diff --git a/src/pynwb/ndx_microscopy/__init__.py b/src/pynwb/ndx_microscopy/__init__.py
index 6b5f389..394c41b 100644
--- a/src/pynwb/ndx_microscopy/__init__.py
+++ b/src/pynwb/ndx_microscopy/__init__.py
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@
     # TODO: Remove when python 3.9 becomes the new minimum
     from importlib_resources import files
 
+# NOTE: ndx-ophys-devices needs to be imported first because loading the ndx-microscopy namespace depends on
+# having the ndx-ophys-devices namespace loaded into the global type map.
+from ndx_ophys_devices import ExcitationSource, Indicator, OpticalFilter, Photodetector
+
 extension_name = "ndx-microscopy"
 
 # Get path to the namespace.yaml file with the expected location when installed not in editable mode
@@ -19,7 +23,6 @@
     __spec_path = __location_of_this_file.parent.parent.parent / "spec" / f"{extension_name}.namespace.yaml"
 
 load_namespaces(str(__spec_path))
-from ndx_ophys_devices import ExcitationSource, Indicator, OpticalFilter, Photodetector
 
 Microscope = get_class("Microscope", extension_name)
 ExcitationLightPath = get_class("ExcitationLightPath", extension_name)