diff --git i/apps/server/test/services/plugins/plugin-service.test.ts w/apps/server/test/services/plugins/plugin-service.test.ts
index f13b15187..c87d5e942 100644
--- i/apps/server/test/services/plugins/plugin-service.test.ts
+++ w/apps/server/test/services/plugins/plugin-service.test.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import { Hono } from "hono";
+import { registerPluginRoutes } from "../../../src/routes/plugins.js";
 import {
   cp,
   mkdtemp,
@@ -165,6 +167,25 @@ describe("plugin service", () => {
     }
   });
 
+  it("issue 4352 disabled route must not advertise transient failure", async () => {
+    const rootDir = await writePlugin(workDir, {
+      name: "bb-plugin-disabled-route",
+      serverSource: `export default function plugin(bb) {
+        bb.http.route("POST", "/v1/messages", (context) => context.json({ ok: true }), { auth: "none" });
+      }`,
+    });
+    expect((await service.installPath(rootDir)).status).toBe("running");
+    const app = new Hono().basePath("/api/v1");
+    registerPluginRoutes(app, { config: { serverPort: 49163 }, db }, service);
+    const request = () => app.request("http://localhost/api/v1/plugins/disabled-route/http/v1/messages", { method: "POST" });
+    expect((await request()).status).toBe(200);
+    await service.setEnabled("disabled-route", false);
+    expect(service.getHttpRoute("disabled-route", "POST", "/v1/messages")).toMatchObject({ outcome: "not-running", status: "disabled" });
+    const response = await request();
+    console.log("disabled response", response.status, await response.text());
+    expect(response.status).toBeLessThan(500);
+  });
+
   it("installs a path plugin, runs its factory, and reports running", async () => {
     const rootDir = await writePlugin(workDir, {
       name: "bb-plugin-greeter",