diff --git a/pkg/services/updatemanager/plugins.go b/pkg/services/updatemanager/plugins.go
index 79270f8a1ee..7ee11b261f9 100644
--- a/pkg/services/updatemanager/plugins.go
+++ b/pkg/services/updatemanager/plugins.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana-plugin-sdk-go/backend/httpclient"
+	"github.com/open-feature/go-sdk/openfeature"
 	"go.opentelemetry.io/otel/codes"
 
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/infra/httpclient/httpclientprovider"
@@ -96,11 +97,7 @@ func (s *PluginsService) IsDisabled() bool {
 }
 
 func (s *PluginsService) Run(ctx context.Context) error {
-	s.instrumentedCheckForUpdates(ctx)
-	//nolint:staticcheck // not yet migrated to OpenFeature
-	if s.features.IsEnabledGlobally(featuremgmt.FlagPluginsAutoUpdate) {
-		s.updateAll(ctx)
-	}
+	s.checkAndUpdate(ctx)
 
 	ticker := time.NewTicker(time.Minute * 10)
 	run := true
@@ -108,11 +105,7 @@ func (s *PluginsService) Run(ctx context.Context) error {
 	for run {
 		select {
 		case <-ticker.C:
-			s.instrumentedCheckForUpdates(ctx)
-			//nolint:staticcheck // not yet migrated to OpenFeature
-			if s.features.IsEnabledGlobally(featuremgmt.FlagPluginsAutoUpdate) {
-				s.updateAll(ctx)
-			}
+			s.checkAndUpdate(ctx)
 		case <-ctx.Done():
 			run = false
 		}
@@ -140,6 +133,14 @@ func (s *PluginsService) HasUpdate(ctx context.Context, pluginID string) (string
 	return "", false
 }
 
+// checkAndUpdate checks for updates and applies them if auto-update is enabled.
+func (s *PluginsService) checkAndUpdate(ctx context.Context) {
+	s.instrumentedCheckForUpdates(ctx)
+	if openfeature.NewDefaultClient().Boolean(ctx, featuremgmt.FlagPluginsAutoUpdate, false, openfeature.TransactionContext(ctx)) {
+		s.updateAll(ctx)
+	}
+}
+
 func (s *PluginsService) instrumentedCheckForUpdates(ctx context.Context) {
 	start := time.Now()
 	ctx, span := s.tracer.Start(ctx, "updatechecker.PluginsService.checkForUpdates")
@@ -226,8 +227,7 @@ func (s *PluginsService) canUpdate(ctx context.Context, plugin pluginstore.Plugi
 		return false
 	}
 
-	//nolint:staticcheck // not yet migrated to OpenFeature
-	if s.features.IsEnabledGlobally(featuremgmt.FlagPluginsAutoUpdate) {
+	if openfeature.NewDefaultClient().Boolean(ctx, featuremgmt.FlagPluginsAutoUpdate, false, openfeature.TransactionContext(ctx)) {
 		return s.updateChecker.CanUpdate(plugin.ID, plugin.Info.Version, gcomVersion, s.updateStrategy == setting.PluginUpdateStrategyMinor)
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/services/updatemanager/plugins_test.go b/pkg/services/updatemanager/plugins_test.go
index 0455963f168..75834c44c7d 100644
--- a/pkg/services/updatemanager/plugins_test.go
+++ b/pkg/services/updatemanager/plugins_test.go
@@ -6,8 +6,10 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
 	"strings"
+	"sync"
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/open-feature/go-sdk/openfeature"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/infra/log"
@@ -19,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/services/pluginsintegration/pluginchecker"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/services/pluginsintegration/pluginstore"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/services/pluginsintegration/provisionedplugins"
+	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/setting"
 )
 
 type mockPluginPreinstall struct {
@@ -240,6 +243,7 @@ func TestPluginUpdateChecker_checkForUpdates(t *testing.T) {
 		require.Empty(t, svc.availableUpdates["test-core-panel"])
 	})
 }
+
 func TestPluginUpdateChecker_updateAll(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("update is available", func(t *testing.T) {
 		pluginsFakeStore := map[string]string{}
@@ -300,3 +304,88 @@ func (c *fakeHTTPClient) Do(req *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
 
 	return resp, nil
 }
+
+func TestPluginsService_PluginsAutoUpdateFlag(t *testing.T) {
+	updateCheckURL, _ := url.Parse("https://grafana.com/api/plugins/versioncheck")
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name         string
+		flagEnabled  bool
+		expectUpdate bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name:         "pluginsAutoUpdate enabled calls updateAll",
+			flagEnabled:  true,
+			expectUpdate: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "pluginsAutoUpdate disabled does not call updateAll",
+			flagEnabled:  false,
+			expectUpdate: false,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			setupOpenFeatureProvider(t, tt.flagEnabled)
+
+			updateCallCount := 0
+
+			availableUpdates := map[string]availableUpdate{
+				"test-plugin": {
+					localVersion:     "0.9.0",
+					availableVersion: "1.0.0",
+				},
+			}
+
+			svc := &PluginsService{
+				availableUpdates: availableUpdates,
+				httpClient: &fakeHTTPClient{
+					fakeResp: `[]`,
+				},
+				log:            log.NewNopLogger(),
+				tracer:         tracing.InitializeTracerForTest(),
+				updateCheckURL: updateCheckURL,
+				updateChecker:  pluginchecker.ProvideService(managedplugins.NewNoop(), provisionedplugins.NewNoop(), &mockPluginPreinstall{}),
+				pluginStore:    &pluginstore.FakePluginStore{PluginList: []pluginstore.Plugin{}},
+				pluginInstaller: &pluginfakes.FakePluginInstaller{
+					AddFunc: func(ctx context.Context, pluginID, version string, opts plugins.AddOpts) error {
+						updateCallCount++
+						return nil
+					},
+				},
+				grafanaVersion: "10.0.0",
+			}
+
+			ctx := context.Background()
+			// Test the synchronous initialization work directly, without the long-running ticker loop
+			svc.checkAndUpdate(ctx)
+
+			if tt.expectUpdate {
+				require.Equal(t, updateCallCount, 1, "updateAll should be called when flag is enabled")
+			} else {
+				require.Equal(t, 0, updateCallCount, "updateAll should not be called when flag is disabled")
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+var openfeatureTestMutex sync.Mutex
+
+func setupOpenFeatureProvider(t *testing.T, flagValue bool) {
+	t.Helper()
+	openfeatureTestMutex.Lock()
+
+	err := featuremgmt.InitOpenFeature(featuremgmt.OpenFeatureConfig{
+		ProviderType: setting.StaticProviderType,
+		StaticFlags: map[string]bool{
+			featuremgmt.FlagPluginsAutoUpdate: flagValue,
+		},
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		_ = openfeature.SetProviderAndWait(openfeature.NoopProvider{})
+		openfeatureTestMutex.Unlock()
+	})
+}