diff --git a/src/tui/plugin-surface.test.ts b/src/tui/plugin-surface.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c818f56b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tui/plugin-surface.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+import { describe, expect, test } from "bun:test";
+
+import type { PluginModule } from "../plugins/loader.js";
+import { isPluginEnabledForSurface } from "./plugin-surface.js";
+
+const bundledSkills: PluginModule = {
+  origin: "repo",
+  manifest: {
+    id: "corbits-skills",
+    name: "Corbits Skills",
+    kind: "command",
+    defaultEnabled: true,
+  },
+};
+
+describe("isPluginEnabledForSurface", () => {
+  test("projects an unknown plugin as disabled", () => {
+    expect(isPluginEnabledForSurface(undefined, {})).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  test("projects a bundled default-on plugin as enabled without settings", () => {
+    expect(isPluginEnabledForSurface(bundledSkills, {})).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  test("projects explicit disabled and enabled settings", () => {
+    expect(
+      isPluginEnabledForSurface(bundledSkills, {
+        "corbits-skills": { enabled: false },
+      }),
+    ).toBe(false);
+    expect(
+      isPluginEnabledForSurface(bundledSkills, {
+        "corbits-skills": { enabled: true },
+      }),
+    ).toBe(true);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/tui/plugin-surface.ts b/src/tui/plugin-surface.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9d5c82a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tui/plugin-surface.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+import type { PluginConfig } from "../config/settings.js";
+import type { PluginModule } from "../plugins/loader.js";
+import { isPluginModuleEnabled } from "../plugins/register.js";
+
+export function isPluginEnabledForSurface(
+  plugin: PluginModule | undefined,
+  config: Record<string, PluginConfig | undefined>,
+): boolean {
+  return plugin !== undefined && isPluginModuleEnabled(plugin, config);
+}
diff --git a/src/tui/runner.ts b/src/tui/runner.ts
index 82ac5ae5..409b32b7 100644
--- a/src/tui/runner.ts
+++ b/src/tui/runner.ts
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ import { TELEMETRY_NOTICE } from "../telemetry/index.js";
 import { captureSlashCommand } from "../telemetry/product-events.js";
 import { getTelemetry, liveTelemetry } from "../telemetry/singleton.js";
 import { createTelemetryToggleHandler } from "../telemetry/toggle.js";
+import { isPluginEnabledForSurface } from "./plugin-surface.js";
 
 import { loadStartupChangelogMarkdown, stampVersionAfterStartup } from "../changelog/index.js";
 import { scheduleUpgradeNotice } from "../upgrade/index.js";
@@ -2511,7 +2512,7 @@ export async function runTUI(initialConfig: Config): Promise<number> {
               return {
                 id: p.id,
                 name: p.name,
-                enabled: cfg[p.id]?.enabled === true,
+                enabled: isPluginEnabledForSurface(mod, cfg),
                 credentials: p.credentials,
                 credentialValues: cfg[p.id]?.credentials ?? {},
                 ...(p.kind !== undefined ? { kind: p.kind } : {}),