diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 31399ae..105a405 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -484,6 +484,12 @@ export const pluginReactRouter = (
       });
     });
 
+    if (!isBuild) {
+      api.onAfterCreateCompiler(() => {
+        routeTransformExecutor.prewarm();
+      });
+    }
+
     api.onCloseDevServer(async () => {
       await closeRouteTopologyWatcher?.();
       closeRouteTopologyWatcher = undefined;
diff --git a/src/parallel-route-transforms.ts b/src/parallel-route-transforms.ts
index 94b3d3c..1729149 100644
--- a/src/parallel-route-transforms.ts
+++ b/src/parallel-route-transforms.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ export type RouteTransformExecutorOptions = RouteTransformTaskOptions & {
 
 export type RouteTransformExecutor = {
   run: (task: RouteTransformTask) => Promise<RouteTransformResult>;
+  prewarm: () => void;
   close: () => Promise<void>;
 };
 
@@ -121,6 +122,7 @@ class ParallelRouteTransformExecutor implements RouteTransformExecutor {
   #nextSplitRouteAnalysisWorkerIndex = 0;
   #splitRouteAnalysisWorkers = new Map<string, number>();
   #workers: Array<WorkerState | undefined> | undefined;
+  #prewarmScheduled = false;
 
   constructor(
     private readonly workerCount: number,
@@ -147,6 +149,38 @@ class ParallelRouteTransformExecutor implements RouteTransformExecutor {
     }
   }
 
+  prewarm(): void {
+    if (this.#prewarmScheduled || this.#closed || this.#workersDisabled) {
+      return;
+    }
+    this.#prewarmScheduled = true;
+    void this.#prewarmWorkers();
+  }
+
+  async #prewarmWorkers(): Promise<void> {
+    try {
+      for (let index = 0; index < this.workerCount; index += 1) {
+        if (this.#closed || this.#workersDisabled) {
+          return;
+        }
+        try {
+          this.#getWorker(index);
+        } catch (error) {
+          const startupError = new WorkerStartupError(
+            error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error)
+          );
+          if (error instanceof Error) {
+            startupError.stack = error.stack;
+          }
+          this.#disableWorkers(startupError);
+          return;
+        }
+      }
+    } finally {
+      this.#prewarmScheduled = false;
+    }
+  }
+
   close(): Promise<void> {
     if (this.#closePromise) {
       return this.#closePromise;
@@ -353,6 +387,7 @@ const createRouteTransformExecutorWithWorkerFactory = (
   if (parallelTransforms === false) {
     return {
       run: task => executeRouteTransformTask(task, options),
+      prewarm: () => {},
       close: async () => {},
     };
   }
@@ -364,6 +399,7 @@ const createRouteTransformExecutorWithWorkerFactory = (
   if (workerCount < 1) {
     return {
       run: task => executeRouteTransformTask(task, options),
+      prewarm: () => {},
       close: async () => {},
     };
   }
diff --git a/tests/parallel-route-transforms.test.ts b/tests/parallel-route-transforms.test.ts
index 0b94840..c564ea3 100644
--- a/tests/parallel-route-transforms.test.ts
+++ b/tests/parallel-route-transforms.test.ts
@@ -216,6 +216,32 @@ describe('parallel route transforms', () => {
     expect(workers.map(worker => worker.terminateCalls)).toEqual([1, 1]);
   });
 
+  it('can prewarm worker slots before the first route transform', async () => {
+    const workers: FakeRouteTransformWorker[] = [];
+    const executor = createRouteTransformExecutorForTesting(
+      {
+        parallelTransforms: 4,
+      },
+      () => {
+        const worker = new FakeRouteTransformWorker();
+        workers.push(worker);
+        return worker;
+      }
+    );
+
+    executor.prewarm();
+    executor.prewarm();
+    expect(workers).toHaveLength(4);
+
+    executor.prewarm();
+    expect(workers).toHaveLength(4);
+
+    await executor.close();
+    expect(workers.map(worker => worker.terminateCalls)).toEqual([
+      1, 1, 1, 1,
+    ]);
+  });
+
   it('executes route client entry tasks through the shared task executor', async () => {
     await expect(
       executeRouteTransformTask({