diff --git a/docs/1.getting-started/7.state-management.md b/docs/1.getting-started/7.state-management.md
index 249971fa2b9f..3a0ea00d1bb7 100644
--- a/docs/1.getting-started/7.state-management.md
+++ b/docs/1.getting-started/7.state-management.md
@@ -74,12 +74,12 @@ export const useLocale = () => useState<string>('locale', () => useDefaultLocale
 
 export const useDefaultLocale = (fallback = 'en-US') => {
   const locale = ref(fallback)
-  if (process.server) {    
+  if (import.meta.server) {    
     const reqLocale = useRequestHeaders()['accept-language']?.split(',')[0]
     if (reqLocale) {
       locale.value = reqLocale
     }
-  } else if (process.client) {
+  } else if (import.meta.client) {
     const navLang = navigator.language
     if (navLang) {
       locale.value = navLang
diff --git a/docs/2.guide/2.directory-structure/1.middleware.md b/docs/2.guide/2.directory-structure/1.middleware.md
index 5520b4eaa966..4b98ba506a9f 100644
--- a/docs/2.guide/2.directory-structure/1.middleware.md
+++ b/docs/2.guide/2.directory-structure/1.middleware.md
@@ -125,12 +125,12 @@ However, if you want to avoid this behaviour you can do so:
 ```js
 export default defineNuxtRouteMiddleware(to => {
   // skip middleware on server
-  if (process.server) return
+  if (import.meta.server) return
   // skip middleware on client side entirely
-  if (process.client) return
+  if (import.meta.client) return
   // or only skip middleware on initial client load
   const nuxtApp = useNuxtApp()
-  if (process.client && nuxtApp.isHydrating && nuxtApp.payload.serverRendered) return
+  if (import.meta.client && nuxtApp.isHydrating && nuxtApp.payload.serverRendered) return
 })
 ```
 
diff --git a/docs/2.guide/2.directory-structure/1.plugins.md b/docs/2.guide/2.directory-structure/1.plugins.md
index f265646ff96b..62ac4a043d9c 100644
--- a/docs/2.guide/2.directory-structure/1.plugins.md
+++ b/docs/2.guide/2.directory-structure/1.plugins.md
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ export default defineNuxtPlugin({
 ```
 
 ::alert
-If you are using an object-syntax plugin, the properties may be statically analyzed in future to produce a more optimized build. So you should not define them at runtime. For example, setting `enforce: process.server ? 'pre' : 'post'` would defeat any future optimization Nuxt is able to do for your plugins.
+If you are using an object-syntax plugin, the properties may be statically analyzed in future to produce a more optimized build. So you should not define them at runtime. For example, setting `enforce: import.meta.server ? 'pre' : 'post'` would defeat any future optimization Nuxt is able to do for your plugins.
 ::
 
 ## Plugin Registration Order
diff --git a/docs/2.guide/3.going-further/10.runtime-config.md b/docs/2.guide/3.going-further/10.runtime-config.md
index 268b5dd945a6..08d161d2ef4d 100644
--- a/docs/2.guide/3.going-further/10.runtime-config.md
+++ b/docs/2.guide/3.going-further/10.runtime-config.md
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ The entire runtime config is available on the server-side, but it is read-only t
 <script setup lang="ts">
 const config = useRuntimeConfig()
 console.log('Runtime config:', config)
-if (process.server) {
+if (import.meta.server) {
   console.log('API secret:', config.apiSecret)
 }
 </script>
diff --git a/docs/2.guide/3.going-further/8.custom-routing.md b/docs/2.guide/3.going-further/8.custom-routing.md
index 3adc6ee72c69..ce62e09f306b 100644
--- a/docs/2.guide/3.going-further/8.custom-routing.md
+++ b/docs/2.guide/3.going-further/8.custom-routing.md
@@ -138,6 +138,6 @@ import { createMemoryHistory } from 'vue-router'
 
 // https://router.vuejs.org/api/interfaces/routeroptions.html
 export default <RouterConfig> {
-  history: base => process.client ? createMemoryHistory(base) : null /* default */
+  history: base => import.meta.client ? createMemoryHistory(base) : null /* default */
 }
 ```
diff --git a/docs/3.api/1.composables/use-nuxt-app.md b/docs/3.api/1.composables/use-nuxt-app.md
index f12d562a75b4..1a5694aa3f35 100644
--- a/docs/3.api/1.composables/use-nuxt-app.md
+++ b/docs/3.api/1.composables/use-nuxt-app.md
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ export default defineNuxtPlugin((nuxtApp) => {
   })
   nuxtApp.hook('vue:error', (..._args) => {
     console.log('vue:error')
-    // if (process.client) {
+    // if (import.meta.client) {
     //   console.log(..._args)
     // }
   })
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ When accessing the same `payload.data` from [ssrcontext](#ssrcontext), you can a
 export const useColor = () => useState<string>('color', () => 'pink')
 
 export default defineNuxtPlugin((nuxtApp) => {
-  if (process.server) {
+  if (import.meta.server) {
     const color = useColor()
   }
 })
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ export default defineComponent({
   setup (_props, { slots, emit }) {
     const nuxtApp = useNuxtApp()
     onErrorCaptured((err) => {
-      if (process.client && !nuxtApp.isHydrating) {
+      if (import.meta.client && !nuxtApp.isHydrating) {
         // ...
       }
     })
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/template.ts b/packages/kit/src/template.ts
index 87eaa2b855e7..96cf22b57c16 100644
--- a/packages/kit/src/template.ts
+++ b/packages/kit/src/template.ts
@@ -128,7 +128,6 @@ export async function writeTypes (nuxt: Nuxt) {
       noEmit: true,
       resolveJsonModule: true,
       allowSyntheticDefaultImports: true,
-      types: ['node'],
       paths: {}
     },
     include: [
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/package.json b/packages/nuxt/package.json
index b95ade290b43..c7ce27a73acd 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/package.json
+++ b/packages/nuxt/package.json
@@ -122,6 +122,9 @@
   "peerDependenciesMeta": {
     "@parcel/watcher": {
       "optional": true
+    },
+    "@types/node": {
+      "optional": true
     }
   },
   "engines": {
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/app/compat/idle-callback.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/app/compat/idle-callback.ts
index cc28a2b1a2be..01779dc1febe 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/app/compat/idle-callback.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/app/compat/idle-callback.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 // Polyfills for Safari support
 // https://caniuse.com/requestidlecallback
-export const requestIdleCallback: Window['requestIdleCallback'] = process.server
+export const requestIdleCallback: Window['requestIdleCallback'] = import.meta.server
   ? (() => {}) as any
   : (globalThis.requestIdleCallback || ((cb) => {
       const start = Date.now()
@@ -11,6 +11,6 @@ export const requestIdleCallback: Window['requestIdleCallback'] = process.server
       return setTimeout(() => { cb(idleDeadline) }, 1)
     }))
 
-export const cancelIdleCallback: Window['cancelIdleCallback'] = process.server
+export const cancelIdleCallback: Window['cancelIdleCallback'] = import.meta.server
   ? (() => {}) as any
   : (globalThis.cancelIdleCallback || ((id) => { clearTimeout(id) }))
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/dev-only.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/dev-only.ts
index 914ba6f6e445..6c8ec7c5e9e5 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/dev-only.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/dev-only.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { defineComponent } from 'vue'
 export default defineComponent({
   name: 'DevOnly',
   setup (_, props) {
-    if (process.dev) {
+    if (import.meta.dev) {
       return () => props.slots.default?.()
     }
     return () => props.slots.fallback?.()
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/nuxt-error-boundary.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/nuxt-error-boundary.ts
index a58516c1ce82..cb8d2f67071a 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/nuxt-error-boundary.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/nuxt-error-boundary.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ export default defineComponent({
     const nuxtApp = useNuxtApp()
 
     onErrorCaptured((err, target, info) => {
-      if (process.client && !nuxtApp.isHydrating) {
+      if (import.meta.client && !nuxtApp.isHydrating) {
         emit('error', err)
         nuxtApp.hooks.callHook('vue:error', err, target, info)
         error.value = err
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/nuxt-error-page.vue b/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/nuxt-error-page.vue
index 0976b1a2f3e5..cf32d26835a3 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/nuxt-error-page.vue
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/nuxt-error-page.vue
@@ -36,11 +36,11 @@ const is404 = statusCode === 404
 
 const statusMessage = _error.statusMessage ?? (is404 ? 'Page Not Found' : 'Internal Server Error')
 const description = _error.message || _error.toString()
-const stack = process.dev && !is404 ? _error.description || `<pre>${stacktrace}</pre>` : undefined
+const stack = import.meta.dev && !is404 ? _error.description || `<pre>${stacktrace}</pre>` : undefined
 
 // TODO: Investigate side-effect issue with imports
 const _Error404 = defineAsyncComponent(() => import('@nuxt/ui-templates/templates/error-404.vue').then(r => r.default || r))
-const _Error = process.dev
+const _Error = import.meta.dev
   ? defineAsyncComponent(() => import('@nuxt/ui-templates/templates/error-dev.vue').then(r => r.default || r))
   : defineAsyncComponent(() => import('@nuxt/ui-templates/templates/error-500.vue').then(r => r.default || r))
 
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/nuxt-island.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/nuxt-island.ts
index 9f609fc5f664..3955b8d8ef07 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/nuxt-island.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/nuxt-island.ts
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ const SLOTNAME_RE = /nuxt-ssr-slot-name="([^"]*)"/g
 const SLOT_FALLBACK_RE = /<div nuxt-slot-fallback-start="([^"]*)"[^>]*><\/div>(((?!<div nuxt-slot-fallback-end[^>]*>)[\s\S])*)<div nuxt-slot-fallback-end[^>]*><\/div>/g
 
 let id = 0
-const getId = process.client ? () => (id++).toString() : randomUUID
+const getId = import.meta.client ? () => (id++).toString() : randomUUID
 
 export default defineComponent({
   name: 'NuxtIsland',
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ export default defineComponent({
     const instance = getCurrentInstance()!
     const event = useRequestEvent()
     // TODO: remove use of `$fetch.raw` when nitro 503 issues on windows dev server are resolved
-    const eventFetch = process.server ? event.fetch : process.dev ? $fetch.raw : globalThis.fetch
+    const eventFetch = import.meta.server ? event.fetch : import.meta.dev ? $fetch.raw : globalThis.fetch
     const mounted = ref(false)
     onMounted(() => { mounted.value = true })
 
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ export default defineComponent({
       nuxtApp.payload.data[key] = {
         __nuxt_island: {
           key,
-          ...(process.server && process.env.prerender)
+          ...(import.meta.server && import.meta.prerender)
             ? {}
             : { params: { ...props.context, props: props.props ? JSON.stringify(props.props) : undefined } }
         },
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ export default defineComponent({
     }
 
     const ssrHTML = ref<string>('')
-    if (process.client) {
+    if (import.meta.client) {
       const renderedHTML = getFragmentHTML(instance.vnode?.el ?? null).join('')
       if (renderedHTML && nuxtApp.isHydrating) {
         setPayload(`${props.name}_${hashId.value}`, {
@@ -111,19 +111,19 @@ export default defineComponent({
 
       const url = remoteComponentIslands && props.source ? new URL(`/__nuxt_island/${key}`, props.source).href : `/__nuxt_island/${key}`
 
-      if (process.server && process.env.prerender) {
+      if (import.meta.server && import.meta.prerender) {
         // Hint to Nitro to prerender the island component
         appendResponseHeader(event, 'x-nitro-prerender', url)
       }
       // TODO: Validate response
       // $fetch handles the app.baseURL in dev
-      const r = await eventFetch(withQuery(process.dev && process.client ? url : joinURL(config.app.baseURL ?? '', url), {
+      const r = await eventFetch(withQuery(import.meta.dev && import.meta.client ? url : joinURL(config.app.baseURL ?? '', url), {
         ...props.context,
         props: props.props ? JSON.stringify(props.props) : undefined
       }))
-      const result = process.server || !process.dev ? await r.json() : (r as FetchResponse<NuxtIslandResponse>)._data
+      const result = import.meta.server || !import.meta.dev ? await r.json() : (r as FetchResponse<NuxtIslandResponse>)._data
       // TODO: support passing on more headers
-      if (process.server && process.env.prerender) {
+      if (import.meta.server && import.meta.prerender) {
         const hints = r.headers.get('x-nitro-prerender')
         if (hints) {
           appendResponseHeader(event, 'x-nitro-prerender', hints)
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ export default defineComponent({
         })
         key.value++
         error.value = null
-        if (process.client) {
+        if (import.meta.client) {
           // must await next tick for Teleport to work correctly with static node re-rendering
           await nextTick()
         }
@@ -165,13 +165,13 @@ export default defineComponent({
       })
     }
 
-    if (process.client) {
+    if (import.meta.client) {
       watch(props, debounce(() => fetchComponent(), 100))
     }
 
-    if (process.client && !nuxtApp.isHydrating && props.lazy) {
+    if (import.meta.client && !nuxtApp.isHydrating && props.lazy) {
       fetchComponent()
-    } else if (process.server || !nuxtApp.isHydrating) {
+    } else if (import.meta.server || !nuxtApp.isHydrating) {
       await fetchComponent()
     }
 
@@ -182,10 +182,10 @@ export default defineComponent({
       const nodes = [createVNode(Fragment, {
         key: key.value
       }, [h(createStaticVNode(html.value || '<div></div>', 1))])]
-      if (uid.value && (mounted.value || nuxtApp.isHydrating || process.server)) {
+      if (uid.value && (mounted.value || nuxtApp.isHydrating || import.meta.server)) {
         for (const slot in slots) {
           if (availableSlots.value.includes(slot)) {
-            nodes.push(createVNode(Teleport, { to: process.client ? `[nuxt-ssr-component-uid='${uid.value}'] [nuxt-ssr-slot-name='${slot}']` : `uid=${uid.value};slot=${slot}` }, {
+            nodes.push(createVNode(Teleport, { to: import.meta.client ? `[nuxt-ssr-component-uid='${uid.value}'] [nuxt-ssr-slot-name='${slot}']` : `uid=${uid.value};slot=${slot}` }, {
               default: () => (slotProps.value[slot] ?? [undefined]).map((data: any) => slots[slot]?.(data))
             }))
           }
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/nuxt-layout.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/nuxt-layout.ts
index 79053a735586..82c321479dd8 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/nuxt-layout.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/nuxt-layout.ts
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ export default defineComponent({
 
     return () => {
       const hasLayout = layout.value && layout.value in layouts
-      if (process.dev && layout.value && !hasLayout && layout.value !== 'default') {
+      if (import.meta.dev && layout.value && !hasLayout && layout.value !== 'default') {
         console.warn(`Invalid layout \`${layout.value}\` selected.`)
       }
 
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ const LayoutProvider = defineComponent({
     }
 
     let vnode: VNode | undefined
-    if (process.dev && process.client) {
+    if (import.meta.dev && import.meta.client) {
       onMounted(() => {
         nextTick(() => {
           if (['#comment', '#text'].includes(vnode?.el?.nodeName)) {
@@ -128,14 +128,14 @@ const LayoutProvider = defineComponent({
 
     return () => {
       if (!name || (typeof name === 'string' && !(name in layouts))) {
-        if (process.dev && process.client && props.hasTransition) {
+        if (import.meta.dev && import.meta.client && props.hasTransition) {
           vnode = context.slots.default?.() as VNode | undefined
           return vnode
         }
         return context.slots.default?.()
       }
 
-      if (process.dev && process.client && props.hasTransition) {
+      if (import.meta.dev && import.meta.client && props.hasTransition) {
         vnode = h(
           // @ts-expect-error seems to be an issue in vue types
           LayoutLoader,
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/nuxt-link.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/nuxt-link.ts
index 4e89cd042daf..dd65580a2476 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/nuxt-link.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/nuxt-link.ts
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ export function defineNuxtLink (options: NuxtLinkOptions) {
   const componentName = options.componentName || 'NuxtLink'
 
   const checkPropConflicts = (props: NuxtLinkProps, main: keyof NuxtLinkProps, sub: keyof NuxtLinkProps): void => {
-    if (process.dev && props[main] !== undefined && props[sub] !== undefined) {
+    if (import.meta.dev && props[main] !== undefined && props[sub] !== undefined) {
       console.warn(`[${componentName}] \`${main}\` and \`${sub}\` cannot be used together. \`${sub}\` will be ignored.`)
     }
   }
@@ -198,10 +198,10 @@ export function defineNuxtLink (options: NuxtLinkOptions) {
 
       // Prefetching
       const prefetched = ref(false)
-      const el = process.server ? undefined : ref<HTMLElement | null>(null)
-      const elRef = process.server ? undefined : (ref: any) => { el!.value = props.custom ? ref?.$el?.nextElementSibling : ref?.$el }
+      const el = import.meta.server ? undefined : ref<HTMLElement | null>(null)
+      const elRef = import.meta.server ? undefined : (ref: any) => { el!.value = props.custom ? ref?.$el?.nextElementSibling : ref?.$el }
 
-      if (process.client) {
+      if (import.meta.client) {
         checkPropConflicts(props, 'prefetch', 'noPrefetch')
         const shouldPrefetch = props.prefetch !== false && props.noPrefetch !== true && props.target !== '_blank' && !isSlowConnection()
         if (shouldPrefetch) {
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@ type CallbackFn = () => void
 type ObserveFn = (element: Element, callback: CallbackFn) => () => void
 
 function useObserver (): { observe: ObserveFn } | undefined {
-  if (process.server) { return }
+  if (import.meta.server) { return }
 
   const nuxtApp = useNuxtApp()
   if (nuxtApp._observer) {
@@ -370,7 +370,7 @@ function useObserver (): { observe: ObserveFn } | undefined {
 }
 
 function isSlowConnection () {
-  if (process.server) { return }
+  if (import.meta.server) { return }
 
   // https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Navigator/connection
   const cn = (navigator as any).connection as { saveData: boolean, effectiveType: string } | null
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/nuxt-loading-indicator.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/nuxt-loading-indicator.ts
index 104523e60100..011c2899b24b 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/nuxt-loading-indicator.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/nuxt-loading-indicator.ts
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ function useLoadingIndicator (opts: {
   function start () {
     clear()
     progress.value = 0
-    if (opts.throttle && process.client) {
+    if (opts.throttle && import.meta.client) {
       _throttle = setTimeout(() => {
         isLoading.value = true
         _startTimer()
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ function useLoadingIndicator (opts: {
 
   function _hide () {
     clear()
-    if (process.client) {
+    if (import.meta.client) {
       setTimeout(() => {
         isLoading.value = false
         setTimeout(() => { progress.value = 0 }, 400)
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ function useLoadingIndicator (opts: {
   }
 
   function _startTimer () {
-    if (process.client) {
+    if (import.meta.client) {
       _timer = setInterval(() => { _increase(step.value) }, 100)
     }
   }
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/nuxt-root.vue b/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/nuxt-root.vue
index c39c0d704196..80a9d38ac130 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/nuxt-root.vue
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/nuxt-root.vue
@@ -16,23 +16,23 @@ import { PageRouteSymbol } from '#app/components/injections'
 import AppComponent from '#build/app-component.mjs'
 import ErrorComponent from '#build/error-component.mjs'
 
-const IslandRenderer = process.server
+const IslandRenderer = import.meta.server
   ? defineAsyncComponent(() => import('./island-renderer').then(r => r.default || r))
   : () => null
 
 const nuxtApp = useNuxtApp()
 const onResolve = nuxtApp.deferHydration()
 
-const url = process.server ? nuxtApp.ssrContext.url : window.location.pathname
-const SingleRenderer = process.test && process.dev && process.server && url.startsWith('/__nuxt_component_test__/') && /* #__PURE__ */ defineAsyncComponent(() => import('#build/test-component-wrapper.mjs')
-  .then(r => r.default(process.server ? url : window.location.href)))
+const url = import.meta.server ? nuxtApp.ssrContext.url : window.location.pathname
+const SingleRenderer = import.meta.test && import.meta.dev && import.meta.server && url.startsWith('/__nuxt_component_test__/') && /* #__PURE__ */ defineAsyncComponent(() => import('#build/test-component-wrapper.mjs')
+  .then(r => r.default(import.meta.server ? url : window.location.href)))
 
 // Inject default route (outside of pages) as active route
 provide(PageRouteSymbol, useRoute())
 
 // vue:setup hook
 const results = nuxtApp.hooks.callHookWith(hooks => hooks.map(hook => hook()), 'vue:setup')
-if (process.dev && results && results.some(i => i && 'then' in i)) {
+if (import.meta.dev && results && results.some(i => i && 'then' in i)) {
   console.error('[nuxt] Error in `vue:setup`. Callbacks must be synchronous.')
 }
 
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ if (process.dev && results && results.some(i => i && 'then' in i)) {
 const error = useError()
 onErrorCaptured((err, target, info) => {
   nuxtApp.hooks.callHook('vue:error', err, target, info).catch(hookError => console.error('[nuxt] Error in `vue:error` hook', hookError))
-  if (process.server || (isNuxtError(err) && (err.fatal || err.unhandled))) {
+  if (import.meta.server || (isNuxtError(err) && (err.fatal || err.unhandled))) {
     const p = nuxtApp.runWithContext(() => showError(err))
     onServerPrefetch(() => p)
     return false // suppress error from breaking render
@@ -48,5 +48,5 @@ onErrorCaptured((err, target, info) => {
 })
 
 // Component islands context
-const { islandContext } = process.server && nuxtApp.ssrContext
+const islandContext = import.meta.server && nuxtApp.ssrContext.islandContext
 </script>
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/route-provider.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/route-provider.ts
index d24b807aad49..5db44c3f7954 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/route-provider.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/route-provider.ts
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ export const RouteProvider = defineComponent({
     provide(PageRouteSymbol, shallowReactive(route))
 
     let vnode: VNode
-    if (process.dev && process.client && props.trackRootNodes) {
+    if (import.meta.dev && import.meta.client && props.trackRootNodes) {
       onMounted(() => {
         nextTick(() => {
           if (['#comment', '#text'].includes(vnode?.el?.nodeName)) {
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ export const RouteProvider = defineComponent({
     }
 
     return () => {
-      if (process.dev && process.client) {
+      if (import.meta.dev && import.meta.client) {
         vnode = h(props.vnode, { ref: props.vnodeRef })
         return vnode
       }
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/utils.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/utils.ts
index d95ed64f50e6..cc7c5e741cd9 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/app/components/utils.ts
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ export function vforToArray (source: any): any[] {
   } else if (isString(source)) {
     return source.split('')
   } else if (typeof source === 'number') {
-    if (process.dev && !Number.isInteger(source)) {
+    if (import.meta.dev && !Number.isInteger(source)) {
       console.warn(`The v-for range expect an integer value but got ${source}.`)
     }
     const array = []
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/asyncData.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/asyncData.ts
index 817c7d0432b2..b086e705bc86 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/asyncData.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/asyncData.ts
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ export function useAsyncData<
   const fetchOnServer = options.server !== false && nuxt.payload.serverRendered
 
   // Server side
-  if (process.server && fetchOnServer && options.immediate) {
+  if (import.meta.server && fetchOnServer && options.immediate) {
     const promise = initialFetch()
     if (getCurrentInstance()) {
       onServerPrefetch(() => promise)
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ export function useAsyncData<
   }
 
   // Client side
-  if (process.client) {
+  if (import.meta.client) {
     // Setup hook callbacks once per instance
     const instance = getCurrentInstance()
     if (instance && !instance._nuxtOnBeforeMountCbs) {
@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ export function useNuxtData<DataT = any> (key: string): { data: Ref<DataT | null
 }
 
 export async function refreshNuxtData (keys?: string | string[]): Promise<void> {
-  if (process.server) {
+  if (import.meta.server) {
     return Promise.resolve()
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/chunk.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/chunk.ts
index 1e0c1e4f1301..9bdb5ea34f84 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/chunk.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/chunk.ts
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ export interface ReloadNuxtAppOptions {
 }
 
 export function reloadNuxtApp (options: ReloadNuxtAppOptions = {}) {
-  if (process.server) { return }
+  if (import.meta.server) { return }
   const path = options.path || window.location.pathname
 
   let handledPath: Record<string, any> = {}
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/component.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/component.ts
index 175dabc83278..5bfcc992ea41 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/component.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/component.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ async function runLegacyAsyncData (res: Record<string, any> | Promise<Record<str
   }
   if (data.value && typeof data.value === 'object') {
     Object.assign(await res, toRefs(reactive(data.value)))
-  } else if (process.dev) {
+  } else if (import.meta.dev) {
     console.warn('[nuxt] asyncData should return an object', data)
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/cookie.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/cookie.ts
index 5a29dda4614c..c5925c892d4e 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/cookie.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/cookie.ts
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ export function useCookie<T = string | null | undefined> (name: string, _opts?:
 
   const cookie = ref<T | undefined>(cookies[name] as any ?? opts.default?.())
 
-  if (process.client) {
+  if (import.meta.client) {
     const channel = typeof BroadcastChannel === 'undefined' ? null : new BroadcastChannel(`nuxt:cookies:${name}`)
     if (getCurrentInstance()) { onUnmounted(() => { channel?.close() }) }
 
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ export function useCookie<T = string | null | undefined> (name: string, _opts?:
     } else {
       callback()
     }
-  } else if (process.server) {
+  } else if (import.meta.server) {
     const nuxtApp = useNuxtApp()
     const writeFinalCookieValue = () => {
       if (!isEqual(cookie.value, cookies[name])) {
@@ -79,9 +79,9 @@ export function useCookie<T = string | null | undefined> (name: string, _opts?:
 }
 
 function readRawCookies (opts: CookieOptions = {}): Record<string, string> | undefined {
-  if (process.server) {
+  if (import.meta.server) {
     return parse(useRequestEvent()?.node.req.headers.cookie || '', opts)
-  } else if (process.client) {
+  } else if (import.meta.client) {
     return parse(document.cookie, opts)
   }
 }
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ function serializeCookie (name: string, value: any, opts: CookieSerializeOptions
 }
 
 function writeClientCookie (name: string, value: any, opts: CookieSerializeOptions = {}) {
-  if (process.client) {
+  if (import.meta.client) {
     document.cookie = serializeCookie(name, value, opts)
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/error.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/error.ts
index b23fcd32ee57..4a59bc6a7a7c 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/error.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/error.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ export const showError = (_err: string | Error | Partial<NuxtError>) => {
   try {
     const nuxtApp = useNuxtApp()
     const error = useError()
-    if (process.client) {
+    if (import.meta.client) {
       nuxtApp.hooks.callHook('app:error', err)
     }
     error.value = error.value || err
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/fetch.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/fetch.ts
index a2c84fbc5e51..e70a1d690778 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/fetch.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/fetch.ts
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ export function useFetch<
     const isLocalFetch = typeof _request.value === 'string' && _request.value.startsWith('/')
     let _$fetch = opts.$fetch || globalThis.$fetch
     // Use fetch with request context and headers for server direct API calls
-    if (process.server && !opts.$fetch && isLocalFetch) {
+    if (import.meta.server && !opts.$fetch && isLocalFetch) {
       _$fetch = useRequestFetch()
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/hydrate.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/hydrate.ts
index 447318d76a2b..3aa4053402c0 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/hydrate.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/hydrate.ts
@@ -11,13 +11,13 @@ import type { NuxtPayload } from '#app'
 export const useHydration = <K extends keyof NuxtPayload, T = NuxtPayload[K]> (key: K, get: () => T, set: (value: T) => void) => {
   const nuxt = useNuxtApp()
 
-  if (process.server) {
+  if (import.meta.server) {
     nuxt.hooks.hook('app:rendered', () => {
       nuxt.payload[key] = get()
     })
   }
 
-  if (process.client) {
+  if (import.meta.client) {
     nuxt.hooks.hook('app:created', () => {
       set(nuxt.payload[key] as T)
     })
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/payload.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/payload.ts
index 219f03582f7e..1cff4e8a3678 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/payload.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/payload.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ interface LoadPayloadOptions {
 }
 
 export function loadPayload (url: string, opts: LoadPayloadOptions = {}): Record<string, any> | Promise<Record<string, any>> | null {
-  if (process.server) { return null }
+  if (import.meta.server) { return null }
   const payloadURL = _getPayloadURL(url, opts)
   const nuxtApp = useNuxtApp()
   const cache = nuxtApp._payloadCache = nuxtApp._payloadCache || {}
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ function _getPayloadURL (url: string, opts: LoadPayloadOptions = {}) {
 }
 
 async function _importPayload (payloadURL: string) {
-  if (process.server) { return null }
+  if (import.meta.server) { return null }
   try {
     return renderJsonPayloads
       ? parsePayload(await fetch(payloadURL).then(res => res.text()))
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ export function isPrerendered () {
 
 let payloadCache: any = null
 export async function getNuxtClientPayload () {
-  if (process.server) {
+  if (import.meta.server) {
     return
   }
   if (payloadCache) {
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ export function definePayloadReducer (
   name: string,
   reduce: (data: any) => any
 ) {
-  if (process.server) {
+  if (import.meta.server) {
     useNuxtApp().ssrContext!._payloadReducers[name] = reduce
   }
 }
@@ -124,10 +124,10 @@ export function definePayloadReviver (
   name: string,
   revive: (data: string) => any | undefined
 ) {
-  if (process.dev && getCurrentInstance()) {
+  if (import.meta.dev && getCurrentInstance()) {
     console.warn('[nuxt] [definePayloadReviver] This function must be called in a Nuxt plugin that is `unshift`ed to the beginning of the Nuxt plugins array.')
   }
-  if (process.client) {
+  if (import.meta.client) {
     useNuxtApp()._payloadRevivers[name] = revive
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/preload.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/preload.ts
index 6710ae2b8210..b012accc51c8 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/preload.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/preload.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import { useRouter } from './router'
  * @param components Pascal-cased name or names of components to prefetch
  */
 export const preloadComponents = async (components: string | string[]) => {
-  if (process.server) { return }
+  if (import.meta.server) { return }
   const nuxtApp = useNuxtApp()
 
   components = Array.isArray(components) ? components : [components]
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ function _loadAsyncComponent (component: Component) {
 }
 
 export async function preloadRouteComponents (to: RouteLocationRaw, router: Router & { _routePreloaded?: Set<string>; _preloadPromises?: Array<Promise<any>> } = useRouter()): Promise<void> {
-  if (process.server) { return }
+  if (import.meta.server) { return }
 
   const { path, matched } = router.resolve(to)
 
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/ready.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/ready.ts
index 58143d18403d..a30d0d7cafef 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/ready.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/ready.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { useNuxtApp } from '../nuxt'
 import { requestIdleCallback } from '../compat/idle-callback'
 
 export const onNuxtReady = (callback: () => any) => {
-  if (process.server) { return }
+  if (import.meta.server) { return }
 
   const nuxtApp = useNuxtApp()
   if (nuxtApp.isHydrating) {
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/router.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/router.ts
index 126381ce496e..0ffead1cdd48 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/router.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/router.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ export const useRouter: typeof _useRouter = () => {
 }
 
 export const useRoute: typeof _useRoute = () => {
-  if (process.dev && isProcessingMiddleware()) {
+  if (import.meta.dev && isProcessingMiddleware()) {
     console.warn('[nuxt] Calling `useRoute` within middleware may lead to misleading results. Instead, use the (to, from) arguments passed to the middleware to access the new and old routes.')
   }
   if (hasInjectionContext()) {
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ export const navigateTo = (to: RouteLocationRaw | undefined | null, options?: Na
 
   // Early open handler
   if (options?.open) {
-    if (process.client) {
+    if (import.meta.client) {
       const { target = '_blank', windowFeatures = {} } = options.open
 
       const features = Object.entries(windowFeatures)
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ export const navigateTo = (to: RouteLocationRaw | undefined | null, options?: Na
   const inMiddleware = isProcessingMiddleware()
 
   // Early redirect on client-side
-  if (process.client && !isExternal && inMiddleware) {
+  if (import.meta.client && !isExternal && inMiddleware) {
     return to
   }
 
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ export const navigateTo = (to: RouteLocationRaw | undefined | null, options?: Na
 
   const nuxtApp = useNuxtApp()
 
-  if (process.server) {
+  if (import.meta.server) {
     if (nuxtApp.ssrContext) {
       const fullPath = typeof to === 'string' || isExternal ? toPath : router.resolve(to).fullPath || '/'
       const location = isExternal ? toPath : joinURL(useRuntimeConfig().app.baseURL, fullPath)
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ export const navigateTo = (to: RouteLocationRaw | undefined | null, options?: Na
 
 /** This will abort navigation within a Nuxt route middleware handler. */
 export const abortNavigation = (err?: string | Partial<NuxtError>) => {
-  if (process.dev && !isProcessingMiddleware()) {
+  if (import.meta.dev && !isProcessingMiddleware()) {
     throw new Error('abortNavigation() is only usable inside a route middleware handler.')
   }
 
@@ -222,18 +222,18 @@ export const abortNavigation = (err?: string | Partial<NuxtError>) => {
 }
 
 export const setPageLayout = (layout: unknown extends PageMeta['layout'] ? string : PageMeta['layout']) => {
-  if (process.server) {
-    if (process.dev && getCurrentInstance() && useState('_layout').value !== layout) {
+  if (import.meta.server) {
+    if (import.meta.dev && getCurrentInstance() && useState('_layout').value !== layout) {
       console.warn('[warn] [nuxt] `setPageLayout` should not be called to change the layout on the server within a component as this will cause hydration errors.')
     }
     useState('_layout').value = layout
   }
   const nuxtApp = useNuxtApp()
-  if (process.dev && nuxtApp.isHydrating && nuxtApp.payload.serverRendered && useState('_layout').value !== layout) {
+  if (import.meta.dev && nuxtApp.isHydrating && nuxtApp.payload.serverRendered && useState('_layout').value !== layout) {
     console.warn('[warn] [nuxt] `setPageLayout` should not be called to change the layout during hydration as this will cause hydration errors.')
   }
   const inMiddleware = isProcessingMiddleware()
-  if (inMiddleware || process.server || nuxtApp.isHydrating) {
+  if (inMiddleware || import.meta.server || nuxtApp.isHydrating) {
     const unsubscribe = useRouter().beforeResolve((to) => {
       to.meta.layout = layout as Exclude<PageMeta['layout'], Ref | false>
       unsubscribe()
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/ssr.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/ssr.ts
index 14d4e1c67895..c72e3c137362 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/ssr.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/ssr.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import { useNuxtApp } from '../nuxt'
 export function useRequestHeaders<K extends string = string> (include: K[]): { [key in Lowercase<K>]?: string }
 export function useRequestHeaders (): Readonly<Record<string, string>>
 export function useRequestHeaders (include?: any[]) {
-  if (process.client) { return {} }
+  if (import.meta.client) { return {} }
   const headers = useNuxtApp().ssrContext?.event.node.req.headers ?? {}
   if (!include) { return headers }
   return Object.fromEntries(include.map(key => key.toLowerCase()).filter(key => headers[key]).map(key => [key, headers[key]]))
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ export function useRequestEvent (nuxtApp: NuxtApp = useNuxtApp()): H3Event {
 }
 
 export function useRequestFetch (): typeof global.$fetch {
-  if (process.client) {
+  if (import.meta.client) {
     return globalThis.$fetch
   }
   const event = useNuxtApp().ssrContext?.event as H3Event
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ export function setResponseStatus (event: H3Event, code?: number, message?: stri
 /** @deprecated Pass `event` as first option. */
 export function setResponseStatus (code: number, message?: string): void
 export function setResponseStatus (arg1: H3Event | number | undefined, arg2?: number | string, arg3?: string) {
-  if (process.client) { return }
+  if (import.meta.client) { return }
   if (arg1 && typeof arg1 !== 'number') {
     return _setResponseStatus(arg1, arg2 as number | undefined, arg3)
   }
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/url.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/url.ts
index 4f43ba8481c3..784ef860cd35 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/url.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/app/composables/url.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { useRequestEvent } from './ssr'
 import { useRuntimeConfig } from '#app'
 
 export function useRequestURL () {
-  if (process.server) {
+  if (import.meta.server) {
     const url = getRequestURL(useRequestEvent())
     url.pathname = joinURL(useRuntimeConfig().app.baseURL, url.pathname)
     return url
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/app/config.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/app/config.ts
index 77efe98805a9..3b8a86a2bce4 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/app/config.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/app/config.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ function deepAssign (obj: any, newObj: any) {
 export function useAppConfig (): AppConfig {
   const nuxtApp = useNuxtApp()
   if (!nuxtApp._appConfig) {
-    nuxtApp._appConfig = (process.server ? klona(__appConfig) : reactive(__appConfig)) as AppConfig
+    nuxtApp._appConfig = (import.meta.server ? klona(__appConfig) : reactive(__appConfig)) as AppConfig
   }
   return nuxtApp._appConfig
 }
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ export function updateAppConfig (appConfig: DeepPartial<AppConfig>) {
 }
 
 // HMR Support
-if (process.dev) {
+if (import.meta.dev) {
   function applyHMR (newConfig: AppConfig) {
     const appConfig = useAppConfig()
     if (newConfig && appConfig) {
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/app/entry.async.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/app/entry.async.ts
index 4d5b6206ab06..783151a0628c 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/app/entry.async.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/app/entry.async.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 import type { CreateOptions } from '#app'
 
-const entry = process.server
+const entry = import.meta.server
   ? (ctx?: CreateOptions['ssrContext']) => import('#app/entry').then(m => m.default(ctx))
   : () => import('#app/entry').then(m => m.default)
 
-if (process.client) {
+if (import.meta.client) {
   entry()
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/app/entry.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/app/entry.ts
index be990030b9d5..610f1875ebea 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/app/entry.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/app/entry.ts
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ if (!globalThis.$fetch) {
 
 let entry: Function
 
-if (process.server) {
+if (import.meta.server) {
   entry = async function createNuxtAppServer (ssrContext: CreateOptions['ssrContext']) {
     const vueApp = createApp(RootComponent)
 
@@ -45,10 +45,10 @@ if (process.server) {
   }
 }
 
-if (process.client) {
+if (import.meta.client) {
   // TODO: temporary webpack 5 HMR fix
   // https://github.com/webpack-contrib/webpack-hot-middleware/issues/390
-  if (process.dev && import.meta.webpackHot) {
+  if (import.meta.dev && import.meta.webpackHot) {
     import.meta.webpackHot.accept()
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/app/nuxt.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/app/nuxt.ts
index 9a104a161325..93c5ebc9d83b 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/app/nuxt.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/app/nuxt.ts
@@ -210,13 +210,13 @@ export function createNuxtApp (options: CreateOptions) {
       data: {},
       state: {},
       _errors: {},
-      ...(process.client ? window.__NUXT__ ?? {} : { serverRendered: true })
+      ...(import.meta.client ? window.__NUXT__ ?? {} : { serverRendered: true })
     }),
     static: {
       data: {}
     },
     runWithContext: (fn: any) => callWithNuxt(nuxtApp, fn),
-    isHydrating: process.client,
+    isHydrating: import.meta.client,
     deferHydration () {
       if (!nuxtApp.isHydrating) { return () => {} }
 
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ export function createNuxtApp (options: CreateOptions) {
   nuxtApp.hooks = createHooks<RuntimeNuxtHooks>()
   nuxtApp.hook = nuxtApp.hooks.hook
 
-  if (process.server) {
+  if (import.meta.server) {
     async function contextCaller (hooks: HookCallback[], args: any[]) {
       for (const hook of hooks) {
         await nuxtApp.runWithContext(() => hook(...args))
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ export function createNuxtApp (options: CreateOptions) {
   defineGetter(nuxtApp.vueApp, '$nuxt', nuxtApp)
   defineGetter(nuxtApp.vueApp.config.globalProperties, '$nuxt', nuxtApp)
 
-  if (process.server) {
+  if (import.meta.server) {
     if (nuxtApp.ssrContext) {
       // Expose nuxt to the renderContext
       nuxtApp.ssrContext.nuxt = nuxtApp
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ export function createNuxtApp (options: CreateOptions) {
   }
 
   // Listen to chunk load errors
-  if (process.client) {
+  if (import.meta.client) {
     window.addEventListener('nuxt.preloadError', (event) => {
       nuxtApp.callHook('app:chunkError', { error: (event as Event & { payload: Error }).payload })
     })
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ export function createNuxtApp (options: CreateOptions) {
   }
 
   // Expose runtime config
-  const runtimeConfig = process.server ? options.ssrContext!.runtimeConfig : reactive(nuxtApp.payload.config!)
+  const runtimeConfig = import.meta.server ? options.ssrContext!.runtimeConfig : reactive(nuxtApp.payload.config!)
   nuxtApp.provide('config', runtimeConfig)
 
   return nuxtApp
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@ export async function applyPlugins (nuxtApp: NuxtApp, plugins: Array<Plugin & Ob
   const parallels: Promise<any>[] = []
   const errors: Error[] = []
   for (const plugin of plugins) {
-    if (process.server && nuxtApp.ssrContext?.islandContext && plugin.env?.islands === false) { continue }
+    if (import.meta.server && nuxtApp.ssrContext?.islandContext && plugin.env?.islands === false) { continue }
     const promise = applyPlugin(nuxtApp, plugin)
     if (plugin.parallel) {
       parallels.push(promise.catch(e => errors.push(e)))
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ export function isNuxtPlugin (plugin: unknown) {
  */
 export function callWithNuxt<T extends (...args: any[]) => any> (nuxt: NuxtApp | _NuxtApp, setup: T, args?: Parameters<T>) {
   const fn: () => ReturnType<T> = () => args ? setup(...args as Parameters<T>) : setup()
-  if (process.server) {
+  if (import.meta.server) {
     return nuxt.vueApp.runWithContext(() => nuxtAppCtx.callAsync(nuxt as NuxtApp, fn))
   } else {
     // In client side we could assume nuxt app is singleton
@@ -385,7 +385,7 @@ export function useNuxtApp (): NuxtApp {
   nuxtAppInstance = nuxtAppInstance || nuxtAppCtx.tryUse()
 
   if (!nuxtAppInstance) {
-    if (process.dev) {
+    if (import.meta.dev) {
       throw new Error('[nuxt] A composable that requires access to the Nuxt instance was called outside of a plugin, Nuxt hook, Nuxt middleware, or Vue setup function. This is probably not a Nuxt bug. Find out more at `https://nuxt.com/docs/guide/concepts/auto-imports#using-vue-and-nuxt-composables`.')
     } else {
       throw new Error('[nuxt] instance unavailable')
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/app/plugins/router.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/app/plugins/router.ts
index ae4ba74952e9..06c5764c317f 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/app/plugins/router.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/app/plugins/router.ts
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ export default defineNuxtPlugin<{ route: Route, router: Router }>({
   name: 'nuxt:router',
   enforce: 'pre',
   setup (nuxtApp) {
-    const initialURL = process.client
+    const initialURL = import.meta.client
       ? withoutBase(window.location.pathname, useRuntimeConfig().app.baseURL) + window.location.search + window.location.hash
       : nuxtApp.ssrContext!.url
 
