diff --git a/examples/vanilla-ts-dev-options/package.json b/examples/vanilla-ts-dev-options/package.json
index 2b95fb5d..48383e8e 100644
--- a/examples/vanilla-ts-dev-options/package.json
+++ b/examples/vanilla-ts-dev-options/package.json
@@ -7,9 +7,11 @@
     "dev-auto": "rimraf dev-dist && DEBUG=vite-plugin-pwa SW_DEV=true SW_INLINE=auto vite --force",
     "dev-inline": "rimraf dev-dist && DEBUG=vite-plugin-pwa SW_DEV=true SW_INLINE=inline vite --force",
     "dev-script": "rimraf dev-dist && DEBUG=vite-plugin-pwa SW_DEV=true SW_INLINE=script vite --force",
+    "dev-script-defer": "rimraf dev-dist && DEBUG=vite-plugin-pwa SW_DEV=true SW_INLINE=script-defer vite --force",
     "dev-auto-destroy": "rimraf dev-dist && DEBUG=vite-plugin-pwa SW_DEV=true SW_DESTROY=true SW_INLINE=auto vite --force",
     "dev-inline-destroy": "rimraf dev-dist && DEBUG=vite-plugin-pwa SW_DEV=true SW_DESTROY=true SW_INLINE=inline vite --force",
     "dev-script-destroy": "rimraf dev-dist && DEBUG=vite-plugin-pwa SW_DEV=true SW_DESTROY=true SW_INLINE=script vite --force",
+    "dev-script-defer-destroy": "rimraf dev-dist && DEBUG=vite-plugin-pwa SW_DEV=true SW_DESTROY=true SW_INLINE=script-defer vite --force",
     "build": "DEBUG=vite-plugin-pwa vite build",
     "build-auto": "rimraf dev-dist && DEBUG=vite-plugin-pwa SW_DEV=true SW_INLINE=auto vite build --force",
     "build-inline": "rimraf dev-dist && DEBUG=vite-plugin-pwa SW_DEV=true SW_INLINE=inline vite build --force",
diff --git a/examples/vanilla-ts-dev-options/src/main.ts b/examples/vanilla-ts-dev-options/src/main.ts
index 977322b6..74c4215b 100644
--- a/examples/vanilla-ts-dev-options/src/main.ts
+++ b/examples/vanilla-ts-dev-options/src/main.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,6 @@ document.querySelector<HTMLDivElement>('#app')!.innerHTML = `
   <div>
    <img src="/favicon.svg" alt="PWA Logo" width="60" height="60">
     <h1>Vite + TypeScript</h1>
-    <p>Testing SW with <b>injectRegister=auto,inline,script</b></p>
+    <p>Testing SW with <b>injectRegister=auto,inline,script,script-defer</b></p>
   </div>
 `
diff --git a/examples/vanilla-ts-dev-options/vite.config.ts b/examples/vanilla-ts-dev-options/vite.config.ts
index 5a6080f7..1a449665 100644
--- a/examples/vanilla-ts-dev-options/vite.config.ts
+++ b/examples/vanilla-ts-dev-options/vite.config.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import process from 'node:process'
 import { defineConfig } from 'vite'
 import { VitePWA } from 'vite-plugin-pwa'
 
-const injectRegister = (process.env.SW_INLINE ?? 'auto') as 'inline' | 'auto' | 'script'
+const injectRegister = (process.env.SW_INLINE ?? 'auto') as 'inline' | 'auto' | 'script' | 'script-defer'
 const selfDestroying = process.env.SW_DESTROY === 'true'
 
 export default defineConfig({
diff --git a/info.d.ts b/info.d.ts
index dd7eb61f..6d3e3d8b 100644
--- a/info.d.ts
+++ b/info.d.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ declare module 'virtual:pwa-info' {
     }
     /**
      * The service worker data will be exposed only if required, that's, will **NOT** be exposed if:
-     * - not using `pwaPluginOptions.injectRegister` with `script` or `inline` values
+     * - not using `pwaPluginOptions.injectRegister` with `script`, `script-defer` or `inline` values
      * - if using `pwaPluginOptions.injectRegister` with `auto` (default) and importing any of the virtual modules
      */
     registerSW?: {
diff --git a/src/api.ts b/src/api.ts
index 0e7aa5f9..32d3d8fb 100644
--- a/src/api.ts
+++ b/src/api.ts
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ export function _generateBundle({ options, viteConfig, useImportRegister }: PWAP
   if (options.injectRegister === 'auto')
     options.injectRegister = useImportRegister ? null : 'script'
 
-  if (options.injectRegister === 'script' && !existsSync(resolve(viteConfig.publicDir, FILE_SW_REGISTER))) {
+  if ((options.injectRegister === 'script' || options.injectRegister === 'script-defer') && !existsSync(resolve(viteConfig.publicDir, FILE_SW_REGISTER))) {
     bundle[FILE_SW_REGISTER] = {
       // @ts-expect-error: for Vite 3 support, Vite 4 has removed `isAsset` property
       isAsset: true,
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ export function createAPI(ctx: PWAPluginContext): VitePluginPWAAPI {
       // 3: otherwise we always return the info
       let type: WorkerType = 'classic'
       let script: string | undefined
-      let shouldRegisterSW = options.injectRegister === 'inline' || options.injectRegister === 'script'
+      let shouldRegisterSW = options.injectRegister === 'inline' || options.injectRegister === 'script' || options.injectRegister === 'script-defer'
       if (ctx.devEnvironment && ctx.options.devOptions.enabled === true) {
         type = ctx.options.devOptions.type ?? 'classic'
         script = generateRegisterDevSW(ctx.options.base)
diff --git a/src/html.ts b/src/html.ts
index fca75ff6..507f0faa 100644
--- a/src/html.ts
+++ b/src/html.ts
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ export function injectServiceWorker(html: string, options: ResolvedVitePWAOption
     if (script) {
       return html.replace(
         '</head>',
-          `${manifest}${script}</head>`,
+        `${manifest}${script}</head>`,
       )
     }
   }
@@ -57,8 +57,10 @@ export function generateWebManifest(options: ResolvedVitePWAOptions, dev: boolea
 export function generateRegisterSW(options: ResolvedVitePWAOptions, dev: boolean) {
   if (options.injectRegister === 'inline')
     return `<script id="vite-plugin-pwa:inline-sw">${generateSimpleSWRegister(options, dev)}</script>`
-  else if (options.injectRegister === 'script')
-    return `<script id="vite-plugin-pwa:register-sw" src="${dev ? options.base : options.buildBase}${FILE_SW_REGISTER}"></script>`
+  else if (options.injectRegister === 'script' || options.injectRegister === 'script-defer') {
+    const hasDefer = options.injectRegister === 'script-defer'
+    return `<script id="vite-plugin-pwa:register-sw" src="${dev ? options.base : options.buildBase}${FILE_SW_REGISTER}" ${hasDefer ? 'defer' : ''}></script>`
+  }
 
   return undefined
 }
@@ -72,9 +74,10 @@ registerDevSW();
 }
 
 export function generateSWHMR() {
+  // defer attribute: https://html.spec.whatwg.org/multipage/common-microsyntaxes.html#boolean-attributes
   return `
-import.meta.hot.on('${DEV_REGISTER_SW_NAME}', ({ inline, inlinePath, registerPath, scope, swType = 'classic' }) => {
-  if (inline) {
+import.meta.hot.on('${DEV_REGISTER_SW_NAME}', ({ mode, inlinePath, registerPath, scope, swType = 'classic' }) => {
+  if (mode == 'inline') {
     if('serviceWorker' in navigator) {
       navigator.serviceWorker.register(inlinePath, { scope, type: swType });
     }
@@ -82,6 +85,7 @@ import.meta.hot.on('${DEV_REGISTER_SW_NAME}', ({ inline, inlinePath, registerPat
   else {
     const registerSW = document.createElement('script');
     registerSW.setAttribute('id', 'vite-plugin-pwa:register-sw');
+    if (mode === 'script-defer') registerSW.setAttribute('defer', 'defer');
     registerSW.setAttribute('src', registerPath);
     document.head.appendChild(registerSW);
   }
diff --git a/src/plugins/dev.ts b/src/plugins/dev.ts
index bae6dfaa..5eaab467 100644
--- a/src/plugins/dev.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/dev.ts
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ async function resolveDevDistFolder(options: ResolvedVitePWAOptions, viteConfig:
 }
 
 async function createDevRegisterSW(options: ResolvedVitePWAOptions, viteConfig: ResolvedConfig) {
-  if (options.injectRegister === 'script') {
+  if (options.injectRegister === 'script' || options.injectRegister === 'script-defer') {
     const devDist = await resolveDevDistFolder(options, viteConfig)
     if (!existsSync(devDist))
       mkdirSync(devDist)
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ function createSWResponseHandler(server: ViteDevServer, ctx: PWAPluginContext):
         type: 'custom',
         event: DEV_REGISTER_SW_NAME,
         data: {
-          inline: options.injectRegister === 'inline',
+          mode: options.injectRegister,
           scope,
           inlinePath: `${base}${DEV_SW_NAME}`,
           registerPath: `${base}${FILE_SW_REGISTER}`,
diff --git a/src/types.ts b/src/types.ts
index 295fc74e..609e8966 100644
--- a/src/types.ts
+++ b/src/types.ts
@@ -87,13 +87,15 @@ export interface VitePWAOptions {
    *
    * `inline` - inject a simple register, inlined with the generated html
    *
-   * `script` - inject <script/> in <head>, with the `sr` to a generated simple register
+   * `script` - inject `<script/>` in `<head>` with `src` attribute to a generated script to register the service worker
+   *
+   * `script-defer` - inject `<script defer />` in `<head>`, with `src` attribute to a generated script to register the service worker
    *
    * `null` - do nothing, you will need to register the sw you self, or imports from `virtual:pwa-register`
    *
    * @default 'auto'
    */
-  injectRegister: 'inline' | 'script' | 'auto' | null | false
+  injectRegister: 'inline' | 'script' | 'script-defer' | 'auto' | null | false
   /**
    * Mode for the virtual register.
    * Does NOT available for `injectRegister` set to `inline` or `script`