diff --git a/app/views/layouts/spotlight/base.html.erb b/app/views/layouts/spotlight/base.html.erb
index 619527cb5c..277f17b0f5 100644
--- a/app/views/layouts/spotlight/base.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/layouts/spotlight/base.html.erb
@@ -13,7 +13,11 @@
     <% else %>
       <%= stylesheet_link_tag "application" %>
     <% end %>
-    <%= javascript_include_tag "application" %>
+    <% if defined? Importmap %>
+      <%= javascript_importmap_tags %>
+    <% else %>
+      <%= javascript_include_tag "application" %>
+    <% end %>
     <%= csrf_meta_tags %>
     <%= content_for(:head) %>
     <%= description %>
diff --git a/lib/generators/spotlight/install_generator.rb b/lib/generators/spotlight/install_generator.rb
index ed02818cf1..5dd464bd88 100644
--- a/lib/generators/spotlight/install_generator.rb
+++ b/lib/generators/spotlight/install_generator.rb
@@ -19,13 +19,21 @@ def add_js_rails6
     end
 
     def add_manifest
-      # Blacklight 8 does not use this directory by default.
-      return unless  File.exist?('app/assets/javascripts')
-
-      append_to_file 'app/assets/javascripts/application.js', "\n//= require_tree .\n"
       append_to_file 'app/assets/config/manifest.js', "\n//= link spotlight/manifest.js"
-      # Rails installed importmap by default, but we don't have importmap + Blacklight 7 working yet.
-      remove_file 'app/javascript/application.js'
+
+      # Blacklight 8 does not use this directory by default.
+      if File.exist?('app/assets/javascripts')
+        append_to_file 'app/assets/javascripts/application.js', "\n//= require_tree .\n"
+        # Rails installed importmap by default, but we don't have importmap + Blacklight 7 working yet.
+        remove_file 'app/javascript/application.js'
+      else
+        # install via importmap
+        append_to_file 'app/javascript/application.js' do
+          <<~CONTENT
+            import Spotlight from "spotlight.esm"
+          CONTENT
+        end
+      end
     end
 
     def inject_spotlight_routes