diff --git a/.changeset/fn-8521-separate-plugin-install-toggle.md b/.changeset/fn-8521-separate-plugin-install-toggle.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e519fd71ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/fn-8521-separate-plugin-install-toggle.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+"@runfusion/fusion": patch
+---
+
+summary: Prevent plugin toggles from reinstalling uninstalled runtimes.
+category: fix
+dev: FN-8521 / Runfusion/Fusion#2409 separates install from project-scoped enablement.
diff --git a/docs/dashboard-guide.md b/docs/dashboard-guide.md
index 0880c5c9ee..feac50cb25 100644
--- a/docs/dashboard-guide.md
+++ b/docs/dashboard-guide.md
@@ -1385,7 +1385,7 @@ Features:
 - Enable/disable plugins, reload active plugins, and uninstall plugins
 - Inspect plugin runtime state and transition feedback
 - Edit and save plugin-defined settings schemas from the same panel
-- Built-in runtime plugins (Hermes, Paperclip, OpenClaw, Droid) always expose an interactive enable/disable toggle in the Built-in Plugins list, even before install. Disabling one registers it and disables it in the same action, and the decision survives restarts — a disabled runtime is not re-activated on the next startup. The Runtimes settings cards mirror this state instead of showing a stale detected/connected status.
+- A built-in runtime without an installed plugin record offers **Install** only. Once installed, it exposes project-scoped Enable/Disable, management, and uninstall controls; toggling never installs or reinstalls a runtime. The Runtimes settings cards mirror the installed runtime state instead of showing a stale detected/connected status.
 
 For full plugin lifecycle workflows (discovery, install, enable/disable, configure, update, uninstall, troubleshooting), see [Plugin Management](./plugin-management.md). For plugin-related settings and experimental toggles, see [Settings reference](./settings-reference.md).
 
diff --git a/docs/plugin-management.md b/docs/plugin-management.md
index bae2da08e7..2b813ce5fc 100644
--- a/docs/plugin-management.md
+++ b/docs/plugin-management.md
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ Expected outcome: Plugin is enabled or disabled by ID.
 
 ### Built-in runtime plugins (Hermes, Paperclip, OpenClaw, Droid)
 
-Built-in runtime plugins always expose an interactive enable/disable toggle in **Built-in Plugins**, even before the plugin has been explicitly installed (no `plugin_installs` record yet). Disabling a not-yet-installed runtime registers it (mirroring the same lazy-install path used elsewhere) and then disables it in one step, so the decision persists. A user-disabled built-in runtime is never silently re-enabled or re-activated by Fusion on the next restart — startup auto-activation only loads plugins whose project state is enabled. The **Runtimes** settings cards (Hermes/OpenClaw/Paperclip) reflect this state and show "Disabled in Plugin Manager" instead of a stale detected/connected status when the runtime has been turned off.
+Built-in runtime rows without a `plugin_installs` record expose **Install** only. After installation, their project-scoped **Enable/Disable** toggle and management/uninstall controls become available. Installing and enabling are separate actions: changing enabled state never registers or reinstalls a runtime. The **Runtimes** settings cards (Hermes/OpenClaw/Paperclip) reflect the installed plugin state and show "Disabled in Plugin Manager" when an installed runtime has been turned off.
 
 ## 5) Configure plugin settings
 
diff --git a/packages/dashboard/app/components/PluginManager.tsx b/packages/dashboard/app/components/PluginManager.tsx
index 39d5c2d000..b5a142dcbe 100644
--- a/packages/dashboard/app/components/PluginManager.tsx
+++ b/packages/dashboard/app/components/PluginManager.tsx
@@ -289,14 +289,6 @@ export function PluginManager({ addToast, projectId, onPluginsChanged }: PluginM
   const [builtinSetupStatusById, setBuiltinSetupStatusById] = useState<Record<string, PluginSetupStatusResponse>>({});
   const [loadingBuiltinSetupId, setLoadingBuiltinSetupId] = useState<string | null>(null);
   const [installingBuiltinSetupId, setInstallingBuiltinSetupId] = useState<string | null>(null);
-  /*
-   * FNXC:PluginManager 2026-07-07-00:00:
-   * FN-7629 — built-in runtime plugins (Hermes/Paperclip/OpenClaw/Droid) must expose a durable
-   * enable/disable control even when no plugin_installs row exists yet ("activated-without-record").
-   * Track in-flight toggles separately from install/setup so the toggle-switch can show a busy
-   * state without blocking the Install/Manage button.
-   */
-  const [togglingBuiltinRuntimeId, setTogglingBuiltinRuntimeId] = useState<string | null>(null);
   const { confirm } = useConfirm();
 
   const loadPlugins = useCallback(async (background = false, mutationResponse?: PluginInstallation) => {
@@ -614,44 +606,15 @@ export function PluginManager({ addToast, projectId, onPluginsChanged }: PluginM
   };
 
   /*
-   * FNXC:PluginManager 2026-07-07-00:00:
-   * FN-7629 — durable built-in runtime disable path. A built-in runtime
-   * (Hermes/Paperclip/OpenClaw/Droid) that has never been explicitly installed
-   * has no plugin_installs row, so enablePlugin/disablePlugin (which both call
-   * getPlugin -> ENOENT) cannot persist a decision for it. When the user wants
-   * to disable such a runtime, first register it via the existing install path
-   * (mirrors the CLI's ensureBundledPluginInstalled lazy-install) so a
-   * plugin_installs row + project state exists, then disable it immediately so
-   * the decision is durable: loadAllPlugins() only loads plugins where
-   * enabled=true, so a disabled runtime is never re-activated on restart.
-   * Already-installed runtimes just toggle through the normal enable/disable
-   * handlers, same as the installed-plugin list row.
+   * FNXC:PluginManager 2026-07-22-20:41:
+   * FN-8521 keeps installation and project-scoped enablement as separate actions: only a
+   * PluginInstallation can reach this toggle, so toggling can never register a missing package.
    */
-  const handleToggleBuiltinRuntime = async (builtinPlugin: BuiltinPlugin, installedPlugin?: PluginInstallation) => {
-    if (installedPlugin) {
-      if (installedPlugin.enabled) {
-        await handleDisable(installedPlugin);
-      } else {
-        await handleEnable(installedPlugin);
-      }
-      return;
-    }
-
-    if (!builtinPlugin.path) {
-      addToast(t("plugins.builtinNoPackage", "{{name}} is built in and does not have an installable package yet", { name: builtinPlugin.name }), "warning");
-      return;
-    }
-
-    try {
-      setTogglingBuiltinRuntimeId(builtinPlugin.id);
-      const registered = await installPlugin({ path: builtinPlugin.path }, projectId);
-      await disablePlugin(registered.id, projectId);
-      addToast(t("plugins.disabledForProject", "{{name}} disabled for this project", { name: builtinPlugin.name }), "success");
-      await loadPlugins();
-    } catch (err) {
-      addToast(t("plugins.disablePluginFailed", "Failed to disable plugin: {{error}}", { error: err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err) }), "error");
-    } finally {
-      setTogglingBuiltinRuntimeId(null);
+  const handleToggleBuiltinRuntime = async (installedPlugin: PluginInstallation) => {
+    if (installedPlugin.enabled) {
+      await handleDisable(installedPlugin);
+    } else {
+      await handleEnable(installedPlugin);
     }
   };
 
@@ -1167,16 +1130,8 @@ export function PluginManager({ addToast, projectId, onPluginsChanged }: PluginM
           const setupReady = isInstalled && setupStatus?.hasSetup && pluginSetupState === "installed";
           const setupCheckInFlight = loadingBuiltinSetupId === builtinPlugin.id;
           const metadataOnly = !builtinPlugin.path;
-          /*
-           * FNXC:PluginManager 2026-07-07-00:00:
-           * FN-7629 — runtime built-ins (Hermes/Paperclip/OpenClaw/Droid) must always expose an
-           * interactive enable/disable control, independent of install status, and must never
-           * dead-end at the static "Built-in metadata only" label. Non-runtime built-ins (e.g.
-           * Agent Browser) keep the existing metadata-only/install/manage affordances unchanged.
-           */
           const isRuntimeBuiltin = builtinPlugin.category === "runtime";
-          const runtimeEnabled = installedPlugin ? installedPlugin.enabled : true;
-          const isTogglingRuntime = togglingBuiltinRuntimeId === builtinPlugin.id;
+          const runtimeEnabled = installedPlugin?.enabled;
 
           return (
             <div key={builtinPlugin.id} className="plugin-builtins-item">
@@ -1187,7 +1142,7 @@ export function PluginManager({ addToast, projectId, onPluginsChanged }: PluginM
                 <span className={`plugin-builtins-status ${isInstalled ? "plugin-builtins-status--installed" : "plugin-builtins-status--available"}`}>
                   {isInstalled ? t("plugins.statusInstalled", "Installed") : metadataOnly ? t("plugins.statusBuiltIn", "Built in") : t("plugins.statusNotInstalled", "Not installed")}
                 </span>
-                {isRuntimeBuiltin && !runtimeEnabled && (
+                {isRuntimeBuiltin && runtimeEnabled === false && (
                   <span className="plugin-builtins-setup-status plugin-builtins-setup-status--warning">{t("plugins.builtinDisabled", "Disabled")}</span>
                 )}
                 {requiresSetupAction && (
@@ -1205,14 +1160,13 @@ export function PluginManager({ addToast, projectId, onPluginsChanged }: PluginM
                 <span className="plugin-builtins-description-text">{builtinPlugin.description}</span>
               </div>
               <div className="plugin-builtins-actions">
-                {isRuntimeBuiltin && (
+                {isRuntimeBuiltin && installedPlugin && (
                   <label className="toggle-switch">
                     <input
                       type="checkbox"
-                      checked={runtimeEnabled}
-                      onChange={() => void handleToggleBuiltinRuntime(builtinPlugin, installedPlugin)}
-                      disabled={isTogglingRuntime}
-                      aria-label={runtimeEnabled
+                      checked={installedPlugin.enabled}
+                      onChange={() => void handleToggleBuiltinRuntime(installedPlugin)}
+                      aria-label={installedPlugin.enabled
                         ? t("plugins.disablePlugin", "Disable {{name}}", { name: builtinPlugin.name })
                         : t("plugins.enablePlugin", "Enable {{name}}", { name: builtinPlugin.name })}
                     />
diff --git a/packages/dashboard/app/components/__tests__/PluginManager.test.tsx b/packages/dashboard/app/components/__tests__/PluginManager.test.tsx
index b24e949720..0a67ef572e 100644
--- a/packages/dashboard/app/components/__tests__/PluginManager.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/dashboard/app/components/__tests__/PluginManager.test.tsx
@@ -1209,22 +1209,33 @@ describe("PluginManager", () => {
       });
     });
 
-    it("handles plugin uninstalled SSE event", async () => {
-      vi.mocked(fetchPlugins).mockResolvedValueOnce(mockPlugins);
+    it("removes a runtime toggle after its uninstalled lifecycle event", async () => {
+      const hermesRuntime: PluginInstallation = {
+        id: "fusion-plugin-hermes-runtime",
+        name: "Hermes Runtime",
+        version: "1.0.0",
+        state: "started",
+        enabled: true,
+        path: "./plugins/fusion-plugin-hermes-runtime",
+        settings: {},
+        settingsSchema: {},
+        createdAt: "2026-01-01T00:00:00.000Z",
+        updatedAt: "2026-01-01T00:00:00.000Z",
+      };
+      vi.mocked(fetchPlugins).mockResolvedValueOnce([hermesRuntime]);
 
       render(<PluginManager addToast={addToast} />);
 
