diff --git a/src/renderer/src/store/plugin-custom-editors.ts b/src/renderer/src/store/plugin-custom-editors.ts
index 4ce300a2b4b..053e315209b 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/store/plugin-custom-editors.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/store/plugin-custom-editors.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
-import { useEffect, useMemo } from 'react'
+import { useMemo } from 'react'
 import { create } from 'zustand'
 import type { PluginHostCustomEditor, PluginHostListEntry } from '../../../preload/api-types'
 import { matchPluginFile } from '../../../shared/plugins/contributions/plugin-file-match'
 import { customEditorMayOpenByDefault } from '../../../shared/plugins/contributions/plugin-custom-editor-core-file-types'
-import { ensurePluginPanelsLoaded, usePluginPanelsStore } from './plugin-panels'
+import { isLivePlugin, keyedPluginContribution, usePluginListDerived } from './plugin-panels'
 
 /** A custom editor from an enabled plugin. `key` is unique across plugins; `iconUrl` is its own
  *  tab icon, else the plugin's. */
@@ -19,26 +19,13 @@ export type CustomEditorViewChoice = string
 
 const SOURCE_CHOICE = 'source'
 
-/** Same liveness as panels: enabled and consented, whether or not a worker runs. */
 export function collectActivePluginCustomEditors(
   plugins: readonly PluginHostListEntry[]
 ): ActivePluginCustomEditor[] {
   return plugins
-    .filter(
-      (plugin) =>
-        plugin.status === 'running' || plugin.status === 'restarting' || plugin.status === 'idle'
-    )
+    .filter(isLivePlugin)
     .flatMap((plugin) =>
-      (plugin.customEditors ?? []).map((editor) => {
-        const iconUrl = editor.icon ?? plugin.images?.icon?.url
-        return {
-          ...editor,
-          key: `${plugin.pluginKey}/${editor.id}`,
-          pluginKey: plugin.pluginKey,
-          pluginName: plugin.name,
-          ...(iconUrl ? { iconUrl } : {})
-        }
-      })
+      (plugin.customEditors ?? []).map((editor) => keyedPluginContribution(plugin, editor))
     )
 }
 
@@ -91,11 +78,7 @@ export const useCustomEditorViewStore = create<CustomEditorViewState>()((set) =>
 
 /** Custom editors of enabled plugins, sharing the plugin-list refresh. */
 export function usePluginCustomEditors(): ActivePluginCustomEditor[] {
-  const plugins = usePluginPanelsStore((state) => state.plugins)
-  useEffect(() => {
-    ensurePluginPanelsLoaded()
-  }, [])
-  return useMemo(() => collectActivePluginCustomEditors(plugins), [plugins])
+  return usePluginListDerived(collectActivePluginCustomEditors)
 }
 
 /** The enabled editors for one file and the user's pick among them. */
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/store/plugin-new-files.ts b/src/renderer/src/store/plugin-new-files.ts
index 0de7add6c1e..17f9b98dfaa 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/store/plugin-new-files.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/store/plugin-new-files.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
-import { useEffect, useMemo } from 'react'
 import type { PluginHostListEntry, PluginHostNewFile } from '../../../preload/api-types'
-import { ensurePluginPanelsLoaded, usePluginPanelsStore } from './plugin-panels'
+import { isLivePlugin, keyedPluginContribution, usePluginListDerived } from './plugin-panels'
 
 /** A new-file type from an enabled plugin. `key` is unique across plugins; `iconUrl` is its own
  *  icon, else the plugin's. */
@@ -11,38 +10,23 @@ export type ActivePluginNewFile = PluginHostNewFile & {
   iconUrl?: string
 }
 
-/** Same liveness as panels and custom editors: enabled and consented. */
 export function collectActivePluginNewFiles(
   plugins: readonly PluginHostListEntry[]
 ): ActivePluginNewFile[] {
   return plugins
-    .filter(
-      (plugin) =>
-        plugin.status === 'running' || plugin.status === 'restarting' || plugin.status === 'idle'
-    )
+    .filter(isLivePlugin)
     .flatMap((plugin) =>
-      (plugin.newFiles ?? []).map((newFile) => {
-        const iconUrl = newFile.icon ?? plugin.images?.icon?.url
-        return {
-          ...newFile,
-          key: `${plugin.pluginKey}/${newFile.id}`,
-          pluginKey: plugin.pluginKey,
-          pluginName: plugin.name,
-          ...(iconUrl ? { iconUrl } : {})
-        }
-      })
+      (plugin.newFiles ?? []).map((newFile) => keyedPluginContribution(plugin, newFile))
     )
 }
 
