diff --git a/web/__test__/components/Onboarding/OnboardingPluginsStep.test.ts b/web/__test__/components/Onboarding/OnboardingPluginsStep.test.ts
index 34ac963845..6b14ea49b5 100644
--- a/web/__test__/components/Onboarding/OnboardingPluginsStep.test.ts
+++ b/web/__test__/components/Onboarding/OnboardingPluginsStep.test.ts
@@ -6,12 +6,15 @@ import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
 import OnboardingPluginsStep from '~/components/Onboarding/steps/OnboardingPluginsStep.vue';
 import { createTestI18n } from '../../utils/i18n';
 
-const { draftStore, installedPluginsResult, useQueryMock } = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+const { draftStore, installedPluginsLoading, installedPluginsResult, useQueryMock } = vi.hoisted(() => ({
   draftStore: {
     selectedPlugins: new Set<string>(),
     pluginSelectionInitialized: false,
     setPlugins: vi.fn(),
   },
+  installedPluginsLoading: {
+    value: false,
+  },
   installedPluginsResult: {
     value: {
       installedUnraidPlugins: [],
@@ -63,6 +66,7 @@ describe('OnboardingPluginsStep', () => {
     vi.clearAllMocks();
     draftStore.selectedPlugins = new Set();
     draftStore.pluginSelectionInitialized = false;
+    installedPluginsLoading.value = false;
     installedPluginsResult.value = {
       installedUnraidPlugins: [],
     };
@@ -71,6 +75,7 @@ describe('OnboardingPluginsStep', () => {
       if (query === INSTALLED_UNRAID_PLUGINS_QUERY) {
         return {
           result: installedPluginsResult,
+          loading: installedPluginsLoading,
         };
       }
       return { result: { value: null } };
@@ -103,7 +108,7 @@ describe('OnboardingPluginsStep', () => {
 
     await flushPromises();
 
-    const switches = wrapper.findAll('[data-testid="plugin-switch"]');
+    const switches = wrapper.findAll('input[type="checkbox"]');
     expect(switches.length).toBe(3);
     expect((switches[0].element as HTMLInputElement).checked).toBe(true);
     expect((switches[1].element as HTMLInputElement).checked).toBe(false);
@@ -113,7 +118,7 @@ describe('OnboardingPluginsStep', () => {
     }
 
     const nextButton = wrapper
-      .findAll('[data-testid="brand-button"]')
+      .findAll('button')
       .find((button) => button.text().toLowerCase().includes('next'));
 
     expect(nextButton).toBeTruthy();
@@ -126,6 +131,51 @@ describe('OnboardingPluginsStep', () => {
     expect(props.onComplete).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
   });
 
+  it('persists already installed plugins alongside manual selections', async () => {
+    installedPluginsResult.value = {
+      installedUnraidPlugins: ['fix.common.problems.plg', 'tailscale.plg'],
+    };
+
+    const { wrapper, props } = mountComponent();
+
+    await flushPromises();
+
+    const switches = wrapper.findAll('input[type="checkbox"]');
+    expect(switches.length).toBe(3);
+    expect((switches[0].element as HTMLInputElement).checked).toBe(true);
+    expect((switches[1].element as HTMLInputElement).checked).toBe(true);
+    expect((switches[2].element as HTMLInputElement).checked).toBe(true);
+
+    const nextButton = wrapper
+      .findAll('button')
+      .find((button) => button.text().toLowerCase().includes('next'));
+
+    expect(nextButton).toBeTruthy();
+    await nextButton!.trigger('click');
+
+    expect(draftStore.setPlugins).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    const lastCallIndex = draftStore.setPlugins.mock.calls.length - 1;
+    const selected = draftStore.setPlugins.mock.calls[lastCallIndex][0] as Set<string>;
+    expect(Array.from(selected).sort()).toEqual(['community-apps', 'fix-common-problems', 'tailscale']);
+    expect(props.onComplete).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
+  it('disables the primary action until installed plugins finish loading', async () => {
+    installedPluginsLoading.value = true;
+    installedPluginsResult.value = null;
+
+    const { wrapper } = mountComponent();
+
+    await flushPromises();
+
+    const nextButton = wrapper
+      .findAll('button')
+      .find((button) => button.text().toLowerCase().includes('next'));
+
+    expect(nextButton).toBeTruthy();
+    expect((nextButton!.element as HTMLButtonElement).disabled).toBe(true);
+  });
+
   it('skip clears selection and calls onSkip', async () => {
     draftStore.pluginSelectionInitialized = true;
     draftStore.selectedPlugins = new Set(['community-apps']);
@@ -147,4 +197,29 @@ describe('OnboardingPluginsStep', () => {
     expect(props.onSkip).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
     expect(props.onComplete).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
+
+  it('skip preserves detected installed plugins without keeping manual selections', async () => {
+    draftStore.pluginSelectionInitialized = true;
+    draftStore.selectedPlugins = new Set(['community-apps', 'tailscale']);
+    installedPluginsResult.value = {
+      installedUnraidPlugins: ['fix.common.problems.plg'],
+    };
+
+    const { wrapper, props } = mountComponent();
+
+    await flushPromises();
+
+    const skipButton = wrapper
+      .findAll('button')
+      .find((button) => button.text().toLowerCase().includes('skip'));
+
+    expect(skipButton).toBeTruthy();
+    await skipButton!.trigger('click');
+
+    expect(draftStore.setPlugins).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    const selected = draftStore.setPlugins.mock.calls[0][0] as Set<string>;
+    expect(Array.from(selected)).toEqual(['fix-common-problems']);
+    expect(props.onSkip).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(props.onComplete).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
 });
diff --git a/web/src/components/Onboarding/steps/OnboardingPluginsStep.vue b/web/src/components/Onboarding/steps/OnboardingPluginsStep.vue
index d8a9e91130..f42b729414 100644
--- a/web/src/components/Onboarding/steps/OnboardingPluginsStep.vue
+++ b/web/src/components/Onboarding/steps/OnboardingPluginsStep.vue
@@ -78,14 +78,25 @@ const initialSelection = draftStore.pluginSelectionInitialized
 const selectedPlugins = ref<Set<string>>(initialSelection);
 const installedPluginIds = ref<Set<string>>(new Set());
 
-const { result: installedPluginsResult } = useQuery(INSTALLED_UNRAID_PLUGINS_QUERY, null, {
-  fetchPolicy: 'network-only',
-});
+const { result: installedPluginsResult, loading: installedPluginsLoading } = useQuery(
+  INSTALLED_UNRAID_PLUGINS_QUERY,
+  null,
+  {
+    fetchPolicy: 'network-only',
+  }
+);
 
 const isPluginInstalled = (pluginId: string) => installedPluginIds.value.has(pluginId);
 const isPluginEnabled = (pluginId: string) =>
   installedPluginIds.value.has(pluginId) || selectedPlugins.value.has(pluginId);
-const isBusy = computed(() => props.isSavingStep ?? false);
+const isInstalledPluginsPending = computed(
+  () =>
+    installedPluginsLoading.value && !Array.isArray(installedPluginsResult.value?.installedUnraidPlugins)
+);
+const isBusy = computed(() => Boolean(props.isSavingStep) || isInstalledPluginsPending.value);
+const persistedSelectedPlugins = computed(
+  () => new Set<string>([...selectedPlugins.value, ...installedPluginIds.value])
+);
 
 const applyInstalledPlugins = (installedPlugins: string[] | null | undefined) => {
   if (!Array.isArray(installedPlugins)) {
@@ -134,9 +145,7 @@ const togglePlugin = (pluginId: string, value: boolean) => {
 };
 
 const handleSkip = () => {
-  // Clear selection? Or just move on?
-  // User clicked "Skip", so we probably shouldn't install anything.
-  draftStore.setPlugins(new Set());
+  draftStore.setPlugins(new Set(installedPluginIds.value));
   if (props.onSkip) {
     props.onSkip();
   } else {
@@ -149,7 +158,7 @@ const handleBack = () => {
 };
 
 const handlePrimaryAction = async () => {
-  draftStore.setPlugins(selectedPlugins.value);
+  draftStore.setPlugins(persistedSelectedPlugins.value);
   props.onComplete();
 };