diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/restheart/plugins/PluginsClassloader.java b/core/src/main/java/org/restheart/plugins/PluginsClassloader.java
index 746a3508b..5de36688a 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/restheart/plugins/PluginsClassloader.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/restheart/plugins/PluginsClassloader.java
@@ -52,6 +52,10 @@ public static void init(URL[] jars) {
         }
     }
 
+    public static boolean isInitialized() {
+        return SINGLETON != null;
+    }
+
     private final URLClassLoader pluginsClassLoader;
 
     private PluginsClassloader(URL[] jars) throws IOException {
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/restheart/plugins/PluginsScanner.java b/core/src/main/java/org/restheart/plugins/PluginsScanner.java
index 20c3d985b..b1f86a496 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/restheart/plugins/PluginsScanner.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/restheart/plugins/PluginsScanner.java
@@ -93,6 +93,9 @@ public class PluginsScanner {
         RuntimeClassGraph rtcg = null;
 
         if (NativeImageBuildTimeChecker.isBuildTime()) {
+            if (!PluginsClassloader.isInitialized()) {
+                PluginsClassloader.init(new URL[0]);
+            }
             classGraph = new ClassGraph().disableModuleScanning() // added for GraalVM
                 .disableDirScanning() // added for GraalVM
                 .disableNestedJarScanning() // added for GraalVM
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/restheart/plugins/PluginsTest.java b/core/src/test/java/org/restheart/plugins/PluginsTest.java
index 80e2a8cda..9cc6dd114 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/restheart/plugins/PluginsTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/restheart/plugins/PluginsTest.java
@@ -123,7 +123,9 @@ public void validProviders() {
     }
 
     private static MockedStatic<PluginsScanner> mockPluginsScanner(List<PluginDescriptor> providerDescriptors) {
-        PluginsClassloader.init(new URL[0]);
+        if (!PluginsClassloader.isInitialized()) {
+            PluginsClassloader.init(new URL[0]);
+        }
         var scanner = mockStatic(PluginsScanner.class);
         scanner.when(PluginsScanner::providers).thenReturn(providerDescriptors);
         return scanner;