diff --git a/src/commands/doctor/shared/release-configured-plugin-installs.test.ts b/src/commands/doctor/shared/release-configured-plugin-installs.test.ts
index a83221168ab..cb157d512aa 100644
--- a/src/commands/doctor/shared/release-configured-plugin-installs.test.ts
+++ b/src/commands/doctor/shared/release-configured-plugin-installs.test.ts
@@ -311,6 +311,42 @@ describe("configured plugin install release step", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("repairs missing configured installs even when a prior update doctor touched config", async () => {
+    mocks.repairMissingPluginInstallsForIds.mockResolvedValue({
+      changes: ['Installed missing configured plugin "discord".'],
+      warnings: [],
+    });
+
+    const { maybeRunConfiguredPluginInstallReleaseStep } =
+      await import("./release-configured-plugin-installs.js");
+    const result = await maybeRunConfiguredPluginInstallReleaseStep({
+      cfg: {
+        plugins: {
+          entries: {
+            discord: { enabled: true },
+          },
+        },
+      },
+      currentVersion: "2026.5.3-beta.1",
+      touchedVersion: "2026.5.3-beta.1",
+      env: {},
+    });
+
+    expect(mocks.repairMissingPluginInstallsForIds).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        pluginIds: ["discord"],
+        channelIds: [],
+        env: {},
+      }),
+    );
+    expect(result).toEqual({
+      changes: ['Installed missing configured plugin "discord".'],
+      warnings: [],
+      completed: true,
+      touchedConfig: false,
+    });
+  });
+
   it("does not touch config when install repair warns", async () => {
     mocks.detectPluginAutoEnableCandidates.mockReturnValue([
       { pluginId: "matrix", kind: "channel-configured", channelId: "matrix" },
diff --git a/src/commands/doctor/shared/release-configured-plugin-installs.ts b/src/commands/doctor/shared/release-configured-plugin-installs.ts
index 88a13f98bf1..b1bfbf6894a 100644
--- a/src/commands/doctor/shared/release-configured-plugin-installs.ts
+++ b/src/commands/doctor/shared/release-configured-plugin-installs.ts
@@ -336,17 +336,31 @@ export async function maybeRunConfiguredPluginInstallReleaseStep(params: {
   completed: boolean;
   touchedConfig: boolean;
 }> {
-  if (
-    !shouldRunConfiguredPluginInstallReleaseStep({
-      currentVersion: params.currentVersion,
-      touchedVersion: params.touchedVersion,
-    })
-  ) {
-    return { changes: [], warnings: [], completed: false, touchedConfig: false };
-  }
   const env = params.env ?? process.env;
   const updateInProgress = isTruthyEnvValue(env[UPDATE_IN_PROGRESS_ENV]);
   const configured = collectReleaseConfiguredPluginIds({ cfg: params.cfg, env });
+  const shouldRunReleaseStep = shouldRunConfiguredPluginInstallReleaseStep({
+    currentVersion: params.currentVersion,
+    touchedVersion: params.touchedVersion,
+  });
+  if (!shouldRunReleaseStep) {
+    if (configured.pluginIds.length === 0 && configured.channelIds.length === 0) {
+      return { changes: [], warnings: [], completed: false, touchedConfig: false };
+    }
+    const repaired = await repairMissingPluginInstallsForIds({
+      cfg: params.cfg,
+      pluginIds: configured.pluginIds,
+      channelIds: configured.channelIds,
+      blockedPluginIds: collectBlockedPluginIds(params.cfg),
+      env,
+    });
+    return {
+      changes: repaired.changes,
+      warnings: repaired.warnings,
+      completed: repaired.warnings.length === 0,
+      touchedConfig: false,
+    };
+  }
   if (configured.pluginIds.length === 0 && configured.channelIds.length === 0) {
     return { changes: [], warnings: [], completed: true, touchedConfig: !updateInProgress };
   }