diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/App.vue b/apps/desktop/src/App.vue
index 99bc636248..aebd9f1cab 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/App.vue
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/App.vue
@@ -29,7 +29,16 @@ import { useMcpUpdateBadge } from "@/composables/useMcpUpdateBadge";
 import { useComponentUpdates, type ComponentUpdateCategory } from "@/composables/useComponentUpdates";
 import { COMPONENT_UPDATES_CHANGED_EVENT, notifyComponentPluginsUpdated, notifyComponentUpdatesChanged } from "@/lib/updates/componentUpdateEvents";
 import { driverStoreUpdateBadgeCount, showMcpUpdateBadge, showToolbarUpdateAction } from "@/lib/updates/updateBadges";
-import { markPendingComponentUpdatesAfterAppUpdate, resolveUpdateAllAction, runPendingComponentUpdatePlan, shouldCloseUpdateCenterAfterComponentUpdate, takePendingComponentUpdatesAfterAppRestart, type PendingComponentUpdatePlan } from "@/lib/updates/componentUpdateOrchestration";
+import {
+  hasPendingComponentUpdatesAfterAppRestart,
+  markPendingComponentUpdatesAfterAppUpdate,
+  resolveUpdateAllAction,
+  runPendingComponentUpdatesBeforePluginReconnect,
+  runPendingComponentUpdatePlan,
+  shouldCloseUpdateCenterAfterComponentUpdate,
+  takePendingComponentUpdatesAfterAppRestart,
+  type PendingComponentUpdatePlan,
+} from "@/lib/updates/componentUpdateOrchestration";
 import { isUpdatePreviewMockEnabled } from "@/lib/updates/updatePreviewMock";
 import { useExportTracker } from "@/composables/useExportTracker";
 import { useFileDrop } from "@/composables/useFileDrop";
@@ -3776,20 +3785,22 @@ async function initApp() {
         onOptionalStateError: (error) => console.error("[STARTUP] settingsStore.initAiConfigs failed", error),
       });
     }
-    // Restored plugin tabs need the sidecar connection registry repopulated
-    // (see reconnectRestoredPluginTabs); kick it off before the heavier
-    // optional init so it races ahead of each plugin webview's first
-    // session/open. Fire-and-forget: it must never block startup.
-    void queryStore.reconnectRestoredPluginTabs();
-    await settingsStore.initDesktopSettings().catch(() => {});
-    if (isDesktop) {
-      updateWindowReady = true;
-      await initializeUpdatePreparation();
-      await initializeUpdater();
-      if (!isDetachedWindowContext) {
-        void consumePendingComponentUpdatesAfterRestart();
-      }
-    }
+    await runPendingComponentUpdatesBeforePluginReconnect({
+      hasPendingComponentUpdates: () => !isDetachedWindowContext && hasPendingComponentUpdatesAfterAppRestart(),
+      prepareStartup: async () => {
+        await settingsStore.initDesktopSettings().catch(() => {});
+        if (isDesktop) {
+          updateWindowReady = true;
+          await initializeUpdatePreparation();
+          await initializeUpdater();
+        }
+      },
+      consumePendingComponentUpdates: consumePendingComponentUpdatesAfterRestart,
+      // Restored plugin tabs need the sidecar connection registry repopulated
+      // (see reconnectRestoredPluginTabs). It is fire-and-forget so a slow
+      // sidecar or interactive prompt never blocks startup.
+      reconnectRestoredPluginTabs: async () => queryStore.reconnectRestoredPluginTabs(),
+    });
 
     void promptTemplateStore.init();
 
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/lib/updates/__tests__/componentUpdateOrchestration.spec.ts b/apps/desktop/src/lib/updates/__tests__/componentUpdateOrchestration.spec.ts
index 27953f9cb7..e74bd84f42 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/lib/updates/__tests__/componentUpdateOrchestration.spec.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/lib/updates/__tests__/componentUpdateOrchestration.spec.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,16 @@
 // @vitest-environment happy-dom
 
 import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
-import { clearPendingComponentUpdatesAfterAppUpdate, markPendingComponentUpdatesAfterAppUpdate, resolveUpdateAllAction, runPendingComponentUpdatePlan, shouldCloseUpdateCenterAfterComponentUpdate, takePendingComponentUpdatesAfterAppRestart } from "@/lib/updates/componentUpdateOrchestration";
+import {
+  clearPendingComponentUpdatesAfterAppUpdate,
+  hasPendingComponentUpdatesAfterAppRestart,
+  markPendingComponentUpdatesAfterAppUpdate,
+  resolveUpdateAllAction,
+  runPendingComponentUpdatesBeforePluginReconnect,
+  runPendingComponentUpdatePlan,
+  shouldCloseUpdateCenterAfterComponentUpdate,
+  takePendingComponentUpdatesAfterAppRestart,
+} from "@/lib/updates/componentUpdateOrchestration";
 
 describe("component update orchestration", () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
@@ -16,6 +25,85 @@ describe("component update orchestration", () => {
     expect(takePendingComponentUpdatesAfterAppRestart("0.6.17")).toEqual({ fromVersion: "0.6.16", targetVersion: "0.6.17", plan: { kind: "auto" } });
   });
 
