diff --git a/eval_protocol/training/__init__.py b/eval_protocol/training/__init__.py
index 122b6a7a..b8338144 100644
--- a/eval_protocol/training/__init__.py
+++ b/eval_protocol/training/__init__.py
@@ -1,11 +1,30 @@
-from .gepa_trainer import GEPATrainer
-from .gepa_utils import (
-    DSPyModuleType,
-    DSPyModuleFactory,
-    create_single_turn_program,
-    create_signature,
-    build_reflection_lm,
-)
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
+
+# GEPA/DSPy-related imports are optional - only available when dspy extra is installed
+# Use: pip install eval-protocol[dspy]
+_DSPY_AVAILABLE = False
+try:
+    import dspy  # noqa: F401
+
+    _DSPY_AVAILABLE = True
+except ImportError:
+    pass
+
+
+def _raise_dspy_import_error(name: str):
+    """Raise a helpful error when dspy is not installed."""
+    raise ImportError(f"'{name}' requires the 'dspy' extra. Install it with: pip install eval-protocol[dspy]")
+
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING or _DSPY_AVAILABLE:
+    from .gepa_trainer import GEPATrainer
+    from .gepa_utils import (
+        DSPyModuleType,
+        DSPyModuleFactory,
+        create_single_turn_program,
+        create_signature,
+        build_reflection_lm,
+    )
 
 __all__ = [
     "GEPATrainer",
@@ -17,3 +36,10 @@
     # Reflection LM helpers
     "build_reflection_lm",
 ]
+
+
+def __getattr__(name: str):
+    """Lazy loading for dspy-dependent exports."""
+    if name in __all__ and not _DSPY_AVAILABLE:
+        _raise_dspy_import_error(name)
+    raise AttributeError(f"module {__name__!r} has no attribute {name!r}")
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 97a41aeb..400e8d40 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ dependencies = [
     "deepdiff>=6.0.0",
     "websockets>=15.0.1",
     "fastapi>=0.116.1",
-    "dspy>=3.0.0",
     "fireworks-ai==1.0.0a18",
 ]
 
@@ -132,6 +131,9 @@ braintrust = [
 openenv = [
     "openenv-core",
 ]
+dspy = [
+    "dspy>=3.0.0",
+]
 
 # Optional deps for LangGraph example/tests
 langgraph = [
diff --git a/uv.lock b/uv.lock
index 75b38223..972f90b1 100644
--- a/uv.lock
+++ b/uv.lock
@@ -1163,7 +1163,6 @@ dependencies = [
     { name = "dataclasses-json" },
     { name = "deepdiff" },
     { name = "docstring-parser" },
-    { name = "dspy" },
     { name = "fastapi" },
     { name = "fireworks-ai" },
     { name = "httpx" },
@@ -1230,6 +1229,9 @@ dev = [
     { name = "versioneer" },
     { name = "werkzeug" },
 ]
+dspy = [
+    { name = "dspy" },
+]
 huggingface = [
     { name = "datasets" },
     { name = "transformers" },
@@ -1304,7 +1306,7 @@ requires-dist = [
     { name = "deepdiff", specifier = ">=6.0.0" },
     { name = "docker", marker = "extra == 'dev'", specifier = "==7.1.0" },
     { name = "docstring-parser", specifier = ">=0.15" },
-    { name = "dspy", specifier = ">=3.0.0" },
+    { name = "dspy", marker = "extra == 'dspy'", specifier = ">=3.0.0" },
     { name = "e2b", marker = "extra == 'dev'" },
     { name = "fastapi", specifier = ">=0.116.1" },
     { name = "fireworks-ai", specifier = "==1.0.0a18" },
@@ -1377,7 +1379,7 @@ requires-dist = [
     { name = "websockets", specifier = ">=15.0.1" },
     { name = "werkzeug", marker = "extra == 'dev'", specifier = ">=2.0.0" },
 ]
-provides-extras = ["dev", "trl", "openevals", "box2d", "langfuse", "huggingface", "langsmith", "bigquery", "svgbench", "pydantic", "supabase", "chinook", "langchain", "braintrust", "openenv", "langgraph", "langgraph-tools", "proxy"]
+provides-extras = ["dev", "trl", "openevals", "box2d", "langfuse", "huggingface", "langsmith", "bigquery", "svgbench", "pydantic", "supabase", "chinook", "langchain", "braintrust", "openenv", "dspy", "langgraph", "langgraph-tools", "proxy"]
 
 [package.metadata.requires-dev]
 dev = [