diff --git a/packages/plugin-sdk/cli/commands/validate.mjs b/packages/plugin-sdk/cli/commands/validate.mjs
index 60591114c..df9fd1ecc 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-sdk/cli/commands/validate.mjs
+++ b/packages/plugin-sdk/cli/commands/validate.mjs
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ import fs from "node:fs";
 import path from "node:path";
 import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
 import { readManifest } from "../lib/plugin-dir.mjs";
-import { LEGACY_TABLE_OWNERS as LEGACY_TABLES } from "../../dist/db.js";
-import { collectOwnedIndexes, findUnownedTableWrites } from "../../dist/ddl.js";
 
 /**
  * The manifest rules live in src/manifest.ts, which the server uses too, so
@@ -37,7 +35,9 @@ export async function validate({ cwd }) {
     }
   }
 
-  problems.push(...validateMigrations(cwd, raw.id ?? path.basename(cwd)));
+  problems.push(
+    ...(await validateMigrations(cwd, raw.id ?? path.basename(cwd))),
+  );
   problems.push(...validateNativeDependencies(cwd, raw));
   problems.push(...validatePackage(cwd, raw));
 
@@ -115,7 +115,12 @@ const DIALECTS = ["sqlite", "postgres", "mysql"];
  * never ran this command. Here it is a build-time error with a file name
  * attached, rather than a plugin that fails to activate later.
  */
-function validateMigrations(cwd, pluginId) {
+async function validateMigrations(cwd, pluginId) {
+  const { LEGACY_TABLE_OWNERS: LEGACY_TABLES } =
+    await import("../../dist/db.js");
+  const { collectOwnedIndexes, findUnownedTableWrites } =
+    await import("../../dist/ddl.js");
+
   const problems = [];
   const legacy = new Set(
     Object.entries(LEGACY_TABLES)
diff --git a/scripts/plugin-cli-bootstrap.test.ts b/scripts/plugin-cli-bootstrap.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..98cd62916
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/plugin-cli-bootstrap.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import fs from "node:fs";
+import os from "node:os";
+import path from "node:path";
+import { spawnSync } from "node:child_process";
+
+const roots: string[] = [];
+afterEach(() => {
+  for (const root of roots.splice(0))
+    fs.rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true });
+});
+
+function fixture() {
+  const root = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "termix-cli-bootstrap-"));
+  roots.push(root);
+  const repo = path.resolve(import.meta.dirname, "..");
+  fs.cpSync(
+    path.join(repo, "packages/plugin-sdk/cli"),
+    path.join(root, "packages/plugin-sdk/cli"),
+    { recursive: true },
+  );
+  fs.symlinkSync(
+    path.join(repo, "node_modules"),
+    path.join(root, "node_modules"),
+    "dir",
+  );
+  fs.mkdirSync(path.join(root, "scripts"));
+  fs.copyFileSync(
+    path.join(repo, "scripts/apply-plugin-patches.cjs"),
+    path.join(root, "scripts/apply-plugin-patches.cjs"),
+  );
+  const plugin = path.join(root, "plugins/fixture");
+  fs.mkdirSync(path.join(plugin, "patches"), { recursive: true });
+  fs.writeFileSync(
+    path.join(plugin, "manifest.json"),
+    JSON.stringify({ id: "fixture" }),
+  );
+  fs.writeFileSync(
+    path.join(plugin, "package.json"),
+    JSON.stringify({ name: "fixture" }),
+  );
+  fs.writeFileSync(
+    path.join(plugin, "patches/check.cjs"),
+    'require("node:fs").writeFileSync("patched", "ok");',
+  );
+  const run = (...args: string[]) =>
+    spawnSync(process.execPath, args, { cwd: plugin, encoding: "utf8" });
+  return {
+    root,
+    plugin,
+    run,
+    cli: path.join(root, "packages/plugin-sdk/cli/index.mjs"),