-      await waitFor(() => {
-        expect(screen.getByText("Test Plugin A")).toBeTruthy();
-      });
+      const installedCard = await waitFor(() => getBuiltInPluginCard("Hermes Runtime"));
+      expect(within(installedCard).getByRole("checkbox", { name: "Disable Hermes Runtime" })).toBeChecked();
 
       const eventSourceInstance = (globalThis as any).__testEventSourceInstance;
       const eventHandler = eventSourceInstance?.handlers?.["plugin:lifecycle"];
-      
+
       act(() => {
         eventHandler({
           data: JSON.stringify({
-            pluginId: "plugin-a",
+            pluginId: hermesRuntime.id,
             transition: "uninstalled",
             sourceEvent: "plugin:unregistered",
             timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
@@ -1237,7 +1248,10 @@ describe("PluginManager", () => {
       });
 
       await waitFor(() => {
-        expect(screen.queryByText("Test Plugin A")).toBeNull();
+        const card = getBuiltInPluginCard("Hermes Runtime");
+        expect(within(card).getByRole("button", { name: "Install Hermes Runtime" })).toBeVisible();
+        expect(within(card).queryByRole("checkbox")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+        expect(card.querySelector("label.toggle-switch")).toBeNull();
       });
     });
 
diff --git a/packages/dashboard/app/components/__tests__/PluginManager.toggle.test.tsx b/packages/dashboard/app/components/__tests__/PluginManager.toggle.test.tsx
index b5797d5142..3264317350 100644
--- a/packages/dashboard/app/components/__tests__/PluginManager.toggle.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/dashboard/app/components/__tests__/PluginManager.toggle.test.tsx
@@ -51,7 +51,10 @@ beforeEach(() => {
   const esInstance = {
     readyState: 1,
     close: vi.fn(),
-    addEventListener: vi.fn(),
+    addEventListener: vi.fn((event: string, handler: (event: MessageEvent) => void) => {
+      (esInstance as { handlers?: Record<string, (event: MessageEvent) => void> }).handlers ??= {};
+      (esInstance as { handlers: Record<string, (event: MessageEvent) => void> }).handlers[event] = handler;
+    }),
     removeEventListener: vi.fn(),
     onerror: null,
     onopen: null,
@@ -64,12 +67,14 @@ beforeEach(() => {
   (MockES as unknown as { CONNECTING: number; OPEN: number; CLOSED: number }).OPEN = 1;
   (MockES as unknown as { CONNECTING: number; OPEN: number; CLOSED: number }).CLOSED = 2;
   vi.stubGlobal("EventSource", MockES);
+  (globalThis as { __testEventSourceInstance?: typeof esInstance }).__testEventSourceInstance = esInstance;
 });
 
 afterEach(() => {
   cleanup();
   document.querySelector('[data-test-id="all-app-css"]')?.remove();
   vi.restoreAllMocks();
+  delete (globalThis as { __testEventSourceInstance?: unknown }).__testEventSourceInstance;
 });
 
 function builtinPlugin(id: string, enabled: boolean) {
@@ -174,57 +179,44 @@ describe("PluginManager toggle switch", () => {
 });
 
 /*
- * FNXC:PluginManager 2026-07-07-00:00:
- * FN-7629 — regression coverage for the durable built-in runtime enable/disable control.
- * Symptom: with no plugin_installs row for Hermes/Paperclip/OpenClaw/Droid (fetchPlugins -> []),
- * the built-in runtime rows dead-ended at a static "Built-in metadata only"/install-only CTA and
- * offered no way to disable the runtime. Assert every runtime built-in exposes an interactive
- * toggle in every data state, and clicking disable on a not-installed runtime persists via
- * installPlugin + disablePlugin (the durable register-then-disable path).
+ * FNXC:PluginManager 2026-07-22-20:41:
+ * FN-8521 prevents the post-uninstall toggle from re-registering a runtime. A missing
+ * PluginInstallation has exactly one action (Install); only installed records expose toggles.
  */
-describe("PluginManager built-in runtime enable/disable toggle (FN-7629)", () => {
+describe("PluginManager built-in runtime install and enable controls (FN-8521)", () => {
   const RUNTIME_BUILTINS = BUILTIN_PLUGINS.filter((p) => p.category === "runtime");
 
   async function builtinSection() {
     return within(await screen.findByLabelText("Built-in plugin recommendations"));
   }
 
