diff --git a/packages/kit/package.json b/packages/kit/package.json
index 6bae02a3d2..54272eba32 100644
--- a/packages/kit/package.json
+++ b/packages/kit/package.json
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
     "pkg-types": "^1.3.0",
     "scule": "^1.3.0",
     "semver": "^7.6.3",
+    "std-env": "^3.8.0",
     "ufo": "^1.5.4",
     "unctx": "^2.4.1",
     "unimport": "^3.14.5",
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/plugin.ts b/packages/kit/src/plugin.ts
index 116721214f..b89d9642be 100644
--- a/packages/kit/src/plugin.ts
+++ b/packages/kit/src/plugin.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
+import { existsSync } from 'node:fs'
+import { isAbsolute } from 'node:path'
+import { pathToFileURL } from 'node:url'
 import { normalize } from 'pathe'
 import type { NuxtPlugin, NuxtPluginTemplate } from '@nuxt/schema'
-import { useNuxt } from './context'
+import { resolvePathSync } from 'mlly'
+import { isWindows } from 'std-env'
+import { tryUseNuxt, useNuxt } from './context'
 import { addTemplate } from './template'
 import { resolveAlias } from './resolve'
 import { MODE_RE } from './utils'
@@ -8,6 +13,7 @@ import { MODE_RE } from './utils'
 /**
  * Normalize a nuxt plugin object
  */
+const pluginSymbol = Symbol.for('nuxt plugin')
 export function normalizePlugin (plugin: NuxtPlugin | string): NuxtPlugin {
   // Normalize src
   if (typeof plugin === 'string') {
@@ -16,6 +22,10 @@ export function normalizePlugin (plugin: NuxtPlugin | string): NuxtPlugin {
     plugin = { ...plugin }
   }
 
+  if (pluginSymbol in plugin) {
+    return plugin
+  }
+
   if (!plugin.src) {
     throw new Error('Invalid plugin. src option is required: ' + JSON.stringify(plugin))
   }
@@ -23,6 +33,14 @@ export function normalizePlugin (plugin: NuxtPlugin | string): NuxtPlugin {
   // Normalize full path to plugin
   plugin.src = normalize(resolveAlias(plugin.src))
 
+  if (!existsSync(plugin.src) && isAbsolute(plugin.src)) {
+    try {
+      plugin.src = resolvePathSync(isWindows ? pathToFileURL(plugin.src).href : plugin.src, { extensions: tryUseNuxt()?.options.extensions })
+    } catch {
+      // ignore errors as the file may be in the nuxt vfs
+    }
+  }
+
   // Normalize mode
   if (plugin.ssr) {
     plugin.mode = 'server'
@@ -32,6 +50,9 @@ export function normalizePlugin (plugin: NuxtPlugin | string): NuxtPlugin {
     plugin.mode = mode as 'all' | 'client' | 'server'
   }
 
+  // @ts-expect-error not adding symbol to types to avoid conflicts
+  plugin[pluginSymbol] = true
+
   return plugin
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/test/app.test.ts b/packages/nuxt/test/app.test.ts
index 1bdcb5f8aa..40ba3b75bf 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/test/app.test.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/test/app.test.ts
@@ -292,6 +292,8 @@ async function getResolvedApp (files: Array<string | { name: string, contents: s
   }
   for (const plugin of app.plugins) {
     plugin.src = normaliseToRepo(plugin.src)!
+    // @ts-expect-error untyped symbol
+    delete plugin[Symbol.for('nuxt plugin')]
   }
   for (const mw of app.middleware) {
     mw.path = normaliseToRepo(mw.path)!
diff --git a/pnpm-lock.yaml b/pnpm-lock.yaml
index 3c647ac444..c160d1208b 100644
--- a/pnpm-lock.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-lock.yaml
@@ -242,6 +242,9 @@ importers:
       semver:
         specifier: ^7.6.3
         version: 7.6.3
+      std-env:
+        specifier: ^3.8.0
+        version: 3.8.0
       ufo:
         specifier: 1.5.4
         version: 1.5.4