diff --git a/.github/workflows/smoke_tests.yml b/.github/workflows/smoke_tests.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a8d4c3bae5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/smoke_tests.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+name: smoke-tests
+
+on: [pull_request]
+jobs:
+  unit-test-python:
+    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        python-version: [ "3.9", "3.10", "3.11"]
+        os: [ ubuntu-latest ]
+    env:
+      OS: ${{ matrix.os }}
+      PYTHON: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Setup Python
+        id: setup-python
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+        with:
+          python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+          architecture: x64
+      - name: Install uv
+        run: |
+          curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
+      - name: Get uv cache dir
+        id: uv-cache
+        run: |
+          echo "::set-output name=dir::$(uv cache dir)"
+      - name: uv cache
+        uses: actions/cache@v4
+        with:
+          path: ${{ steps.uv-cache.outputs.dir }}
+          key: ${{ runner.os }}-${{ steps.setup-python.outputs.python-version }}-uv-${{ hashFiles(format('**/py{0}-ci-requirements.txt', env.PYTHON)) }}
+      - name: Install dependencies
+        run: make install-python-dependencies-uv
+      - name: Test Imports
+        run: pixi run python -c "from feast import cli"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 78a0b6d328..924724bc9e 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -37,6 +37,21 @@ build: protos build-java build-docker
 
 # Python SDK
 
+install-python-dependencies:
+	python -m piptools sync sdk/python/requirements/py$(PYTHON_VERSION)-requirements.txt
+	pip install --no-deps .
+	python setup.py build_python_protos --inplace
+
+install-python-dependencies-uv:
+	uv pip sync --system sdk/python/requirements/py$(PYTHON_VERSION)-requirements.txt
+	uv pip install --system --no-deps .
+	python setup.py build_python_protos --inplace
+
+install-python-dependencies-uv-venv:
+	uv pip sync sdk/python/requirements/py$(PYTHON_VERSION)-requirements.txt
+	uv pip install --no-deps .
+	python setup.py build_python_protos --inplace
+
 install-python-ci-dependencies:
 	python -m piptools sync sdk/python/requirements/py$(PYTHON_VERSION)-ci-requirements.txt
 	pip install --no-deps -e .
diff --git a/sdk/python/feast/errors.py b/sdk/python/feast/errors.py
index 4dbb220c1e..3665a02361 100644
--- a/sdk/python/feast/errors.py
+++ b/sdk/python/feast/errors.py
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 import importlib
 import json
 import logging
-from typing import Any, List, Optional, Set
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, List, Optional, Set
 
 from colorama import Fore, Style
 from fastapi import status as HttpStatusCode
-from grpc import StatusCode as GrpcStatusCode
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from grpc import StatusCode as GrpcStatusCode
 
 from feast.field import Field
 
@@ -15,7 +17,7 @@
 class FeastError(Exception):
     pass
 
-    def grpc_status_code(self) -> GrpcStatusCode:
+    def grpc_status_code(self) -> "GrpcStatusCode":
         return GrpcStatusCode.INTERNAL
 
     def http_status_code(self) -> int:
@@ -89,7 +91,7 @@ def __init__(self, ds_name: str):
 class FeastObjectNotFoundException(FeastError):
     pass
 
-    def grpc_status_code(self) -> GrpcStatusCode:
+    def grpc_status_code(self) -> "GrpcStatusCode":
         return GrpcStatusCode.NOT_FOUND
 
     def http_status_code(self) -> int:
@@ -504,7 +506,7 @@ class FeastPermissionError(FeastError, PermissionError):
     def __init__(self, details: str):
         super().__init__(f"Permission error:\n{details}")
 
-    def grpc_status_code(self) -> GrpcStatusCode:
+    def grpc_status_code(self) -> "GrpcStatusCode":
         return GrpcStatusCode.PERMISSION_DENIED
 
     def http_status_code(self) -> int: