diff --git a/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/cli.py b/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/cli.py
index b6d3539c..c7ab75cd 100644
--- a/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/cli.py
+++ b/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/cli.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ from haiku.rag.config import (  # noqa: E402
 from haiku.rag.logging import configure_cli_logging  # noqa: E402
 from haiku.rag.store.exceptions import (  # noqa: E402
     AmbiguousDatabaseError,
+    ConfigMismatchError,
     MigrationRequiredError,
     ReadOnlyError,
     SourceUnavailableError,
@@ -42,10 +43,6 @@ _cli = typer.Typer(
 
 
 def cli():
-    # Imported here rather than at module scope: the settings module pulls in
-    # lancedb, and the CLI's startup must not pay for it.
-    from haiku.rag.store.repositories.settings import ConfigMismatchError
-
     try:
         _cli()
     except (
diff --git a/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/client/__init__.py b/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/client/__init__.py
index bbc59db5..8003381f 100644
--- a/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/client/__init__.py
+++ b/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/client/__init__.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ from haiku.rag.converters import get_converter
 from haiku.rag.reranking import get_reranker
 from haiku.rag.store.engine import Store
 from haiku.rag.store.exceptions import (
+    ConfigMismatchError,
     MigrationRequiredError,
     ReadOnlyError,
     SourceUnavailableError,
@@ -30,10 +31,7 @@ from haiku.rag.store.models.document_item import extract_items
 from haiku.rag.store.repositories.chunk import ChunkRepository
 from haiku.rag.store.repositories.document import DocumentRepository
 from haiku.rag.store.repositories.document_item import DocumentItemRepository
-from haiku.rag.store.repositories.settings import (
-    ConfigMismatchError,
-    SettingsRepository,
-)
+from haiku.rag.store.repositories.settings import SettingsRepository
 from haiku.rag.utils import escape_sql_string, locate_database
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
diff --git a/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/client/rebuild.py b/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/client/rebuild.py
index 6b1c568b..3f5f6b3f 100644
--- a/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/client/rebuild.py
+++ b/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/client/rebuild.py
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ async def _set_embedder(client: "HaikuRAG") -> None:
     usable, so just the recorded provider/name are updated. A changed dimension
     requires regenerating every embedding via a full rebuild.
     """
-    from haiku.rag.store.repositories.settings import ConfigMismatchError
+    from haiku.rag.store.exceptions import ConfigMismatchError
 
     settings_repo = SettingsRepository(client.store)
     stored = await settings_repo.get_current_settings()
diff --git a/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/store/__init__.py b/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/store/__init__.py
index d8edff9e..81521f90 100644
--- a/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/store/__init__.py
+++ b/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/store/__init__.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from .exceptions import (
     AmbiguousDatabaseError,
+    ConfigMismatchError,
     MigrationRequiredError,
     ReadOnlyError,
     SourceUnavailableError,
@@ -12,5 +13,6 @@ __all__ = [
     "MigrationRequiredError",
     "ReadOnlyError",
     "AmbiguousDatabaseError",
+    "ConfigMismatchError",
     "SourceUnavailableError",
 ]
diff --git a/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/store/exceptions.py b/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/store/exceptions.py
index 61a5b55c..3ad60070 100644
--- a/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/store/exceptions.py
+++ b/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/store/exceptions.py
@@ -4,6 +4,12 @@ class ReadOnlyError(Exception):
     pass
 
 
+class ConfigMismatchError(Exception):
+    """Raised when stored config doesn't match current config."""
+
+    pass
+
+
 class MigrationRequiredError(Exception):
     """Database requires migration. Run 'haiku-rag migrate' to upgrade."""
 
diff --git a/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/store/repositories/settings.py b/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/store/repositories/settings.py
index a8b2c16c..80ff54d7 100644
--- a/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/store/repositories/settings.py
+++ b/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/store/repositories/settings.py
@@ -2,17 +2,12 @@ import json
 import logging
 
 from haiku.rag.store.engine import Store
+from haiku.rag.store.exceptions import ConfigMismatchError
 from haiku.rag.store.schema import SettingsRecord, query_to_pydantic
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
-class ConfigMismatchError(Exception):
-    """Raised when stored config doesn't match current config."""
-
-    pass
-
-
 class SettingsRepository:
     """Repository for Settings operations."""
 
diff --git a/tests/store/test_read_only.py b/tests/store/test_read_only.py
index 7ff281b1..26e74b1d 100644
--- a/tests/store/test_read_only.py
+++ b/tests/store/test_read_only.py
@@ -394,7 +394,7 @@ class TestAppReadVerbsDoNotWrite:
         """A write CLI verb opens writable: drift raises before any write."""
         from haiku.rag.app import HaikuRAGApp
         from haiku.rag.config import AppConfig
-        from haiku.rag.store.repositories.settings import ConfigMismatchError
+        from haiku.rag.store.exceptions import ConfigMismatchError
 
         async with Store(temp_db_path, create=True) as store:
             stored_name_before = (
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
index 17c1df41..597fe2a4 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ class TestCliConfigMismatchError:
     def test_a_config_mismatch_exits_with_its_remedy(self):
         """The message says which database and what to run, so it is worth more
         than a traceback."""
-        from haiku.rag.store.repositories.settings import ConfigMismatchError
+        from haiku.rag.store.exceptions import ConfigMismatchError
 
         with patch("haiku.rag.cli._cli") as mock_cli:
             mock_cli.side_effect = ConfigMismatchError(
diff --git a/tests/test_mcp.py b/tests/test_mcp.py
index 860bf2a7..191549f9 100644
--- a/tests/test_mcp.py
+++ b/tests/test_mcp.py
@@ -645,7 +645,7 @@ class TestMCPClientLifetime:
         read-only mode and raises in writable mode. The MCP server no longer
         opts out of it for deletion."""
         from haiku.rag.config import get_config
-        from haiku.rag.store.repositories.settings import ConfigMismatchError
+        from haiku.rag.store.exceptions import ConfigMismatchError
 
         drifted = get_config().model_copy(deep=True)
         drifted.embeddings.model.name = "a-different-model"
diff --git a/tests/test_rebuild.py b/tests/test_rebuild.py
index 971f797b..f9b0e951 100644
--- a/tests/test_rebuild.py
+++ b/tests/test_rebuild.py
@@ -1059,7 +1059,7 @@ async def test_rebuild_set_embedder_works_on_empty_database(temp_db_path):
 async def test_rebuild_set_embedder_raises_on_vector_dim_mismatch(temp_db_path):
     """SET_EMBEDDER refuses when the vector dimension changed — a full rebuild is needed."""
     from haiku.rag.config import AppConfig
-    from haiku.rag.store.repositories.settings import ConfigMismatchError
+    from haiku.rag.store.exceptions import ConfigMismatchError
 
     async with HaikuRAG(temp_db_path, create=True):
         pass
diff --git a/tests/test_settings.py b/tests/test_settings.py
index 704b9eda..7b271d39 100644
--- a/tests/test_settings.py
+++ b/tests/test_settings.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import logging
 import pytest
 
 from haiku.rag.config import AppConfig, get_config
-from haiku.rag.store.repositories.settings import ConfigMismatchError
+from haiku.rag.store.exceptions import ConfigMismatchError
 
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio