diff --git a/plugin-manager/src/main/kotlin/com/itsaky/androidide/plugins/manager/core/PluginManager.kt b/plugin-manager/src/main/kotlin/com/itsaky/androidide/plugins/manager/core/PluginManager.kt
index 1fb0ebe0dd..03e42340e7 100644
--- a/plugin-manager/src/main/kotlin/com/itsaky/androidide/plugins/manager/core/PluginManager.kt
+++ b/plugin-manager/src/main/kotlin/com/itsaky/androidide/plugins/manager/core/PluginManager.kt
@@ -424,7 +424,7 @@ class PluginManager private constructor(
 								loadPlugin(pluginFile)
 							} catch (e: CancellationException) {
 								throw e
-							} catch (e: Exception) {
+							} catch (e: Throwable) {
 								Result.failure(e)
 							}
 						result.onFailure { error -> recordLoadFailure(pluginFile, error) }
@@ -652,9 +652,7 @@ class PluginManager private constructor(
 
 			logger.debug("Initializing  plugin: ${manifest.id}")
 			val initResult =
-				try {
-					plugin.initialize(pluginContext)
-				} catch (e: Exception) {
+				initializePlugin(plugin, pluginContext).getOrElse { e ->
 					logger.error("Plugin initialization threw exception for: ${manifest.id}", e)
 					if (manifest.sidebarItems > 0) {
 						SidebarSlotManager.releasePluginSlots(manifest.id)
@@ -697,7 +695,7 @@ class PluginManager private constructor(
 
 			activateLoadedPlugin(loadedPlugin)
 			Result.success(plugin)
-		} catch (e: Exception) {
+		} catch (e: Throwable) {
 			reservedSlotsPluginId?.let { pluginId ->
 				SidebarSlotManager.releasePluginSlots(pluginId)
 			}
@@ -783,7 +781,7 @@ class PluginManager private constructor(
 						} else {
 							logger.warn("Failed to remove documentation for plugin: $pluginId")
 						}
-					} catch (e: Exception) {
+					} catch (e: Throwable) {
 						logger.error("Error removing documentation for plugin: $pluginId", e)
 					}
 
@@ -1994,3 +1992,13 @@ fun LoadedPlugin.toPluginMetadata(): PluginMetadata =
 		iconDayPath = iconDayPath,
 		iconNightPath = iconNightPath,
 	)
+
+/**
+ * Runs [IPlugin.initialize], catching Errors too: a plugin built against a newer plugin API throws
+ * [LinkageError] (e.g. NoClassDefFoundError) on an older CoGo, and that must disable the plugin, not
+ * crash the app.
+ */
+internal fun initializePlugin(
+	plugin: IPlugin,
+	context: PluginContext,
+): Result<Boolean> = runCatching { plugin.initialize(context) }
diff --git a/plugin-manager/src/main/kotlin/com/itsaky/androidide/plugins/manager/documentation/PluginDocumentationManager.kt b/plugin-manager/src/main/kotlin/com/itsaky/androidide/plugins/manager/documentation/PluginDocumentationManager.kt
index 4b42ae1a39..1d6a402ee3 100644
--- a/plugin-manager/src/main/kotlin/com/itsaky/androidide/plugins/manager/documentation/PluginDocumentationManager.kt
+++ b/plugin-manager/src/main/kotlin/com/itsaky/androidide/plugins/manager/documentation/PluginDocumentationManager.kt
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ class PluginDocumentationManager(
 		withContext(Dispatchers.IO) {
 			try {
 				plugin?.onDocumentationUninstall()
-			} catch (e: Exception) {
+			} catch (e: Throwable) {
 				if (e is CancellationException) throw e
 				Log.e(TAG, "Plugin onDocumentationUninstall() threw during removal: $pluginId", e)
 			}
@@ -675,7 +675,7 @@ class PluginDocumentationManager(
 							recreatedCount++
 						}
 					}
-				} catch (e: Exception) {
+				} catch (e: Throwable) {
 					if (e is CancellationException) throw e
 					Log.e(TAG, "Failed to verify/recreate documentation for $pluginId", e)
 				}
diff --git a/plugin-manager/src/test/kotlin/com/itsaky/androidide/plugins/manager/core/PluginLinkageErrorTest.kt b/plugin-manager/src/test/kotlin/com/itsaky/androidide/plugins/manager/core/PluginLinkageErrorTest.kt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5b3ab26de6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugin-manager/src/test/kotlin/com/itsaky/androidide/plugins/manager/core/PluginLinkageErrorTest.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+package com.itsaky.androidide.plugins.manager.core
+
+import com.itsaky.androidide.plugins.PluginContext
+import com.itsaky.androidide.plugins.extensions.DocumentationExtension
+import com.itsaky.androidide.plugins.extensions.PluginTooltipEntry
+import com.itsaky.androidide.plugins.manager.documentation.PluginDocumentationManager
+import kotlinx.coroutines.runBlocking
+import org.junit.Assert.assertFalse
+import org.junit.Assert.assertTrue
+import org.junit.Test
+import org.junit.runner.RunWith
+import org.robolectric.RobolectricTestRunner
+import org.robolectric.RuntimeEnvironment
+import org.robolectric.annotation.Config
+import java.lang.reflect.Proxy
+
+/**
+ * A plugin built against a newer plugin API, loaded by an older CoGo, throws NoClassDefFoundError
+ * when it first touches a missing class (GlitchTip CODEONTHEGO-10B, ADFA-6672). It must fail that
+ * plugin, not crash the app.
+ */
+@RunWith(RobolectricTestRunner::class)
+@Config(manifest = Config.NONE, sdk = [28])
+class PluginLinkageErrorTest {
+	@Test
+	fun initializeThrowingNoClassDefFoundErrorFailsThePlugin() {
+		val result = initializePlugin(NewerApiPlugin(), stubContext())
+
+		assertTrue(result.exceptionOrNull() is NoClassDefFoundError)
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	fun documentationUninstallThrowingNoClassDefFoundErrorDoesNotEscape() {
+		val manager = PluginDocumentationManager(RuntimeEnvironment.getApplication())
+
+		val removed = runBlocking { manager.removePluginDocumentation("newer-api", NewerApiPlugin()) }
+
+		assertFalse(removed)
+	}
+
+	private fun stubContext(): PluginContext =
+		Proxy.newProxyInstance(javaClass.classLoader, arrayOf(PluginContext::class.java)) { _, _, _ ->
+			null
+		} as PluginContext
+
+	private class NewerApiPlugin : DocumentationExtension {
+		private fun missingClass(): Nothing =
+			throw NoClassDefFoundError("Failed resolution of: Lcom/itsaky/androidide/plugins/ai/LlmBackendRegistration;")
+
+		override fun initialize(context: PluginContext): Boolean = missingClass()
+
+		override fun onDocumentationUninstall() = missingClass()
+
+		override fun activate() = true
+
+		override fun deactivate() = true
+
+		override fun dispose() {}
+
+		override fun getTooltipCategory() = "newer-api"
+
+		override fun getTooltipEntries() = emptyList<PluginTooltipEntry>()
+	}
+}