diff --git a/django_utils_lib/lazy.py b/django_utils_lib/lazy.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7296e64
--- /dev/null
+++ b/django_utils_lib/lazy.py
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+class LazyDjango:
+    """
+    Django has a few modules where if you import something from them,
+    they trigger side-effects that can crash the app if called at import-time
+    vs run-time. Notably things related to auth that trigger apps / settings
+    checks.
+
+    This class is a workaround, without using a full app registration system,
+    to just use lazy-imports.
+    """
+
+    @property
+    def redirect_to_login(self):
+        if self._redirect_to_login is None:
+            from django.contrib.auth.views import redirect_to_login
+
+            self._redirect_to_login = redirect_to_login
+        return self._redirect_to_login
+
+
+lazy_django = LazyDjango()
diff --git a/django_utils_lib/requests.py b/django_utils_lib/requests.py
index 4e0facf..a3aa551 100644
--- a/django_utils_lib/requests.py
+++ b/django_utils_lib/requests.py
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 
 import pydantic
 from django.conf import settings
-from django.contrib.auth.views import redirect_to_login
 from django.http import (
     FileResponse,
     HttpRequest,
@@ -15,6 +14,8 @@
 from django.urls import re_path
 from django.views.static import serve
 
+from django_utils_lib.lazy import lazy_django
+
 
 class SimpleStaticFileServerConfig(pydantic.BaseModel):
     auth_required_path_patterns: Optional[List[re.Pattern]] = pydantic.Field(default=None)
@@ -76,7 +77,7 @@ def guard_path(self, request: HttpRequest, url_path: str) -> Optional[HttpRespon
         # Check for attempted access to an auth-required path from a non-authed user
         if self.config.auth_required_path_patterns and not request.user.is_authenticated:
             if any(pattern.search(url_path) for pattern in self.config.auth_required_path_patterns):
-                return redirect_to_login(next=request.get_full_path())
+                return lazy_django.redirect_to_login(next=request.get_full_path())
 
         # Pass request forward / noop
         return None
diff --git a/django_utils_lib/tests/test_simplestaticfileserver.py b/django_utils_lib/tests/test_simplestaticfileserver.py
index 8554bb2..fa05364 100644
--- a/django_utils_lib/tests/test_simplestaticfileserver.py
+++ b/django_utils_lib/tests/test_simplestaticfileserver.py
@@ -52,7 +52,10 @@ class StaticFileServerTestCase(TypedDict):
         ),
     ],
 )
-@mock.patch("django_utils_lib.requests.redirect_to_login", return_value=HttpResponseRedirect(""))
+@mock.patch(
+    "django_utils_lib.lazy.LazyDjango.redirect_to_login",
+    new_callable=mock.PropertyMock(return_value=mock.MagicMock(return_value=HttpResponseRedirect(""))),
+)
 @mock.patch("django_utils_lib.requests.serve", return_value=FileResponse())
 def test_path_guarding(
     mock_serve: mock.Mock,