diff --git a/eslint.config.js b/eslint.config.js
index d3432066a717..624d9673c406 100644
--- a/eslint.config.js
+++ b/eslint.config.js
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ export default antfu(
       'test/core/src/self',
       'test/workspaces/results.json',
       'test/reporters/fixtures/with-syntax-error.test.js',
+      'test/network-imports/public/slash@3.0.0.js',
       'examples/**/mockServiceWorker.js',
     ],
   },
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 5882e0f1dc24..6d899091f737 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
     "test:run": "vitest run -r test/core",
     "test:all": "CI=true pnpm -r --stream run test --allowOnly",
     "test:ci": "CI=true pnpm -r --stream --filter !test-browser --filter !test-esm --filter !test-browser run test --allowOnly",
-    "test:ci:vm-threads": "CI=true pnpm -r --stream --filter !test-coverage --filter !test-single-thread --filter !test-browser --filter !test-esm --filter !test-browser --filter !example-react-testing-lib-msw run test --allowOnly --pool vmThreads",
+    "test:ci:vm-threads": "CI=true pnpm -r --stream --filter !test-coverage --filter !test-single-thread --filter !test-browser --filter !test-esm --filter !test-network-imports --filter !test-browser --filter !example-react-testing-lib-msw run test --allowOnly --pool vmThreads",
     "test:ci:no-threads": "CI=true pnpm -r --stream --filter !test-vm-threads --filter !test-coverage --filter !test-watch --filter !test-bail --filter !test-esm --filter !test-browser run test --allowOnly --pool forks",
     "typecheck": "tsc -p tsconfig.check.json --noEmit",
     "typecheck:why": "tsc -p tsconfig.check.json --noEmit --explainFiles > explainTypes.txt",
diff --git a/packages/vite-node/src/externalize.ts b/packages/vite-node/src/externalize.ts
index 2a579bea6287..e306bbba9a22 100644
--- a/packages/vite-node/src/externalize.ts
+++ b/packages/vite-node/src/externalize.ts
@@ -95,8 +95,9 @@ async function _shouldExternalize(
     return id
 
   // data: should be processed by native import,
-  // since it is a feature of ESM
-  if (id.startsWith('data:'))
+  // since it is a feature of ESM.
+  // also externalize network imports since nodejs allows it when --experimental-network-imports
+  if (id.startsWith('data:') || /^(https?:)?\/\//.test(id))
     return id
 
   id = patchWindowsImportPath(id)
diff --git a/pnpm-lock.yaml b/pnpm-lock.yaml
index 42547a1957c1..afbdedaabc19 100644
--- a/pnpm-lock.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-lock.yaml
@@ -1793,6 +1793,12 @@ importers:
         specifier: workspace:*
         version: link:../../packages/vitest
 
+  test/network-imports:
+    devDependencies:
+      vitest:
+        specifier: workspace:*
+        version: link:../../packages/vitest
+
   test/path-resolution:
     devDependencies:
       '@edge-runtime/vm':
diff --git a/test/network-imports/package.json b/test/network-imports/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..a8463ad9787e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/network-imports/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+{
+  "name": "@vitest/test-network-imports",
+  "type": "module",
+  "private": true,
+  "scripts": {
+    "test": "vitest"
+  },
+  "devDependencies": {
+    "vitest": "workspace:*"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test/network-imports/public/slash@3.0.0.js b/test/network-imports/public/slash@3.0.0.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..a20adf9eb5bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/network-imports/public/slash@3.0.0.js
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+/* eslint-disable */
+// copied from https://esm.sh/v133/slash@3.0.0/es2022/slash.mjs to reduce network issues in CI 
+
+/* esm.sh - esbuild bundle(slash@3.0.0) es2022 production */
+var a=Object.create;var d=Object.defineProperty;var m=Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor;var x=Object.getOwnPropertyNames;var g=Object.getPrototypeOf,p=Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty;var A=(e,t)=>()=>(t||e((t={exports:{}}).exports,t),t.exports),E=(e,t)=>{for(var r in t)d(e,r,{get:t[r],enumerable:!0})},u=(e,t,r,i)=>{if(t&&typeof t=="object"||typeof t=="function")for(let n of x(t))!p.call(e,n)&&n!==r&&d(e,n,{get:()=>t[n],enumerable:!(i=m(t,n))||i.enumerable});return e},o=(e,t,r)=>(u(e,t,"default"),r&&u(r,t,"default")),c=(e,t,r)=>(r=e!=null?a(g(e)):{},u(t||!e||!e.__esModule?d(r,"default",{value:e,enumerable:!0}):r,e));var f=A((h,_)=>{"use strict";_.exports=e=>{let t=/^\\\\\?\\/.test(e),r=/[^\u0000-\u0080]+/.test(e);return t||r?e:e.replace(/\\/g,"/")}});var s={};E(s,{default:()=>P});var L=c(f());o(s,c(f()));var{default:l,...N}=L,P=l!==void 0?l:N;export{P as default};
diff --git a/test/network-imports/test/basic.test.ts b/test/network-imports/test/basic.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..21862089a4c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/network-imports/test/basic.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+import { expect, test } from 'vitest'
+
+// @ts-expect-error network imports
+import slash from 'http://localhost:9602/slash@3.0.0.js'
+
+// test without local server
+// import slash from 'https://esm.sh/slash@3.0.0'
+
+test('network imports', () => {
+  expect(slash('foo\\bar')).toBe('foo/bar')
+})
diff --git a/test/network-imports/vitest.config.ts b/test/network-imports/vitest.config.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..d4fdcc4e457e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/network-imports/vitest.config.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+import { defineConfig } from 'vitest/config'
+
+export default defineConfig({
+  test: {
+    poolOptions: {
+      threads: {
+        execArgv: ['--experimental-network-imports'],
+      },
+      forks: {
+        execArgv: ['--experimental-network-imports'],
+      },
+      // not supported?
+      //   FAIL  test/basic.test.ts [ test/basic.test.ts ]
+      //   Error: ENOENT: no such file or directory, open 'http://localhost:9602/slash@3.0.0.js'
+      //    ❯ Object.openSync node:fs:596:3
+      //    ❯ readFileSync node:fs:464:35
+      vmThreads: {
+        execArgv: ['--experimental-network-imports'],
+      },
+    },
+    // let vite serve public/slash@3.0.0.js
+    api: 9602,
+  },
+})