diff --git a/src/modules/punk/repl-999999.0a1.0.tm b/src/modules/punk/repl-999999.0a1.0.tm
index a69a7742..066b0a44 100644
--- a/src/modules/punk/repl-999999.0a1.0.tm
+++ b/src/modules/punk/repl-999999.0a1.0.tm
@@ -3577,6 +3577,12 @@ namespace eval repl {
             switch -- $repltype {
                 safe {
                     interp create -safe -- code
+                    #propagate tm list, auto_path, and package prefer to the safe code interp.
+                    #-libunknown is not used because safe interps cannot source arbitrary files;
+                    #the epoch copy below remains for cooperative use if libunknown is later
+                    #adapted for safe interps (see TODO at line ~3634).
+                    package require punk::lib
+                    catch {punk::lib::interp_sync_package_paths code}
                     code eval       [list namespace eval ::punk::libunknown {}]
                     catch {
                         code eval   [list set ::punk::libunknown::epoch $::punk::libunknown::epoch]
diff --git a/src/modules/zzzload-999999.0a1.0.tm b/src/modules/zzzload-999999.0a1.0.tm
index 506b7a1c..231ca65d 100644
--- a/src/modules/zzzload-999999.0a1.0.tm
+++ b/src/modules/zzzload-999999.0a1.0.tm
@@ -63,9 +63,15 @@ namespace eval zzzload {
             return $ver
         }
         if {$loader_tid eq ""} {
-            set loader_tid [thread::create -joinable -preserved]
-            #todo - set tcl::tm::list and ::auto_path in the loader thread to match the main thread.
-            #(startup process may have modified these paths)
+            #propagate tm list, auto_path, and package prefer to the loader thread
+            #so it can find the same packages as the parent interp.
+            if {![catch {package require punk::lib}]} {
+                set init_script [punk::lib::snapshot_package_paths]
+                set loader_tid [thread::create -joinable -preserved $init_script]
+            } else {
+                #punk::lib not available — fall back to bare thread
+                set loader_tid [thread::create -joinable -preserved]
+            }
         }
         if {![tsv::exists zzzload_pkg $pkgname]} {
             #puts stderr "zzzload pkg_require $pkgname"