+// Why gated: a client without the template reader (a paired web client) cannot create them.
+const collectCreatableNewFiles = (
+  plugins: readonly PluginHostListEntry[]
+): ActivePluginNewFile[] =>
+  window.api?.plugins?.readNewFileTemplate ? collectActivePluginNewFiles(plugins) : []
+
 /** New-file types of enabled plugins, sharing the plugin-list refresh. */
 export function usePluginNewFiles(): ActivePluginNewFile[] {
-  const plugins = usePluginPanelsStore((state) => state.plugins)
-  useEffect(() => {
-    ensurePluginPanelsLoaded()
-  }, [])
-  // Why gated: a client without the template reader (a paired web client) cannot create them.
-  return useMemo(
-    () => (window.api?.plugins?.readNewFileTemplate ? collectActivePluginNewFiles(plugins) : []),
-    [plugins]
-  )
+  return usePluginListDerived(collectCreatableNewFiles)
 }
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/store/plugin-panels.ts b/src/renderer/src/store/plugin-panels.ts
index 0aa193d9116..d4ea32b877c 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/store/plugin-panels.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/store/plugin-panels.ts
@@ -101,6 +101,10 @@ export const usePluginPanelsStore = create<PluginPanelsState>()((set) => ({
   },
   setPanelHealth: (tabKey, health) => {
     set((state) => {
+      // Why: sidebar badges subscribe to this map; an unchanged health must keep its identity.
+      if ((health === 'error') === (state.panelErrors[tabKey] === true)) {
+        return state
+      }
       const panelErrors = { ...state.panelErrors }
       if (health === 'error') {
         panelErrors[tabKey] = true
@@ -117,9 +121,13 @@ function retainInstalledPanelErrors(
   plugins: readonly PluginHostListEntry[]
 ): Record<string, true> {
   const installed = collectInstalledPluginTabKeys(plugins)
-  return Object.fromEntries(
-    Object.entries(panelErrors).filter(([tabKey]) => installed.has(tabKey))
-  ) as Record<string, true>
+  const kept: Record<string, true> = {}
+  for (const tabKey of Object.keys(panelErrors)) {
+    if (installed.has(tabKey)) {
+      kept[tabKey] = true
+    }
+  }
+  return kept
 }
 
 let changeSubscriptionStarted = false
@@ -139,20 +147,49 @@ export function ensurePluginPanelsLoaded(): void {
   }
 }
 
-/** Enabled/consented panels remain available while workers are idle/restarting; panels need no worker. */
-export function collectActivePluginPanels(plugins: PluginHostListEntry[]): ActivePluginPanel[] {
+/** Enabled and consented, whether or not a worker runs: its contributions are offered. */
+export function isLivePlugin(plugin: PluginHostListEntry): boolean {
+  return plugin.status === 'running' || plugin.status === 'restarting' || plugin.status === 'idle'
+}
+
+/** A contribution tagged with the plugin it came from. */
+export function fromPlugin<T>(
+  plugin: PluginHostListEntry,
+  contribution: T
+): T & { pluginKey: string; pluginName: string } {
+  return { ...contribution, pluginKey: plugin.pluginKey, pluginName: plugin.name }
+}
+
+/** A contribution keyed across plugins, with its own icon or else the plugin's. */
+export function keyedPluginContribution<T extends { id: string; icon?: string }>(
+  plugin: PluginHostListEntry,
+  contribution: T
+): T & { key: string; pluginKey: string; pluginName: string; iconUrl?: string } {
+  const iconUrl = contribution.icon ?? plugin.images?.icon?.url
+  return {
+    ...fromPlugin(plugin, contribution),
+    key: `${plugin.pluginKey}/${contribution.id}`,
+    ...(iconUrl ? { iconUrl } : {})
+  }
+}
+
+/** The plugin list loaded on first use, derived once per change; `derive` must be stable. */
+export function usePluginListDerived<T>(derive: (plugins: readonly PluginHostListEntry[]) => T): T {
+  const plugins = usePluginPanelsStore((state) => state.plugins)
+  useEffect(() => {
+    ensurePluginPanelsLoaded()
+  }, [])
+  // Derive outside selector in useMemo or unstable snapshots loop through useSyncExternalStore.
+  return useMemo(() => derive(plugins), [derive, plugins])
+}
+
+/** Panels need no worker, so they stay available while it is idle or restarting. */
+export function collectActivePluginPanels(
+  plugins: readonly PluginHostListEntry[]
+): ActivePluginPanel[] {
   return plugins
-    .filter(
-      (plugin) =>
-        plugin.status === 'running' || plugin.status === 'restarting' || plugin.status === 'idle'
-    )
-    .flatMap((plugin) =>
-      plugin.panels.map((panel) => ({
-        ...panel,
-        pluginKey: plugin.pluginKey,
-        pluginName: plugin.name
-      }))
-    )
+    .filter(isLivePlugin)
+    .flatMap((plugin) => plugin.panels.map((panel) => fromPlugin(plugin, panel)))
 }
 
