diff --git a/marimo/_runtime/reload/autoreload.py b/marimo/_runtime/reload/autoreload.py
index ada9c1f819c..5292a86a60d 100644
--- a/marimo/_runtime/reload/autoreload.py
+++ b/marimo/_runtime/reload/autoreload.py
@@ -9,11 +9,13 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import functools
 import gc
 import io
 import modulefinder
 import os
 import sys
+import sysconfig
 import threading
 import traceback
 import types
@@ -73,6 +75,32 @@ def safe_hasattr(obj: M, attr: str) -> bool:
         return False
 
 
+@functools.cache
+def _non_user_module_roots() -> tuple[str, ...]:
+    """Filesystem prefixes that hold stdlib + site-packages modules.
+
+    Each entry is normalized and terminated with a separator so that a raw
+    prefix check on a normalized path matches whole directory boundaries
+    (e.g. `/usr/lib/python3.13/` does not match `/usr/lib/python3.13-mine/`).
+    """
+    roots: set[str] = set()
+    for key in ("stdlib", "platstdlib", "purelib", "platlib"):
+        p = sysconfig.get_path(key)
+        if p:
+            roots.add(p)
+    # Fallback for builds where sysconfig's stdlib path is missing or
+    # differs from the runtime location of the stdlib.
+    roots.add(os.path.dirname(os.__file__))
+
+    normalized: set[str] = set()
+    for r in roots:
+        n = os.path.normcase(os.path.realpath(r))
+        if not n.endswith(os.sep):
+            n += os.sep
+        normalized.add(n)
+    return tuple(normalized)
+
+
 def modules_imported_by_cell(
     cell: CellImpl, sys_modules: dict[str, types.ModuleType]
 ) -> set[str]:
@@ -160,10 +188,29 @@ def __init__(self) -> None:
         # for thread-safety
         self.lock = threading.Lock()
         self._module_dependency_finder = ModuleDependencyFinder()
+        # modname -> cached `__file__` for modules classified as non-user.
+        # Populated by every `check()` call (memoizing `_is_user_module`);
+        # consumed only when `skip_non_user_modules=True`. Stored value is
+        # used to invalidate the entry if `sys.modules[modname]` is later
+        # rebound to a module with a different `__file__` (e.g. a user
+        # module shadowing an installed package).
+        self._skip: dict[str, str | None] = {}
 
         # Timestamp existing modules
         self.check(modules=sys.modules, reload=False)
 
+    def _is_user_module(self, module: types.ModuleType) -> bool:
+        """True for modules whose source lives outside stdlib/site-packages.
+
+        Editable installs (e.g. `pip install -e .`) point `__file__` at the
+        source tree, so they are correctly classified as user code.
+        """
+        f = safe_getattr(module, "__file__", None)
+        if not f:
+            return False
+        path = os.path.normcase(os.path.realpath(f))
+        return not path.startswith(_non_user_module_roots())
+
     def filename_and_mtime(
         self, module: types.ModuleType
     ) -> ModuleMTime | None:
@@ -206,12 +253,24 @@ def cell_uses_stale_modules(self, cell: CellImpl) -> bool:
             )
 
     def check(
-        self, modules: dict[str, types.ModuleType], reload: bool
+        self,
+        modules: dict[str, types.ModuleType],
+        reload: bool,
+        *,
+        skip_non_user_modules: bool = False,
     ) -> set[types.ModuleType]:
         """Check timestamps of modules, optionally reload them.
 
         Also patches existing objects with hot-reloaded ones.
 
+        When `skip_non_user_modules` is True, modules whose `__file__` is
+        under stdlib/site-packages are skipped — intended for the per-cell
+        hot path. The background `ModuleWatcher` leaves it False so it still
+        stats every module on its 1s loop, which is what keeps edits inside
+        installed packages detectable. Both paths populate the same skip
+        cache, so the hot path benefits from classifications the watcher
+        has already done.
+
         Returns a set of modules that were found to have been modified.
         """
 
@@ -228,6 +287,30 @@ def check(
                 m = modules.get(modname, None)
                 if m is None:
                     continue
+                # Classify (memoized via `_skip`). The hot path uses the
+                # cache to short-circuit; the watcher always falls through
+                # to the stat check so that edits inside installed packages
+                # are still picked up. The cached entry stores `__file__`,
+                # so a module rebound to a new location gets reclassified.
+                current_file = safe_getattr(m, "__file__", None)
+                if modname in self._skip:
+                    if self._skip[modname] == current_file:
+                        is_non_user = True
+                    else:
+                        # Rebound to a different file — drop all cached
+                        # state for this name so the new module starts
+                        # from a clean mtime baseline.
+                        del self._skip[modname]
+                        self.modules_mtimes.pop(modname, None)
+                        self.stale_modules.discard(modname)
+                        is_non_user = False
+                else:
+                    is_non_user = False
+                if not is_non_user and not self._is_user_module(m):
+                    self._skip[modname] = current_file
+                    is_non_user = True
+                if is_non_user and skip_non_user_modules:
+                    continue
 
                 module_mtime = self.filename_and_mtime(m)
                 if module_mtime is None:
diff --git a/marimo/_runtime/reload/manager.py b/marimo/_runtime/reload/manager.py
index 7d99638608b..ebb72e0b901 100644
--- a/marimo/_runtime/reload/manager.py
+++ b/marimo/_runtime/reload/manager.py
@@ -85,10 +85,18 @@ def cell_scope(self) -> Iterator[None]:
             yield
             return
         snapshot = set(sys.modules)
-        self._reloader.check(modules=sys.modules, reload=True)
+        # Entry: skip stdlib/site-packages so cells don't pay for stat-ing
+        # them. This is the perf-critical call.
+        self._reloader.check(
+            modules=sys.modules, reload=True, skip_non_user_modules=True
+        )
         try:
             yield
         finally:
+            # Exit: record mtimes for modules the cell just imported. Don't
+            # skip here — `new_modules` is small (typically 0-3) and we need
+            # an mtime baseline for newly-imported installed packages so the
+            # next edit isn't silently treated as the initial state.
             new_modules = set(sys.modules) - snapshot
             self._reloader.check(
                 modules={m: sys.modules[m] for m in new_modules},
diff --git a/tests/_runtime/reload/test_autoreload.py b/tests/_runtime/reload/test_autoreload.py
index eabb9425131..d30c43cec56 100644
--- a/tests/_runtime/reload/test_autoreload.py
+++ b/tests/_runtime/reload/test_autoreload.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 import gc
 import importlib
+import os
 import pathlib
 import sys
 import textwrap
@@ -425,6 +426,163 @@ def test_check_reload_clears_stale_modules(
         assert len(reloader.stale_modules) == 0
 
 
+class TestSkipCache:
+    def test_is_user_module_stdlib(self):
+        reloader = ModuleReloader()
+        assert reloader._is_user_module(sys.modules["os"]) is False
+        assert reloader._is_user_module(sys.modules["pathlib"]) is False
+
+    def test_is_user_module_builtin_has_no_file(self):
+        reloader = ModuleReloader()
+        assert reloader._is_user_module(sys.modules["sys"]) is False
+        assert reloader._is_user_module(sys.modules["builtins"]) is False
+
+    def test_is_user_module_user_code(
+        self, tmp_path: pathlib.Path, py_modname: str
+    ):
+        sys.path.append(str(tmp_path))
+        py_file = tmp_path / pathlib.Path(py_modname + ".py")
+        py_file.write_text("x = 1")
+        mod = importlib.import_module(py_modname)
+        reloader = ModuleReloader()
+        assert reloader._is_user_module(mod) is True
+
+    def test_both_paths_populate_skip(self):
+        # The cache is shared memoization for the classification step;
+        # whichever path sees a module first records the verdict.
+        reloader = ModuleReloader()
+        reloader.check(sys.modules, reload=False)
+        assert "os" in reloader._skip
+
+        reloader2 = ModuleReloader()
+        reloader2.check(sys.modules, reload=False, skip_non_user_modules=True)
+        assert "os" in reloader2._skip
+
+    def test_user_module_not_skipped_on_hot_path(
+        self, tmp_path: pathlib.Path, py_modname: str
+    ):
+        sys.path.append(str(tmp_path))
+        py_file = tmp_path / pathlib.Path(py_modname + ".py")
+        py_file.write_text("x = 1")
+        importlib.import_module(py_modname)
+        reloader = ModuleReloader()
+        reloader.check(sys.modules, reload=False, skip_non_user_modules=True)
+        assert py_modname not in reloader._skip
+
+    def test_skipped_modules_are_not_restated(self, monkeypatch):
+        reloader = ModuleReloader()
+        reloader.check(sys.modules, reload=False, skip_non_user_modules=True)
+        assert "os" in reloader._skip
+
+        calls: list[str] = []
+        orig = reloader.filename_and_mtime
+
+        def spy(module):
+            calls.append(getattr(module, "__name__", "?"))
+            return orig(module)
+
+        monkeypatch.setattr(reloader, "filename_and_mtime", spy)
+        reloader.check(sys.modules, reload=False, skip_non_user_modules=True)
+        assert "os" not in calls
+        assert "pathlib" not in calls
+
+    def test_watcher_path_still_sees_installed_packages(
+        self, tmp_path: pathlib.Path, py_modname: str, monkeypatch
+    ):
+        # Regression guard: even after the hot path has classified a module
+        # as non-user (and cached it in `_skip`), the watcher's
+        # `skip_non_user_modules=False` call must still stat it and detect
+        # edits. Without this, `auto_reload` users editing files inside an
+        # installed package would silently stop getting hot reloads.
+        import marimo._runtime.reload.autoreload as autoreload_mod
+
+        sys.path.append(str(tmp_path))
+        py_file = tmp_path / pathlib.Path(py_modname + ".py")
+        py_file.write_text("x = 1")
+        mod = importlib.import_module(py_modname)
+
+        real_roots = autoreload_mod._non_user_module_roots()
+        tmp_root = os.path.normcase(os.path.realpath(str(tmp_path))) + os.sep
+        monkeypatch.setattr(
+            autoreload_mod,
+            "_non_user_module_roots",
+            lambda: (tmp_root,) + real_roots,
+        )
+
+        reloader = ModuleReloader()
+        assert reloader._is_user_module(mod) is False
+
+        # Hot path classifies and caches.
+        reloader.check(sys.modules, reload=False, skip_non_user_modules=True)
+        assert py_modname in reloader._skip
+
+        # Watcher path falls through to the stat check despite the cache.
+        update_file(py_file, "x = 2")
+        assert any(m is mod for m in reloader.check(sys.modules, reload=False))
+
+    def test_skip_cache_invalidates_when_module_rebound(
+        self, tmp_path: pathlib.Path, py_modname: str
+    ):
+        # If `sys.modules[modname]` is rebound to a module with a different
+        # `__file__` (e.g. a user file shadows an installed package), the
+        # cached non-user verdict must not stick — and any cached mtime
+        # from the old module must be cleared too, otherwise an older user
+        # file would be silently treated as unchanged.
+        sys.path.append(str(tmp_path))
+        user_file = tmp_path / pathlib.Path(py_modname + ".py")
+        user_file.write_text("x = 1")
+        user_mod = importlib.import_module(py_modname)
+
+        # Plant a fake "installed" version under the same name first.
+        fake_installed = types.ModuleType(py_modname)
+        fake_installed.__file__ = os.path.join(
+            os.path.dirname(os.__file__), py_modname + ".py"
+        )
+        sys.modules[py_modname] = fake_installed
+
+        reloader = ModuleReloader()
+        # Watcher-style call: classifies as non-user AND records a
+        # (synthetic) far-future mtime so we can detect stale-cache leakage.
+        reloader.check(sys.modules, reload=False)
+        assert py_modname in reloader._skip
+        reloader.modules_mtimes[py_modname] = 1e12
+
+        # Rebind to the real user module.
+        sys.modules[py_modname] = user_mod
+        reloader.check(sys.modules, reload=False, skip_non_user_modules=True)
+        assert py_modname not in reloader._skip
+        # Stale mtime is cleared so the next edit isn't masked by it.
+        assert reloader.modules_mtimes.get(py_modname, 0) < 1e12
+
+    def test_user_module_reload_still_works(
+        self, tmp_path: pathlib.Path, py_modname: str
+    ):
+        sys.path.append(str(tmp_path))
+        py_file = tmp_path / pathlib.Path(py_modname + ".py")
+        py_file.write_text(
+            textwrap.dedent(
+                """
+                def foo():
+                    return 1
+                """
+            )
+        )
+        mod = importlib.import_module(py_modname)
+        reloader = ModuleReloader()
+        reloader.check(sys.modules, reload=False)
+        assert mod.foo() == 1
+
+        update_file(
+            py_file,
+            """
+            def foo():
+                return 2
+            """,
+        )
+        reloader.check(sys.modules, reload=True)
+        assert mod.foo() == 2
+
+
 class TestUpdateFunctions:
     """Tests for update_* functions"""