diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/core/builder.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/core/builder.ts
index 55bdd9344b..e1c24ee5a7 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/core/builder.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/core/builder.ts
@@ -63,8 +63,11 @@ export async function build (nuxt: Nuxt) {
     return
   }
 
-  if (nuxt.options.dev) {
-    checkForExternalConfigurationFiles()
+  if (nuxt.options.dev && !nuxt.options.test) {
+    nuxt.hooks.hookOnce('build:done', () => {
+      checkForExternalConfigurationFiles()
+        .catch(e => logger.warn('Problem checking for external configuration files.', e))
+    })
   }
 
   await bundle(nuxt)
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/core/nuxt.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/core/nuxt.ts
index c98561830b..fd4a9829d5 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/core/nuxt.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/core/nuxt.ts
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ const nightlies = {
   '@nuxt/kit': '@nuxt/kit-nightly',
 }
 
-const keyDependencies = [
+export const keyDependencies = [
   '@nuxt/kit',
   '@nuxt/schema',
 ]
@@ -801,8 +801,13 @@ export async function loadNuxt (opts: LoadNuxtOptions): Promise<Nuxt> {
 
   const nuxt = createNuxt(options)
 
-  for (const dep of keyDependencies) {
-    checkDependencyVersion(dep, nuxt._version)
+  if (nuxt.options.dev && !nuxt.options.test) {
+    nuxt.hooks.hookOnce('build:done', () => {
+      for (const dep of keyDependencies) {
+        checkDependencyVersion(dep, nuxt._version)
+          .catch(e => logger.warn(`Problem checking \`${dep}\` version.`, e))
+      }
+    })
   }
 
   // We register hooks layer-by-layer so any overrides need to be registered separately
@@ -821,7 +826,7 @@ export async function loadNuxt (opts: LoadNuxtOptions): Promise<Nuxt> {
   return nuxt
 }
 
-async function checkDependencyVersion (name: string, nuxtVersion: string): Promise<void> {
+export async function checkDependencyVersion (name: string, nuxtVersion: string): Promise<void> {
   const path = await resolvePath(name, { fallbackToOriginal: true }).catch(() => null)
 
   if (!path || path === name) { return }
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/test/check-dependencies.test.ts b/packages/nuxt/test/check-dependencies.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..eca39ed639
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/nuxt/test/check-dependencies.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import { readPackageJSON } from 'pkg-types'
+import { inc } from 'semver'
+import { version } from '../package.json'
+import { checkDependencyVersion, keyDependencies } from '../src/core/nuxt'
+
+vi.stubGlobal('console', {
+  ...console,
+  error: vi.fn(console.error),
+  warn: vi.fn(console.warn),
+})
+
+vi.mock('pkg-types', async (og) => {
+  const originalPkgTypes = (await og<typeof import('pkg-types')>())
+  return {
+    ...originalPkgTypes,
+    readPackageJSON: vi.fn(originalPkgTypes.readPackageJSON),
+  }
+})
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  vi.clearAllMocks()
+})
+
+describe('dependency mismatch', () => {
+  it.sequential('expect mismatched dependency to log a warning', async () => {
+    vi.mocked(readPackageJSON).mockReturnValue(Promise.resolve({
+      version: '3.0.0',
+    }))
+
+    for (const dep of keyDependencies) {
+      await checkDependencyVersion(dep, version)
+    }
+
+    // @nuxt/kit is explicitly installed in repo root but @nuxt/schema isn't, so we only
+    // get warnings about @nuxt/schema
+    expect(console.warn).toHaveBeenCalledWith(`[nuxt] Expected \`@nuxt/kit\` to be at least \`${version}\` but got \`3.0.0\`. This might lead to unexpected behavior. Check your package.json or refresh your lockfile.`)
+
+    vi.mocked(readPackageJSON).mockRestore()
+  })
+  it.sequential.each([
+    {
+      name: 'nuxt version is lower',
+      depVersion: inc(version, 'minor'),
+    },
+    {
+      name: 'version matches',
+      depVersion: version,
+    },
+  ])('expect no warning when $name.', async ({ depVersion }) => {
+    vi.mocked(readPackageJSON).mockReturnValue(Promise.resolve({
+      depVersion,
+    }))
+
+    for (const dep of keyDependencies) {
+      await checkDependencyVersion(dep, version)
+    }
+
+    expect(console.warn).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    vi.mocked(readPackageJSON).mockRestore()
+  })
+})
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/test/load-nuxt.test.ts b/packages/nuxt/test/load-nuxt.test.ts
index dffcdf7130..96fd8723cf 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/test/load-nuxt.test.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/test/load-nuxt.test.ts
@@ -2,10 +2,7 @@ import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url'
 import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 import { normalize } from 'pathe'
 import { withoutTrailingSlash } from 'ufo'
-import { readPackageJSON } from 'pkg-types'
-import { inc } from 'semver'
 import { loadNuxt } from '../src'
-import { version } from '../package.json'
 
 const repoRoot = withoutTrailingSlash(normalize(fileURLToPath(new URL('../../../', import.meta.url))))
 
@@ -45,45 +42,3 @@ describe('loadNuxt', () => {
     expect(hookRan).toBe(true)
   })
 })
-
-describe('dependency mismatch', () => {
-  it('expect mismatched dependency to log a warning', async () => {
-    vi.mocked(readPackageJSON).mockReturnValue(Promise.resolve({
-      version: '3.0.0',
-    }))
-
-    const nuxt = await loadNuxt({
-      cwd: repoRoot,
-    })
-
-    // @nuxt/kit is explicitly installed in repo root but @nuxt/schema isn't, so we only
-    // get warnings about @nuxt/schema
-    expect(console.warn).toHaveBeenCalledWith(`[nuxt] Expected \`@nuxt/kit\` to be at least \`${version}\` but got \`3.0.0\`. This might lead to unexpected behavior. Check your package.json or refresh your lockfile.`)
-
-    vi.mocked(readPackageJSON).mockRestore()
-    await nuxt.close()
-  })
-  it.each([
-    {
-      name: 'nuxt version is lower',
-      depVersion: inc(version, 'minor'),
-    },
-    {
-      name: 'version matches',
-      depVersion: version,
-    },
-  ])('expect no warning when $name.', async ({ depVersion }) => {
-    vi.mocked(readPackageJSON).mockReturnValue(Promise.resolve({
-      depVersion,
-    }))
-
-    const nuxt = await loadNuxt({
-      cwd: repoRoot,
-    })
-
-    expect(console.warn).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
-
-    await nuxt.close()
-    vi.mocked(readPackageJSON).mockRestore()
-  })
-})