diff --git a/.config/requirements-test.txt b/.config/requirements-test.txt
index f62fa707e1..5e21fe9636 100644
--- a/.config/requirements-test.txt
+++ b/.config/requirements-test.txt
@@ -13,8 +13,9 @@ pydoclint
 pylint
 pytest
 pytest-mock >= 3.10.0
-pytest-plus >= 0.4.0
+pytest-plus >= 0.7.0
 pytest-xdist
+pytest-instafail
 requests != 2.32.0 # https://github.com/docker/docker-py/issues/3256
 ruff
 toml-sort
diff --git a/src/molecule/app.py b/src/molecule/app.py
index 9ad032db92..5ba7fe4ab5 100644
--- a/src/molecule/app.py
+++ b/src/molecule/app.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+from functools import lru_cache
+
 from ansible_compat.runtime import Runtime
 
 
@@ -13,4 +15,11 @@ def __init__(self) -> None:
         self.runtime = Runtime(isolated=False)
 
 
-app = App()
+@lru_cache
+def get_app() -> App:
+    """Return the app instance.
+
+    Returns:
+        App: The app instance.
+    """
+    return App()
diff --git a/src/molecule/config.py b/src/molecule/config.py
index 662b4ee107..86c3d78a81 100644
--- a/src/molecule/config.py
+++ b/src/molecule/config.py
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 from packaging.version import Version
 
 from molecule import api, interpolation, platforms, scenario, state, util
-from molecule.app import app
+from molecule.app import get_app
 from molecule.data import __file__ as data_module
 from molecule.dependency import ansible_galaxy, shell
 from molecule.model import schema_v3
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ def ansible_version() -> Version:
         "molecule.config.ansible_version is deprecated, will be removed in the future.",
         category=DeprecationWarning,
     )
-    return app.runtime.version
+    return get_app().runtime.version
 
 
 class Config:
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ def __init__(
             "MOLECULE_PROJECT_DIRECTORY",
             os.getcwd(),  # noqa: PTH109
         )
-        self.runtime = app.runtime
+        self.runtime = get_app().runtime
         self.scenario_path = Path(molecule_file).parent
 
         # Former after_init() contents
diff --git a/src/molecule/scenario.py b/src/molecule/scenario.py
index 5719c8b729..fded74ed1b 100644
--- a/src/molecule/scenario.py
+++ b/src/molecule/scenario.py
@@ -133,7 +133,6 @@ def ephemeral_directory(self) -> str:
                 project_directory,
                 self.name,
             )
-
             path = ephemeral_directory(project_scenario_directory)
 
         if isinstance(path, str):
diff --git a/src/molecule/shell.py b/src/molecule/shell.py
index b6648a6588..e5407b0fa4 100644
--- a/src/molecule/shell.py
+++ b/src/molecule/shell.py
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 
 from molecule import command, logger
 from molecule.api import drivers
-from molecule.app import app
+from molecule.app import get_app
 from molecule.command.base import click_group_ex
 from molecule.config import MOLECULE_DEBUG, MOLECULE_VERBOSITY
 from molecule.console import console
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ def print_version(
         f"using python [repr.number]{sys.version_info[0]}.{sys.version_info[1]}[/] \n"
     )
 
-    msg += f"    [repr.attrib_name]ansible[/][dim]:[/][repr.number]{app.runtime.version}[/]"
+    msg += f"    [repr.attrib_name]ansible[/][dim]:[/][repr.number]{get_app().runtime.version}[/]"
     for driver in drivers().values():
         msg += (
             f"\n    [repr.attrib_name]{driver!s}[/][dim]:[/][repr.number]{driver.version}[/][dim] "
diff --git a/src/molecule/util.py b/src/molecule/util.py
index 01adf9ed95..19a7c7a31b 100644
--- a/src/molecule/util.py
+++ b/src/molecule/util.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
 from ansible_compat.ports import cache
 from rich.syntax import Syntax
 
-from molecule.app import app
+from molecule.app import get_app
 from molecule.console import console
 from molecule.constants import MOLECULE_HEADER
 
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ def run_command(  # noqa: PLR0913
     if debug:
         print_environment_vars(env)
 
-    result = app.runtime.run(
+    result = get_app().runtime.run(
         args=cmd,
         env=env,
         cwd=cwd,
@@ -387,7 +387,7 @@ def filter_verbose_permutation(options: Options) -> Options:
     Returns:
         Dictionary of options without verbose options included.
     """
-    return {k: options[k] for k in options if not re.match("^[v]+$", k)}
+    return {k: options[k] for k in options if not re.match(r"^[v]+$", k)}
 
 
 @overload