-  it("renders an interactive, checked toggle for every runtime built-in when not installed", async () => {
+  it("shows every uninstalled runtime's Install action without a toggle or orphaned toggle shell", async () => {
     vi.mocked(fetchPlugins).mockResolvedValue([]);
 
     render(<PluginManager addToast={addToast} />);
     const section = await builtinSection();
 
-    for (const runtime of RUNTIME_BUILTINS) {
-      const toggle = await section.findByRole("checkbox", { name: `Disable ${runtime.name}` });
-      expect(toggle).toBeChecked();
-      expect(toggle.closest("label.toggle-switch")).not.toBeNull();
-    }
-
-    // No dead-end "Built-in metadata only" label for any runtime built-in row
-    // (the metadata-only dead-end may still legitimately appear for non-runtime
-    // built-ins like Agent Browser, which this task does not change).
     for (const runtime of RUNTIME_BUILTINS) {
       const row = section.getByText(runtime.name).closest(".plugin-builtins-item") as HTMLElement;
-      expect(within(row).queryByText("Built-in metadata only")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+      expect(within(row).getByRole("button", { name: `Install ${runtime.name}` })).toBeVisible();
+      expect(within(row).queryByRole("checkbox")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+      expect(row.querySelector("label.toggle-switch")).toBeNull();
+      expect(row.querySelector(".toggle-slider")).toBeNull();
     }
   });
 
-  it("disabling a not-installed runtime built-in registers it then disables it (durable path)", async () => {
+  it("uses Install as the only transition from an uninstalled runtime", async () => {
     vi.mocked(fetchPlugins).mockResolvedValue([]);
-    vi.mocked(installPlugin).mockResolvedValue(builtinPlugin("fusion-plugin-hermes-runtime", true));
 
     render(<PluginManager addToast={addToast} />);
-
-    const toggle = await (await builtinSection()).findByRole("checkbox", { name: "Disable Hermes Runtime" });
-    await userEvent.click(toggle.closest("label.toggle-switch") as HTMLLabelElement);
+    const hermes = (await builtinSection()).getByText("Hermes Runtime").closest(".plugin-builtins-item") as HTMLElement;
+    await userEvent.click(within(hermes).getByRole("button", { name: "Install Hermes Runtime" }));
 
     await waitFor(() => {
       expect(installPlugin).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ path: "./plugins/fusion-plugin-hermes-runtime" }, undefined);
     });
-    await waitFor(() => {
-      expect(disablePlugin).toHaveBeenCalledWith("fusion-plugin-hermes-runtime", undefined);
-    });
+    expect(disablePlugin).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(enablePlugin).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
   it("toggles an installed, enabled runtime built-in via the standard disable path (no re-install)", async () => {
@@ -241,7 +233,7 @@ describe("PluginManager built-in runtime enable/disable toggle (FN-7629)", () =>
     expect(installPlugin).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
-  it("toggles an installed, disabled runtime built-in back on via the standard enable path", async () => {
+  it("toggles an installed, disabled runtime built-in back on via the standard enable path without installing", async () => {
     vi.mocked(fetchPlugins).mockResolvedValue([builtinPlugin("fusion-plugin-openclaw-runtime", false)]);
 
     render(<PluginManager addToast={addToast} />);
@@ -253,5 +245,6 @@ describe("PluginManager built-in runtime enable/disable toggle (FN-7629)", () =>
     await waitFor(() => {
       expect(enablePlugin).toHaveBeenCalledWith("fusion-plugin-openclaw-runtime", undefined);
     });
+    expect(installPlugin).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 });