diff --git a/artemis/memory/transcript.py b/artemis/memory/transcript.py
index 7a83dcb..33f7eae 100644
--- a/artemis/memory/transcript.py
+++ b/artemis/memory/transcript.py
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@ from typing import Any, Callable
 
 from langchain_core.messages import BaseMessage, HumanMessage
 
-from artemis.agents.flash.context_compressor import ScrubEdgeCompressor
 from artemis.memory.step_memory import StepMemoryService
 from artemis.utils.logger import get_logger
 
@@ -110,6 +109,11 @@ class TranscriptLedger:
         # the key out of the serialized message payload entirely.
         self._step_keys: dict[int, str] = {}
 
+        # Imported here, not at module level: context_compressor imports
+        # artemis.memory.step_memory, so a top-level import forms a cycle
+        # whose failure depends on which side is imported first.
+        from artemis.agents.flash.context_compressor import ScrubEdgeCompressor
+
         self._compressor = ScrubEdgeCompressor(
             summarizer=step_memory,
             prune_history_xml=prune_history_xml,