diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/core/app.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/core/app.ts
index 87661f8db6..72940b484a 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/core/app.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/core/app.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,12 @@ export function createApp (nuxt: Nuxt, options: Partial<NuxtApp> = {}): NuxtApp
   } as unknown as NuxtApp) as NuxtApp
 }
 
+const postTemplates = [
+  defaultTemplates.clientPluginTemplate.filename,
+  defaultTemplates.serverPluginTemplate.filename,
+  defaultTemplates.pluginsDeclaration.filename,
+]
+
 export async function generateApp (nuxt: Nuxt, app: NuxtApp, options: { filter?: (template: ResolvedNuxtTemplate<any>) => boolean } = {}) {
   // Resolve app
   await resolveApp(nuxt, app)
@@ -33,60 +39,74 @@ export async function generateApp (nuxt: Nuxt, app: NuxtApp, options: { filter?:
   // Normalize templates
   app.templates = app.templates.map(tmpl => normalizeTemplate(tmpl))
 
+  // compile plugins first as they are needed within the nuxt.vfs
+  // in order to annotate templated plugins
+  const filteredTemplates: Record<'pre' | 'post', Array<ResolvedNuxtTemplate<any>>> = {
+    pre: [],
+    post: [],
+  }
+
+  for (const template of app.templates as Array<ResolvedNuxtTemplate<any>>) {
+    if (options.filter && !options.filter(template)) { continue }
+    const key = template.filename && postTemplates.includes(template.filename) ? 'post' : 'pre'
+    filteredTemplates[key].push(template)
+  }
+
   // Compile templates into vfs
   // TODO: remove utils in v4
   const templateContext = { utils: templateUtils, nuxt, app }
-  const filteredTemplates = (app.templates as Array<ResolvedNuxtTemplate<any>>)
-    .filter(template => !options.filter || options.filter(template))
-
   const compileTemplate = nuxt.options.experimental.compileTemplate ? _compileTemplate : futureCompileTemplate
 
   const writes: Array<() => void> = []
-  await Promise.allSettled(filteredTemplates
-    .map(async (template) => {
-      const fullPath = template.dst || resolve(nuxt.options.buildDir, template.filename!)
-      const mark = performance.mark(fullPath)
-      const oldContents = nuxt.vfs[fullPath]
-      const contents = await compileTemplate(template, templateContext).catch((e) => {
-        logger.error(`Could not compile template \`${template.filename}\`.`)
-        logger.error(e)
-        throw e
+  const changedTemplates: Array<ResolvedNuxtTemplate<any>> = []
+
+  async function processTemplate (template: ResolvedNuxtTemplate) {
+    const fullPath = template.dst || resolve(nuxt.options.buildDir, template.filename!)
+    const mark = performance.mark(fullPath)
+    const oldContents = nuxt.vfs[fullPath]
+    const contents = await compileTemplate(template, templateContext).catch((e) => {
+      logger.error(`Could not compile template \`${template.filename}\`.`)
+      logger.error(e)
+      throw e
+    })
+
+    template.modified = oldContents !== contents
+    if (template.modified) {
+      nuxt.vfs[fullPath] = contents
+
+      const aliasPath = '#build/' + template.filename!.replace(/\.\w+$/, '')
+      nuxt.vfs[aliasPath] = contents
+
+      // In case a non-normalized absolute path is called for on Windows
+      if (process.platform === 'win32') {
+        nuxt.vfs[fullPath.replace(/\//g, '\\')] = contents
+      }
+
+      changedTemplates.push(template)
+    }
+
+    const perf = performance.measure(fullPath, mark?.name) // TODO: remove when Node 14 reaches EOL
+    const setupTime = perf ? Math.round((perf.duration * 100)) / 100 : 0 // TODO: remove when Node 14 reaches EOL
+
+    if (nuxt.options.debug || setupTime > 500) {
+      logger.info(`Compiled \`${template.filename}\` in ${setupTime}ms`)
+    }
+
+    if (template.modified && template.write) {
+      writes.push(() => {
+        mkdirSync(dirname(fullPath), { recursive: true })
+        writeFileSync(fullPath, contents, 'utf8')
       })
+    }
+  }
 
-      template.modified = oldContents !== contents
-      if (template.modified) {
-        nuxt.vfs[fullPath] = contents
-
-        const aliasPath = '#build/' + template.filename!.replace(/\.\w+$/, '')
-        nuxt.vfs[aliasPath] = contents
-
-        // In case a non-normalized absolute path is called for on Windows
-        if (process.platform === 'win32') {
-          nuxt.vfs[fullPath.replace(/\//g, '\\')] = contents
-        }
-      }
-
-      const perf = performance.measure(fullPath, mark?.name) // TODO: remove when Node 14 reaches EOL
-      const setupTime = perf ? Math.round((perf.duration * 100)) / 100 : 0 // TODO: remove when Node 14 reaches EOL
-
-      if (nuxt.options.debug || setupTime > 500) {
-        logger.info(`Compiled \`${template.filename}\` in ${setupTime}ms`)
-      }
-
-      if (template.modified && template.write) {
-        writes.push(() => {
-          mkdirSync(dirname(fullPath), { recursive: true })
-          writeFileSync(fullPath, contents, 'utf8')
-        })
-      }
-    }))
+  await Promise.allSettled(filteredTemplates.pre.map(processTemplate))
+  await Promise.allSettled(filteredTemplates.post.map(processTemplate))
 
   // Write template files in single synchronous step to avoid (possible) additional
   // runtime overhead of cascading HMRs from vite/webpack
   for (const write of writes) { write() }
 
-  const changedTemplates = filteredTemplates.filter(t => t.modified)
-
   if (changedTemplates.length) {
     await nuxt.callHook('app:templatesGenerated', app, changedTemplates, options)
   }