diff --git a/packages/fiber/src/native/Canvas.tsx b/packages/fiber/src/native/Canvas.tsx
index 36b6994d7e..4b57795003 100644
--- a/packages/fiber/src/native/Canvas.tsx
+++ b/packages/fiber/src/native/Canvas.tsx
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ import {
   StyleSheet,
   PixelRatio,
 } from 'react-native'
-import { ExpoWebGLRenderingContext, GLView } from 'expo-gl'
 import { useContextBridge, FiberProvider } from 'its-fine'
 import { SetBlock, Block, ErrorBoundary, useMutableCallback } from '../core/utils'
 import { extend, createRoot, unmountComponentAtNode, RenderProps, ReconcilerRoot } from '../core'
@@ -25,6 +24,8 @@ export interface CanvasProps extends Omit<RenderProps<HTMLCanvasElement>, 'size'
 
 export interface Props extends CanvasProps {}
 
+let GLView: any | null = null // TODO: type reflection without importing
+
 /**
  * A native canvas which accepts threejs elements as children.
  * @see https://docs.pmnd.rs/react-three-fiber/api/canvas
@@ -52,6 +53,9 @@ const CanvasImpl = /*#__PURE__*/ React.forwardRef<View, Props>(
     },
     forwardedRef,
   ) => {
+    // Lazily load expo-gl, so it's only required when Canvas is used
+    GLView ??= require('expo-gl').GLView
+
     // Create a known catalogue of Threejs-native elements
     // This will include the entire THREE namespace by default, users can extend
     // their own elements by using the createRoot API instead
@@ -85,7 +89,7 @@ const CanvasImpl = /*#__PURE__*/ React.forwardRef<View, Props>(
 
     // Called on context create or swap
     // https://github.com/pmndrs/react-three-fiber/pull/2297
-    const onContextCreate = React.useCallback((context: ExpoWebGLRenderingContext) => {
+    const onContextCreate = React.useCallback((context: WebGL2RenderingContext) => {
       const listeners = new Map<string, EventListener[]>()
 
       const canvas = {
@@ -198,10 +202,11 @@ const CanvasImpl = /*#__PURE__*/ React.forwardRef<View, Props>(
         // Overwrite onCreated to apply RN bindings
         onCreated: (state: RootState) => {
           // Bind render to RN bridge
-          const context = state.gl.getContext() as ExpoWebGLRenderingContext
+          const context = state.gl.getContext()
           const renderFrame = state.gl.render.bind(state.gl)
           state.gl.render = (scene: THREE.Scene, camera: THREE.Camera) => {
             renderFrame(scene, camera)
+            // @ts-ignore
             context.endFrameEXP()
           }
 
diff --git a/packages/fiber/src/native/polyfills.ts b/packages/fiber/src/native/polyfills.ts
index b61b2d9fcb..b977fae805 100644
--- a/packages/fiber/src/native/polyfills.ts
+++ b/packages/fiber/src/native/polyfills.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 import * as THREE from 'three'
 import { Image, NativeModules, Platform } from 'react-native'
-import { Asset } from 'expo-asset'
-import * as fs from 'expo-file-system'
 import { fromByteArray } from 'base64-js'
 import { Buffer } from 'buffer'
 
