diff --git a/server/services/apiService.js b/server/services/apiService.js
index b64db39..f13fb49 100644
--- a/server/services/apiService.js
+++ b/server/services/apiService.js
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 // apiService.js
 import axios from "axios";
 import config from "../config/config.js";
-import secureStorageService from "./secureStorageService.js";
 import { logger } from "../config/loggerConfig.js";
 
+let secureStorageServiceModulePromise = null;
+
 // API service for making HTTP requests
 class ApiService {
   constructor(options = {}) {
@@ -464,12 +465,18 @@ class ApiService {
       `[API] ${process.env.NODE_ENV !== "production" ? "Mock " : ""}file upload: ${file.originalname} (${file.size} bytes)`
     );
 
-    // Use local storage service instead of mocks
+    // Lazily load secureStorageService to avoid circular-import initialization
+    // issues during test/app bootstrap.
+    if (!secureStorageServiceModulePromise) {
+      secureStorageServiceModulePromise = import("./secureStorageService.js");
+    }
+    const { default: secureStorageService } =
+      await secureStorageServiceModulePromise;
+
     if (!secureStorageService.initialized) {
       await secureStorageService.initialize();
     }
 
-    // Use the correct method name that exists in secureStorageService
     return secureStorageService.uploadToIPFS(file);
   }