @global WP_Scripts $wp_scripts The WP_Scripts object for printing the polyfill.
 		 */
 		public function print_import_map() {
 			$import_map = $this->get_import_map();
 			if ( ! empty( $import_map['imports'] ) ) {
+				global $wp_scripts;
+				if ( isset( $wp_scripts ) ) {
+					/*
+					 * In Core, the polyfill is registered with a different approach.
+					 * See: https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/blob/4b23ba81ddb067110e41d05550de7f2a4f09dad3/src/wp-includes/script-loader.php#L99
+					 */
+					wp_register_script(
+						'wp-polyfill-importmap',
+						gutenberg_url( '/build/modules/importmap-polyfill.min.js' ),
+						array(),
+						'1.8.2',
+						true
+					);
+					wp_print_inline_script_tag(
+						wp_get_script_polyfill(
+							$wp_scripts,
+							array(
+								'HTMLScriptElement.supports && HTMLScriptElement.supports("importmap")' => 'wp-polyfill-importmap',
+							)
+						),
+						array(
+							'id' => 'wp-load-polyfill-importmap',
+						)
+					);
+				}
 				wp_print_inline_script_tag(
 					wp_json_encode( $import_map, JSON_HEX_TAG | JSON_HEX_AMP ),
 					array(
@@ -228,40 +253,6 @@ public function print_import_map() {
 			}
 		}
 
-		/**
-		 * Prints the necessary script to load import map polyfill for browsers that
-		 * do not support import maps.
-		 *
-		 * @since 6.5.0
-		 */
-		public function print_import_map_polyfill() {
-			$import_map = $this->get_import_map();
-			if ( ! empty( $import_map['imports'] ) ) {
-				global $wp_scripts;
-				/*
-				 * In Core, the polyfill is registered with a different approach.
-				 * See: https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/blob/4b23ba81ddb067110e41d05550de7f2a4f09dad3/src/wp-includes/script-loader.php#L99
-				 */
-				wp_register_script(
-					'wp-polyfill-importmap',
-					gutenberg_url( '/build/modules/importmap-polyfill.min.js' ),
-					array(),
-					'1.8.2',
-					true
-				);
-				wp_print_inline_script_tag(
-					wp_get_script_polyfill(
-						$wp_scripts,
-						array(
-							'HTMLScriptElement.supports && HTMLScriptElement.supports("importmap")' => 'wp-polyfill-importmap',
-						)
-					),
-					array(
-						'id' => 'wp-load-polyfill-importmap',
-					)
-				);
-			}
-		}
 		/**
 		 * Returns the import map array.
 		 *
diff --git a/lib/compat/wordpress-6.5/scripts-modules.php b/lib/compat/wordpress-6.5/scripts-modules.php
index ba329b255b196..740a16581ce7f 100644
--- a/lib/compat/wordpress-6.5/scripts-modules.php
+++ b/lib/compat/wordpress-6.5/scripts-modules.php
@@ -20,13 +20,14 @@
 	 * @return WP_Script_Modules The main WP_Script_Modules instance.
 	 */
 	function wp_script_modules(): WP_Script_Modules {
-		static $instance = null;
-		if ( is_null( $instance ) ) {
-			$instance = new WP_Script_Modules();
-			$instance->add_hooks();
+		global $wp_script_modules;
+
+		if ( ! ( $wp_script_modules instanceof WP_Script_Modules ) ) {
+			$wp_script_modules = new WP_Script_Modules();
 		}
-		return $instance;
+		return $wp_script_modules;
 	}
+	wp_script_modules()->add_hooks();
 }
 
 if ( ! function_exists( 'wp_register_script_module' ) ) {