Error [ERR_REQUIRE_ESM]: require() of ES Module zeptomatch — reproduces on Node 20/22/24 and Bun, not fixed by generator config

[joaspiosantos]

Bug description

prisma generate (and prisma -v) crashes with ERR_REQUIRE_ESM on Prisma 7.10.0. The crash happens in @prisma/dev's state.cjs, which does a top-level require("zeptomatch") — an ESM-only package ("type": "module", no CJS exports condition). This reproduces regardless of Node version or generator block configuration, so it does not match the "only occurs on Node < 22" explanation given in #28784 / fixed by #28807.

Reproduction

node_modules/prisma/build/index.js generate

Crashes identically whether invoked via bun add -d prisma@7.10.0 (which runs the postinstall: prisma generate script), via bunx prisma generate, or via direct node node_modules/prisma/build/index.js generate — ruling out a Bun-specific invocation issue.

Tried and confirmed not to fix it:

• Upgrading Node.js to 22.18.0 and to 24.21.0 (via fnm), both freshly installed — identical crash. This directly contradicts the maintainer comment on Error [ERR_REQUIRE_ESM]: require() of ES Module #28784 that this "only occurs when using an out of date and below system requirements version of Node.js".
• Pinning zeptomatch via overrides/resolutions in package.json to every published version (1.0.0 → 2.1.0, the latest) — every version is ESM-only, so there is no CJS-compatible version to pin.
• Switching the generator client block from prisma-client-js to the new prisma-client generator, in every combination of its options:

  generator client {
    provider               = "prisma-client"
    output                 = "../src/generated/prisma"
    engineType             = "client"
    runtime                = "bun"
    moduleFormat           = "esm"
    generatedFileExtension = "ts"
    importFileExtension    = "ts"
  }

  The crash happens during the CLI's own bootstrap (loading @prisma/dev) before the schema/generator block is even parsed, so no generator configuration can avoid it.

Expected vs. Actual Behavior

Expected: prisma generate runs successfully with prisma@7.10.0 on Node 20/22/24 and under Bun.

Actual:

Error [ERR_REQUIRE_ESM]: require() of ES Module /path/to/node_modules/zeptomatch/dist/index.js from /path/to/node_modules/@prisma/dev/dist/state.cjs not supported.
Instead change the require of index.js in /path/to/node_modules/@prisma/dev/dist/state.cjs to a dynamic import() which is available in all CommonJS modules.
    at Object.<anonymous> (/path/to/node_modules/@prisma/dev/dist/state.cjs:1:2235) {
  code: 'ERR_REQUIRE_ESM'
}

Environment

• prisma: 7.10.0
• OS: Ubuntu 24.04.4 LTS on WSL2 (6.6.87.2-microsoft-standard-WSL2)
• Runtimes tested, all reproduce identically:
  • Bun 1.4.2 (bundled Node 20.19.6)
  • Node 22.18.0 (via fnm)
  • Node 24.21.0 (via fnm)
• Package manager: Bun (bun.lock)

Related

• Error [ERR_REQUIRE_ESM]: require() of ES Module #28784 (closed) — same error, maintainer attributed it to Node < 22, but I've reproduced it on 22.18.0 and 24.21.0 as well.
• [7.0.1] Bun compatibility of cli command #28805 — Bun compatibility of CLI command.
• fix(cli): lazy load @prisma/dev in Init.ts to prevent Node <22 crash #28807 (closed, not merged) — "lazy load @prisma/dev in Init.ts" — this only lazy-loads it for prisma init, but the crash here happens on plain prisma generate, so it isn't covered by that fix.

Happy to provide a minimal reproduction repo if useful.