--- a/src/static/js/pluginfw/plugins.ts
+++ b/src/static/js/pluginfw/plugins.ts
@@ -123,6 +123,8 @@
   }));
 };
 
+const declarativePluginDir = path.join(settings.root, 'src', 'plugin_packages');
+
 exports.getPackages = async () => {
   const {linkInstaller} = require("./installer");
   const plugins = await linkInstaller.listPlugins();
@@ -136,6 +138,39 @@
     newDependencies[plugin.name] = plugin;
   }
 
+  // Also allow declarative plugins pre-bundled into src/plugin_packages by
+  // Nix overlays (without requiring live-plugin-manager runtime state).
+  try {
+    const entries = await fs.readdir(declarativePluginDir, {withFileTypes: true});
+    for (const entry of entries) {
+      if (!entry.isDirectory()) continue;
+
+      const pluginName = entry.name;
+      if (!pluginName.startsWith(exports.prefix) || pluginName === 'ep_etherpad-lite') continue;
+      if (newDependencies[pluginName]) continue;
+
+      const pluginPath = path.join(declarativePluginDir, pluginName);
+      try {
+        const pkg = JSON.parse(await fs.readFile(path.join(pluginPath, 'package.json'), 'utf8'));
+        await fs.access(path.join(pluginPath, 'ep.json'));
+
+        newDependencies[pluginName] = {
+          name: pluginName,
+          version: pkg.version || '0.0.0',
+          path: pluginPath,
+          realPath: pluginPath,
+          location: pluginPath,
+        };
+      } catch (err) {
+        logger.warn(
+            `Skipping declarative plugin ${pluginName}: ${err.message || err.toString()}`,
+        );
+      }
+    }
+  } catch (err) {
+    // plugin_packages directory is optional in upstream installs.
+  }
+
   newDependencies['ep_etherpad-lite'] = {
     name: 'ep_etherpad-lite',
     version: getEpVersion(),