diff --git a/core/SConscript.firmware b/core/SConscript.firmware
index 6336329b84..9fb27f4b69 100644
--- a/core/SConscript.firmware
+++ b/core/SConscript.firmware
@@ -590,7 +590,11 @@ env.Ignore(hdr_moduledefs, qstr_generated)
 if FROZEN:
     SOURCE_PY_DIR = 'src/'
 
-    SOURCE_PY = Glob(SOURCE_PY_DIR + '*.py')
+    SOURCE_PY = Glob(SOURCE_PY_DIR + '*.py',
+        exclude=[
+            SOURCE_PY_DIR + 'ble.py',
+        ] if "ble" not in FEATURES_AVAILABLE else []
+    )
     SOURCE_PY.extend(Glob(SOURCE_PY_DIR + 'trezor/*.py',
         exclude=[
             SOURCE_PY_DIR + 'trezor/sdcard.py',
diff --git a/core/SConscript.unix b/core/SConscript.unix
index fe26db8663..7ee1f0316f 100644
--- a/core/SConscript.unix
+++ b/core/SConscript.unix
@@ -645,7 +645,11 @@ env.Ignore(micropy_defines, qstr_generated)
 if FROZEN:
     SOURCE_PY_DIR = 'src/'
 
-    SOURCE_PY = Glob(SOURCE_PY_DIR + '*.py')
+    SOURCE_PY = Glob(SOURCE_PY_DIR + '*.py',
+        exclude=[
+            SOURCE_PY_DIR + 'ble.py',
+        ] if "ble" not in FEATURES_AVAILABLE else []
+    )
     SOURCE_PY.extend(Glob(SOURCE_PY_DIR + 'trezor/*.py',
         exclude=[
             SOURCE_PY_DIR + 'trezor/sdcard.py',
diff --git a/core/src/ble.py b/core/src/ble.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3d48729124
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/ble.py
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+import storage.device
+import trezorble as ble
+from trezor import log
+
+try:
+    ble.start_comm()
+
+    # allow connections from bonded peers if any
+    if ble.peer_count() > 0:
+        ble.start_advertising(True, storage.device.get_label())
+except Exception as e:
+    log.exception(__name__, e)
diff --git a/core/src/main.py b/core/src/main.py
index 5c33ef32e6..727d32d8ca 100644
--- a/core/src/main.py
+++ b/core/src/main.py
@@ -49,14 +49,9 @@ usb.bus.open(storage.device.get_device_id())
 
 # enable BLE, allow connections
 if utils.USE_BLE:
-    import trezorble as ble
-    ble.start_comm()
-
-    # allow connections from bonded peers if any
-    if ble.peer_count() > 0:
-        ble.start_advertising(True, storage.device.get_label())
-
-    del ble
+    with utils.unimport():
+        import ble  # noqa: F401
+        del ble
 
 
 # run the endless loop