diff --git a/Dalamud/Plugin/Internal/PluginManager.cs b/Dalamud/Plugin/Internal/PluginManager.cs
index dc658792c..ac808df89 100644
--- a/Dalamud/Plugin/Internal/PluginManager.cs
+++ b/Dalamud/Plugin/Internal/PluginManager.cs
@@ -444,6 +444,11 @@ internal partial class PluginManager : IDisposable, IServiceType
                         continue;
 
                     var manifest = LocalPluginManifest.Load(manifestFile);
+                    if (manifest == null)
+                    {
+                        Log.Error("Manifest for plugin at {Path} was null", dllFile.FullName);
+                        continue;
+                    }
 
                     if (manifest.IsTestingExclusive && this.configuration.PluginTestingOptIns!.All(x => x.InternalName != manifest.InternalName))
                         this.configuration.PluginTestingOptIns.Add(new PluginTestingOptIn(manifest.InternalName));
@@ -490,9 +495,20 @@ internal partial class PluginManager : IDisposable, IServiceType
         {
             try
             {
-                // Manifests are not required for devPlugins. the Plugin type will handle any null manifests.
+                // Manifests are now required for devPlugins
                 var manifestFile = LocalPluginManifest.GetManifestFile(dllFile);
-                var manifest = manifestFile.Exists ? LocalPluginManifest.Load(manifestFile) : null;
+                if (!manifestFile.Exists)
+                {
+                    Log.Information("DLL at {DllPath} has no manifest, this is no longer valid", dllFile.FullName);
+                    continue;
+                }
+            
+                var manifest = LocalPluginManifest.Load(manifestFile);
+                if (manifest == null)
+                {
+                    Log.Information("Could not deserialize manifest for DLL at {DllPath}", dllFile.FullName);
+                    continue;
+                }
 
                 if (manifest != null && manifest.InternalName.IsNullOrEmpty())
                 {
@@ -721,9 +737,20 @@ internal partial class PluginManager : IDisposable, IServiceType
                     continue;
             }
 
-            // Manifests are not required for devPlugins. the Plugin type will handle any null manifests.
+            // Manifests are now required for devPlugins
             var manifestFile = LocalPluginManifest.GetManifestFile(dllFile);
-            var manifest = manifestFile.Exists ? LocalPluginManifest.Load(manifestFile) : null;
+            if (!manifestFile.Exists)
+            {
+                Log.Information("DLL at {DllPath} has no manifest, this is no longer valid", dllFile.FullName);
+                continue;
+            }
+            
+            var manifest = LocalPluginManifest.Load(manifestFile);
+            if (manifest == null)
+            {
+                Log.Information("Could not deserialize manifest for DLL at {DllPath}", dllFile.FullName);
+                continue;
+            }
 
             try
             {
@@ -738,7 +765,7 @@ internal partial class PluginManager : IDisposable, IServiceType
             }
             catch (Exception ex)
             {
-                Log.Error(ex, $"During devPlugin scan, an unexpected error occurred");
+                Log.Error(ex, "During devPlugin scan, an unexpected error occurred");
             }
         }
 
@@ -1274,7 +1301,7 @@ internal partial class PluginManager : IDisposable, IServiceType
     /// <param name="isBoot">If this plugin is being loaded at boot.</param>
     /// <param name="doNotLoad">Don't load the plugin, just don't do it.</param>
     /// <returns>The loaded plugin.</returns>
-    private async Task<LocalPlugin> LoadPluginAsync(FileInfo dllFile, LocalPluginManifest? manifest, PluginLoadReason reason, bool isDev = false, bool isBoot = false, bool doNotLoad = false)
+    private async Task<LocalPlugin> LoadPluginAsync(FileInfo dllFile, LocalPluginManifest manifest, PluginLoadReason reason, bool isDev = false, bool isBoot = false, bool doNotLoad = false)
     {
         var name = manifest?.Name ?? dllFile.Name;
         var loadPlugin = !doNotLoad;
diff --git a/Dalamud/Plugin/Internal/Types/LocalPlugin.cs b/Dalamud/Plugin/Internal/Types/LocalPlugin.cs
index d36cb585d..5d132fd9c 100644
--- a/Dalamud/Plugin/Internal/Types/LocalPlugin.cs
+++ b/Dalamud/Plugin/Internal/Types/LocalPlugin.cs
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ internal class LocalPlugin : IDisposable
     /// </summary>
     /// <param name="dllFile">Path to the DLL file.</param>
     /// <param name="manifest">The plugin manifest.</param>
-    public LocalPlugin(FileInfo dllFile, LocalPluginManifest? manifest)
+    public LocalPlugin(FileInfo dllFile, LocalPluginManifest manifest)
     {
         if (dllFile.Name == "FFXIVClientStructs.Generators.dll")
         {
@@ -66,30 +66,7 @@ internal class LocalPlugin : IDisposable
 
         // Although it is conditionally used here, we need to set the initial value regardless.
         this.manifestFile = LocalPluginManifest.GetManifestFile(this.DllFile);
-
-        // If the parameter manifest was null
-        if (manifest == null)
-        {
-            this.manifest = new LocalPluginManifest()
-            {
-                Author = "developer",
-                Name = Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(this.DllFile.Name),
-                InternalName = Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(this.DllFile.Name),
-                AssemblyVersion = new Version("1.0.0.0"),
-                Description = string.Empty,
-                ApplicableVersion = GameVersion.Any,
-                DalamudApiLevel = PluginManager.DalamudApiLevel,
-                IsHide = false,
-            };
-
-            // Save the manifest to disk so there won't be any problems later.
-            // We'll update the name property after it can be retrieved from the instance.
-            this.manifest.Save(this.manifestFile, "manifest was null");
-        }
-        else
-        {
-            this.manifest = manifest;
-        }
+        this.manifest = manifest;
 
         var needsSaveDueToLegacyFiles = false;
 
diff --git a/Dalamud/Plugin/Internal/Types/PluginDef.cs b/Dalamud/Plugin/Internal/Types/PluginDef.cs
index 049e58d7d..25cd82423 100644
--- a/Dalamud/Plugin/Internal/Types/PluginDef.cs
+++ b/Dalamud/Plugin/Internal/Types/PluginDef.cs
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ internal struct PluginDef
     /// <param name="dllFile">plugin dll file.</param>
     /// <param name="manifest">plugin manifest.</param>
     /// <param name="isDev">plugin dev indicator.</param>
-    public PluginDef(FileInfo dllFile, LocalPluginManifest? manifest, bool isDev)
+    public PluginDef(FileInfo dllFile, LocalPluginManifest manifest, bool isDev)
     {
         this.DllFile = dllFile;
         this.Manifest = manifest;
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ internal struct PluginDef
     /// <summary>
     /// Gets plugin manifest.
     /// </summary>
-    public LocalPluginManifest? Manifest { get; init; }
+    public LocalPluginManifest Manifest { get; init; }
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Gets a value indicating whether plugin is a dev plugin.