diff --git a/archivebox/cli/archivebox_version.py b/archivebox/cli/archivebox_version.py
index 12ddcb70..f313066e 100755
--- a/archivebox/cli/archivebox_version.py
+++ b/archivebox/cli/archivebox_version.py
@@ -355,13 +355,19 @@ def version(
                 ):
                     continue
 
-                any_rows = True
                 installed = db_binaries.get(logical_name) if db_available else None
                 if _binary_record_matches_runtime(installed, config.ABXPKG_LIB_DIR):
                     abspath = installed.abspath
                     version_str = (installed.version or "unknown")[:15]
                     provider = (installed.binprovider or "env")[:8]
                     valid = True
+                elif not plugin_enabled and not requested_names:
+                    # `archivebox version` is expected to verify the active runtime, not
+                    # cold-load every optional plugin provider. Migration and status
+                    # checks often run with PLUGINS narrowed to a tiny set; resolving
+                    # disabled plugin binaries there can spend most of the command on
+                    # providers the current collection will never execute.
+                    continue
                 else:
                     loaded = load_binary(actual_record)
                     abspath = str(loaded.loaded_abspath or "")
@@ -369,6 +375,7 @@ def version(
                     provider = (loaded.loaded_binprovider.name if loaded.loaded_binprovider else "env")[:8]
                     valid = loaded.is_valid
 
+                any_rows = True
                 if valid:
                     display_path = (
                         _format_binary_abspath(
diff --git a/archivebox/tests/test_cli_version.py b/archivebox/tests/test_cli_version.py
index 99e71516..23ebad4c 100644
--- a/archivebox/tests/test_cli_version.py
+++ b/archivebox/tests/test_cli_version.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import tempfile
 from pathlib import Path
 from archivebox.config.paths import tmp_dir_socket_path_is_short_enough
 from archivebox.cli.archivebox_version import _binary_row_dedupe_key
-from archivebox.tests.conftest import run_archivebox_cmd
+from archivebox.tests.conftest import cli_env, run_archivebox_cmd
 
 
 def _make_deep_collection_dir(tmp_path: Path) -> Path:
@@ -126,6 +126,23 @@ def test_version_shows_binaries_after_init(tmp_path, initialized_archive):
     assert "Binary" in output or "Dependencies" in output
 
 
+def test_version_skips_disabled_plugin_binary_resolution(tmp_path):
+    """Disabled plugins should not trigger live binary detection during version."""
+    data_dir = tmp_path / "no-plugins"
+    data_dir.mkdir()
+    env = cli_env(PLUGINS="__archivebox_test_no_plugins__")
+
+    init_result = run_archivebox_cmd(["init"], cwd=data_dir, env=env)
+    assert init_result.returncode == 0, init_result.stderr
+
+    version_result = run_archivebox_cmd(["version"], cwd=data_dir, env=env)
+    output = version_result.stdout + version_result.stderr
+
+    assert version_result.returncode == 0, output
+    assert "No required binaries declared for discovered plugins" in output
+    assert "not installed" not in output
+
+
 def test_version_shows_data_locations(tmp_path, initialized_archive):
     """Test that version shows data directory locations."""
     result = run_archivebox_cmd(["version"])