diff --git a/packages/appkit/src/core/appkit.ts b/packages/appkit/src/core/appkit.ts
index 9e00da1d..a0c2e566 100644
--- a/packages/appkit/src/core/appkit.ts
+++ b/packages/appkit/src/core/appkit.ts
@@ -78,6 +78,13 @@ export class AppKit<TPlugins extends InputPluginMap> {
     };
     const pluginInstance = new Plugin(baseConfig);
 
+    if (typeof pluginInstance.attachContext === "function") {
+      pluginInstance.attachContext({
+        context: this.#context,
+        telemetryConfig: baseConfig.telemetry,
+      });
+    }
+
     this.#pluginInstances[name] = pluginInstance;
 
     this.#context.registerPlugin(name, pluginInstance);
diff --git a/packages/appkit/src/plugin/plugin.ts b/packages/appkit/src/plugin/plugin.ts
index 1581dc53..4c9a0e64 100644
--- a/packages/appkit/src/plugin/plugin.ts
+++ b/packages/appkit/src/plugin/plugin.ts
@@ -164,11 +164,11 @@ export abstract class Plugin<
 > implements BasePlugin
 {
   protected isReady = false;
-  protected cache: CacheManager;
+  protected cache!: CacheManager;
   protected app: AppManager;
   protected devFileReader: DevFileReader;
   protected streamManager: StreamManager;
-  protected telemetry: ITelemetry;
+  protected telemetry!: ITelemetry;
   protected context?: PluginContext;
 
   /** Registered endpoints for this plugin */
@@ -195,15 +195,58 @@ export abstract class Plugin<
       config.name ??
       (this.constructor as { manifest?: { name: string } }).manifest?.name ??
       "plugin";
-    this.telemetry = TelemetryManager.getProvider(this.name, config.telemetry);
     this.streamManager = new StreamManager();
-    this.cache = CacheManager.getInstanceSync();
     this.app = new AppManager();
     this.devFileReader = DevFileReader.getInstance();
     this.context = (config as Record<string, unknown>).context as
       | PluginContext
       | undefined;
 
+    // Eagerly bind telemetry + cache if the core services have already been
+    // initialized (normal createApp path, or tests that mock CacheManager).
+    // If they haven't, we leave these undefined and rely on `attachContext`
+    // being called later — this lets factories eagerly construct plugin
+    // instances at module top-level before `createApp` has run.
+    this.tryAttachContext();
+  }
+
+  private tryAttachContext(): void {
+    try {
+      this.cache = CacheManager.getInstanceSync();
+    } catch {
+      return;
+    }
+    this.telemetry = TelemetryManager.getProvider(
+      this.name,
+      this.config.telemetry,
+    );
+    this.isReady = true;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Binds runtime dependencies (telemetry provider, cache, plugin context) to
+   * this plugin. Called by `AppKit._createApp` after construction and before
+   * `setup()`. Idempotent: safe to call if the constructor already bound them
+   * eagerly. Kept separate so factories can eagerly construct plugin instances
+   * without running this before `TelemetryManager.initialize()` /
+   * `CacheManager.getInstance()` have run.
+   */
+  attachContext(
+    deps: {
+      context?: unknown;
+      telemetryConfig?: BasePluginConfig["telemetry"];
+    } = {},
+  ): void {
+    if (!this.cache) {
+      this.cache = CacheManager.getInstanceSync();
+    }
+    this.telemetry = TelemetryManager.getProvider(
+      this.name,
+      deps.telemetryConfig ?? this.config.telemetry,
+    );
+    if (deps.context !== undefined) {
+      this.context = deps.context as PluginContext;
+    }
     this.isReady = true;
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/appkit/src/plugins/server/index.ts b/packages/appkit/src/plugins/server/index.ts
index b6efd016..4c911b10 100644
--- a/packages/appkit/src/plugins/server/index.ts
+++ b/packages/appkit/src/plugins/server/index.ts
@@ -59,6 +59,10 @@ export class ServerPlugin extends Plugin {
     this.serverApplication = express();
     this.server = null;
     this.serverExtensions = [];
+  }
+
+  attachContext(deps: Parameters<Plugin["attachContext"]>[0] = {}): void {
+    super.attachContext(deps);
     this.telemetry.registerInstrumentations([
       instrumentations.http,
       instrumentations.express,
@@ -68,9 +72,21 @@ export class ServerPlugin extends Plugin {
 
   /** Setup the server plugin. */
   async setup() {
-    if (this.shouldAutoStart()) {
-      await this.start();
+    if (!this.shouldAutoStart()) return;
+    if (this.context) {
+      // Defer the actual listen+extendRoutes to the `setup:complete` lifecycle
+      // hook. That way every plugin (including other deferred-phase plugins
+      // like `agents`) is already registered in PluginContext by the time
+      // extendRoutes() iterates. Otherwise plugins declared after server()
+      // in the plugin array would be silently dropped from /api/* mounts.
+      this.context.onLifecycle("setup:complete", async () => {
+        await this.start();
+      });
+      return;
     }
+    // No plugin context (e.g. tests constructing ServerPlugin directly) —
+    // start immediately.
+    await this.start();
   }
 
   /** Get the server configuration. */
diff --git a/packages/shared/src/plugin.ts b/packages/shared/src/plugin.ts
index 9fa8066c..651840c7 100644
--- a/packages/shared/src/plugin.ts
+++ b/packages/shared/src/plugin.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,15 @@ export interface BasePlugin {
   exports?(): unknown;
 
   clientConfig?(): Record<string, unknown>;
+
+  /**
+   * Binds runtime dependencies (telemetry, cache, plugin context) after the
+   * plugin has been constructed. Called by the AppKit core before `setup()`.
+   */
+  attachContext?(deps: {
+    context?: unknown;
+    telemetryConfig?: TelemetryOptions;
+  }): void;
 }
 
 /** Base configuration interface for AppKit plugins */