diff --git a/test/test_dependencies.py b/test/test_dependencies.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fb27bfbce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_dependencies.py
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+"""
+Purpose: tests related to dependencies
+e.g.: hvplot is optional, so it shouldn't be imported by default.
+Related issues: #1224, #1539
+"""
+import subprocess
+import sys
+
+
+def _assert_not_imported_after_import_uxarray(module_name):
+    """Run ``import uxarray`` in a fresh interpreter and assert that
+    ``module_name`` was not imported as a side effect.
+
+    A subprocess is used so the check is immune to test ordering: other tests
+    in the same session may have already imported optional deps (e.g. plotting
+    tests import ``hvplot``), which would pollute this process's ``sys.modules``.
+    """
+    code = (
+        "import sys; import uxarray; "
+        f"assert {module_name!r} not in sys.modules, "
+        f"'{module_name} was imported by `import uxarray`'"
+    )
+    result = subprocess.run(
+        [sys.executable, "-c", code],
+        capture_output=True,
+        text=True,
+    )
+    assert result.returncode == 0, (
+        f"{module_name} should not be imported by default:\n{result.stderr}"
+    )
+
+
+def test_hvplot_optional():
+    """Test that hvplot is actually optional and not imported by default.
+    (hvplot in particular is "slow" to import (~1s to import hvplot.pandas),
+    so it should not be imported until actually plotting something.)
+    """
+    _assert_not_imported_after_import_uxarray("hvplot")
+
+
+# TODO: similar tests for cartopy, holoviews, and other optional deps.
diff --git a/uxarray/plot/accessor.py b/uxarray/plot/accessor.py
index ec279cb9c..0cf0e2bc4 100644
--- a/uxarray/plot/accessor.py
+++ b/uxarray/plot/accessor.py
@@ -12,11 +12,41 @@
     from uxarray.core.dataset import UxDataset
     from uxarray.grid import Grid
 
-import hvplot.pandas
-import hvplot.xarray
-
 from uxarray.plot.utils import backend as plotting_backend
 
+# import speedup trick:
+#   code here uses obj.hvplot, which requires import hvplot.pandas and/or hvplot.xarray.
+#   But, those lines are "slow", so instead of doing them at top-level here,
+#   only run them when actually creating a plot accessor, inside the code later in this file.
+# (timing test: import uxarray takes ~1.7 seconds before change; 0.7 seconds after change.)
+
+_IMPORTED_HVPLOT = False
+
+
+def _ensure_hvplot_imported() -> None:
+    """Import hvplot.pandas and hvplot.xarray if not already imported.
+    (importing hvplot.pandas may output horizontal gray bar(s) in Jupyter, so only ever do it once.)
+    """
+    global _IMPORTED_HVPLOT
+    if not _IMPORTED_HVPLOT:
+        # workaround for hvplot issue #1735;
+        #  import hvplot.pandas and hvplot.xarray always adjust the hvplot.extension().
+        # To respect previously-setup extension value, need to remember and restore it.
+        # NB: the active backend lives on holoviews.Store (hvplot has no ``Store``),
+        #  and we only restore a backend that was actually loaded -- on a fresh import
+        #  Store.current_backend defaults to "matplotlib" while Store.registry is empty,
+        #  and restoring that unloaded backend would break rendering.
+        from holoviews import Store as _store
+
+        _backend_orig = _store.current_backend
+        import hvplot.pandas
+        import hvplot.xarray
+
+        if _backend_orig in _store.registry:
+            _store.set_current_backend(_backend_orig)
+
+        _IMPORTED_HVPLOT = True
+
 
 class GridPlotAccessor:
     """Plotting accessor for :class:`Grid`.
@@ -36,6 +66,7 @@ class GridPlotAccessor:
     __slots__ = ("_uxgrid",)
 
     def __init__(self, uxgrid: Grid) -> None:
+        _ensure_hvplot_imported()
         self._uxgrid = uxgrid
 
     def __call__(self, **kwargs) -> Any:
@@ -340,6 +371,7 @@ class UxDataArrayPlotAccessor:
     __slots__ = ("_uxda",)
 
     def __init__(self, uxda: UxDataArray) -> None:
+        _ensure_hvplot_imported()
         self._uxda = uxda
 
     def __call__(self, **kwargs) -> Any:
@@ -521,6 +553,7 @@ class UxDatasetPlotAccessor:
     __slots__ = ("_uxds",)
 
     def __init__(self, uxds: UxDataset) -> None:
+        _ensure_hvplot_imported()
         self._uxds = uxds
 
     def __call__(self, **kwargs) -> Any: