diff --git a/packages/vite/src/node/plugins/clientInjections.ts b/packages/vite/src/node/plugins/clientInjections.ts
index bf46c0e42ce597..dfd3b878b6f459 100644
--- a/packages/vite/src/node/plugins/clientInjections.ts
+++ b/packages/vite/src/node/plugins/clientInjections.ts
@@ -13,54 +13,74 @@ const normalizedEnvEntry = normalizePath(ENV_ENTRY)
  * @server-only
  */
 export function clientInjectionsPlugin(config: ResolvedConfig): Plugin {
+  let injectConfigValues: (code: string) => string
+
   return {
     name: 'vite:client-inject',
-    async transform(code, id, options) {
-      if (id === normalizedClientEntry || id === normalizedEnvEntry) {
-        const resolvedServerHostname = (
-          await resolveHostname(config.server.host)
-        ).name
-        const resolvedServerPort = config.server.port!
-        const devBase = config.base
+    async buildStart() {
+      const resolvedServerHostname = (await resolveHostname(config.server.host))
+        .name
+      const resolvedServerPort = config.server.port!
+      const devBase = config.base
+
+      const serverHost = `${resolvedServerHostname}:${resolvedServerPort}${devBase}`
 
-        const serverHost = `${resolvedServerHostname}:${resolvedServerPort}${devBase}`
+      let hmrConfig = config.server.hmr
+      hmrConfig = isObject(hmrConfig) ? hmrConfig : undefined
+      const host = hmrConfig?.host || null
+      const protocol = hmrConfig?.protocol || null
+      const timeout = hmrConfig?.timeout || 30000
+      const overlay = hmrConfig?.overlay !== false
+      const isHmrServerSpecified = !!hmrConfig?.server
 
-        let hmrConfig = config.server.hmr
-        hmrConfig = isObject(hmrConfig) ? hmrConfig : undefined
-        const host = hmrConfig?.host || null
-        const protocol = hmrConfig?.protocol || null
-        const timeout = hmrConfig?.timeout || 30000
-        const overlay = hmrConfig?.overlay !== false
-        const isHmrServerSpecified = !!hmrConfig?.server
+      // hmr.clientPort -> hmr.port
+      // -> (24678 if middleware mode and HMR server is not specified) -> new URL(import.meta.url).port
+      let port = hmrConfig?.clientPort || hmrConfig?.port || null
+      if (config.server.middlewareMode && !isHmrServerSpecified) {
+        port ||= 24678
+      }
+
+      let directTarget = hmrConfig?.host || resolvedServerHostname
+      directTarget += `:${hmrConfig?.port || resolvedServerPort}`
+      directTarget += devBase
 
-        // hmr.clientPort -> hmr.port
-        // -> (24678 if middleware mode and HMR server is not specified) -> new URL(import.meta.url).port
-        let port = hmrConfig?.clientPort || hmrConfig?.port || null
-        if (config.server.middlewareMode && !isHmrServerSpecified) {
-          port ||= 24678
-        }
+      let hmrBase = devBase
+      if (hmrConfig?.path) {
+        hmrBase = path.posix.join(hmrBase, hmrConfig.path)
+      }
 
-        let directTarget = hmrConfig?.host || resolvedServerHostname
-        directTarget += `:${hmrConfig?.port || resolvedServerPort}`
-        directTarget += devBase
+      const serializedDefines = serializeDefine(config.define || {})
 
-        let hmrBase = devBase
-        if (hmrConfig?.path) {
-          hmrBase = path.posix.join(hmrBase, hmrConfig.path)
-        }
+      const modeReplacement = escapeReplacement(config.mode)
+      const baseReplacement = escapeReplacement(devBase)
+      const definesReplacement = () => serializedDefines
+      const serverHostReplacement = escapeReplacement(serverHost)
+      const hmrProtocolReplacement = escapeReplacement(protocol)
+      const hmrHostnameReplacement = escapeReplacement(host)
+      const hmrPortReplacement = escapeReplacement(port)
+      const hmrDirectTargetReplacement = escapeReplacement(directTarget)
+      const hmrBaseReplacement = escapeReplacement(hmrBase)
+      const hmrTimeoutReplacement = escapeReplacement(timeout)
+      const hmrEnableOverlayReplacement = escapeReplacement(overlay)
 
+      injectConfigValues = (code: string) => {
         return code
-          .replace(`__MODE__`, JSON.stringify(config.mode))
-          .replace(/__BASE__/g, JSON.stringify(devBase))
-          .replace(`__DEFINES__`, serializeDefine(config.define || {}))
-          .replace(`__SERVER_HOST__`, JSON.stringify(serverHost))
-          .replace(`__HMR_PROTOCOL__`, JSON.stringify(protocol))
-          .replace(`__HMR_HOSTNAME__`, JSON.stringify(host))
-          .replace(`__HMR_PORT__`, JSON.stringify(port))
-          .replace(`__HMR_DIRECT_TARGET__`, JSON.stringify(directTarget))
-          .replace(`__HMR_BASE__`, JSON.stringify(hmrBase))
-          .replace(`__HMR_TIMEOUT__`, JSON.stringify(timeout))
-          .replace(`__HMR_ENABLE_OVERLAY__`, JSON.stringify(overlay))
+          .replace(`__MODE__`, modeReplacement)
+          .replace(/__BASE__/g, baseReplacement)
+          .replace(`__DEFINES__`, definesReplacement)
+          .replace(`__SERVER_HOST__`, serverHostReplacement)
+          .replace(`__HMR_PROTOCOL__`, hmrProtocolReplacement)
+          .replace(`__HMR_HOSTNAME__`, hmrHostnameReplacement)
+          .replace(`__HMR_PORT__`, hmrPortReplacement)
+          .replace(`__HMR_DIRECT_TARGET__`, hmrDirectTargetReplacement)
+          .replace(`__HMR_BASE__`, hmrBaseReplacement)
+          .replace(`__HMR_TIMEOUT__`, hmrTimeoutReplacement)
+          .replace(`__HMR_ENABLE_OVERLAY__`, hmrEnableOverlayReplacement)
+      }
+    },
+    transform(code, id, options) {
+      if (id === normalizedClientEntry || id === normalizedEnvEntry) {
+        return injectConfigValues(code)
       } else if (!options?.ssr && code.includes('process.env.NODE_ENV')) {
         // replace process.env.NODE_ENV instead of defining a global
         // for it to avoid shimming a `process` object during dev,
@@ -75,6 +95,11 @@ export function clientInjectionsPlugin(config: ResolvedConfig): Plugin {
   }
 }
 
+function escapeReplacement(value: string | number | boolean | null) {
+  const jsonValue = JSON.stringify(value)
+  return () => jsonValue
+}
+
 function serializeDefine(define: Record<string, any>): string {
   let res = `{`
   for (const key in define) {