diff --git a/src/plugin/mod.rs b/src/plugin/mod.rs
index 8ba27e6..4a89047 100644
--- a/src/plugin/mod.rs
+++ b/src/plugin/mod.rs
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ impl PluginHooks {
     }
 }
 
-#[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+#[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize, Clone)]
 struct PluginsRegistry {
     #[serde(default)]
     pub(super) plugins: Vec<PluginEntry>,
@@ -387,23 +387,75 @@ fn registry_path() -> PathBuf {
 }
 
 fn load_registry() -> Result<PluginsRegistry> {
-    let path = registry_path();
+    load_registry_from(&registry_path())
+}
+
+fn load_registry_from(path: &Path) -> Result<PluginsRegistry> {
     if !path.exists() {
         return Ok(PluginsRegistry {
             plugins: Vec::new(),
         });
     }
-    let content = fs::read_to_string(&path).context("reading plugins.toml")?;
+    match read_and_parse_registry(path) {
+        Ok(registry) => Ok(registry),
+        Err(first_error) => {
+            // A registration by an older fledge (pre-atomic-write) may be
+            // mid-rewrite; one short retry rides out the window instead of
+            // resolving every plugin subcommand to "unrecognized".
+            std::thread::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_millis(50));
+            read_and_parse_registry(path).map_err(|_| {
+                eprintln!(
+                    "warning: plugins.toml at {} is unreadable or corrupt — plugin \
+                     subcommands will not resolve this invocation: {first_error:#}",
+                    path.display()
+                );
+                first_error
+            })
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+fn read_and_parse_registry(path: &Path) -> Result<PluginsRegistry> {
+    let content = fs::read_to_string(path).context("reading plugins.toml")?;
     toml::from_str(&content).context("parsing plugins.toml")
 }
 
 fn save_registry(registry: &PluginsRegistry) -> Result<()> {
-    let path = registry_path();
+    save_registry_to(&registry_path(), registry)
+}
+
+fn save_registry_to(path: &Path, registry: &PluginsRegistry) -> Result<()> {
     if let Some(parent) = path.parent() {
         fs::create_dir_all(parent)?;
     }
     let content = toml::to_string_pretty(registry).context("serializing plugins.toml")?;
-    fs::write(&path, content).context("writing plugins.toml")
+    // Write-then-rename so concurrent readers never observe a truncated
+    // file. `fs::write` truncates in place, and any fledge invocation
+    // that reads the registry during the rewrite parses partial TOML —
+    // dispatch then reports a perfectly registered plugin command as
+    // "unrecognized subcommand". Same-directory rename is atomic on
+    // POSIX, so readers see either the old registry or the new one.
+    let tmp = path.with_extension(format!("toml.tmp.{}", std::process::id()));
+    if let Err(error) = fs::write(&tmp, content) {
+        let _ = fs::remove_file(&tmp);
+        return Err(error).context("writing plugins.toml temp file");
+    }
+    // Windows refuses the rename with a sharing violation while another
+    // process has the destination open for reading; retry briefly. On
+    // POSIX the first attempt always wins.
+    let mut last_error = None;
+    for _ in 0..20 {
+        match fs::rename(&tmp, path) {
+            Ok(()) => return Ok(()),
+            Err(error) => {
+                last_error = Some(error);
+                std::thread::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_millis(10));
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    let _ = fs::remove_file(&tmp);
+    Err(last_error.expect("rename attempted at least once"))
+        .context("atomically replacing plugins.toml")
 }
 
 // ─── Source helpers ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
diff --git a/src/plugin/tests.rs b/src/plugin/tests.rs
index 91c2271..ca58a91 100644
--- a/src/plugin/tests.rs
+++ b/src/plugin/tests.rs
@@ -1445,3 +1445,58 @@ fn team_tier_allows_exec() {
     };
     assert!(check_tier_capabilities(TrustTier::Team, &caps).is_ok());
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn registry_save_is_atomic_under_concurrent_readers() {
+    // Regression for the "unrecognized subcommand" race: `fs::write`
+    // truncates plugins.toml in place, so a reader racing a re-registration
+    // parsed partial TOML and dispatch dropped every plugin command. With
+    // write-then-rename, readers must see a complete registry every time.
+    let tmp = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+    let path = tmp.path().join("plugins.toml");
+    let entry = super::PluginEntry {
+        name: "fledge-plugin-augur".to_string(),
+        source: "CorvidLabs/fledge-plugin-augur".to_string(),
+        version: "0.2.0".to_string(),
+        installed: "2026-06-12".to_string(),
+        commands: vec!["augur".to_string(); 64],
+        pinned_ref: None,
+        capabilities: None,
+        runtime: None,
+    };
+    let registry = super::PluginsRegistry {
+        plugins: vec![entry; 24],
+    };
+    super::save_registry_to(&path, &registry).unwrap();
+
+    let writer_path = path.clone();
+    let writer_registry = registry.clone();
+    let stop = std::sync::Arc::new(std::sync::atomic::AtomicBool::new(false));
+    let writer_stop = stop.clone();
+    let writer = std::thread::spawn(move || {
+        while !writer_stop.load(std::sync::atomic::Ordering::Relaxed) {
+            super::save_registry_to(&writer_path, &writer_registry).unwrap();
+        }
+    });
+
+    for _ in 0..400 {
+        let loaded = super::load_registry_from(&path)
+            .expect("reader must never observe a truncated registry");
+        assert_eq!(loaded.plugins.len(), 24);
+        assert_eq!(loaded.plugins[0].commands.len(), 64);
+    }
+    stop.store(true, std::sync::atomic::Ordering::Relaxed);
+    writer.join().unwrap();
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn registry_load_reports_corruption_instead_of_empty() {
+    let tmp = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+    let path = tmp.path().join("plugins.toml");
+    std::fs::write(&path, "[[plugins]]\nname = \"trunc").unwrap();
+    let result = super::load_registry_from(&path);
+    assert!(
+        result.is_err(),
+        "corrupt registry must surface an error, not parse as empty"
+    );
+}