diff --git a/.changeset/quick-onions-tie.md b/.changeset/quick-onions-tie.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8d3c2255b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/quick-onions-tie.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"marko": patch
+---
+
+Fix issue where implicit split components (those with no class/component that have event handlers) were not getting the client side render apis.
diff --git a/packages/runtime-class/src/translator/index.js b/packages/runtime-class/src/translator/index.js
index 647815b586..5410995b81 100644
--- a/packages/runtime-class/src/translator/index.js
+++ b/packages/runtime-class/src/translator/index.js
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ export const analyze = {
         ) {
           meta.component = file.opts.filename;
         } else if (meta.hasStringEventHandlers) {
+          meta.implicitSplitComponent = true;
           meta.component = componentFiles.componentBrowserFile =
             "marko/src/runtime/helpers/empty-component.js";
           meta.hasComponentBrowser = true;
@@ -388,7 +389,7 @@ export const translate = {
                   componentTypeIdentifier,
                   t.arrowFunctionExpression(
                     [],
-                    componentBrowserFile
+                    componentBrowserFile && !meta.implicitSplitComponent
                       ? importDefault(
                           file,
                           resolveRelativePath(file, componentBrowserFile),
diff --git a/packages/runtime-class/test/translator/fixtures/event-handlers/snapshots/vdom-expected.js b/packages/runtime-class/test/translator/fixtures/event-handlers/snapshots/vdom-expected.js
index 998e4f8779..32796233ff 100644
--- a/packages/runtime-class/test/translator/fixtures/event-handlers/snapshots/vdom-expected.js
+++ b/packages/runtime-class/test/translator/fixtures/event-handlers/snapshots/vdom-expected.js
@@ -6,8 +6,7 @@ import _customTag from "./components/custom-tag.marko";
 import _marko_tag from "marko/src/runtime/helpers/render-tag.js";
 import _marko_renderer from "marko/src/runtime/components/renderer.js";
 import { r as _marko_registerComponent } from "marko/src/runtime/components/registry.js";
-import _marko_split_component from "marko/src/runtime/helpers/empty-component.js";
-_marko_registerComponent(_marko_componentType, () => _marko_split_component);
+_marko_registerComponent(_marko_componentType, () => _marko_template);
 const _marko_component = {};
 _marko_template._ = _marko_renderer(function (input, out, _componentDef, _component, state, $global) {
   out.e("div", null, "0", _component, 0, 0, {
diff --git a/packages/runtime-class/test/translator/fixtures/event-handlers/snapshots/vdomProduction-expected.js b/packages/runtime-class/test/translator/fixtures/event-handlers/snapshots/vdomProduction-expected.js
index b26577bc74..148ce63e4e 100644
--- a/packages/runtime-class/test/translator/fixtures/event-handlers/snapshots/vdomProduction-expected.js
+++ b/packages/runtime-class/test/translator/fixtures/event-handlers/snapshots/vdomProduction-expected.js
@@ -6,8 +6,7 @@ import _customTag from "./components/custom-tag.marko";
 import _marko_tag from "marko/dist/runtime/helpers/render-tag.js";
 import _marko_renderer from "marko/dist/runtime/components/renderer.js";
 import { r as _marko_registerComponent } from "marko/dist/runtime/components/registry.js";
-import _marko_split_component from "marko/dist/runtime/helpers/empty-component.js";
-_marko_registerComponent(_marko_componentType, () => _marko_split_component);
+_marko_registerComponent(_marko_componentType, () => _marko_template);
 const _marko_component = {};
 _marko_template._ = _marko_renderer(function (input, out, _componentDef, _component, state, $global) {
   out.e("div", null, "0", _component, 0, 0, {