diff --git a/cli/src/commands/token-transfer.ts b/cli/src/commands/token-transfer.ts
index 736bd63c4..0a3f467c0 100644
--- a/cli/src/commands/token-transfer.ts
+++ b/cli/src/commands/token-transfer.ts
@@ -39,9 +39,13 @@ import type {
   Ntt,
   NttWithExecutor,
 } from "@wormhole-foundation/sdk-definitions-ntt";
-import "@wormhole-foundation/sdk-evm-ntt";
-import "@wormhole-foundation/sdk-solana-ntt";
-import "@wormhole-foundation/sdk-sui-ntt";
+import { register as registerEvm } from "@wormhole-foundation/sdk-evm-ntt";
+import { register as registerSolana } from "@wormhole-foundation/sdk-solana-ntt";
+import { register as registerSui } from "@wormhole-foundation/sdk-sui-ntt";
+
+registerEvm();
+registerSolana();
+registerSui();
 import { loadConfig, type ChainConfig, type Config } from "../deployments";
 import fs from "fs";
 import readline from "readline";
diff --git a/cli/src/index.ts b/cli/src/index.ts
index b0ab6f6be..5f63546b5 100755
--- a/cli/src/index.ts
+++ b/cli/src/index.ts
@@ -5,10 +5,13 @@ import type { WormholeConfigOverrides } from "@wormhole-foundation/sdk-connect";
 import fs from "fs";
 import yargs from "yargs";
 import { hideBin } from "yargs/helpers";
-import "@wormhole-foundation/sdk-evm-ntt";
-import "@wormhole-foundation/sdk-solana-ntt";
-import "@wormhole-foundation/sdk-sui-ntt";
-import "@wormhole-foundation/sdk-definitions-ntt";
+import { register as registerEvm } from "@wormhole-foundation/sdk-evm-ntt";
+import { register as registerSolana } from "@wormhole-foundation/sdk-solana-ntt";
+import { register as registerSui } from "@wormhole-foundation/sdk-sui-ntt";
+
+registerEvm();
+registerSolana();
+registerSui();
 
 import { createTokenTransferCommand } from "./commands/token-transfer";
 import {
diff --git a/evm/ts/src/index.ts b/evm/ts/src/index.ts
index 41a239c28..bc8e44261 100644
--- a/evm/ts/src/index.ts
+++ b/evm/ts/src/index.ts
@@ -9,13 +9,11 @@ import { EvmMultiTokenNtt } from "./multiTokenNtt.js";
 import { EvmMultiTokenNttWithExecutor } from "./multiTokenNttWithExecutor.js";
 import { register as registerDefinitions } from "@wormhole-foundation/sdk-definitions-ntt";
 
+let _explicitlyRegistered = false;
+
 /** Explicitly register EVM NTT protocols. Idempotent — safe to call multiple times. */
-export function register(topLevel = false): void {
-  if (topLevel) {
-    console.warn(
-      "@wormhole-foundation/sdk-evm-ntt: auto-registration on import is deprecated. Import { register } and call it explicitly."
-    );
-  }
+export function register(_deprecatedTopLevel?: boolean): void {
+  _explicitlyRegistered = true;
   registerDefinitions();
   if (!protocolIsRegistered(_platform, "Ntt")) {
     registerProtocol(_platform, "Ntt", EvmNtt);
@@ -35,9 +33,17 @@ export function register(topLevel = false): void {
   }
 }
 
-// Backward-compatible: auto-register on import
+// Backward-compatible: auto-register on import.
+// Deferred so that consumers who call register() explicitly don't see the warning.
 // TODO: remove this next time we are cool with a major version bump and are OK requiring integrators to make code changes
-register(true);
+setTimeout(() => {
+  if (!_explicitlyRegistered) {
+    console.warn(
+      "@wormhole-foundation/sdk-evm-ntt: auto-registration on import is deprecated. Import { register } and call it explicitly."
+    );
+  }
+  register();
+}, 0);
 
 export * as ethers_contracts from "./ethers-contracts/index.js";
 export * from "./ntt.js";
diff --git a/sdk/definitions/__tests__/registerWarning.test.ts b/sdk/definitions/__tests__/registerWarning.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4f46c91e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sdk/definitions/__tests__/registerWarning.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+describe("definitions register warning behavior", () => {
+  let warnSpy: jest.SpyInstance;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    jest.resetModules();
+    jest.useFakeTimers();
+    warnSpy = jest.spyOn(console, "warn").mockImplementation(() => {});
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    jest.runOnlyPendingTimers();
+    jest.useRealTimers();
+    warnSpy.mockRestore();
+  });
+
+  test("does not warn when register() is called explicitly", async () => {
+    await jest.isolateModulesAsync(async () => {
+      const mod = await import("../src/index.js");
+      mod.register();
+    });
+
+    jest.runOnlyPendingTimers();
+    expect(warnSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  test("warns when relying on side-effect import auto-registration", async () => {
+    await jest.isolateModulesAsync(async () => {
+      await import("../src/index.js");
+    });
+
+    jest.runOnlyPendingTimers();
+    expect(warnSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.stringContaining(
+        "@wormhole-foundation/sdk-definitions-ntt: auto-registration on import is deprecated."
+      )
+    );
+  });
+});
diff --git a/sdk/definitions/src/index.ts b/sdk/definitions/src/index.ts
index 8d3f62d96..4c0ef9cd9 100644
--- a/sdk/definitions/src/index.ts
+++ b/sdk/definitions/src/index.ts
@@ -8,13 +8,11 @@ import {
   nttNamedPayloads,
 } from "./layouts/index.js";
 
