diff --git a/hermes_cli/plugins.py b/hermes_cli/plugins.py
index d9840a7e72..e6c3956b87 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/plugins.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/plugins.py
@@ -1307,6 +1307,20 @@ class PluginManager(PluginLoaderMixin, PluginDispatchMixin, PluginLedgerMixin):
         if manifests:
             logger.info("Plugin discovery complete: %d found, %d enabled", len(self._plugins),
                         sum(1 for p in self._plugins.values() if p.enabled))
+        self._refresh_plugin_compat_report(list(to_load.values()))
+
+    def _refresh_plugin_compat_report(self, manifests: List[PluginManifest]) -> None:
+        """Refresh HERMES_HOME/.plugin-compat-report.json from this discovery pass (hermes_cli.plugin_compat).
+
+        The Desktop boot modal has no Python runtime of its own and reads that file after the ``serve``
+        backend is up, so the scan must run wherever plugins are discovered — not only under the CLI
+        banner / doctor / update, which never run inside the Desktop's backend. Fail-open: never raises.
+        """
+        try:
+            from hermes_cli.plugin_compat import compat_report
+            compat_report(manifests, force=True)
+        except Exception as exc:
+            logger.debug("plugin compat report refresh skipped: %s", exc)
 
     def _gate_manifest(
         self, manifest: PluginManifest, disabled: Set[str], enabled: Optional[Set[str]],
diff --git a/tests/test_plugin_compat_notice.py b/tests/test_plugin_compat_notice.py
index e5395de5f3..fb5ef58138 100644
--- a/tests/test_plugin_compat_notice.py
+++ b/tests/test_plugin_compat_notice.py
@@ -115,3 +115,24 @@ def test_loader_skips_hitting_plugin_after_date(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
     mgr._load_plugin(real)
     loaded = next(lp for lp in mgr._plugins.values() if lp.manifest.name == "oldpaths")
     assert not loaded.enabled and loaded.error and pc.COMPAT_REMOVAL in loaded.error
+
+
+def test_discovery_refreshes_report_file(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """The Desktop modal reads the report the `serve` backend's discovery wrote — discovery itself must
+    write it (not only the CLI banner / doctor / update paths), and clear it once the plugin is fixed."""
+    from hermes_cli.plugins import PluginManager
+    monkeypatch.setattr(pc, "load_manifest", lambda: MANIFEST)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(pc, "removal_in_effect", lambda today=None: False)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(pc, "report_file_path", lambda: tmp_path / "r.json")
+    plugin = tmp_path / "plugins" / "oldpaths"; plugin.mkdir(parents=True)
+    (plugin / "plugin.yaml").write_text("name: oldpaths\nversion: 0.1\ndescription: t\n")
+    (plugin / "__init__.py").write_text("from tools.web_tools import prefers_gateway\ndef register(ctx):\n    pass\n")
+    from hermes_cli.plugins_manifest import PluginManifest
+    real = PluginManifest(name="oldpaths", version="0.1", description="t", source="user", path=str(plugin))
+    mgr = PluginManager(scope_key=str(tmp_path))
+    mgr._refresh_plugin_compat_report([real])
+    data = json.loads((tmp_path / "r.json").read_text())
+    assert list(data["plugins"]) == ["oldpaths"] and data["in_effect"] is False
+    (plugin / "__init__.py").write_text("from tools.tool_backend_helpers import prefers_gateway\ndef register(ctx):\n    pass\n")
+    mgr._refresh_plugin_compat_report([real])
+    assert not (tmp_path / "r.json").exists()