diff --git a/packages/plugin-vue/__tests__/ssr-then-client-cache.spec.ts b/packages/plugin-vue/__tests__/ssr-then-client-cache.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a13e9ef3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/plugin-vue/__tests__/ssr-then-client-cache.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import type { ResolvedOptions } from '../src/index'
+import { resolveCompiler } from '../src/compiler'
+import { transformMain } from '../src/main'
+import { resolveScript } from '../src/script'
+import { getDescriptor } from '../src/utils/descriptorCache'
+
+const compiler = resolveCompiler(process.cwd())
+
+function createOptions(): ResolvedOptions {
+  return {
+    root: '/root',
+    isProduction: false,
+    sourceMap: false,
+    cssDevSourcemap: false,
+    compiler,
+  } as ResolvedOptions
+}
+
+function createPluginContext() {
+  return {
+    warn: vi.fn(),
+    error: vi.fn((error: unknown) => {
+      throw error
+    }),
+  } as any
+}
+
+describe('ssr-then-client descriptor cache', () => {
+  // This simulates the flow that poisons client transforms in Vitest when a
+  // workspace mixes ssr (jsdom) and browser projects:
+  //   1. Main SSR transform of Component.vue populates the descriptor cache
+  //      and runs `compileScript` with `templateOptions.ssr = true`, mutating
+  //      the cached descriptor with ssr-specific state.
+  //   2. A subsequent sub-block transform (triggered by the client pass, e.g.
+  //      `Component.vue?vue&type=template`) looks the descriptor up via
+  //      `getDescriptor` — without the fix this returned the same mutated
+  //      descriptor, so `resolveScript(desc, ssr=false)` then ran
+  //      `compileScript` on a descriptor already tainted with ssr state and
+  //      emitted a setup whose `__returned__` dropped template-only imports.
+  it('keeps ssr and client descriptor state separate', async () => {
+    const filename = '/root/Component.vue'
+    const source = [
+      '<script setup>',
+      "import Child from './Child.vue'",
+      '</script>',
+      '<template><Child /></template>',
+    ].join('\n')
+    const options = createOptions()
+
+    // Step 1: main SSR transform caches and mutates an ssr descriptor.
+    await transformMain(
+      source,
+      filename,
+      options,
+      createPluginContext(),
+      /* ssr */ true,
+      /* customElement */ false,
+    )
+
+    // Step 2: client flow resolves the cached descriptor — before the fix this
+    // returned the SSR-poisoned descriptor, shared between both modes.
+    const clientDescriptor = getDescriptor(
+      filename,
+      options,
+      /* createIfNotFound */ true,
+      /* hmr */ false,
+      source,
+      /* ssr */ false,
+    )!
+    const ssrDescriptor = getDescriptor(
+      filename,
+      options,
+      /* createIfNotFound */ false,
+      /* hmr */ false,
+      undefined,
+      /* ssr */ true,
+    )
+
+    expect(ssrDescriptor).toBeDefined()
+    // The descriptors must not be the same object, otherwise a subsequent
+    // `resolveScript` call runs `compileScript` on an ssr-tainted descriptor.
+    expect(clientDescriptor).not.toBe(ssrDescriptor)
+
+    // Step 3: resolving the client script on the client descriptor must
+    // produce output that retains the template-only import binding.
+    const clientScript = resolveScript(
+      clientDescriptor,
+      options,
+      /* ssr */ false,
+      /* customElement */ false,
+    )!
+    expect(clientScript).toBeTruthy()
+    expect(clientScript.bindings).toMatchObject({ Child: expect.any(String) })
+    // The compiled script keeps `Child` as a setup-referenceable binding so
+    // the render function can resolve it.
+    expect(clientScript.content).toMatch(/\bChild\b/)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/packages/plugin-vue/src/handleHotUpdate.ts b/packages/plugin-vue/src/handleHotUpdate.ts
index 87f081e7..8bf732b9 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-vue/src/handleHotUpdate.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-vue/src/handleHotUpdate.ts
@@ -6,10 +6,10 @@ import { isCSSRequest } from 'vite'
 import type * as t from '@babel/types'
 
