diff --git a/src/plugin-handlers/config-handler.test.ts b/src/plugin-handlers/config-handler.test.ts
index 4839e5531..d33f37184 100644
--- a/src/plugin-handlers/config-handler.test.ts
+++ b/src/plugin-handlers/config-handler.test.ts
@@ -642,3 +642,123 @@ describe("Deadlock prevention - fetchAvailableModels must not receive client", (
     fetchSpy.mockRestore?.()
   })
 })
+
+describe("config-handler plugin loading error boundary (#1559)", () => {
+  test("returns empty defaults when loadAllPluginComponents throws", async () => {
+    //#given
+    ;(pluginLoader.loadAllPluginComponents as any).mockRestore?.()
+    spyOn(pluginLoader, "loadAllPluginComponents" as any).mockRejectedValue(new Error("crash"))
+    const pluginConfig: OhMyOpenCodeConfig = {}
+    const config: Record<string, unknown> = {
+      model: "anthropic/claude-opus-4-6",
+      agent: {},
+    }
+    const handler = createConfigHandler({
+      ctx: { directory: "/tmp" },
+      pluginConfig,
+      modelCacheState: {
+        anthropicContext1MEnabled: false,
+        modelContextLimitsCache: new Map(),
+      },
+    })
+
+    //#when
+    await handler(config)
+
+    //#then
+    expect(config.agent).toBeDefined()
+  })
+
+  test("returns empty defaults when loadAllPluginComponents times out", async () => {
+    //#given
+    ;(pluginLoader.loadAllPluginComponents as any).mockRestore?.()
+    spyOn(pluginLoader, "loadAllPluginComponents" as any).mockImplementation(
+      () => new Promise(() => {})
+    )
+    const pluginConfig: OhMyOpenCodeConfig = {
+      experimental: { plugin_load_timeout_ms: 100 },
+    }
+    const config: Record<string, unknown> = {
+      model: "anthropic/claude-opus-4-6",
+      agent: {},
+    }
+    const handler = createConfigHandler({
+      ctx: { directory: "/tmp" },
+      pluginConfig,
+      modelCacheState: {
+        anthropicContext1MEnabled: false,
+        modelContextLimitsCache: new Map(),
+      },
+    })
+
+    //#when
+    await handler(config)
+
+    //#then
+    expect(config.agent).toBeDefined()
+  }, 5000)
+
+  test("logs error when loadAllPluginComponents fails", async () => {
+    //#given
+    ;(pluginLoader.loadAllPluginComponents as any).mockRestore?.()
+    spyOn(pluginLoader, "loadAllPluginComponents" as any).mockRejectedValue(new Error("crash"))
+    const logSpy = shared.log as ReturnType<typeof spyOn>
+    const pluginConfig: OhMyOpenCodeConfig = {}
+    const config: Record<string, unknown> = {
+      model: "anthropic/claude-opus-4-6",
+      agent: {},
+    }
+    const handler = createConfigHandler({
+      ctx: { directory: "/tmp" },
+      pluginConfig,
+      modelCacheState: {
+        anthropicContext1MEnabled: false,
+        modelContextLimitsCache: new Map(),
+      },
+    })
+
+    //#when
+    await handler(config)
+
+    //#then
+    const logCalls = logSpy.mock.calls.map((c: unknown[]) => c[0])
+    const hasPluginFailureLog = logCalls.some(
+      (msg: string) => typeof msg === "string" && msg.includes("Plugin loading failed")
+    )
+    expect(hasPluginFailureLog).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  test("passes through plugin data on successful load (identity test)", async () => {
+    //#given
+    ;(pluginLoader.loadAllPluginComponents as any).mockRestore?.()
+    spyOn(pluginLoader, "loadAllPluginComponents" as any).mockResolvedValue({
+      commands: { "test-cmd": { description: "test", template: "test" } },
+      skills: {},
+      agents: {},
+      mcpServers: {},
+      hooksConfigs: [],
+      plugins: [{ name: "test-plugin", version: "1.0.0" }],
