diff --git a/desktop/app/src/Client.tsx b/desktop/app/src/Client.tsx
index f90808d01..e3577c581 100644
--- a/desktop/app/src/Client.tsx
+++ b/desktop/app/src/Client.tsx
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ export default class Client extends EventEmitter {
     // start a plugin on start if it is a SandyPlugin, which is starred, and doesn't have persisted state yet
     if (
       isSandyPlugin(plugin) &&
-      isEnabled &&
+      (isEnabled || defaultEnabledBackgroundPlugins.includes(plugin.id)) &&
       !this.sandyPluginStates.has(plugin.id)
     ) {
       // TODO: needs to be wrapped in error tracking T68955280
@@ -306,7 +306,10 @@ export default class Client extends EventEmitter {
     }
   }
 
-  stopPluginIfNeeded(pluginId: string) {
+  stopPluginIfNeeded(pluginId: string, force = false) {
+    if (defaultEnabledBackgroundPlugins.includes(pluginId) && !force) {
+      return;
+    }
     const pluginKey = getPluginKey(
       this.id,
       {serial: this.query.device_id},
@@ -322,7 +325,7 @@ export default class Client extends EventEmitter {
 
   close() {
     this.emit('close');
-    this.plugins.forEach((pluginId) => this.stopPluginIfNeeded(pluginId));
+    this.plugins.forEach((pluginId) => this.stopPluginIfNeeded(pluginId, true));
   }
 
   // gets a plugin by pluginId
diff --git a/desktop/app/src/reducers/__tests__/sandyplugins.node.tsx b/desktop/app/src/reducers/__tests__/sandyplugins.node.tsx
index 868872098..efcdf0a51 100644
--- a/desktop/app/src/reducers/__tests__/sandyplugins.node.tsx
+++ b/desktop/app/src/reducers/__tests__/sandyplugins.node.tsx
@@ -30,10 +30,14 @@ function plugin(client: PluginClient<any, any>) {
   const connectStub = jest.fn();
   const disconnectStub = jest.fn();
   const destroyStub = jest.fn();
+  const messages: any[] = [];
 
   client.onConnect(connectStub);
   client.onDisconnect(disconnectStub);
   client.onDestroy(destroyStub);
+  client.onMessage('message', (msg) => {
+    messages.push(msg);
+  });
 
   initialized = true;
 
@@ -42,6 +46,7 @@ function plugin(client: PluginClient<any, any>) {
     disconnectStub,
     destroyStub,
     send: client.send,
+    messages,
   };
 }
 const TestPlugin = new SandyPluginDefinition(pluginDetails, {
@@ -229,3 +234,62 @@ test('it can send messages from sandy clients', async () => {
     }
   `);
 });
+
+test('it should initialize "Navigation" plugin if not enabled', async () => {
+  const {client, store} = await createMockFlipperWithPlugin(TestPlugin);
+
+  const Plugin2 = new SandyPluginDefinition(
+    TestUtils.createMockPluginDetails({
+      name: 'Plugin2',
+      id: 'Navigation',
+    }),
+    {
+      plugin: jest.fn().mockImplementation(plugin),
+      Component() {
+        return null;
+      },
+    },
+  );
+
+  const pluginState1 = client.sandyPluginStates.get(TestPlugin.id);
+  expect(pluginState1).toBeInstanceOf(SandyPluginInstance);
+  store.dispatch(registerPlugins([Plugin2]));
+  await client.refreshPlugins();
+  // not enabled, but Navigation is an exception, so we still get an instance
+  const origInstance = client.sandyPluginStates.get(Plugin2.id);
+  expect(origInstance).toBeDefined();
+  expect(Plugin2.asPluginModule().plugin).toBeCalledTimes(1);
+
+  store.dispatch(
+    starPlugin({
+      plugin: Plugin2,
+      selectedApp: client.query.app,
+    }),
+  );
+
+  expect(client.sandyPluginStates.get(Plugin2.id)).toBe(origInstance);
+  const instance = client.sandyPluginStates.get(Plugin2.id)!
+    .instanceApi as PluginApi;
+  expect(Plugin2.asPluginModule().plugin).toBeCalledTimes(1);
+  expect(instance.destroyStub).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0);
+
+  // disable plugin again
+  store.dispatch(
+    starPlugin({
+      plugin: Plugin2,
+      selectedApp: client.query.app,
+    }),
+  );
+
+  // stil enabled
+  expect(client.sandyPluginStates.get(Plugin2.id)).toBe(origInstance);
+  expect(instance.connectStub).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0);
+  // disconnect wasn't called because connect was never called
+  expect(instance.disconnectStub).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0);
+  expect(instance.destroyStub).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0);
+
+  // closing does stop the plugin!
+  client.close();
+  expect(instance.destroyStub).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  expect(client.sandyPluginStates.get(Plugin2.id)).toBeUndefined();
+});
diff --git a/desktop/app/src/utils/__tests__/messageQueueSandy.node.tsx b/desktop/app/src/utils/__tests__/messageQueueSandy.node.tsx
index 9aa5a712d..68f6cd444 100644
--- a/desktop/app/src/utils/__tests__/messageQueueSandy.node.tsx
+++ b/desktop/app/src/utils/__tests__/messageQueueSandy.node.tsx
@@ -210,6 +210,56 @@ test('queue - events are NOT processed immediately if plugin is NOT selected (bu
   });
 });
 
+test('queue - events ARE processed immediately if plugin is NOT selected / enabled BUT NAVIGATION', async () => {
+  const NavigationPlugin = new SandyPluginDefinition(
+    TestUtils.createMockPluginDetails({
+      id: 'Navigation',
+    }),
+    {
+      plugin,
+      Component() {
+        return null;
+      },
+    },
+  );
+  const {store, client, sendMessage} = await createMockFlipperWithPlugin(
+    NavigationPlugin,
+  );
+
+  // Pre setup, deselect AND disable
+  selectDeviceLogs(store);
+  expect(store.getState().connections.selectedPlugin).toBe('DeviceLogs');
+  store.dispatch(
+    starPlugin({
+      plugin: NavigationPlugin,
+      selectedApp: client.query.app,
+    }),
+  );
+  expect(store.getState().connections.userStarredPlugins)
+    .toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+    Object {
+      "TestApp": Array [],
+    }
+  `);
+
+  // ...mesages are still going to arrive
+  const pluginState = () =>
+    client.sandyPluginStates.get(NavigationPlugin.id)!.instanceApi.state;
+
+  sendMessage('inc', {});
+  sendMessage('inc', {delta: 2});
+  sendMessage('inc', {delta: 3});
+  // the first message is already visible cause of the leading debounce
+  expect(pluginState().count).toBe(1);
+  // message queue was never involved due to the bypass...
+  expect(store.getState().pluginMessageQueue).toMatchInlineSnapshot(
+    `Object {}`,
+  );
+  // flush will make the others visible
+  client.flushMessageBuffer();
+  expect(pluginState().count).toBe(6);
+});
+
 test('queue - events are queued for plugins that are favorite when app is not selected', async () => {
   const {
     client,
diff --git a/desktop/app/src/utils/messageQueue.tsx b/desktop/app/src/utils/messageQueue.tsx
index b6d9c9d0a..c28d03b5d 100644
--- a/desktop/app/src/utils/messageQueue.tsx
+++ b/desktop/app/src/utils/messageQueue.tsx
@@ -124,7 +124,8 @@ export function processMessagesLater(
   const isSelected =
     pluginKey === getSelectedPluginKey(store.getState().connections);
   switch (true) {
-    case pluginId === 'Navigation': // Navigation events are always processed, to make sure the navbar stays up to date
+    // Navigation events are always processed immediately, to make sure the navbar stays up to date, see also T69991064
+    case pluginId === 'Navigation':
     case isSelected && getPendingMessages(store, pluginKey).length === 0:
       processMessagesImmediately(store, pluginKey, plugin, messages);
       break;