diff --git a/desktop/app/src/dispatcher/__tests__/plugins.node.tsx b/desktop/app/src/dispatcher/__tests__/plugins.node.tsx
index da58a0811..ba1854285 100644
--- a/desktop/app/src/dispatcher/__tests__/plugins.node.tsx
+++ b/desktop/app/src/dispatcher/__tests__/plugins.node.tsx
@@ -162,14 +162,16 @@ test('requirePlugin loads plugin', () => {
   expect(plugin!.id).toBe(TestPlugin.id);
 });
 
-test('newest version of each plugin is taken', () => {
-  const plugins: PluginDetails[] = [
+test('newest version of each plugin is used', () => {
+  const bundledPlugins: PluginDetails[] = [
     {...samplePluginDetails, name: 'flipper-plugin-test1', version: '0.1.0'},
     {
       ...samplePluginDetails,
       name: 'flipper-plugin-test2',
       version: '0.1.0-alpha.201',
     },
+  ];
+  const installedPlugins: PluginDetails[] = [
     {
       ...samplePluginDetails,
       name: 'flipper-plugin-test2',
@@ -177,7 +179,10 @@ test('newest version of each plugin is taken', () => {
     },
     {...samplePluginDetails, name: 'flipper-plugin-test1', version: '0.10.0'},
   ];
-  const filteredPlugins = filterNewestVersionOfEachPlugin(plugins);
+  const filteredPlugins = filterNewestVersionOfEachPlugin(
+    bundledPlugins,
+    installedPlugins,
+  );
   expect(filteredPlugins).toHaveLength(2);
   expect(filteredPlugins).toContainEqual({
     ...samplePluginDetails,
@@ -190,3 +195,42 @@ test('newest version of each plugin is taken', () => {
     version: '0.1.0-alpha.201',
   });
 });
+
+test('bundled versions are used when env var FLIPPER_DISABLE_PLUGIN_AUTO_UPDATE is set even if newer versions are installed', () => {
+  process.env.FLIPPER_DISABLE_PLUGIN_AUTO_UPDATE = 'true';
+  try {
+    const bundledPlugins: PluginDetails[] = [
+      {...samplePluginDetails, name: 'flipper-plugin-test1', version: '0.1.0'},
+      {
+        ...samplePluginDetails,
+        name: 'flipper-plugin-test2',
+        version: '0.1.0-alpha.21',
+      },
+    ];
+    const installedPlugins: PluginDetails[] = [
+      {
+        ...samplePluginDetails,
+        name: 'flipper-plugin-test2',
+        version: '0.1.0-alpha.201',
+      },
+      {...samplePluginDetails, name: 'flipper-plugin-test1', version: '0.10.0'},
+    ];
+    const filteredPlugins = filterNewestVersionOfEachPlugin(
+      bundledPlugins,
+      installedPlugins,
+    );
+    expect(filteredPlugins).toHaveLength(2);
+    expect(filteredPlugins).toContainEqual({
+      ...samplePluginDetails,
+      name: 'flipper-plugin-test1',
+      version: '0.1.0',
+    });
+    expect(filteredPlugins).toContainEqual({
+      ...samplePluginDetails,
+      name: 'flipper-plugin-test2',
+      version: '0.1.0-alpha.21',
+    });
+  } finally {
+    delete process.env.FLIPPER_DISABLE_PLUGIN_AUTO_UPDATE;
+  }
+});
diff --git a/desktop/app/src/dispatcher/plugins.tsx b/desktop/app/src/dispatcher/plugins.tsx
index bbea21b8f..34ecac8ee 100644
--- a/desktop/app/src/dispatcher/plugins.tsx
+++ b/desktop/app/src/dispatcher/plugins.tsx
@@ -51,10 +51,7 @@ export default (store: Store, logger: Logger) => {
 
   const initialPlugins: Array<
     typeof FlipperPlugin | typeof FlipperDevicePlugin
-  > = filterNewestVersionOfEachPlugin([
-    ...getBundledPlugins(),
-    ...getDynamicPlugins(),
-  ])
+  > = filterNewestVersionOfEachPlugin(getBundledPlugins(), getDynamicPlugins())
     .filter(checkDisabled(disabledPlugins))
     .filter(checkGK(gatekeepedPlugins))
     .map(requirePlugin(failedPlugins, defaultPluginsIndex))
@@ -80,13 +77,18 @@ export default (store: Store, logger: Logger) => {
 };
 
 export function filterNewestVersionOfEachPlugin(
-  plugins: PluginDetails[],
+  bundledPlugins: PluginDetails[],
+  dynamicPlugins: PluginDetails[],
 ): PluginDetails[] {
   const pluginByName: {[key: string]: PluginDetails} = {};
-  for (const plugin of plugins) {
+  for (const plugin of bundledPlugins) {
+    pluginByName[plugin.name] = plugin;
+  }
+  for (const plugin of dynamicPlugins) {
     if (
       !pluginByName[plugin.name] ||
-      semver.gt(plugin.version, pluginByName[plugin.name].version, true)
+      (!process.env.FLIPPER_DISABLE_PLUGIN_AUTO_UPDATE &&
+        semver.gt(plugin.version, pluginByName[plugin.name].version, true))
     ) {
       pluginByName[plugin.name] = plugin;
     }
diff --git a/desktop/scripts/start-dev-server.ts b/desktop/scripts/start-dev-server.ts
index 8214ed42a..d8dd173fa 100644
--- a/desktop/scripts/start-dev-server.ts
+++ b/desktop/scripts/start-dev-server.ts
@@ -45,6 +45,11 @@ if (process.argv.includes('--no-embedded-plugins')) {
 if (process.argv.includes('--fast-refresh')) {
   process.env.FLIPPER_FAST_REFRESH = 'true';
 }
+// By default plugin auto-update is disabled in dev mode,
+// but it is possible to enable it using this command line argument.
+if (!process.argv.includes('--plugin-auto-update')) {
+  process.env.FLIPPER_DISABLE_PLUGIN_AUTO_UPDATE = 'true';
+}
 
 function launchElectron(port: number) {
   const entry = process.env.FLIPPER_FAST_REFRESH ? 'init-fast-refresh' : 'init';