diff --git a/lib/depends.c b/lib/depends.c
index d1e30bbb6..3d70e681c 100644
--- a/lib/depends.c
+++ b/lib/depends.c
@@ -395,6 +395,11 @@ int rpmtsAddInstallElement(rpmts ts, Header h,
     int ec = 0;
     int oc = tsmem->orderCount;
 
+    if (rpmtsSetupTransactionPlugins(ts) == RPMRC_FAIL) {
+	ec = 1;
+	goto exit;
+    }
+
     /* Check for supported payload format if it's a package */
     if (key && headerCheckPayloadFormat(h) != RPMRC_OK) {
 	ec = 1;
@@ -462,6 +467,8 @@ exit:
 
 int rpmtsAddEraseElement(rpmts ts, Header h, int dboffset)
 {
+    if (rpmtsSetupTransactionPlugins(ts) == RPMRC_FAIL)
+	return 1;
     return removePackage(ts, h, NULL);
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/rpmts_internal.h b/lib/rpmts_internal.h
index 91818afe5..812a93886 100644
--- a/lib/rpmts_internal.h
+++ b/lib/rpmts_internal.h
@@ -92,6 +92,8 @@ rpmal rpmtsCreateAl(rpmts ts, rpmElementTypes types);
 RPM_GNUC_INTERNAL
 int rpmtsSolve(rpmts ts, rpmds key);
 
+RPM_GNUC_INTERNAL
+rpmRC rpmtsSetupTransactionPlugins(rpmts ts);
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/lib/transaction.c b/lib/transaction.c
index 818c6e8db..a8109da61 100644
--- a/lib/transaction.c
+++ b/lib/transaction.c
@@ -1415,13 +1415,21 @@ static int rpmtsProcess(rpmts ts)
     return rc;
 }
 
-static rpmRC rpmtsSetupTransactionPlugins(rpmts ts)
+rpmRC rpmtsSetupTransactionPlugins(rpmts ts)
 {
     rpmRC rc = RPMRC_OK;
     char *plugins = NULL, *plugin = NULL;
     const char *delims = ",";
     rpmPlugins tsplugins;
 
+    /*
+     * Assume allocated equals initialized. There are some oddball cases
+     * (verification of non-installed package) where this is not true
+     * currently but that's not a new issue.
+     */
+    if (ts->plugins != NULL)
+	return RPMRC_OK;
+
     plugins = rpmExpand("%{?__transaction_plugins}", NULL);
     if (!plugins || rstreq(plugins, "")) {
 	goto exit;
@@ -1475,10 +1483,6 @@ int rpmtsRun(rpmts ts, rpmps okProbs, rpmprobFilterFlags ignoreSet)
 	goto exit;
     }
 
-    if (rpmtsSetupTransactionPlugins(ts) == RPMRC_FAIL) {
-	goto exit;
-    }
-
     rpmtsSetupCollections(ts);
 
     /* Check package set for problems */