diff --git a/src/plugins/agent-plugins.test.ts b/src/plugins/agent-plugins.test.ts
index 71272ce99..d9386c3fb 100644
--- a/src/plugins/agent-plugins.test.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/agent-plugins.test.ts
@@ -95,4 +95,34 @@ describe("resolveAgentPluginProfiles", () => {
     const profiles = await resolveAgentPluginProfiles([mod], config);
     expect(profiles[0]!.source).toBe("claude");
   });
+
+  // Gating uses isPluginModuleEnabled (same as skills), not the bare
+  // isPluginEnabled (settings-only) that tool plugins use for consent-gating.
+  test("loads profiles from a repo plugin with defaultEnabled and no settings entry", async () => {
+    const mod: PluginModule = {
+      manifest: { id: "p1", name: "p1", kind: "agent", defaultEnabled: true },
+      agentPlugin: { agents: [validProfile] },
+      origin: "repo",
+    };
+    const profiles = await resolveAgentPluginProfiles([mod], {});
+    expect(profiles.map((p) => p.id)).toEqual(["explorer"]);
+  });
+
+  test("does not load profiles from a non-repo plugin with defaultEnabled and no settings entry", async () => {
+    const mod: PluginModule = {
+      manifest: { id: "p1", name: "p1", kind: "agent", defaultEnabled: true },
+      agentPlugin: { agents: [validProfile] },
+      origin: "user",
+    };
+    expect(await resolveAgentPluginProfiles([mod], {})).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  test("explicit enabled: false overrides repo defaultEnabled", async () => {
+    const mod: PluginModule = {
+      manifest: { id: "p1", name: "p1", kind: "agent", defaultEnabled: true },
+      agentPlugin: { agents: [validProfile] },
+      origin: "repo",
+    };
+    expect(await resolveAgentPluginProfiles([mod], { p1: { enabled: false } })).toEqual([]);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/plugins/agent-plugins.ts b/src/plugins/agent-plugins.ts
index cbdeb3293..e61d6a9c8 100644
--- a/src/plugins/agent-plugins.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/agent-plugins.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import type { AgentProfile } from "../agent/profiles.js";
 import { AgentProfileSchema } from "../agent/profiles.js";
 import type { PluginModule } from "./loader.js";
 import type { PluginConfig } from "../config/settings.js";
-import { isPluginEnabled } from "./register.js";
+import { isPluginModuleEnabled } from "./register.js";
 import {
   pluginWarningSink,
   type PluginLoadDiagnostics,
@@ -34,7 +34,12 @@ function resolveAgentProfileWarningHandler(
 // validated against the AgentProfileSchema so a malformed entry is skipped
 // rather than crashing the sub-agent dispatcher. Enabled-only gating (no
 // consent) is sufficient: an agent profile is configuration data (tier,
-// capabilities, role prompt), not in-process code execution.
+// capabilities, role prompt), not in-process code execution. Gating uses
+// isPluginModuleEnabled (same as skills), so a first-party repo plugin with
+// manifest.defaultEnabled loads its profiles without an explicit settings
+// entry. This differs from tool plugins (isToolPluginActive), which require
+// explicit enabled+consented in settings even for repo plugins, because a
+// tool plugin runs in-process code rather than declaring configuration data.
 //
 // Warnings fire whenever a profile is rejected so JS-plugin authors get the
 // same feedback loop data-only plugin authors already enjoy. Pass `diagnostics`
@@ -49,7 +54,7 @@ export async function resolveAgentPluginProfiles(
   for (const mod of modules) {
     if (mod.manifest?.kind !== "agent") continue;
     if (mod.agentPlugin === undefined) continue;
-    if (!isPluginEnabled(config, mod.manifest.id)) continue;
+    if (!isPluginModuleEnabled(mod, config)) continue;
 
     const rawAgents = mod.agentPlugin.agents;
     if (!Array.isArray(rawAgents)) continue;
diff --git a/src/plugins/tool-plugins.ts b/src/plugins/tool-plugins.ts
index b00a069bb..4b9ad609a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/tool-plugins.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/tool-plugins.ts
@@ -36,7 +36,10 @@ export function collectToolPlugins(modules: PluginModule[]): ToolPluginCandidate
 }
 
 // A tool plugin adds in-process agent capabilities, so it is wired in only when
-// the user has both enabled it AND given one-time consent.
+// the user has both enabled it AND given one-time consent. Unlike skills
+// (isPluginModuleEnabled) and agent profiles (resolveAgentPluginProfiles),
+// repo manifest.defaultEnabled never activates a tool plugin on its own — this
+// is intentional, not an oversight, until product intent changes.
 export function isToolPluginActive(config: Record<string, PluginConfig>, id: string): boolean {
   return config[id]?.enabled === true && config[id]?.consented === true;
 }