diff --git a/zproject/settings.py b/zproject/settings.py
index 42d9d79797..2d413b785e 100644
--- a/zproject/settings.py
+++ b/zproject/settings.py
@@ -15,13 +15,21 @@
 # See https://zulip.readthedocs.io/en/latest/subsystems/settings.html for more information
 #
 ########################################################################
-import django_stubs_ext
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
 
 # Monkey-patch certain types that are declared as generic types
 # generic in django-stubs, but not (yet) as generic types in Django
 # itself. This is necessary to ensure type references like
 # django.db.models.Lookup[int] work correctly at runtime.
-django_stubs_ext.monkeypatch()
+#
+# Hide this from mypy to avoid creating stupid cycles like
+# zproject.settings → django_stubs_ext → django_stubs_ext.patch →
+# django.contrib.admin.options → django.contrib.contenttypes.models →
+# confirmation.models → django.conf → zproject.settings.
+if not TYPE_CHECKING:
+    import django_stubs_ext
+
+    django_stubs_ext.monkeypatch()
 
 from .configured_settings import *  # noqa: F403 isort: skip
 from .computed_settings import *  # noqa: F403 isort: skip