+let _explicitlyRegistered = false;
+
 /** Explicitly register NTT payload types. Idempotent — safe to call multiple times. */
-export function register(topLevel = false): void {
-  if (topLevel) {
-    console.warn(
-      "@wormhole-foundation/sdk-definitions-ntt: auto-registration on import is deprecated. Import { register } and call it explicitly."
-    );
-  }
+export function register(_deprecatedTopLevel?: boolean): void {
+  _explicitlyRegistered = true;
   if (!payloadFactory.has(composeLiteral("Ntt", nttNamedPayloads[0]![0]))) {
     registerPayloadTypes("Ntt", nttNamedPayloads);
   }
@@ -27,9 +25,17 @@ export function register(topLevel = false): void {
   }
 }
 
-// Backward-compatible: auto-register on import
+// Backward-compatible: auto-register on import.
+// Deferred so that consumers who call register() explicitly don't see the warning.
 // TODO: remove this next time we are cool with a major version bump and are OK requiring integrators to make code changes
-register(true);
+setTimeout(() => {
+  if (!_explicitlyRegistered) {
+    console.warn(
+      "@wormhole-foundation/sdk-definitions-ntt: auto-registration on import is deprecated. Import { register } and call it explicitly."
+    );
+  }
+  register();
+}, 0);
 
 export * from "./ntt.js";
 export * from "./nttWithExecutor.js";
diff --git a/solana/ts/sdk/index.ts b/solana/ts/sdk/index.ts
index 6b236f611..dc6740a50 100644
--- a/solana/ts/sdk/index.ts
+++ b/solana/ts/sdk/index.ts
@@ -8,13 +8,11 @@ import { SolanaNttWithExecutor } from "./nttWithExecutor.js";
 import { register as registerDefinitions } from "@wormhole-foundation/sdk-definitions-ntt";
 import "./side-effects";
 
+let _explicitlyRegistered = false;
+
 /** Explicitly register Solana NTT protocols. Idempotent — safe to call multiple times. */
-export function register(topLevel = false): void {
-  if (topLevel) {
-    console.warn(
-      "@wormhole-foundation/sdk-solana-ntt: auto-registration on import is deprecated. Import { register } and call it explicitly."
-    );
-  }
+export function register(_deprecatedTopLevel?: boolean): void {
+  _explicitlyRegistered = true;
   registerDefinitions();
   if (!protocolIsRegistered(_platform, "Ntt")) {
     registerProtocol(_platform, "Ntt", SolanaNtt);
@@ -24,9 +22,17 @@ export function register(topLevel = false): void {
   }
 }
 
-// Backward-compatible: auto-register on import
+// Backward-compatible: auto-register on import.
+// Deferred so that consumers who call register() explicitly don't see the warning.
 // TODO: remove this next time we are cool with a major version bump and are OK requiring integrators to make code changes
-register(true);
+setTimeout(() => {
+  if (!_explicitlyRegistered) {
+    console.warn(
+      "@wormhole-foundation/sdk-solana-ntt: auto-registration on import is deprecated. Import { register } and call it explicitly."
+    );
+  }
+  register();
+}, 0);
 
 export * from "./ntt.js";
 export * from "./nttWithExecutor.js";
diff --git a/sui/ts/src/index.ts b/sui/ts/src/index.ts
index a87aa050c..e50e06370 100644
--- a/sui/ts/src/index.ts
+++ b/sui/ts/src/index.ts
@@ -7,13 +7,11 @@ import { SuiNtt } from "./ntt.js";
 import { SuiNttWithExecutor } from "./nttWithExecutor.js";
 import { register as registerDefinitions } from "@wormhole-foundation/sdk-definitions-ntt";
 
+let _explicitlyRegistered = false;
+
 /** Explicitly register Sui NTT protocols. Idempotent — safe to call multiple times. */
-export function register(topLevel = false): void {
-  if (topLevel) {
-    console.warn(
-      "@wormhole-foundation/sdk-sui-ntt: auto-registration on import is deprecated. Import { register } and call it explicitly."
-    );
-  }
+export function register(_deprecatedTopLevel?: boolean): void {
+  _explicitlyRegistered = true;
   registerDefinitions();
   if (!protocolIsRegistered(_platform, "Ntt")) {
     registerProtocol(_platform, "Ntt", SuiNtt);
@@ -23,9 +21,17 @@ export function register(topLevel = false): void {
   }
 }
 
-// Backward-compatible: auto-register on import
+// Backward-compatible: auto-register on import.
+// Deferred so that consumers who call register() explicitly don't see the warning.
 // TODO: remove this next time we are cool with a major version bump and are OK requiring integrators to make code changes
-register(true);
+setTimeout(() => {
+  if (!_explicitlyRegistered) {
+    console.warn(
+      "@wormhole-foundation/sdk-sui-ntt: auto-registration on import is deprecated. Import { register } and call it explicitly."
+    );
+  }
+  register();
+}, 0);
 
 export * from "./ntt.js";
 export * from "./nttWithExecutor.js";