@@ -14,59 +12,6 @@ function uuidv4() {
   })
 }
 
-async function getAsset(input: string | number): Promise<string> {
-  if (typeof input === 'string') {
-    // Don't process storage
-    if (input.startsWith('file:')) return input
-
-    // Unpack Blobs from react-native BlobManager
-    // https://github.com/facebook/react-native/issues/22681#issuecomment-523258955
-    if (input.startsWith('blob:') || input.startsWith(NativeModules.BlobModule?.BLOB_URI_SCHEME)) {
-      const blob = await new Promise<Blob>((res, rej) => {
-        const xhr = new XMLHttpRequest()
-        xhr.open('GET', input as string)
-        xhr.responseType = 'blob'
-        xhr.onload = () => res(xhr.response)
-        xhr.onerror = rej
-        xhr.send()
-      })
-
-      const data = await new Promise<string>((res, rej) => {
-        const reader = new FileReader()
-        reader.onload = () => res(reader.result as string)
-        reader.onerror = rej
-        reader.readAsText(blob)
-      })
-
-      input = `data:${blob.type};base64,${data}`
-    }
-
-    // Create safe URI for JSI serialization
-    if (input.startsWith('data:')) {
-      const [header, data] = input.split(';base64,')
-      const [, type] = header.split('/')
-
-      const uri = fs.cacheDirectory + uuidv4() + `.${type}`
-      await fs.writeAsStringAsync(uri, data, { encoding: fs.EncodingType.Base64 })
-
-      return uri
-    }
-  }
-
-  // Download bundler module or external URL
-  const asset = await Asset.fromModule(input).downloadAsync()
-  let uri = asset.localUri || asset.uri
-
-  // Unpack assets in Android Release Mode
-  if (!uri.includes(':')) {
-    const file = `${fs.cacheDirectory}ExponentAsset-${asset.hash}.${asset.type}`
-    await fs.copyAsync({ from: uri, to: file })
-    uri = file
-  }
-
-  return uri
-}
-
 export function polyfills() {
   // Patch Blob for ArrayBuffer and URL if unsupported
   // https://github.com/facebook/react-native/pull/39276
@@ -114,6 +59,67 @@ export function polyfills() {
     }
   }
 
+  // Polyfill asset loading if expo modules are available
+  try {
+    var Asset = require('expo-asset').Asset
+    var fs = require('expo-file-system')
+  } catch (_) {
+    return
+  }
+
+  async function getAsset(input: string | number): Promise<string> {
+    if (typeof input === 'string') {
+      // Don't process storage
+      if (input.startsWith('file:')) return input
+
+      // Unpack Blobs from react-native BlobManager
+      // https://github.com/facebook/react-native/issues/22681#issuecomment-523258955
+      if (input.startsWith('blob:') || input.startsWith(NativeModules.BlobModule?.BLOB_URI_SCHEME)) {
+        const blob = await new Promise<Blob>((res, rej) => {
+          const xhr = new XMLHttpRequest()
+          xhr.open('GET', input as string)
+          xhr.responseType = 'blob'
+          xhr.onload = () => res(xhr.response)
+          xhr.onerror = rej
+          xhr.send()
+        })
+
+        const data = await new Promise<string>((res, rej) => {
+          const reader = new FileReader()
+          reader.onload = () => res(reader.result as string)
+          reader.onerror = rej
+          reader.readAsText(blob)
+        })
+
+        input = `data:${blob.type};base64,${data}`
+      }
+
+      // Create safe URI for JSI serialization
+      if (input.startsWith('data:')) {
+        const [header, data] = input.split(';base64,')
+        const [, type] = header.split('/')
+
+        const uri = fs.cacheDirectory + uuidv4() + `.${type}`
+        await fs.writeAsStringAsync(uri, data, { encoding: fs.EncodingType.Base64 })
+
+        return uri
+      }
+    }
+
+    // Download bundler module or external URL
+    const asset = await Asset.fromModule(input).downloadAsync()
+    let uri = asset.localUri || asset.uri
+
+    // Unpack assets in Android Release Mode
+    if (!uri.includes(':')) {
+      const file = `${fs.cacheDirectory}ExponentAsset-${asset.hash}.${asset.type}`
+      await fs.copyAsync({ from: uri, to: file })
+      uri = file
+    }
+
+    return uri
+  }
+
   // Don't pre-process urls, let expo-asset generate an absolute URL
   const extractUrlBase = THREE.LoaderUtils.extractUrlBase.bind(THREE.LoaderUtils)
   THREE.LoaderUtils.extractUrlBase = (url: string) => (typeof url === 'string' ? extractUrlBase(url) : './')