diff --git a/packages/vite/src/node/plugins/importAnalysis.ts b/packages/vite/src/node/plugins/importAnalysis.ts
index 64a8fdce9b2826..0e5a1ce6879f1c 100644
--- a/packages/vite/src/node/plugins/importAnalysis.ts
+++ b/packages/vite/src/node/plugins/importAnalysis.ts
@@ -835,7 +835,7 @@ export function importAnalysisPlugin(config: ResolvedConfig): Plugin {
           isSelfAccepting,
           staticImportedUrls,
         )
-        if (hasHMR && prunedImports) {
+        if (prunedImports) {
           handlePrunedModules(prunedImports, environment)
         }
       }
diff --git a/playground/hmr/__tests__/hmr.spec.ts b/playground/hmr/__tests__/hmr.spec.ts
index 499aae1b4e2cf6..139355368e53b1 100644
--- a/playground/hmr/__tests__/hmr.spec.ts
+++ b/playground/hmr/__tests__/hmr.spec.ts
@@ -997,6 +997,17 @@ if (!isBuild) {
       .toMatch('parent:child')
   })
 
+  test('deleting import from non-self-accepting module can trigger prune event', async () => {
+    await page.goto(viteTestUrl)
+    await expect.poll(() => page.textContent('.prune')).toMatch('prune-init')
+    editFile('prune/dep1.js', (code) =>
+      code.replace(`import './dep2.js'`, `// import './dep2.js'`),
+    )
+    await expect
+      .poll(() => page.textContent('.prune'))
+      .toMatch('prune-init|dep2-disposed|dep2-pruned')
+  })
+
   test('import.meta.hot?.accept', async () => {
     await page.goto(viteTestUrl)
 
diff --git a/playground/hmr/hmr.ts b/playground/hmr/hmr.ts
index 57eb5df0ab30ea..859809801f29cd 100644
--- a/playground/hmr/hmr.ts
+++ b/playground/hmr/hmr.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import './file-delete-restore'
 import './optional-chaining/parent'
 import './intermediate-file-delete'
 import './circular'
+import './prune'
 import logo from './logo.svg'
 import logoNoInline from './logo-no-inline.svg'
 import { msg as softInvalidationMsg } from './soft-invalidation'
diff --git a/playground/hmr/index.html b/playground/hmr/index.html
index 8bd295beb73c95..e4ea468b98d67d 100644
--- a/playground/hmr/index.html
+++ b/playground/hmr/index.html
@@ -45,3 +45,4 @@
 <img id="logo" />
 <img id="logo-no-inline" />
 <div class="circular"></div>
+<div class="prune">prune-init</div>
diff --git a/playground/hmr/prune/dep1.js b/playground/hmr/prune/dep1.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..6621b014013ab3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playground/hmr/prune/dep1.js
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+import './dep2.js'
+
+// TODO: https://github.com/vitejs/vite/issues/20781
+// currently we need one more `import` in this module
+// to trigger prune for depending module `dep2.js` since
+// the prune event logic is skipped when `es-module-lexer`
+// detects `imports.length === 0`
+import './dep2-other.js'
diff --git a/playground/hmr/prune/dep2-other.js b/playground/hmr/prune/dep2-other.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..e69de29bb2d1d6
diff --git a/playground/hmr/prune/dep2.js b/playground/hmr/prune/dep2.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..95db869caa5e07
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playground/hmr/prune/dep2.js
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+if (import.meta.hot) {
+  import.meta.hot.dispose(() => {
+    document.querySelector('.prune').textContent += '|dep2-disposed'
+  })
+  import.meta.hot.prune(() => {
+    document.querySelector('.prune').textContent += '|dep2-pruned'
+  })
+}
diff --git a/playground/hmr/prune/index.js b/playground/hmr/prune/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..f79e0d2d015aef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playground/hmr/prune/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+import './dep1.js'
+
+if (import.meta.hot) {
+  import.meta.hot.accept(() => {})
+}