diff --git a/lib/core/pluginLoader.js b/lib/core/pluginLoader.js
index f6a9a30d1..64046d959 100644
--- a/lib/core/pluginLoader.js
+++ b/lib/core/pluginLoader.js
@@ -81,12 +81,18 @@ export async function loadPlugins(pluginNames, options, context, queue) {
           plugins.push(p);
         } catch (error) {
           // try global
-          let { default: plugin } = await importGlobalSilent(name);
-          if (plugin) {
-            let p = new plugin(options, context, queue);
-            plugins.push(p);
-          } else {
-            console.error("Couldn't load plugin %s: %s", name, error_);
+          try {
+            let { default: plugin } = await importGlobalSilent(name);
+            if (plugin) {
+              let p = new plugin(options, context, queue);
+              plugins.push(p);
+            } else {
+              console.error("Couldn't load plugin %s: %s", name, error_);
+              // if it fails here, let it fail hard
+              throw error;
+            }
+          } catch {
+            console.error("Couldn't find/load plugin %s", name);
             // if it fails here, let it fail hard
             throw error;
           }