diff --git a/apps/server/src/services/plugins/builtin-registry.ts b/apps/server/src/services/plugins/builtin-registry.ts
index 1bb78d2e87..0e24fc8bb0 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/services/plugins/builtin-registry.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/services/plugins/builtin-registry.ts
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ export const BUILTIN_PLUGINS = [
   {
     name: "plugin-api-docs",
     pluginId: "plugin-api-docs",
-    defaultEnabled: true,
+    defaultEnabled: false,
     category: "Developer tools",
   },
   {
diff --git a/apps/server/test/services/plugins/builtin-plugins.test.ts b/apps/server/test/services/plugins/builtin-plugins.test.ts
index 93089d1f6a..acea0d68c6 100644
--- a/apps/server/test/services/plugins/builtin-plugins.test.ts
+++ b/apps/server/test/services/plugins/builtin-plugins.test.ts
@@ -472,6 +472,31 @@ describe("builtin plugin reconciliation", () => {
     expect(monacoEditor?.defaultEnabled).toBe(false);
   });
 
+  it("ships the Plugin Guide disabled on a fresh database", async () => {
+    const pluginGuide = BUILTIN_PLUGINS.find(
+      (builtin) => builtin.name === "plugin-api-docs",
+    );
+    expect(pluginGuide?.defaultEnabled).toBe(false);
+
+    service = createService({
+      db,
+      dataDir: join(workDir, "data"),
+      builtinName: "plugin-api-docs",
+      defaultEnabled: pluginGuide?.defaultEnabled,
+      rootDir: resolveBuiltinPluginRootPath("plugin-api-docs"),
+    });
+    await service.start();
+
+    expect(service.list()).toMatchObject([
+      {
+        id: "plugin-api-docs",
+        source: "builtin:plugin-api-docs",
+        enabled: false,
+        status: "disabled",
+      },
+    ]);
+  });
+
   it("ships Workflows disabled on a fresh database", async () => {
     const workflows = BUILTIN_PLUGINS.find(
       (builtin) => builtin.name === "workflows",
diff --git a/packages/bb-app/scripts/smoke-tarball.mjs b/packages/bb-app/scripts/smoke-tarball.mjs
index 4a7ba383ae..5b2745eac8 100644
--- a/packages/bb-app/scripts/smoke-tarball.mjs
+++ b/packages/bb-app/scripts/smoke-tarball.mjs
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ const EXPECTED_RUNNING_BUILTIN_PLUGINS = [
   "inline-vis",
   "keep-awake",
   "pdf-preview",
-  "plugin-api-docs",
   "provider-retry",
   "secrets",
 ];