 import {
-  cache,
   createDescriptor,
   getDescriptor,
   invalidateDescriptor,
+  setCachedDescriptor,
 } from './utils/descriptorCache'
 import {
   getResolvedScript,
@@ -159,8 +159,11 @@ export async function handleHotUpdate(
   if (updateType.length) {
     if (file.endsWith('.vue')) {
       // invalidate the descriptor cache so that the next transform will
-      // re-analyze the file and pick up the changes.
-      invalidateDescriptor(file)
+      // re-analyze the file and pick up the changes. Clear both the client
+      // and ssr-keyed entries so a subsequent transform (in either mode)
+      // picks up the new source.
+      invalidateDescriptor(file, false, false)
+      invalidateDescriptor(file, false, true)
     } else {
       // https://github.com/vuejs/vitepress/issues/3129
       // For non-vue files, e.g. .md files in VitePress, invalidating the
@@ -169,7 +172,9 @@ export async function handleHotUpdate(
       // To fix that we need to provide the descriptor we parsed here in the
       // main cache. This assumes no other plugin is applying pre-transform to
       // the file type - not impossible, but should be extremely unlikely.
-      cache.set(file, descriptor)
+      // HMR is client-only, so we store the fresh descriptor under the
+      // client key.
+      setCachedDescriptor(file, descriptor, false)
     }
     debug(`[vue:update(${updateType.join('&')})] ${file}`)
   }
diff --git a/packages/plugin-vue/src/index.ts b/packages/plugin-vue/src/index.ts
index 692e7158..cfc54d60 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-vue/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-vue/src/index.ts
@@ -433,7 +433,14 @@ export default function vuePlugin(rawOptions: Options = {}): Plugin<Api> {
           if (query.src) {
             return fs.readFileSync(filename, 'utf-8')
           }
-          const descriptor = getDescriptor(filename, options.value)!
+          const descriptor = getDescriptor(
+            filename,
+            options.value,
+            true,
+            false,
+            undefined,
+            ssr,
+          )!
           let block: SFCBlock | null | undefined
           if (query.type === 'script') {
             // handle <script> + <script setup> merge via compileScript()
@@ -489,7 +496,14 @@ export default function vuePlugin(rawOptions: Options = {}): Plugin<Api> {
           const descriptor: ExtendedSFCDescriptor = query.src
             ? getSrcDescriptor(filename, query) ||
               getTempSrcDescriptor(filename, query)
-            : getDescriptor(filename, options.value)!
+            : getDescriptor(
+                filename,
+                options.value,
+                true,
+                false,
+                undefined,
+                ssr,
+              )!
 
           if (query.src) {
             this.addWatchFile(filename)
diff --git a/packages/plugin-vue/src/main.ts b/packages/plugin-vue/src/main.ts
index 20b3c3dc..394fb37c 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-vue/src/main.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-vue/src/main.ts
@@ -39,10 +39,18 @@ export async function transformMain(
   const { devServer, isProduction, devToolsEnabled } = options
 
   const prevDescriptor = getPrevDescriptor(filename)
-  const { descriptor, errors } = createDescriptor(filename, code, options)
+  const { descriptor, errors } = createDescriptor(
+    filename,
+    code,
+    options,
+    false,
+    ssr,
+  )
 
   if (fs.existsSync(filename)) {
-    // populate descriptor cache for HMR if it's not set yet
+    // populate descriptor cache for HMR if it's not set yet.
+    // HMR is client-only, so we always store the HMR descriptor under the
+    // client key regardless of the current transform's ssr flag.
     getDescriptor(
       filename,
       options,
@@ -55,6 +63,7 @@ export async function transformMain(
       // post-transform code, so we populate the descriptor with post-transform
       // code here as well.
       filename.endsWith('.vue') ? undefined : code,
+      false,
     )
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/plugin-vue/src/script.ts b/packages/plugin-vue/src/script.ts
index be91f3bb..63bd31e6 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-vue/src/script.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-vue/src/script.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import type { SFCDescriptor, SFCScriptBlock } from 'vue/compiler-sfc'
 import { resolveTemplateCompilerOptions } from './template'
-import { cache as descriptorCache } from './utils/descriptorCache'
+import { peekCachedDescriptor } from './utils/descriptorCache'
 import { isVaporMode } from './utils/vapor'
 import type { ResolvedOptions } from './index'
 
@@ -11,10 +11,14 @@ let ssrCache = new WeakMap<SFCDescriptor, SFCScriptBlock | null>()
 export const typeDepToSFCMap = new Map<string, Set<string>>()
 
 export function invalidateScript(filename: string): void {
-  const desc = descriptorCache.get(filename)
-  if (desc) {
-    clientCache.delete(desc)
-    ssrCache.delete(desc)
+  // Descriptors are keyed by `(filename, ssr)`; clear both variants so a
+  // subsequent transform recompiles the script.
+  for (const ssr of [false, true]) {
+    const desc = peekCachedDescriptor(filename, ssr)
+    if (desc) {
+      clientCache.delete(desc)
+      ssrCache.delete(desc)
+    }
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/plugin-vue/src/utils/descriptorCache.ts b/packages/plugin-vue/src/utils/descriptorCache.ts
index 4b869815..32ae613f 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-vue/src/utils/descriptorCache.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-vue/src/utils/descriptorCache.ts
@@ -11,14 +11,26 @@ export interface SFCParseResult {
   errors: (CompilerError | SyntaxError)[]
 }
 
+// Descriptor caches are keyed by `(filename, ssr)` so that SSR and client
+// transforms operate on distinct descriptor objects. `compileScript` mutates
+// the descriptor with ssr-specific state, so sharing one descriptor between
+// an ssr pass and a subsequent client pass produces incorrect output
+// (e.g. `<script setup>` imports that are only referenced from the template
+// get dropped from `__returned__`).
 export const cache = new Map<string, SFCDescriptor>()
 // we use a separate descriptor cache for HMR purposes.
 // The main cached descriptors are parsed from SFCs that may have been
 // transformed by other plugins, e.g. vue-macros;
 // The HMR cached descriptors are based on the raw, pre-transform SFCs.
+// HMR is client-only, but we still namespace the key for consistency.
 export const hmrCache = new Map<string, SFCDescriptor>()
+// `prevCache` is consulted for HMR diffing, which is client-only.
 const prevCache = new Map<string, SFCDescriptor | undefined>()
 
