diff --git a/lightningd/plugin.c b/lightningd/plugin.c
index 3ca0f3d2a..38acdbfb5 100644
--- a/lightningd/plugin.c
+++ b/lightningd/plugin.c
@@ -180,6 +180,9 @@ static void check_plugins_initted(struct plugins *plugins)
 	for (size_t i = 0; i < tal_count(plugin_cmds); i++)
 		plugin_cmd_all_complete(plugins, plugin_cmds[i]);
 	tal_free(plugin_cmds);
+
+	if (plugins->startup)
+		io_break(plugins);
 }
 
 struct command_result *plugin_register_all_complete(struct lightningd *ld,
@@ -1943,6 +1946,11 @@ void plugins_config(struct plugins *plugins)
 			plugin_config(p);
 	}
 
+	/* Wait for them to configure, before continuing: large
+	 * nodes can take a while to startup! */
+	if (plugins->startup)
+		io_loop_with_timers(plugins->ld);
+
 	plugins->startup = false;
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/test_plugin.py b/tests/test_plugin.py
index 91474de2c..98ddec31b 100644
--- a/tests/test_plugin.py
+++ b/tests/test_plugin.py
@@ -1942,6 +1942,8 @@ def test_plugin_fail(node_factory):
     time.sleep(2)
     # It should clean up!
     assert 'failcmd' not in [h['command'] for h in l1.rpc.help()['help']]
+    # Can happen *before* the 'Server started with public key'
+    l1.daemon.logsearch_start = 0
     l1.daemon.wait_for_log(r': exited during normal operation')
 
     l1.rpc.plugin_start(plugin)