diff --git a/packages/server/src/server/plugins/index.posix.test.ts b/packages/server/src/server/plugins/index.posix.test.ts
index 364e24e40b..c529bd37d3 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/server/plugins/index.posix.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/server/plugins/index.posix.test.ts
@@ -1075,23 +1075,29 @@ export default function contribute(plugin: unknown) {
     const service = bindTestSessionHost(
       new PluginService(pino({ level: "silent" }), store, "0.4.0"),
     );
-    await service.start();
-    await service.installDirectory({ path: first });
-    await service.installDirectory({ path: second });
+    try {
+      await service.start();
+      await service.installDirectory({ path: first });
+      await service.installDirectory({ path: second });
+      expect(catalogIds(service)).toEqual(["first", "second"]);
+      await store.patch({ pluginsEnabled: false });
 
-    await store.patch({ pluginsEnabled: false });
-
-    expect(service.catalog()).toEqual([]);
-    await expect(service.invokePluginRpc("second", "anything", {})).rejects.toThrow(
-      "Plugin is not available",
-    );
-    await store.patch({ pluginsEnabled: true });
-    await service.reloadPlugin("first");
-    expect((await service.listPlugins()).map(({ id, status }) => ({ id, status }))).toEqual([
-      { id: "first", status: "running" },
-      { id: "second", status: "running" },
-    ]);
-    await service.stopAllPlugins();
+      expect(service.catalog()).toEqual([]);
+      await expect(service.invokePluginRpc("second", "anything", {})).rejects.toThrow(
+        "Plugin is not available",
+      );
+      await store.patch({ pluginsEnabled: true });
+      // Observe recovery itself. Reloading here restarts a healthy plugin and
+      // would also conceal a failure to restart it after the global enable.
+      await expect
+        .poll(() => service.listPlugins(), { timeout: 10_000 })
+        .toMatchObject([
+          { id: "first", status: "running" },
+          { id: "second", status: "running" },
+        ]);
+    } finally {
+      await service.stopAllPlugins();
+    }
   }, 20_000);
 
   it("does not publish an in-flight start after a later global disable", async () => {