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ export default defineNuxtPlugin<{ route: Route, router: Router }>({
         }
         // Perform navigation
         Object.assign(route, to)
-        if (process.client) {
+        if (import.meta.client) {
           window.history[replace ? 'replaceState' : 'pushState']({}, '', joinURL(baseURL, to.fullPath))
           if (!nuxtApp.isHydrating) {
             // Clear any existing errors
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ export default defineNuxtPlugin<{ route: Route, router: Router }>({
           await middleware(to, route)
         }
       } catch (err) {
-        if (process.dev && !hooks.error.length) {
+        if (import.meta.dev && !hooks.error.length) {
           console.warn('No error handlers registered to handle middleware errors. You can register an error handler with `router.onError()`', err)
         }
         for (const handler of hooks.error) {
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ export default defineNuxtPlugin<{ route: Route, router: Router }>({
       }
     })
 
-    if (process.client) {
+    if (import.meta.client) {
       window.addEventListener('popstate', (event) => {
         const location = (event.target as Window).location
         router.replace(location.href.replace(location.origin, ''))
@@ -235,12 +235,12 @@ export default defineNuxtPlugin<{ route: Route, router: Router }>({
         }
         nuxtApp._processingMiddleware = true
 
-        if (process.client || !nuxtApp.ssrContext?.islandContext) {
+        if (import.meta.client || !nuxtApp.ssrContext?.islandContext) {
           const middlewareEntries = new Set<RouteGuard>([...globalMiddleware, ...nuxtApp._middleware.global])
 
           for (const middleware of middlewareEntries) {
             const result = await nuxtApp.runWithContext(() => middleware(to, from))
-            if (process.server) {
+            if (import.meta.server) {
               if (result === false || result instanceof Error) {
                 const error = result || createError({
                   statusCode: 404,
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/app/types/augments.d.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/app/types/augments.d.ts
index d93c85760c35..8a6c9c82d875 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/app/types/augments.d.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/app/types/augments.d.ts
@@ -1,17 +1,20 @@
 import type { NuxtApp, useNuxtApp } from '../nuxt'
 
+interface NuxtStaticBuildFlags {
+  browser: boolean
+  client: boolean
+  dev: boolean
+  server: boolean
+  test: boolean
+}
+
 declare global {
   namespace NodeJS {
-    interface Process {
-      browser: boolean
-      client: boolean
-      dev: boolean
-      mode: 'spa' | 'universal'
-      server: boolean
-      static: boolean
-    }
+    interface Process extends NuxtStaticBuildFlags {}
   }
 
+  interface ImportMeta extends NuxtStaticBuildFlags {}
+
   interface Window {
     __NUXT__?: Record<string, any>
     useNuxtApp?: typeof useNuxtApp
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/core/runtime/nitro/error.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/core/runtime/nitro/error.ts
index 22d77781cde8..1a0fc620231f 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/core/runtime/nitro/error.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/core/runtime/nitro/error.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ export default <NitroErrorHandler> async function errorhandler (error: H3Error,
     statusCode,
     statusMessage,
     message,
-    stack: process.dev && statusCode !== 404
+    stack: import.meta.dev && statusCode !== 404
       ? `<pre>${stack.map(i => `<span class="stack${i.internal ? ' internal' : ''}">${i.text}</span>`).join('\n')}</pre>`
       : '',
     data: error.data
@@ -56,12 +56,12 @@ export default <NitroErrorHandler> async function errorhandler (error: H3Error,
 
   // Fallback to static rendered error page
   if (!res) {
-    const { template } = process.dev
+    const { template } = import.meta.dev
       // @ts-expect-error TODO: add legacy type support for subpath imports
       ? await import('@nuxt/ui-templates/templates/error-dev.mjs')
       // @ts-expect-error TODO: add legacy type support for subpath imports
       : await import('@nuxt/ui-templates/templates/error-500.mjs')
-    if (process.dev) {
+    if (import.meta.dev) {
       // TODO: Support `message` in template
       (errorObject as any).description = errorObject.message
     }
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/core/runtime/nitro/renderer.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/core/runtime/nitro/renderer.ts
index da1bcbfd6e49..bec792f22f7b 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/core/runtime/nitro/renderer.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/core/runtime/nitro/renderer.ts
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ const getSSRRenderer = lazyCachedFunction(async () => {
   async function renderToString (input: RenderToStringParams[0], context: RenderToStringParams[1]) {
     const html = await _renderToString(input, context)
     // In development with vite-node, the manifest is on-demand and will be available after rendering
-    if (process.dev && process.env.NUXT_VITE_NODE_OPTIONS) {
+    if (import.meta.dev && process.env.NUXT_VITE_NODE_OPTIONS) {
       renderer.rendererContext.updateManifest(await getClientManifest())
     }
     return `<${appRootTag} id="${appRootId}">${html}</${appRootTag}>`
@@ -155,14 +155,14 @@ const getSPARenderer = lazyCachedFunction(async () => {
   }
 })
 
-const payloadCache = process.env.prerender ? useStorage('internal:nuxt:prerender:payload') : null
-const islandCache = process.env.prerender ? useStorage('internal:nuxt:prerender:island') : null
-const islandPropCache = process.env.prerender ? useStorage('internal:nuxt:prerender:island-props') : null
+const payloadCache = import.meta.prerender ? useStorage('internal:nuxt:prerender:payload') : null
+const islandCache = import.meta.prerender ? useStorage('internal:nuxt:prerender:island') : null
+const islandPropCache = import.meta.prerender ? useStorage('internal:nuxt:prerender:island-props') : null
 
 async function getIslandContext (event: H3Event): Promise<NuxtIslandContext> {
   // TODO: Strict validation for url
   let url = event.node.req.url || ''
-  if (process.env.prerender && event.node.req.url && await islandPropCache!.hasItem(event.node.req.url)) {
+  if (import.meta.prerender && event.node.req.url && await islandPropCache!.hasItem(event.node.req.url)) {
     // rehydrate props from cache so we can rerender island if cache does not have it any more
     url = await islandPropCache!.getItem(event.node.req.url) as string
   }
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ export default defineRenderHandler(async (event): Promise<Partial<RenderResponse
     ? await getIslandContext(event)
     : undefined
 
-  if (process.env.prerender && islandContext && event.node.req.url && await islandCache!.hasItem(event.node.req.url)) {
+  if (import.meta.prerender && islandContext && event.node.req.url && await islandCache!.hasItem(event.node.req.url)) {
     return islandCache!.getItem(event.node.req.url) as Promise<Partial<RenderResponse>>
   }
 
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ export default defineRenderHandler(async (event): Promise<Partial<RenderResponse
   if (isRenderingPayload) {
     url = url.substring(0, url.lastIndexOf('/')) || '/'
     event.node.req.url = url
-    if (process.env.prerender && await payloadCache!.hasItem(url)) {
+    if (import.meta.prerender && await payloadCache!.hasItem(url)) {
       return payloadCache!.getItem(url) as Promise<Partial<RenderResponse>>
     }
   }
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ export default defineRenderHandler(async (event): Promise<Partial<RenderResponse
       !!(process.env.NUXT_NO_SSR) ||
       event.context.nuxt?.noSSR ||
       routeOptions.ssr === false ||
-      (process.env.prerender ? PRERENDER_NO_SSR_ROUTES.has(url) : false),
+      (import.meta.prerender ? PRERENDER_NO_SSR_ROUTES.has(url) : false),
     head,
     error: !!ssrError,
     nuxt: undefined!, /* NuxtApp */
@@ -255,9 +255,9 @@ export default defineRenderHandler(async (event): Promise<Partial<RenderResponse
   }
 
   // Whether we are prerendering route
-  const _PAYLOAD_EXTRACTION = process.env.prerender && process.env.NUXT_PAYLOAD_EXTRACTION && !ssrContext.noSSR && !islandContext
+  const _PAYLOAD_EXTRACTION = import.meta.prerender && process.env.NUXT_PAYLOAD_EXTRACTION && !ssrContext.noSSR && !islandContext
   const payloadURL = _PAYLOAD_EXTRACTION ? joinURL(useRuntimeConfig().app.baseURL, url, process.env.NUXT_JSON_PAYLOADS ? '_payload.json' : '_payload.js') : undefined
-  if (process.env.prerender) {
+  if (import.meta.prerender) {
     ssrContext.payload.prerenderedAt = Date.now()
   }
 
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ export default defineRenderHandler(async (event): Promise<Partial<RenderResponse
   const renderer = (process.env.NUXT_NO_SSR || ssrContext.noSSR) ? await getSPARenderer() : await getSSRRenderer()
 
   // Render 103 Early Hints
-  if (process.env.NUXT_EARLY_HINTS && !isRenderingPayload && !process.env.prerender) {
+  if (process.env.NUXT_EARLY_HINTS && !isRenderingPayload && !import.meta.prerender) {
     const { link } = renderResourceHeaders({}, renderer.rendererContext)
     writeEarlyHints(event, link)
   }
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ export default defineRenderHandler(async (event): Promise<Partial<RenderResponse
   // Directly render payload routes
   if (isRenderingPayload) {
     const response = renderPayloadResponse(ssrContext)
-    if (process.env.prerender) {
+    if (import.meta.prerender) {
       await payloadCache!.setItem(url, response)
     }
     return response
@@ -428,7 +428,7 @@ export default defineRenderHandler(async (event): Promise<Partial<RenderResponse
         'x-powered-by': 'Nuxt'
       }
     } satisfies RenderResponse
-    if (process.env.prerender) {
+    if (import.meta.prerender) {
       await islandCache!.setItem(`/__nuxt_island/${islandContext!.name}_${islandContext!.id}`, response)
       await islandPropCache!.setItem(`/__nuxt_island/${islandContext!.name}_${islandContext!.id}`, event.node.req.url!)
     }
@@ -527,7 +527,7 @@ function renderPayloadJsonScript (opts: { id: string, ssrContext: NuxtSSRContext
 
 function renderPayloadScript (opts: { ssrContext: NuxtSSRContext, data?: any, src?: string }): Script[] {
   opts.data.config = opts.ssrContext.config
-  const _PAYLOAD_EXTRACTION = process.env.prerender && process.env.NUXT_PAYLOAD_EXTRACTION && !opts.ssrContext.noSSR
+  const _PAYLOAD_EXTRACTION = import.meta.prerender && process.env.NUXT_PAYLOAD_EXTRACTION && !opts.ssrContext.noSSR
   if (_PAYLOAD_EXTRACTION) {
     return [
       {
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/core/templates.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/core/templates.ts
index 4442da78efd8..ba169963178f 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/core/templates.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/core/templates.ts
@@ -313,7 +313,7 @@ export const publicPathTemplate: NuxtTemplate = {
       '}',
 
       // On server these are registered directly in packages/nuxt/src/core/runtime/nitro/renderer.ts
-      'if (process.client) {',
+      'if (import.meta.client) {',
       '  globalThis.__buildAssetsURL = buildAssetsURL',
       '  globalThis.__publicAssetsURL = publicAssetsURL',
       '}'
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/head/runtime/components.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/head/runtime/components.ts
index 1c58c8fa140d..1bfe842a1717 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/head/runtime/components.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/head/runtime/components.ts
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ export const Title = defineComponent({
   name: 'Title',
   inheritAttrs: false,
   setup: setupForUseMeta((_, { slots }) => {
-    if (process.dev) {
+    if (import.meta.dev) {
       const defaultSlot = slots.default?.()
 
       if (defaultSlot && (defaultSlot.length > 1 || typeof defaultSlot[0].children !== 'string')) {
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ export const Style = defineComponent({
     const style = { ...props }
     const textContent = slots.default?.()?.[0]?.children
     if (textContent) {
-      if (process.dev && typeof textContent !== 'string') {
+      if (import.meta.dev && typeof textContent !== 'string') {
         console.error('<Style> can only take a string in its default slot.')
       }
       style.children = textContent
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/head/runtime/plugins/unhead.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/head/runtime/plugins/unhead.ts
index f16413b1b967..59d32b70921c 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/head/runtime/plugins/unhead.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/head/runtime/plugins/unhead.ts
@@ -4,11 +4,11 @@ import { defineNuxtPlugin } from '#app/nuxt'
 export default defineNuxtPlugin({
   name: 'nuxt:head',
   setup (nuxtApp) {
-    const head = process.server ? nuxtApp.ssrContext!.head : createClientHead()
+    const head = import.meta.server ? nuxtApp.ssrContext!.head : createClientHead()
     // nuxt.config appHead is set server-side within the renderer
     nuxtApp.vueApp.use(head)
 
-    if (process.client) {
+    if (import.meta.client) {
       // pause dom updates until page is ready and between page transitions
       let pauseDOMUpdates = true
       const unpauseDom = () => {
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/imports/module.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/imports/module.ts
index f42ccda04f6c..26e6ed5f3296 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/imports/module.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/imports/module.ts
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ export default defineNuxtModule<Partial<ImportsOptions>>({
     // Support for importing from '#imports'
     addTemplate({
       filename: 'imports.mjs',
-      getContents: async () => await ctx.toExports() + '\nif (process.dev) { console.warn("[nuxt] `#imports` should be transformed with real imports. There seems to be something wrong with the imports plugin.") }'
+      getContents: async () => await ctx.toExports() + '\nif (import.meta.dev) { console.warn("[nuxt] `#imports` should be transformed with real imports. There seems to be something wrong with the imports plugin.") }'
     })
     nuxt.options.alias['#imports'] = join(nuxt.options.buildDir, 'imports')
 
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/pages/runtime/composables.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/pages/runtime/composables.ts
index a57d83371d17..af3af4bfdbd9 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/pages/runtime/composables.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/pages/runtime/composables.ts
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ const warnRuntimeUsage = (method: string) =>
 
 // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unused-vars
 export const definePageMeta = (meta: PageMeta): void => {
-  if (process.dev) {
+  if (import.meta.dev) {
     const component = getCurrentInstance()?.type
     try {
       const isRouteComponent = component && useRoute().matched.some(p => Object.values(p.components || {}).includes(component))
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/pages/runtime/page-placeholder.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/pages/runtime/page-placeholder.ts
index 79e0f56df888..0e574f581949 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/pages/runtime/page-placeholder.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/pages/runtime/page-placeholder.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { devPagesDir } from '#build/nuxt.config.mjs'
 export default defineComponent({
   name: 'NuxtPage',
   setup (_, props) {
-    if (process.dev) {
+    if (import.meta.dev) {
       console.warn(`Create a Vue component in the \`${devPagesDir}/\` directory to enable \`<NuxtPage>\``)
     }
     return () => props.slots.default?.()
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/pages/runtime/page.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/pages/runtime/page.ts
index 081b3ff956a6..b1c55ddf48b7 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/pages/runtime/page.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/pages/runtime/page.ts
@@ -51,24 +51,24 @@ export default defineComponent({
     return () => {
       return h(RouterView, { name: props.name, route: props.route, ...attrs }, {
         default: (routeProps: RouterViewSlotProps) => {
-          const isRenderingNewRouteInOldFork = process.client && haveParentRoutesRendered(forkRoute, routeProps.route, routeProps.Component)
-          const hasSameChildren = process.client && forkRoute && forkRoute.matched.length === routeProps.route.matched.length
+          const isRenderingNewRouteInOldFork = import.meta.client && haveParentRoutesRendered(forkRoute, routeProps.route, routeProps.Component)
+          const hasSameChildren = import.meta.client && forkRoute && forkRoute.matched.length === routeProps.route.matched.length
 
           if (!routeProps.Component) {
             // If we're rendering a `<NuxtPage>` child route on navigation to a route which lacks a child page
             // we'll render the old vnode until the new route finishes resolving
-            if (process.client && vnode && !hasSameChildren) {
+            if (import.meta.client && vnode && !hasSameChildren) {
               return vnode
             }
             return
           }
 
           // Return old vnode if we are rendering _new_ page suspense fork in _old_ layout suspense fork
-          if (process.client && vnode && _layoutMeta && !_layoutMeta.isCurrent(routeProps.route)) {
+          if (import.meta.client && vnode && _layoutMeta && !_layoutMeta.isCurrent(routeProps.route)) {
             return vnode
           }
 
-          if (process.client && isRenderingNewRouteInOldFork && forkRoute && (!_layoutMeta || _layoutMeta?.isCurrent(forkRoute))) {
+          if (import.meta.client && isRenderingNewRouteInOldFork && forkRoute && (!_layoutMeta || _layoutMeta?.isCurrent(forkRoute))) {
             // if leaving a route with an existing child route, render the old vnode
             if (hasSameChildren) {
               return vnode
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/pages/runtime/plugins/router.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/pages/runtime/plugins/router.ts
index a1aa56f3b8c1..c535db1b6eab 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/pages/runtime/plugins/router.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/pages/runtime/plugins/router.ts
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ const plugin: Plugin<{ router: Router }> = defineNuxtPlugin({
       routerBase += '#'
     }
 
-    const history = routerOptions.history?.(routerBase) ?? (process.client
+    const history = routerOptions.history?.(routerBase) ?? (import.meta.client
       ? (routerOptions.hashMode ? createWebHashHistory(routerBase) : createWebHistory(routerBase))
       : createMemoryHistory(routerBase)
     )
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ const plugin: Plugin<{ router: Router }> = defineNuxtPlugin({
     const routes = routerOptions.routes?.(_routes) ?? _routes
 
     let startPosition: Parameters<RouterScrollBehavior>[2] | null
-    const initialURL = process.server
+    const initialURL = import.meta.server
       ? nuxtApp.ssrContext!.url
       : createCurrentLocation(routerBase, window.location, nuxtApp.payload.path)
 
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ const plugin: Plugin<{ router: Router }> = defineNuxtPlugin({
     const error = useError()
 
     try {
-      if (process.server) {
+      if (import.meta.server) {
         await router.push(initialURL)
       }
 
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ const plugin: Plugin<{ router: Router }> = defineNuxtPlugin({
       }
       nuxtApp._processingMiddleware = true
 
-      if (process.client || !nuxtApp.ssrContext?.islandContext) {
+      if (import.meta.client || !nuxtApp.ssrContext?.islandContext) {
         type MiddlewareDef = string | RouteMiddleware
         const middlewareEntries = new Set<MiddlewareDef>([...globalMiddleware, ...nuxtApp._middleware.global])
         for (const component of to.matched) {
@@ -161,14 +161,14 @@ const plugin: Plugin<{ router: Router }> = defineNuxtPlugin({
           const middleware = typeof entry === 'string' ? nuxtApp._middleware.named[entry] || await namedMiddleware[entry]?.().then((r: any) => r.default || r) : entry
 
           if (!middleware) {
-            if (process.dev) {
+            if (import.meta.dev) {
               throw new Error(`Unknown route middleware: '${entry}'. Valid middleware: ${Object.keys(namedMiddleware).map(mw => `'${mw}'`).join(', ')}.`)
             }
             throw new Error(`Unknown route middleware: '${entry}'.`)
           }
 
           const result = await nuxtApp.runWithContext(() => middleware(to, from))
-          if (process.server || (!nuxtApp.payload.serverRendered && nuxtApp.isHydrating)) {
+          if (import.meta.server || (!nuxtApp.payload.serverRendered && nuxtApp.isHydrating)) {
             if (result === false || result instanceof Error) {
               const error = result || createError({
                 statusCode: 404,
@@ -191,20 +191,20 @@ const plugin: Plugin<{ router: Router }> = defineNuxtPlugin({
     router.afterEach(async (to, _from, failure) => {
       delete nuxtApp._processingMiddleware
 
-      if (process.client && !nuxtApp.isHydrating && error.value) {
+      if (import.meta.client && !nuxtApp.isHydrating && error.value) {
         // Clear any existing errors
         await nuxtApp.runWithContext(clearError)
       }
-      if (process.server && failure?.type === 4 /* ErrorTypes.NAVIGATION_ABORTED */) {
+      if (import.meta.server && failure?.type === 4 /* ErrorTypes.NAVIGATION_ABORTED */) {
         return
       }
-      if (to.matched.length === 0 && (!process.server || !nuxtApp.ssrContext?.islandContext)) {
+      if (to.matched.length === 0 && (!import.meta.server || !nuxtApp.ssrContext?.islandContext)) {
         await nuxtApp.runWithContext(() => showError(createError({
           statusCode: 404,
           fatal: false,
           statusMessage: `Page not found: ${to.fullPath}`
         })))
-      } else if (process.server && to.redirectedFrom && to.fullPath !== initialURL) {
+      } else if (import.meta.server && to.redirectedFrom && to.fullPath !== initialURL) {
         await nuxtApp.runWithContext(() => navigateTo(to.fullPath || '/'))
       }
     })
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/pages/runtime/utils.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/pages/runtime/utils.ts
index 1004c8bd9b5a..810c2fe60d7f 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/pages/runtime/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/pages/runtime/utils.ts
@@ -19,5 +19,5 @@ export const generateRouteKey = (routeProps: RouterViewSlotProps, override?: str
 }
 
 export const wrapInKeepAlive = (props: any, children: any) => {
-  return { default: () => process.client && props ? h(KeepAlive, props === true ? {} : props, children) : children }
+  return { default: () => import.meta.client && props ? h(KeepAlive, props === true ? {} : props, children) : children }
 }
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/pages/runtime/validate.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/pages/runtime/validate.ts
index 2f4e9139f576..4b53777cee76 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/pages/runtime/validate.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/pages/runtime/validate.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ export default defineNuxtRouteMiddleware(async (to) => {
   if (result === true) {
     return
   }
-  if (process.server) {
+  if (import.meta.server) {
     return result
   }
   const error = createError({
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/test/__snapshots__/treeshake-client.test.ts.snap b/packages/nuxt/test/__snapshots__/treeshake-client.test.ts.snap
index d730e04570c1..d380cb962cbc 100644
Binary files a/packages/nuxt/test/__snapshots__/treeshake-client.test.ts.snap and b/packages/nuxt/test/__snapshots__/treeshake-client.test.ts.snap differ
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/test/fixture/components/client/WithClientOnlySetup.vue b/packages/nuxt/test/fixture/components/client/WithClientOnlySetup.vue
index 003f7c5294dd..fdb182b7c1b4 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/test/fixture/components/client/WithClientOnlySetup.vue
+++ b/packages/nuxt/test/fixture/components/client/WithClientOnlySetup.vue
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ const ByeBye = defineAsyncComponent(() => import('./../some-glob.global.vue'))
 
 const NotDotClientComponent = defineAsyncComponent(() => import('./../some.island.vue'))
 const SomeIsland = defineAsyncComponent(async () => {
-  if (process.client) {
+  if (import.meta.client) {
     return (await import('./../some.island.vue'))
   }
 
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ const SomeIsland = defineAsyncComponent(async () => {
 })
 
 const NotToBeTreeShaken = defineAsyncComponent(async () => {
-  if (process.client) {
+  if (import.meta.client) {
     return (await import('./../HelloWorld.vue'))
   }
 
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ const NotToBeTreeShaken = defineAsyncComponent(async () => {
 })
 
 const { ObjectPattern } = defineAsyncComponent(async () => {
-  if (process.client) {
+  if (import.meta.client) {
     return (await import('./../HelloWorld.vue'))
   }
 
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ const { ObjectPattern } = defineAsyncComponent(async () => {
 })
 
 const { ObjectPattern: ObjectPatternDeclaration } = defineAsyncComponent(async () => {
-  if (process.client) {
+  if (import.meta.client) {
     return (await import('./../HelloWorld.vue'))
   }
 
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ const { ObjectPattern: ObjectPatternDeclaration } = defineAsyncComponent(async (
 })
 
 const { ObjectPattern: Halllo, ButShouldNotBeTreeShaken } = defineAsyncComponent(async () => {
-  if (process.client) {
+  if (import.meta.client) {
     return (await import('./../HelloWorld.vue'))
   }
 
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ const { ObjectPattern: Halllo, ButShouldNotBeTreeShaken } = defineAsyncComponent
 const isThis = {}
 
 const { woooooo, What = isThis } = defineAsyncComponent(async () => {
-  if (process.client) {
+  if (import.meta.client) {
     return (await import('./../HelloWorld.vue'))
   }
 
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ const { woooooo, What = isThis } = defineAsyncComponent(async () => {
 console.log(woooooo)
 
 const { Deep, assignment: { Pattern = ofComponent } } = defineAsyncComponent(async () => {
-  if (process.client) {
+  if (import.meta.client) {
     return (await import('./../HelloWorld.vue'))
   }
 
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ const { Deep, assignment: { Pattern = ofComponent } } = defineAsyncComponent(asy
 })
 
 const [FromArray] = defineAsyncComponent(async () => {
-  if (process.client) {
+  if (import.meta.client) {
     return (await import('./../HelloWorld.vue'))
   }
 
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ const [FromArray] = defineAsyncComponent(async () => {
 })
 
 const [Please, { Dont, Doo }, That] = defineAsyncComponent(async () => {
-  if (process.client) {
+  if (import.meta.client) {
     return (await import('./../HelloWorld.vue'))
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/vite/src/client.ts b/packages/vite/src/client.ts
index 827351960623..607256b1d14f 100644
--- a/packages/vite/src/client.ts
+++ b/packages/vite/src/client.ts
@@ -41,6 +41,9 @@ export async function buildClient (ctx: ViteBuildContext) {
       'process.env.NODE_ENV': JSON.stringify(ctx.config.mode),
       'process.server': false,
       'process.client': true,
+      'process.browser': true,
+      'process.nitro': false,
+      'process.prerender': false,
       'module.hot': false
     },
     optimizeDeps: {
diff --git a/packages/vite/src/runtime/vite-node.mjs b/packages/vite/src/runtime/vite-node.mjs
index ca708b6775ba..8db3afa39b92 100644
--- a/packages/vite/src/runtime/vite-node.mjs
+++ b/packages/vite/src/runtime/vite-node.mjs
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ export default async (ssrContext) => {
   // Workaround for stub mode
   // https://github.com/nuxt/framework/pull/3983
   process.server = true
+  import.meta.server = true
 
   // Invalidate cache for files changed since last rendering
   const invalidates = await viteNodeFetch('/invalidates')
diff --git a/packages/vite/src/server.ts b/packages/vite/src/server.ts
index a9550333bc34..636f537e0e7f 100644
--- a/packages/vite/src/server.ts
+++ b/packages/vite/src/server.ts
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ export async function buildServer (ctx: ViteBuildContext) {
     define: {
       'process.server': true,
       'process.client': false,
+      'process.browser': false,
       'typeof window': '"undefined"',
       'typeof document': '"undefined"',
       'typeof navigator': '"undefined"',
diff --git a/packages/vite/src/vite.ts b/packages/vite/src/vite.ts
index 03c748228e9d..a44942852c64 100644
--- a/packages/vite/src/vite.ts
+++ b/packages/vite/src/vite.ts
@@ -146,6 +146,12 @@ export async function bundle (nuxt: Nuxt) {
 
   await nuxt.callHook('vite:extend', ctx)
 
+  nuxt.hook('vite:extendConfig', (config) => {
+    config.plugins!.push(replace({
+      ...Object.fromEntries(Object.entries(config.define!).filter(([key]) => key.startsWith('process.')).map(([key, value]) => [key.replace('process.', 'import.meta.'), JSON.stringify(value)]))
+    }))
+  })
+
   if (!ctx.nuxt.options.dev) {
     const chunksWithInlinedCSS = new Set<string>()
     const clientCSSMap = {}
diff --git a/packages/webpack/src/presets/base.ts b/packages/webpack/src/presets/base.ts
index 1ce556ac4124..bf86ac0a2f73 100644
--- a/packages/webpack/src/presets/base.ts
+++ b/packages/webpack/src/presets/base.ts
@@ -216,14 +216,18 @@ function getWarningIgnoreFilter (ctx: WebpackConfigContext): WarningFilter {
 function getEnv (ctx: WebpackConfigContext) {
   const _env: Record<string, string | boolean> = {
     'process.env.NODE_ENV': JSON.stringify(ctx.config.mode),
-    'process.mode': JSON.stringify(ctx.config.mode),
-    'process.dev': ctx.options.dev,
-    'process.test': isTest,
     __NUXT_VERSION__: JSON.stringify(ctx.nuxt._version),
     'process.env.VUE_ENV': JSON.stringify(ctx.name),
+    'process.dev': ctx.options.dev,
+    'process.test': isTest,
     'process.browser': ctx.isClient,
     'process.client': ctx.isClient,
-    'process.server': ctx.isServer
+    'process.server': ctx.isServer,
+    'import.meta.dev': ctx.options.dev,
+    'import.meta.test': isTest,
+    'import.meta.browser': ctx.isClient,
+    'import.meta.client': ctx.isClient,
+    'import.meta.server': ctx.isServer
   }
 
   if (ctx.userConfig.aggressiveCodeRemoval) {
diff --git a/packages/webpack/src/presets/esbuild.ts b/packages/webpack/src/presets/esbuild.ts
index 6c3155fc41c2..3df1476d16f3 100644
--- a/packages/webpack/src/presets/esbuild.ts
+++ b/packages/webpack/src/presets/esbuild.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ export function esbuild (ctx: WebpackConfigContext) {
   // https://esbuild.github.io/getting-started/#bundling-for-the-browser
   // https://gs.statcounter.com/browser-version-market-share
   // https://nodejs.org/en/
-  const target = ctx.isServer ? 'es2019' : 'chrome85'
+  const target = ctx.isServer ? 'es2020' : 'chrome85'
 
   // https://github.com/nuxt/nuxt/issues/13052
   ctx.config.optimization!.minimizer!.push(new EsbuildPlugin())
diff --git a/test/bundle.test.ts b/test/bundle.test.ts
index 7602695c4512..c7671add45eb 100644
--- a/test/bundle.test.ts
+++ b/test/bundle.test.ts
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ describe.skipIf(process.env.SKIP_BUNDLE_SIZE === 'true' || process.env.ECOSYSTEM
     const serverDir = join(rootDir, '.output/server')
 
     const serverStats = await analyzeSizes(['**/*.mjs', '!node_modules'], serverDir)
-    expect.soft(roundToKilobytes(serverStats.totalBytes)).toMatchInlineSnapshot('"64.4k"')
+    expect.soft(roundToKilobytes(serverStats.totalBytes)).toMatchInlineSnapshot('"64.5k"')
 
     const modules = await analyzeSizes('node_modules/**/*', serverDir)
     expect.soft(roundToKilobytes(modules.totalBytes)).toMatchInlineSnapshot('"2346k"')
diff --git a/test/fixtures/basic-types/modules/runtime/page.vue b/test/fixtures/basic-types/modules/runtime/page.vue
index 5174b019cb65..3c9029c07075 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/basic-types/modules/runtime/page.vue
+++ b/test/fixtures/basic-types/modules/runtime/page.vue
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ definePageMeta({
   value: 'added in pages:extend'
 })
 
-if (process.server) {
+if (import.meta.server) {
   setResponseHeader(useRequestEvent(), 'x-extend', useRoute().meta.value as string)
 }
 </script>
diff --git a/test/fixtures/basic/composables/tree-shake.ts b/test/fixtures/basic/composables/tree-shake.ts
index f050457f95a8..d057c120f732 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/basic/composables/tree-shake.ts
+++ b/test/fixtures/basic/composables/tree-shake.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 export function useServerOnlyComposable () {
-  if (process.client) {
+  if (import.meta.client) {
     throw new Error('this should not be called in the browser')
   }
 }
 
 export function useClientOnlyComposable () {
   // need to do some code that fails in node but not in the browser
-  if (process.server) {
+  if (import.meta.server) {
     throw new Error('this should not be called on the server')
   }
 }
diff --git a/test/fixtures/basic/middleware/redirect.global.ts b/test/fixtures/basic/middleware/redirect.global.ts
index abf48b1ebc36..9ca90920ff51 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/basic/middleware/redirect.global.ts
+++ b/test/fixtures/basic/middleware/redirect.global.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ export default defineNuxtRouteMiddleware(async (to) => {
     return false
   }
   const pluginPath = nuxtApp.$path()
-  if (process.server && !/redirect|navigate/.test(pluginPath) && to.path !== pluginPath) {
+  if (import.meta.server && !/redirect|navigate/.test(pluginPath) && to.path !== pluginPath) {
     throw new Error('plugin did not run before middleware')
   }
 })
diff --git a/test/fixtures/basic/modules/runtime/page.vue b/test/fixtures/basic/modules/runtime/page.vue
index 5174b019cb65..3c9029c07075 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/basic/modules/runtime/page.vue
+++ b/test/fixtures/basic/modules/runtime/page.vue
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ definePageMeta({
   value: 'added in pages:extend'
 })
 
-if (process.server) {
+if (import.meta.server) {
   setResponseHeader(useRequestEvent(), 'x-extend', useRoute().meta.value as string)
 }
 </script>
diff --git a/test/fixtures/basic/pages/chunk-error.vue b/test/fixtures/basic/pages/chunk-error.vue
index 5e7c5bf016de..36407f27f576 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/basic/pages/chunk-error.vue
+++ b/test/fixtures/basic/pages/chunk-error.vue
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ definePageMeta({
   async middleware (to, from) {
     await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 1))
     const nuxtApp = useNuxtApp()
-    if (process.client && from !== to && !nuxtApp.isHydrating) {
+    if (import.meta.client && from !== to && !nuxtApp.isHydrating) {
       // trigger a loading error when navigated to via client-side navigation
       await import(/* webpackIgnore: true */ /* @vite-ignore */ `some-non-exis${''}ting-module`)
     }
diff --git a/test/fixtures/basic/pages/hydration/layout.vue b/test/fixtures/basic/pages/hydration/layout.vue
index a28776ab6e09..c86154573060 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/basic/pages/hydration/layout.vue
+++ b/test/fixtures/basic/pages/hydration/layout.vue
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ definePageMeta({
   layout: 'custom-async'
 })
 
-if (process.client && !useNuxtApp().isHydrating) {
+if (import.meta.client && !useNuxtApp().isHydrating) {
   throw createError({
     fatal: true,
     message: '`useNuxtApp().isHydrating` is false by the time we run page setup'
diff --git a/test/fixtures/basic/pages/json-payload.vue b/test/fixtures/basic/pages/json-payload.vue
index e11d5f080948..40f2e4177e7e 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/basic/pages/json-payload.vue
+++ b/test/fixtures/basic/pages/json-payload.vue
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 const state = useState(() => shallowRef({} as Record<string, any>))
 const nonDisplayedState = useState(() => shallowRef({} as Record<string, any>))
 
-if (process.server) {
+if (import.meta.server) {
   const r = ref('')
   state.value.ref = r
   state.value.shallowReactive = shallowReactive({ nested: { ref: r } })
diff --git a/test/fixtures/basic/pages/keyed-composables/index.vue b/test/fixtures/basic/pages/keyed-composables/index.vue
index 97428b2814aa..e3954b0a4933 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/basic/pages/keyed-composables/index.vue
+++ b/test/fixtures/basic/pages/keyed-composables/index.vue
@@ -2,21 +2,21 @@
 import { useCustomKeyedComposable } from '~/other-composables-folder/custom-keyed-composable'
 
 const useLocalState = () => useState(() => {
-  if (process.client) { console.error('running usestate') }
+  if (import.meta.client) { console.error('running usestate') }
   return { foo: Math.random() }
 })
 const useStateTest1 = useLocalState()
 const useStateTest2 = useLocalState()
 
 const useLocalAsyncData = () => useAsyncData(() => {
-  if (process.client) { console.error('running asyncdata') }
+  if (import.meta.client) { console.error('running asyncdata') }
   return Promise.resolve({ foo: Math.random() })
 }, { transform: data => data.foo })
 const { data: useAsyncDataTest1 } = await useLocalAsyncData()
 const { data: useAsyncDataTest2 } = await useLocalAsyncData()
 
 const useLocalLazyAsyncData = () => useLazyAsyncData(() => {
-  if (process.client) { console.error('running asyncdata') }
+  if (import.meta.client) { console.error('running asyncdata') }
   return Promise.resolve({ foo: Math.random() })
 }, { transform: data => data.foo })
 const { data: useLazyAsyncDataTest1 } = await useLocalLazyAsyncData()
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ const { data: useLazyAsyncDataTest2 } = await useLocalLazyAsyncData()
 
 const useLocalFetch = () => useFetch('/api/counter', {
   transform: (data) => {
-    if (process.client) { console.error('running client-side transform') }
+    if (import.meta.client) { console.error('running client-side transform') }
     return data.count
   }
 })
diff --git a/test/fixtures/basic/pages/middleware-abort.vue b/test/fixtures/basic/pages/middleware-abort.vue
index bb97403eb6c5..b374cc3813d9 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/basic/pages/middleware-abort.vue
+++ b/test/fixtures/basic/pages/middleware-abort.vue
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <script setup lang="ts">
 definePageMeta({
   middleware: () => {
-    if (process.server || useNuxtApp().isHydrating) { return }
+    if (import.meta.server || useNuxtApp().isHydrating) { return }
     return abortNavigation({
       fatal: true
     })
diff --git a/test/fixtures/basic/pages/nuxt-link/trailing-slash.vue b/test/fixtures/basic/pages/nuxt-link/trailing-slash.vue
index 7f3eee7ebeed..8c16b43f32a3 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/basic/pages/nuxt-link/trailing-slash.vue
+++ b/test/fixtures/basic/pages/nuxt-link/trailing-slash.vue
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ const links = [
 const route = useRoute()
 const windowState = computed(() => {
   console.log(route.fullPath)
-  return process.client ? window.history.state.foo : ''
+  return import.meta.client ? window.history.state.foo : ''
 })
 </script>
 
diff --git a/test/fixtures/basic/pages/useAsyncData/immediate.vue b/test/fixtures/basic/pages/useAsyncData/immediate.vue
index edfa94a40b3c..892229e71112 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/basic/pages/useAsyncData/immediate.vue
+++ b/test/fixtures/basic/pages/useAsyncData/immediate.vue
@@ -15,18 +15,18 @@ if (called.value !== 0) {
   throw new Error('Handled should have not been called')
 }
 
-if (process.server && data.value !== null) {
+if (import.meta.server && data.value !== null) {
   throw new Error('Initial data should be null: ' + data.value)
 }
 
 await execute()
 await execute()
 
-if (process.server && called.value as number !== 2) {
+if (import.meta.server && called.value as number !== 2) {
   throw new Error('Should have been called once after execute (server) but called ' + called.value + ' times')
 }
 
-if (process.client && called.value as number !== 2) {
+if (import.meta.client && called.value as number !== 2) {
   throw new Error('Should have been called once after execute (client) but called ' + called.value + ' times')
 }
 
diff --git a/test/fixtures/basic/pages/useAsyncData/override.vue b/test/fixtures/basic/pages/useAsyncData/override.vue
index 891f0339c8c5..4741c300545e 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/basic/pages/useAsyncData/override.vue
+++ b/test/fixtures/basic/pages/useAsyncData/override.vue
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 <script setup lang="ts">
 let count = 0
 let timeout = 0
-const { data, refresh } = await useAsyncData(() => process.server ? Promise.resolve(1) : new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(() => resolve(++count), timeout)))
+const { data, refresh } = await useAsyncData(() => import.meta.server ? Promise.resolve(1) : new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(() => resolve(++count), timeout)))
 
 if (count || data.value !== 1) {
   throw new Error('Data should be unset')
@@ -17,20 +17,20 @@ if (count || data.value !== 1) {
 timeout = 100
 const p = refresh({ dedupe: true, _initial: false })
 
-if (process.client && (count !== 0 || data.value !== 1)) {
+if (import.meta.client && (count !== 0 || data.value !== 1)) {
   throw new Error('count should start at 0')
 }
 
 timeout = 0
 await refresh({ _initial: false })
 
-if (process.client && (count !== 1 || data.value !== 1)) {
+if (import.meta.client && (count !== 1 || data.value !== 1)) {
   throw new Error('override should execute')
 }
 
 await p
 
-if (process.client && (count !== 2 || data.value !== 1)) {
+if (import.meta.client && (count !== 2 || data.value !== 1)) {
   throw new Error('cancelled promise should not affect data')
 }
 </script>
diff --git a/test/fixtures/basic/pages/useAsyncData/status.vue b/test/fixtures/basic/pages/useAsyncData/status.vue
index e1ca04e4fc05..66ef81eafaab 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/basic/pages/useAsyncData/status.vue
+++ b/test/fixtures/basic/pages/useAsyncData/status.vue
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ if (status4.value !== 'success') {
 }
 
 const { status: status5 } = await useAsyncData(() => Promise.resolve(true), { server: false })
-if (process.server && status5.value !== 'idle') {
+if (import.meta.server && status5.value !== 'idle') {
   throw new Error('status5 should be "idle" server side')
 }
 
diff --git a/test/fixtures/basic/plugins/custom-type-registration.ts b/test/fixtures/basic/plugins/custom-type-registration.ts
index ec37ab6ce90e..e3e89c068e52 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/basic/plugins/custom-type-registration.ts
+++ b/test/fixtures/basic/plugins/custom-type-registration.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 export default definePayloadPlugin((nuxtApp) => {
   definePayloadReducer('BlinkingText', data => data === '<original-blink>' && '_')
   definePayloadReviver('BlinkingText', () => '<revivified-blink>')
-  if (process.server) {
+  if (import.meta.server) {
     nuxtApp.payload.blinkable = '<original-blink>'
   }
 })
diff --git a/test/fixtures/basic/server/plugins/headers.ts b/test/fixtures/basic/server/plugins/headers.ts
index b89759873667..982a9a9bbd5e 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/basic/server/plugins/headers.ts
+++ b/test/fixtures/basic/server/plugins/headers.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 export default defineNitroPlugin((nitroApp) => {
-  if (!process.dev) { return }
+  if (!import.meta.dev) { return }
 
   const onError = nitroApp.h3App.options.onError!
   nitroApp.h3App.options.onError = (error, event) => {
diff --git a/vitest.nuxt.config.ts b/vitest.nuxt.config.ts
index a3b2962270db..b773e578ad9d 100644
--- a/vitest.nuxt.config.ts
+++ b/vitest.nuxt.config.ts
@@ -4,5 +4,9 @@ export default defineVitestConfig({
   test: {
     dir: './test/nuxt',
     environment: 'nuxt'
+  },
+  define: {
+    'import.meta.client': true,
+    'import.meta.server': false
   }
 })