+function getCacheKey(filename: string, ssr: boolean): string {
+  return `${filename}\0${ssr ? 'ssr' : 'client'}`
+}
+
 export function createDescriptor(
   filename: string,
   source: string,
@@ -31,12 +43,22 @@ export function createDescriptor(
     features,
   }: ResolvedOptions,
   hmr = false,
+  ssr = false,
 ): SFCParseResult {
-  const { descriptor, errors } = compiler.parse(source, {
+  const parseResult = compiler.parse(source, {
     filename,
     sourceMap,
     templateParseOptions: template?.compilerOptions,
   })
+  // `compiler.parse` is backed by an internal LRU cache keyed by the source
+  // (and other parse options). Two parses of the same SFC therefore return
+  // the **same** descriptor object. Because `compileScript` mutates the
+  // descriptor (and its script/scriptSetup blocks) with ssr-specific compiled
+  // state, reusing that shared object across ssr and client transforms would
+  // poison the second transform. Clone the descriptor so each cache entry
+  // owns an independent object that `compileScript` is free to mutate.
+  const descriptor = cloneDescriptor(parseResult.descriptor)
+  const { errors } = parseResult
 
   // ensure the path is normalized in a way that is consistent inside
   // project (relative to root) and on different systems.
@@ -58,7 +80,7 @@ export function createDescriptor(
     descriptor.id = getHash(normalizedPath + (isProduction ? source : ''))
   }
 
-  ;(hmr ? hmrCache : cache).set(filename, descriptor)
+  ;(hmr ? hmrCache : cache).set(getCacheKey(filename, ssr), descriptor)
   return { descriptor, errors }
 }
 
@@ -66,10 +88,15 @@ export function getPrevDescriptor(filename: string): SFCDescriptor | undefined {
   return prevCache.get(filename)
 }
 
-export function invalidateDescriptor(filename: string, hmr = false): void {
+export function invalidateDescriptor(
+  filename: string,
+  hmr = false,
+  ssr = false,
+): void {
   const _cache = hmr ? hmrCache : cache
-  const prev = _cache.get(filename)
-  _cache.delete(filename)
+  const key = getCacheKey(filename, ssr)
+  const prev = _cache.get(key)
+  _cache.delete(key)
   if (prev) {
     prevCache.set(filename, prev)
   }
@@ -85,10 +112,12 @@ export function getDescriptor(
   createIfNotFound = true,
   hmr = false,
   code?: string,
+  ssr = false,
 ): SFCDescriptor | undefined {
   const _cache = hmr ? hmrCache : cache
-  if (_cache.has(filename)) {
-    return _cache.get(filename)!
+  const key = getCacheKey(filename, ssr)
+  if (_cache.has(key)) {
+    return _cache.get(key)!
   }
   if (createIfNotFound) {
     const { descriptor, errors } = createDescriptor(
@@ -96,6 +125,7 @@ export function getDescriptor(
       code ?? fs.readFileSync(filename, 'utf-8'),
       options,
       hmr,
+      ssr,
     )
     if (errors.length && !hmr) {
       throw errors[0]
@@ -104,6 +134,21 @@ export function getDescriptor(
   }
 }
 
+export function setCachedDescriptor(
+  filename: string,
+  descriptor: SFCDescriptor,
+  ssr = false,
+): void {
+  cache.set(getCacheKey(filename, ssr), descriptor)
+}
+
+export function peekCachedDescriptor(
+  filename: string,
+  ssr = false,
+): SFCDescriptor | undefined {
+  return cache.get(getCacheKey(filename, ssr))
+}
+
 export function getSrcDescriptor(
   filename: string,
   query: VueQuery,
@@ -139,6 +184,9 @@ export function setSrcDescriptor(
   entry: SFCDescriptor,
   scoped?: boolean,
 ): void {
+  // `?src=` descriptors are only consumed by the style transform (via
+  // `getSrcDescriptor`), which never calls `compileScript`. They are safe to
+  // key by filename alone.
   if (scoped) {
     // if multiple Vue files use the same src file, they will be overwritten
     // should use other key
@@ -151,3 +199,14 @@ export function setSrcDescriptor(
 function getHash(text: string): string {
   return crypto.hash('sha256', text, 'hex').substring(0, 8)
 }
+
+function cloneDescriptor(descriptor: SFCDescriptor): SFCDescriptor {
+  return {
+    ...descriptor,
+    script: descriptor.script ? { ...descriptor.script } : null,
+    scriptSetup: descriptor.scriptSetup ? { ...descriptor.scriptSetup } : null,
+    template: descriptor.template ? { ...descriptor.template } : null,
+    styles: descriptor.styles.map((s) => ({ ...s })),
+    customBlocks: descriptor.customBlocks.map((b) => ({ ...b })),
+  }
+}