diff --git a/desktop/app/src/reducers/__tests__/connections.node.tsx b/desktop/app/src/reducers/__tests__/connections.node.tsx
index b415da72d..bd5a8fe6d 100644
--- a/desktop/app/src/reducers/__tests__/connections.node.tsx
+++ b/desktop/app/src/reducers/__tests__/connections.node.tsx
@@ -9,15 +9,23 @@
 
 import reducer from '../connections';
 import {State, selectPlugin} from '../connections';
-import {_setFlipperLibImplementation} from 'flipper-plugin';
-import {createMockFlipperLib} from 'flipper-plugin/src/test-utils/test-utils';
+import {
+  _SandyPluginDefinition,
+  _setFlipperLibImplementation,
+  TestUtils,
+  MockedConsole,
+} from 'flipper-plugin';
 import {TestDevice} from '../../test-utils/TestDevice';
+import {createMockFlipperWithPlugin} from '../../test-utils/createMockFlipperWithPlugin';
 
+let mockedConsole: MockedConsole;
 beforeEach(() => {
-  _setFlipperLibImplementation(createMockFlipperLib());
+  mockedConsole = TestUtils.mockConsole();
+  _setFlipperLibImplementation(TestUtils.createMockFlipperLib());
 });
 
 afterEach(() => {
+  mockedConsole.unmock();
   _setFlipperLibImplementation(undefined);
 });
 
@@ -79,3 +87,88 @@ test('selectPlugin sets deepLinkPayload correctly', () => {
   );
   expect(state.deepLinkPayload).toBe('myPayload');
 });
+
+test('can handle plugins that throw at start', async () => {
+  const TestPlugin = new _SandyPluginDefinition(
+    TestUtils.createMockPluginDetails(),
+    {
+      Component() {
+        return null;
+      },
+      plugin() {
+        throw new Error('Broken plugin');
+      },
+    },
+  );
+
+  const {client, store, createClient, createDevice} =
+    await createMockFlipperWithPlugin(TestPlugin);
+
+  // not initialized
+  expect(client.sandyPluginStates.get(TestPlugin.id)).toBe(undefined);
+
+  expect(store.getState().connections.clients.length).toBe(1);
+  expect(client.connected.get()).toBe(true);
+
+  expect((console.error as any).mock.calls[0]).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+    Array [
+      "Failed to start plugin 'TestPlugin': ",
+      [Error: Broken plugin],
+    ]
+  `);
+
+  const device2 = await createDevice({});
+  const client2 = await createClient(device2, client.query.app);
+
+  expect((console.error as any).mock.calls[1]).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+    Array [
+      "Failed to start plugin 'TestPlugin': ",
+      [Error: Broken plugin],
+    ]
+  `);
+  expect(store.getState().connections.clients.length).toBe(2);
+  expect(client2.connected.get()).toBe(true);
+  expect(client2.sandyPluginStates.size).toBe(0);
+});
+
+test('can handle device plugins that throw at start', async () => {
+  const TestPlugin = new _SandyPluginDefinition(
+    TestUtils.createMockPluginDetails(),
+    {
+      Component() {
+        return null;
+      },
+      devicePlugin() {
+        throw new Error('Broken device plugin');
+      },
+    },
+  );
+
+  const {device, store, createDevice} = await createMockFlipperWithPlugin(
+    TestPlugin,
+  );
+
+  expect(mockedConsole.errorCalls[0]).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+    Array [
+      "Failed to start device plugin 'TestPlugin': ",
+      [Error: Broken device plugin],
+    ]
+  `);
+
+  // not initialized
+  expect(device.sandyPluginStates.get(TestPlugin.id)).toBe(undefined);
+
+  expect(store.getState().connections.devices.length).toBe(1);
+  expect(device.connected.get()).toBe(true);
+
+  const device2 = await createDevice({});
+  expect(store.getState().connections.devices.length).toBe(2);
+  expect(device2.connected.get()).toBe(true);
+  expect(mockedConsole.errorCalls[1]).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+    Array [
+      "Failed to start device plugin 'TestPlugin': ",
+      [Error: Broken device plugin],
+    ]
+  `);
+  expect(device2.sandyPluginStates.size).toBe(0);
+});
diff --git a/desktop/flipper-plugin/src/__tests__/api.node.tsx b/desktop/flipper-plugin/src/__tests__/api.node.tsx
index e1331fd08..5314cd269 100644
--- a/desktop/flipper-plugin/src/__tests__/api.node.tsx
+++ b/desktop/flipper-plugin/src/__tests__/api.node.tsx
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ test('Correct top level API exposed', () => {
       "LogTypes",
       "Logger",
       "MenuEntry",
+      "MockedConsole",
       "NormalizedMenuEntry",
       "Notification",
       "PluginClient",
diff --git a/desktop/flipper-plugin/src/index.ts b/desktop/flipper-plugin/src/index.ts
index 96126bb51..b970e0d01 100644
--- a/desktop/flipper-plugin/src/index.ts
+++ b/desktop/flipper-plugin/src/index.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ export const styled = styledImport;
 
 import './plugin/PluginBase';
 import * as TestUtilites from './test-utils/test-utils';
+export {MockedConsole} from './test-utils/test-utils';
 
 export {
   SandyPluginInstance as _SandyPluginInstance,
diff --git a/desktop/flipper-plugin/src/test-utils/test-utils.tsx b/desktop/flipper-plugin/src/test-utils/test-utils.tsx
index 82c506101..5e1162640 100644
--- a/desktop/flipper-plugin/src/test-utils/test-utils.tsx
+++ b/desktop/flipper-plugin/src/test-utils/test-utils.tsx
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ import {FlipperLib} from '../plugin/FlipperLib';
 import {stubLogger} from '../utils/Logger';
 import {Idler} from '../utils/Idler';
 import {createState} from '../state/atom';
+import baseMockConsole from 'jest-mock-console';
 
 type Renderer = RenderResult<typeof queries>;
 
@@ -532,3 +533,42 @@ function createStubIdler(): Idler {
     },
   };
 }
+
+/**
+ * Mockes the current console. Inspect results through e.g.
+ * console.errorCalls etc.
+ *
+ * Or, alternatively, expect(mockedConsole.error).toBeCalledWith...
+ *
+ * Don't forgot to call .unmock when done!
+ */
+export function mockConsole() {
+  const restoreConsole = baseMockConsole();
+  // The mocked console methods, make sure they remain available after unmocking
+  const {log, error, warn} = console as any;
+  return {
+    get logCalls(): any[][] {
+      return log.mock.calls;
+    },
+    get errorCalls(): any[][] {
+      return error.mock.calls;
+    },
+    get warnCalls(): any[][] {
+      return warn.mock.calls;
+    },
+    get log(): jest.Mock<any, any> {
+      return log as any;
+    },
+    get warn(): jest.Mock<any, any> {
+      return warn as any;
+    },
+    get error(): jest.Mock<any, any> {
+      return error as any;
+    },
+    unmock() {
+      restoreConsole();
+    },
+  };
+}
+
+export type MockedConsole = ReturnType<typeof mockConsole>;