+  };
+}
+
+describe("plugin CLI before the SDK is built", () => {
+  it("runs the postinstall plugin patches without SDK dist files", () => {
+    const { root, plugin, run } = fixture();
+    expect(fs.existsSync(path.join(root, "packages/plugin-sdk/dist"))).toBe(
+      false,
+    );
+    const result = run(path.join(root, "scripts/apply-plugin-patches.cjs"));
+    expect(result.status, result.stderr).toBe(0);
+    expect(fs.readFileSync(path.join(plugin, "patched"), "utf8")).toBe("ok");
+  });
+  it("prints help without SDK dist files", () => {
+    const { cli, run } = fixture();
+    const result = run(cli, "--help");
+    expect(result.status, result.stderr).toBe(0);
+    expect(result.stdout).toContain("Usage: termix-plugin");
+  });
+  it("still requires a built SDK for validation with an actionable error", () => {
+    const { cli, run } = fixture();
+    const result = run(cli, "validate");
+    expect(result.status).toBe(1);
+    expect(result.stderr).toContain("Run: npm run build:sdk");
+    expect(result.stderr).not.toContain("ERR_MODULE_NOT_FOUND");
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/ui/sidebar/tree/HostItem/HostItem.tsx b/src/ui/sidebar/tree/HostItem/HostItem.tsx
index 7e0b1a5bf..9d4db9d20 100644
--- a/src/ui/sidebar/tree/HostItem/HostItem.tsx
+++ b/src/ui/sidebar/tree/HostItem/HostItem.tsx
@@ -1167,18 +1167,11 @@ export function HostItem({
               </Tooltip>
             </TooltipProvider>
           )}
-          {isCompact &&
-            !selectionMode &&
-            !shouldUseClickTray &&
-            !actionsOnly && (
-              <span
-                className={`text-[11px] text-muted-foreground/70 truncate leading-none ml-auto shrink-0 ${hoverTrayOpen ? "hidden" : ""}`}
-              >
-                {host.ip}
-              </span>
-            )}
-          {isCompact && selectionMode && (
-            <span className="text-[11px] text-muted-foreground/70 truncate leading-none ml-auto shrink-0">
+          {isCompact && (
+            <span
+              className="text-[11px] text-muted-foreground/70 truncate leading-none ml-auto max-w-[50%] shrink-0"
+              title={host.ip}
+            >
               {host.ip}
             </span>
           )}
diff --git a/src/ui/tests/sidebar/tree/HostItem/HostItem.test.tsx b/src/ui/tests/sidebar/tree/HostItem/HostItem.test.tsx
index b6f651570..30a4c6b79 100644
--- a/src/ui/tests/sidebar/tree/HostItem/HostItem.test.tsx
+++ b/src/ui/tests/sidebar/tree/HostItem/HostItem.test.tsx
@@ -187,6 +187,30 @@ describe("HostItem density parity", () => {
     },
   );
 
+  it.each(["hover", "click", "always", "actionsOnly"] as const)(
+    "keeps the compact host address visible with %s actions",
+    (trayTrigger) => {
+      const props = {
+        host: baseHost,
+        onOpenTab: noop,
+        onDelete: noop,
+        onDuplicate: noop,
+        density: "compact" as const,
+        trayTrigger,
+      };
+      const { rerender } = render(<HostItem {...props} />);
+      expect(screen.getByText(baseHost.ip).classList.contains("hidden")).toBe(
+        false,
+      );
+      rerender(<HostItem {...props} isHovered />);
+      expect(screen.getByText(baseHost.ip).classList.contains("hidden")).toBe(
+        false,
+      );
+      rerender(<HostItem {...props} isTrayOpen selectionMode />);
+      expect(screen.getAllByText(baseHost.ip)).toHaveLength(1);
+    },
+  );
+
   it("shows tags in both densities when showTags is true", () => {
     renderHostItem("comfortable");
     expect(screen.getByText("prod")).toBeTruthy();