+  it("detects pending component updates before restored plugin tabs reconnect", () => {
+    expect(hasPendingComponentUpdatesAfterAppRestart()).toBe(false);
+
+    markPendingComponentUpdatesAfterAppUpdate("0.6.18", "0.6.19", { kind: "manual", categories: ["plugins"] });
+
+    expect(hasPendingComponentUpdatesAfterAppRestart()).toBe(true);
+    expect(takePendingComponentUpdatesAfterAppRestart("0.6.19")).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(hasPendingComponentUpdatesAfterAppRestart()).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("consumes pending component updates before reconnecting restored plugin tabs", async () => {
+    const events: string[] = [];
+
+    await runPendingComponentUpdatesBeforePluginReconnect({
+      hasPendingComponentUpdates: () => true,
+      prepareStartup: async () => {
+        events.push("prepare");
+      },
+      consumePendingComponentUpdates: async () => {
+        events.push("consume");
+      },
+      reconnectRestoredPluginTabs: async () => {
+        events.push("reconnect");
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(events).toEqual(["prepare", "consume", "reconnect"]);
+  });
+
+  it("reconnects restored plugin tabs immediately when no component update is pending", async () => {
+    const events: string[] = [];
+    let finishStartup = () => {};
+    const startupFinished = new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+      finishStartup = resolve;
+    });
+
+    const startup = runPendingComponentUpdatesBeforePluginReconnect({
+      hasPendingComponentUpdates: () => false,
+      prepareStartup: async () => {
+        events.push("prepare");
+        await startupFinished;
+      },
+      consumePendingComponentUpdates: async () => {
+        events.push("consume");
+      },
+      reconnectRestoredPluginTabs: async () => {
+        events.push("reconnect");
+      },
+    });
+
+    await Promise.resolve();
+    expect(events).toEqual(["reconnect", "prepare"]);
+    finishStartup();
+    await startup;
+    expect(events).toEqual(["reconnect", "prepare"]);
+  });
+
+  it("still reconnects restored plugin tabs when pending component updates fail", async () => {
+    const events: string[] = [];
+
+    await expect(
+      runPendingComponentUpdatesBeforePluginReconnect({
+        hasPendingComponentUpdates: () => true,
+        prepareStartup: async () => {
+          events.push("prepare");
+        },
+        consumePendingComponentUpdates: async () => {
+          events.push("consume");
+          throw new Error("update failed");
+        },
+        reconnectRestoredPluginTabs: async () => {
+          events.push("reconnect");
+        },
+      }),
+    ).rejects.toThrow("update failed");
+
+    expect(events).toEqual(["prepare", "consume", "reconnect"]);
+  });
+
   it("consumes a successful restart exactly once", () => {
     markPendingComponentUpdatesAfterAppUpdate("0.6.16", "0.6.17");
 
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/lib/updates/componentUpdateOrchestration.ts b/apps/desktop/src/lib/updates/componentUpdateOrchestration.ts
index a63e5dc218..0bcef1cfd7 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/lib/updates/componentUpdateOrchestration.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/lib/updates/componentUpdateOrchestration.ts
@@ -79,6 +79,25 @@ export function clearPendingComponentUpdatesAfterAppUpdate() {
   safeLocalStorageRemove(PENDING_COMPONENT_UPDATES_STORAGE_KEY);
 }
 
+export function hasPendingComponentUpdatesAfterAppRestart(): boolean {
+  return parsePendingComponentUpdates(safeLocalStorageGet(PENDING_COMPONENT_UPDATES_STORAGE_KEY)) !== null;
+}
+
+export async function runPendingComponentUpdatesBeforePluginReconnect(options: { hasPendingComponentUpdates: () => boolean; prepareStartup: () => Promise<void>; consumePendingComponentUpdates: () => Promise<void>; reconnectRestoredPluginTabs: () => Promise<void> }): Promise<void> {
+  if (!options.hasPendingComponentUpdates()) {
+    void options.reconnectRestoredPluginTabs();
+    await options.prepareStartup();
+    return;
+  }
+
+  try {
+    await options.prepareStartup();
+    await options.consumePendingComponentUpdates();
+  } finally {
+    void options.reconnectRestoredPluginTabs();
+  }
+}
+
 export function takePendingComponentUpdatesAfterAppRestart(currentVersion: string): PendingComponentUpdates | null {
   const pending = parsePendingComponentUpdates(safeLocalStorageGet(PENDING_COMPONENT_UPDATES_STORAGE_KEY));
   if (!pending) {