diff --git a/server/channels/app/plugin_api.go b/server/channels/app/plugin_api.go
index 22119e9e15..f3542c6dbe 100644
--- a/server/channels/app/plugin_api.go
+++ b/server/channels/app/plugin_api.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ package app
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"net/http"
@@ -1298,7 +1299,12 @@ func (api *PluginAPI) UnregisterPluginForSharedChannels(pluginID string) error {
 }
 
 func (api *PluginAPI) ShareChannel(sc *model.SharedChannel) (*model.SharedChannel, error) {
-	return api.app.ShareChannel(api.ctx, sc)
+	scShared, err := api.app.ShareChannel(api.ctx, sc)
+	if errors.Is(err, ErrChannelAlreadyShared) {
+		// sharing an already shared channel is not an error; treat as idempotent and return the existing shared channel
+		return api.app.GetSharedChannel(sc.ChannelId)
+	}
+	return scShared, err
 }
 
 func (api *PluginAPI) UpdateSharedChannel(sc *model.SharedChannel) (*model.SharedChannel, error) {
diff --git a/server/channels/app/shared_channel.go b/server/channels/app/shared_channel.go
index ea72b975e4..8c1b95cb24 100644
--- a/server/channels/app/shared_channel.go
+++ b/server/channels/app/shared_channel.go
@@ -15,23 +15,21 @@ import (
 )
 
 var (
-	errNotFound = errors.New("not found")
+	errNotFound             = errors.New("not found")
+	ErrChannelAlreadyShared = errors.New("channel is already shared")
 )
 
 func (a *App) checkChannelNotShared(c request.CTX, channelId string) error {
 	// check that channel exists.
-	if _, err := a.GetChannel(c, channelId); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("cannot share this channel: %w", err)
+	if _, appErr := a.GetChannel(c, channelId); appErr != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("cannot find channel: %w", appErr)
 	}
 
 	// Check channel is not already shared.
 	if _, err := a.GetSharedChannel(channelId); err == nil {
-		var errNotFound *store.ErrNotFound
-		if errors.As(err, &errNotFound) {
-			return fmt.Errorf("channel is already shared: %w", err)
-		}
-		return fmt.Errorf("cannot find channel: %w", err)
+		return ErrChannelAlreadyShared
 	}
+
 	return nil
 }