diff --git a/js/core/src/action.ts b/js/core/src/action.ts
index 30e1ac7dd..b04f5c99b 100644
--- a/js/core/src/action.ts
+++ b/js/core/src/action.ts
@@ -512,7 +512,7 @@ const runtimeContextAslKey = 'core.action.runtimeContext';
  * Checks whether the caller is currently in the runtime context of an action.
  */
 export function isInRuntimeContext(registry: Registry) {
-  return !!registry.asyncStore.getStore(runtimeContextAslKey);
+  return registry.asyncStore.getStore(runtimeContextAslKey) === 'runtime';
 }
 
 /**
@@ -521,3 +521,13 @@ export function isInRuntimeContext(registry: Registry) {
 export function runInActionRuntimeContext<R>(registry: Registry, fn: () => R) {
   return registry.asyncStore.run(runtimeContextAslKey, 'runtime', fn);
 }
+
+/**
+ * Execute the provided function outside the action runtime context.
+ */
+export function runOutsideActionRuntimeContext<R>(
+  registry: Registry,
+  fn: () => R
+) {
+  return registry.asyncStore.run(runtimeContextAslKey, 'outside', fn);
+}
diff --git a/js/core/src/plugin.ts b/js/core/src/plugin.ts
index ae5bfe340..5f5b9d1d2 100644
--- a/js/core/src/plugin.ts
+++ b/js/core/src/plugin.ts
@@ -44,52 +44,4 @@ export interface InitializedPlugin {
   telemetry?: any;
 }
 
-type PluginInit = (
-  ...args: any[]
-) => InitializedPlugin | void | Promise<InitializedPlugin | void>;
-
 export type Plugin<T extends any[]> = (...args: T) => PluginProvider;
-
-/**
- * Defines a Genkit plugin.
- */
-export function genkitPlugin<T extends PluginInit>(
-  pluginName: string,
-  initFn: T
-): Plugin<Parameters<T>> {
-  return (...args: Parameters<T>) => ({
-    name: pluginName,
-    initializer: async () => {
-      const initializedPlugin = (await initFn(...args)) || {};
-      validatePluginActions(pluginName, initializedPlugin);
-      return initializedPlugin;
-    },
-  });
-}
-
-function validatePluginActions(pluginName: string, plugin?: InitializedPlugin) {
-  if (!plugin) {
-    return;
-  }
-
-  plugin.models?.forEach((model) => validateNaming(pluginName, model));
-  plugin.retrievers?.forEach((retriever) =>
-    validateNaming(pluginName, retriever)
-  );
-  plugin.embedders?.forEach((embedder) => validateNaming(pluginName, embedder));
-  plugin.indexers?.forEach((indexer) => validateNaming(pluginName, indexer));
-  plugin.evaluators?.forEach((evaluator) =>
-    validateNaming(pluginName, evaluator)
-  );
-}
-
-function validateNaming(
-  pluginName: string,
-  action: Action<z.ZodTypeAny, z.ZodTypeAny>
-) {
-  const nameParts = action.__action.name.split('/');
-  if (nameParts[0] !== pluginName) {
-    const err = `Plugin name ${pluginName} not found in action name ${action.__action.name}. Action names must follow the pattern {pluginName}/{actionName}`;
-    throw new Error(err);
-  }
-}
diff --git a/js/core/src/registry.ts b/js/core/src/registry.ts
index 1768cb0cf..96d95ada7 100644
--- a/js/core/src/registry.ts
+++ b/js/core/src/registry.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 import { Dotprompt } from 'dotprompt';
 import { AsyncLocalStorage } from 'node:async_hooks';
 import * as z from 'zod';
-import { Action } from './action.js';
+import { Action, runOutsideActionRuntimeContext } from './action.js';
 import { GenkitError } from './error.js';
 import { logger } from './logging.js';
 import { PluginProvider } from './plugin.js';
@@ -229,7 +229,9 @@ export class Registry {
    */
   async initializePlugin(name: string) {
     if (this.pluginsByName[name]) {
-      return await this.pluginsByName[name].initializer();
+      return await runOutsideActionRuntimeContext(this, () =>
+        this.pluginsByName[name].initializer()
+      );
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/js/core/tests/action_test.ts b/js/core/tests/action_test.ts
index 76f5c1d84..bdaa419c1 100644
--- a/js/core/tests/action_test.ts
+++ b/js/core/tests/action_test.ts
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ describe('action', () => {
       registry,
       { name: 'child', actionType: 'custom' },
       async (_, { context }) => {
-        return `hi ${context.auth.email}`;
+        return `hi ${context?.auth?.email}`;
       }
     );
     const parent = defineAction(
diff --git a/js/core/tests/registry_test.ts b/js/core/tests/registry_test.ts
index 357620ca6..24d15e4ba 100644
--- a/js/core/tests/registry_test.ts
+++ b/js/core/tests/registry_test.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,11 @@
 
 import * as assert from 'assert';
 import { beforeEach, describe, it } from 'node:test';
-import { action } from '../src/action.js';
+import {
+  action,
+  defineAction,
+  runInActionRuntimeContext,
+} from '../src/action.js';
 import { Registry } from '../src/registry.js';
 
 describe('registry class', () => {
@@ -103,6 +107,32 @@ describe('registry class', () => {
       });
     });
 
+    it('should allow plugin initialization from runtime context', async () => {
+      let fooInitialized = false;
+      registry.registerPluginProvider('foo', {
+        name: 'foo',
+        async initializer() {
+          defineAction(
+            registry,
+            {
+              actionType: 'model',
+              name: 'foo/something',
+            },
+            async () => null
+          );
+          fooInitialized = true;
+          return {};
+        },
+      });
+
+      const action = await runInActionRuntimeContext(registry, () =>
+        registry.lookupAction('/model/foo/something')
+      );
+
+      assert.ok(action);
+      assert.ok(fooInitialized);
+    });
+
     it('returns all registered actions, including parent', async () => {
       const child = Registry.withParent(registry);