diff --git a/Lib/rlcompleter.py b/Lib/rlcompleter.py
index 26fcda612567ea4..542da206e2c6920 100644
--- a/Lib/rlcompleter.py
+++ b/Lib/rlcompleter.py
@@ -31,12 +31,12 @@
 
 import atexit
 import builtins
-import inspect
 import keyword
-import re
 import __main__
 import warnings
 import types
+lazy import inspect
+lazy import re
 
 __all__ = ["Completer"]
 
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_rlcompleter.py b/Lib/test/test_rlcompleter.py
index c0b5a4da8cb2569..07a1e53212c3110 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_rlcompleter.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_rlcompleter.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 import types
 import rlcompleter
 from test.support import MISSING_C_DOCSTRINGS
+from test.support.import_helper import ensure_lazy_imports
 
 class CompleteMe:
     """ Trivial class used in testing rlcompleter.Completer. """
@@ -252,5 +253,9 @@ def test_duplicate_globals(self):
         self.assertEqual(completer.complete('Ellipsis', 0), 'Ellipsis()')
         self.assertIsNone(completer.complete('Ellipsis', 1))
 
+    def test_lazy_imports(self):
+        ensure_lazy_imports("rlcompleter", {"inspect", "re"})
+
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     unittest.main()
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-08-25-12-43-10.gh-issue-156363.RlzImp.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-08-25-12-43-10.gh-issue-156363.RlzImp.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000000..993ea7d839ed502
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2026-08-25-12-43-10.gh-issue-156363.RlzImp.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Speed up the :mod:`rlcompleter` module's import time.