diff --git a/app/channels.go b/app/channels.go
index 470493ec60..fae9c0c0f6 100644
--- a/app/channels.go
+++ b/app/channels.go
@@ -284,6 +284,11 @@ func (ch *Channels) Start() error {
 
 	})
 
+	// This needs to be done after initPlugins has completed,
+	// because we want the full plugin processing to be complete before disabling it.
+	ch.disableBoardsIfNeeded()
+	ch.srv.AddClusterLeaderChangedListener(ch.disableBoardsIfNeeded)
+
 	// TODO: This should be moved to the platform service.
 	if err := ch.srv.platform.EnsureAsymmetricSigningKey(); err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrapf(err, "unable to ensure asymmetric signing key")
@@ -367,3 +372,16 @@ func (ch *Channels) HooksForPluginOrProduct(id string) (plugin.Hooks, error) {
 
 	return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not find hooks for id %s", id)
 }
+
+func (ch *Channels) disableBoardsIfNeeded() {
+	// Disable focalboard in product mode.
+	if ch.srv.Config().FeatureFlags.BoardsProduct {
+		// disablePlugin automatically checks if the plugin is running or not,
+		// and if it isn't, it returns an error. Therefore we ignore those errors.
+		// We don't want to check here again if the plugin is enabled or not.
+		appErr := ch.disablePlugin(model.PluginIdFocalboard)
+		if appErr != nil && appErr.Id != "app.plugin.not_installed.app_error" && appErr.Id != "app.plugin.disabled.app_error" {
+			ch.srv.Log().Error("Error disabling plugin in product mode", mlog.Err(appErr))
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/app/plugin.go b/app/plugin.go
index 5cf64ba8a1..1399caa7a0 100644
--- a/app/plugin.go
+++ b/app/plugin.go
@@ -161,6 +161,11 @@ func (ch *Channels) syncPluginsActiveState() {
 				defer wg.Done()
 
 				pluginID := plugin.Manifest.Id
+				// We skip it from activating here. It is disabled later, at a higher level
+				// from *Channels.Start.
+				if ch.srv.Config().FeatureFlags.BoardsProduct && pluginID == model.PluginIdFocalboard {
+					return
+				}
 				updatedManifest, activated, err := pluginsEnvironment.Activate(pluginID)
 				if err != nil {
 					plugin.WrapLogger(ch.srv.Log()).Error("Unable to activate plugin", mlog.Err(err))
@@ -305,16 +310,6 @@ func (ch *Channels) syncPlugins() *model.AppError {
 
 	var wg sync.WaitGroup
 	for _, plugin := range availablePlugins {
-		// Disable focalboard in product mode.
-		if plugin.Manifest.Id == model.PluginIdFocalboard && ch.cfgSvc.Config().FeatureFlags.BoardsProduct {
-			mlog.Info("Plugin cannot run in product mode, disabling.", mlog.String("plugin_id", model.PluginIdFocalboard))
-			appErr := ch.disablePlugin(model.PluginIdFocalboard)
-			if appErr != nil {
-				mlog.Error("Error disabling plugin", mlog.Err(err))
-			}
-			continue
-		}
-
 		wg.Add(1)
 		go func(pluginID string) {
 			defer wg.Done()
diff --git a/app/plugin_install.go b/app/plugin_install.go
index b35982b82c..dde838af47 100644
--- a/app/plugin_install.go
+++ b/app/plugin_install.go
@@ -393,6 +393,11 @@ func (ch *Channels) installExtractedPlugin(manifest *model.Manifest, fromPluginD
 			return manifest, nil
 		}
 
+		// We skip it from activating here. It is disabled later, at a higher level
+		// from *Channels.Start.
+		if ch.srv.Config().FeatureFlags.BoardsProduct && manifest.Id == model.PluginIdFocalboard {
+			return manifest, nil
+		}
 		updatedManifest, _, err := pluginsEnvironment.Activate(manifest.Id)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, model.NewAppError("installExtractedPlugin", "app.plugin.restart.app_error", nil, "", http.StatusInternalServerError).Wrap(err)