diff --git a/lib/charms/opensearch/v0/opensearch_backups.py b/lib/charms/opensearch/v0/opensearch_backups.py
index b686d0785..a0beb8cc9 100644
--- a/lib/charms/opensearch/v0/opensearch_backups.py
+++ b/lib/charms/opensearch/v0/opensearch_backups.py
@@ -1091,7 +1091,7 @@ def __init__(self, charm: CharmBase):
     def is_relation_set(self) -> bool:
         """Checks if the relation is set for the plugin handler."""
         relation = self._charm.model.get_relation(self._relation_name)
-        return relation and relation.units
+        return relation is not None and relation.units
 
     @property
     def _relation_name(self) -> str:
diff --git a/lib/charms/opensearch/v0/opensearch_plugin_manager.py b/lib/charms/opensearch/v0/opensearch_plugin_manager.py
index af4ee1969..2308653a3 100644
--- a/lib/charms/opensearch/v0/opensearch_plugin_manager.py
+++ b/lib/charms/opensearch/v0/opensearch_plugin_manager.py
@@ -271,7 +271,10 @@ def _install_if_needed(self, plugin: OpenSearchPlugin) -> bool:
     def _configure_if_needed(self, plugin: OpenSearchPlugin) -> bool:
         """Gathers all the configuration changes needed and applies them."""
         try:
-            if self.status(plugin) != PluginState.INSTALLED:
+            if self.status(plugin) not in [
+                PluginState.INSTALLED,
+                PluginState.DISABLED,
+            ] or not self._user_requested_to_enable(plugin):
                 # Leave this method if either user did not request to enable this plugin
                 # or plugin has been already enabled.
                 return False
@@ -283,9 +286,6 @@ def _disable_if_needed(self, plugin: OpenSearchPlugin) -> bool:
         """If disabled, removes plugin configuration or sets it to other values."""
         try:
             if self._user_requested_to_enable(plugin):
-                # Only considering "INSTALLED" or "WAITING FOR UPGRADE" status as it
-                # represents a plugin that has been installed but either not yet configured
-                # or user explicitly disabled.
                 return False
             return self.apply_config(plugin.disable())
         except KeyError as e:
@@ -400,7 +400,10 @@ def apply_config(self, config: OpenSearchPluginConfig) -> bool:  # noqa: C901
         return all(
             [
                 (config.secret_entries_to_add or config.secret_entries_to_del),
-                not cluster_settings_changed,
+                (
+                    (config.config_entries_to_add or config.config_entries_to_del)
+                    and not cluster_settings_changed
+                ),
             ]
         )
 
@@ -414,10 +417,9 @@ def status(self, plugin: OpenSearchPlugin) -> PluginState:
 
         # The _user_request_to_enable comes first, as it ensures there is a relation/config
         # set, which will be used by _is_enabled to determine if we are enabled or not.
-        if not self._user_requested_to_enable(plugin) and not self._is_enabled(plugin):
+        if not self._is_enabled(plugin):
             return PluginState.DISABLED
-
-        if self._is_enabled(plugin):
+        elif self._user_requested_to_enable(plugin):
             return PluginState.ENABLED
 
         return PluginState.INSTALLED
@@ -446,10 +448,6 @@ def _is_enabled(self, plugin: OpenSearchPlugin) -> bool:
             OpenSearchKeystoreNotReadyYetError: If the keystore is not yet ready.
         """
         try:
-            current_settings, new_conf = self._compute_settings(plugin.config())
-            if current_settings and new_conf and current_settings != new_conf:
-                return False
-
             # Avoid the keystore check as we may just be writing configuration in the files
             # while the cluster is not up and running yet.
             if plugin.config().secret_entries_to_add or plugin.config().secret_entries_to_del:
@@ -463,20 +461,22 @@ def _is_enabled(self, plugin: OpenSearchPlugin) -> bool:
                 if any(k in keys_available for k in keys_to_del):
                     return False
 
-            # Finally, check configuration files
-            if self._opensearch_config.get_plugin(plugin.config().config_entries_to_del):
-                # We should not have deleted entries in the configuration
-                return False
-            config = self._opensearch_config.get_plugin(plugin.config().config_entries_to_add)
-            if plugin.config().config_entries_to_add and (not config or config != new_conf):
-                # Have configs that should be present but cannot find them OR they have
-                # different values than expected
-                return False
+            # We always check the configuration files, as we always persist data there
+            config = {
+                k: None for k in plugin.config().config_entries_to_del
+            } | plugin.config().config_entries_to_add
+            existing_setup = self._opensearch_config.get_plugin(config)
+            return all(
+                [
+                    (k in existing_setup and config[k] == existing_setup[k])
+                    or (k not in existing_setup and config[k] is None)
+                    for k in config.keys()
+                ]
+            )
 
         except (OpenSearchKeystoreError, KeyError, OpenSearchPluginError) as e:
             logger.warning(f"_is_enabled: error with {e}")
             return False
-        return True
 
     def _needs_upgrade(self, plugin: OpenSearchPlugin) -> bool:
         """Returns true if plugin needs upgrade."""
diff --git a/tests/integration/plugins/test_plugins.py b/tests/integration/plugins/test_plugins.py
index 0fc54bb38..b1f0e0046 100644
--- a/tests/integration/plugins/test_plugins.py
+++ b/tests/integration/plugins/test_plugins.py
@@ -454,7 +454,7 @@ async def test_knn_training_search(ops_test: OpsTest) -> None:
         assert await check_cluster_formation_successful(
             ops_test, leader_unit_ip, get_application_unit_names(ops_test, app=APP_NAME)
         ), "Restart happened but cluster did not start correctly"
-        logger.info("Restart finished and was successful")
+        logger.info("Config updated and was successful")
 
         query = {
             "size": 2,