diff --git a/src/art/__init__.py b/src/art/__init__.py
index 8e494e6c4..6d8d62274 100644
--- a/src/art/__init__.py
+++ b/src/art/__init__.py
@@ -17,9 +17,13 @@
 """
 
 import os
+from typing import Any, TYPE_CHECKING
 
 from dotenv import load_dotenv
 
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from .local import LocalBackend
+
 load_dotenv()
 
 if os.getenv("SUPPRESS_LITELLM_SERIALIZATION_WARNINGS", "1") == "1":
@@ -88,6 +92,17 @@ def __init__(self, **kwargs):
 from .utils import retry
 from .yield_trajectory import capture_yielded_trajectory, yield_trajectory
 
+
+def __getattr__(name: str) -> Any:
+    if name == "LocalBackend":
+        # Keep backend-only dependencies optional until the symbol is requested.
+        from .local import LocalBackend
+
+        globals()[name] = LocalBackend
+        return LocalBackend
+    raise AttributeError(f"module {__name__!r} has no attribute {name!r}")
+
+
 __all__ = [
     "dev",
     "auto_trajectory",
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_package_exports.py b/tests/unit/test_package_exports.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e5a3a2aac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/test_package_exports.py
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+import art
+
+
+def test_art_localbackend_top_level_export():
+    from art.local import LocalBackend
+
+    assert art.LocalBackend is LocalBackend