+      errors: [],
+    })
+    const pluginConfig: OhMyOpenCodeConfig = {}
+    const config: Record<string, unknown> = {
+      model: "anthropic/claude-opus-4-6",
+      agent: {},
+    }
+    const handler = createConfigHandler({
+      ctx: { directory: "/tmp" },
+      pluginConfig,
+      modelCacheState: {
+        anthropicContext1MEnabled: false,
+        modelContextLimitsCache: new Map(),
+      },
+    })
+
+    //#when
+    await handler(config)
+
+    //#then
+    const commands = config.command as Record<string, unknown>
+    expect(commands["test-cmd"]).toBeDefined()
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/plugin-handlers/config-handler.ts b/src/plugin-handlers/config-handler.ts
index 36191fafa..0b0eb9d3b 100644
--- a/src/plugin-handlers/config-handler.ts
+++ b/src/plugin-handlers/config-handler.ts
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ import { loadMcpConfigs } from "../features/claude-code-mcp-loader";
 import { loadAllPluginComponents } from "../features/claude-code-plugin-loader";
 import { createBuiltinMcps } from "../mcp";
 import type { OhMyOpenCodeConfig } from "../config";
-import { log, fetchAvailableModels, readConnectedProvidersCache, resolveModelPipeline } from "../shared";
+import { log, fetchAvailableModels, readConnectedProvidersCache, resolveModelPipeline, addConfigLoadError } from "../shared";
 import { getOpenCodeConfigPaths } from "../shared/opencode-config-dir";
 import { migrateAgentConfig } from "../shared/permission-compat";
 import { AGENT_NAME_MAP } from "../shared/migration";
@@ -104,19 +104,40 @@ export function createConfigHandler(deps: ConfigHandlerDeps) {
       }
     }
 
-    const pluginComponents = (pluginConfig.claude_code?.plugins ?? true)
-      ? await loadAllPluginComponents({
-          enabledPluginsOverride: pluginConfig.claude_code?.plugins_override,
-        })
-      : {
-          commands: {},
-          skills: {},
-          agents: {},
-          mcpServers: {},
-          hooksConfigs: [],
-          plugins: [],
-          errors: [],
-        };
+    const emptyPluginDefaults = {
+      commands: {},
+      skills: {},
+      agents: {},
+      mcpServers: {},
+      hooksConfigs: [] as { hooks?: Record<string, unknown> }[],
+      plugins: [] as { name: string; version: string }[],
+      errors: [] as { pluginKey: string; installPath: string; error: string }[],
+    };
+
+    let pluginComponents: typeof emptyPluginDefaults;
+    const pluginsEnabled = pluginConfig.claude_code?.plugins ?? true;
+
+    if (pluginsEnabled) {
+      const timeoutMs = pluginConfig.experimental?.plugin_load_timeout_ms ?? 10000;
+      try {
+        const timeoutPromise = new Promise<never>((_, reject) =>
+          setTimeout(() => reject(new Error(`Plugin loading timed out after ${timeoutMs}ms`)), timeoutMs)
+        );
+        pluginComponents = await Promise.race([
+          loadAllPluginComponents({
+            enabledPluginsOverride: pluginConfig.claude_code?.plugins_override,
+          }),
+          timeoutPromise,
+        ]);
+      } catch (error) {
+        const errorMessage = error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error);
+        log("[config-handler] Plugin loading failed", { error: errorMessage });
+        addConfigLoadError({ path: "plugin-loading", error: errorMessage });
+        pluginComponents = emptyPluginDefaults;
+      }
+    } else {
+      pluginComponents = emptyPluginDefaults;
+    }
 
     if (pluginComponents.plugins.length > 0) {
       log(`Loaded ${pluginComponents.plugins.length} Claude Code plugins`, {