 /** Installed keys normalize persisted routes: remove uninstalled panels, retain merely disabled ones. */
@@ -166,58 +203,30 @@ export function collectActivePluginCommands(
   plugins: readonly PluginHostListEntry[]
 ): ActivePluginCommand[] {
   return plugins
-    .filter(
-      (plugin) =>
-        plugin.status === 'running' || plugin.status === 'restarting' || plugin.status === 'idle'
-    )
-    .flatMap((plugin) =>
-      plugin.commands.map((command) => ({
-        ...command,
-        pluginKey: plugin.pluginKey,
-        pluginName: plugin.name
-      }))
-    )
+    .filter(isLivePlugin)
+    .flatMap((plugin) => plugin.commands.map((command) => fromPlugin(plugin, command)))
 }
 
 export function collectEditablePluginCommands(
   plugins: readonly PluginHostListEntry[]
 ): ActivePluginCommand[] {
   return plugins
-    .filter((plugin) => ['running', 'restarting', 'idle', 'errored'].includes(plugin.status))
-    .flatMap((plugin) =>
-      plugin.commands.map((command) => ({
-        ...command,
-        pluginKey: plugin.pluginKey,
-        pluginName: plugin.name
-      }))
-    )
+    .filter((plugin) => isLivePlugin(plugin) || plugin.status === 'errored')
+    .flatMap((plugin) => plugin.commands.map((command) => fromPlugin(plugin, command)))
 }
 
 /** Panel contributions of enabled plugins, loading the list on first use. */
 export function usePluginPanels(): ActivePluginPanel[] {
-  const plugins = usePluginPanelsStore((s) => s.plugins)
-  useEffect(() => {
-    ensurePluginPanelsLoaded()
-  }, [])
-  // Derive outside selector in useMemo or unstable snapshots loop through useSyncExternalStore.
-  return useMemo(() => collectActivePluginPanels(plugins), [plugins])
+  return usePluginListDerived(collectActivePluginPanels)
 }
 
 /** Commands of enabled plugins, sharing the authoritative plugin-list refresh. */
 export function usePluginCommands(): ActivePluginCommand[] {
-  const plugins = usePluginPanelsStore((state) => state.plugins)
-  useEffect(() => {
-    ensurePluginPanelsLoaded()
-  }, [])
-  return useMemo(() => collectActivePluginCommands(plugins), [plugins])
+  return usePluginListDerived(collectActivePluginCommands)
 }
 
 /** Enabled commands remain editable while a chord conflict has errored the
  * plugin, so a saved override can recover both conflicting plugins. */
 export function useEditablePluginCommands(): ActivePluginCommand[] {
-  const plugins = usePluginPanelsStore((state) => state.plugins)
-  useEffect(() => {
-    ensurePluginPanelsLoaded()
-  }, [])
-  return useMemo(() => collectEditablePluginCommands(plugins), [plugins])
+  return usePluginListDerived(collectEditablePluginCommands)
 }