diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 182479c4..8f83722a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ Look up words with Yomitan, export to Anki in one key, track your immersion —
 
 SubMiner runs as an invisible Electron overlay on top of mpv. Subtitles render as an interactive layer. Move your cursor over any word and trigger a [Yomitan](https://github.com/yomidevs/yomitan) lookup. Press one key to snapshot the sentence, audio, and screenshot into Anki via AnkiConnect.
 
-On Windows, the recommended playback entry point is the optional `SubMiner mpv` shortcut created during setup. First-run setup requires the mpv plugin before it can finish. The shortcut launches `mpv` with SubMiner's defaults directly, so you do not need an `mpv.conf` profile just to use it.
+First-run setup requires the mpv plugin before it can finish. On Windows, the optional `SubMiner mpv` shortcut created during setup is the recommended playback entry point because it launches `mpv` with SubMiner's defaults directly, so you do not need an `mpv.conf` profile just to use it.
 
 ## Features
 
diff --git a/changes/270-first-run-setup-requires-mpv-plugin.md b/changes/270-first-run-setup-requires-mpv-plugin.md
index afa34b41..22bbe57d 100644
--- a/changes/270-first-run-setup-requires-mpv-plugin.md
+++ b/changes/270-first-run-setup-requires-mpv-plugin.md
@@ -2,4 +2,4 @@ type: changed
 area: setup
 
 - Made mpv plugin installation mandatory in the first-run setup flow, removed the skip path, and kept Finish disabled until the plugin is installed.
-- Updated the Windows setup copy to make the `SubMiner mpv` shortcut the recommended playback entry point after setup completes.
+- Clarified that the mpv plugin requirement applies to setup on every platform, while the optional `SubMiner mpv` shortcut remains the recommended Windows playback entry point.
diff --git a/docs-site/installation.md b/docs-site/installation.md
index 3713620e..c4faa9b0 100644
--- a/docs-site/installation.md
+++ b/docs-site/installation.md
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ Install `mpv` separately and ensure `mpv.exe` is on `PATH`. `ffmpeg` is still re
 
 ### Windows Usage Notes
 
-- Launch `SubMiner.exe` once to let the first-run setup flow seed `%APPDATA%\\SubMiner\\config.jsonc`, require mpv plugin installation, open bundled Yomitan settings, and optionally create `SubMiner mpv` Start Menu/Desktop shortcuts. On Windows, that shortcut is the recommended way to launch mpv playback with SubMiner defaults.
+- Launch `SubMiner.exe` once to let the first-run setup flow seed `%APPDATA%\\SubMiner\\config.jsonc`, require mpv plugin installation, and open bundled Yomitan settings. The optional `SubMiner mpv` Start Menu/Desktop shortcut can also be created during setup, and on Windows it is the recommended way to launch mpv playback with SubMiner defaults.
 - `SubMiner.exe --launch-mpv` and the optional `SubMiner mpv` shortcut pass SubMiner's default mpv socket/subtitle args directly, including the Windows-safe subtitle search paths that skip the extra current-directory scan; they do not require an `mpv.conf` profile named `subminer`.
 - First-run mpv plugin installs pin `binary_path` to the current `SubMiner.exe` automatically. Manual plugin configs can leave `binary_path` empty unless SubMiner is installed in a non-standard location.
 - Windows plugin installs rewrite `socket_path` to `\\.\pipe\subminer-socket`; do not keep `/tmp/subminer-socket` on Windows.
diff --git a/docs-site/usage.md b/docs-site/usage.md
index de53099d..c35159ad 100644
--- a/docs-site/usage.md
+++ b/docs-site/usage.md
@@ -117,8 +117,10 @@ SubMiner.AppImage --help                  # Show all options
 
 ### Windows mpv Shortcut
 
+First-run setup requires the mpv plugin before it can finish.
+
 If you enabled the optional Windows shortcut during install, SubMiner creates a `SubMiner mpv` shortcut in the Start menu and/or on the desktop. On Windows, that shortcut is the recommended way to launch local files with SubMiner because it starts `mpv.exe` with the right defaults directly.
-First-run setup requires the mpv plugin before it can finish, so the shortcut is the normal Windows playback entry point after setup completes.
+After setup completes, the shortcut is the normal Windows playback entry point.
 
 You can use it three ways:
 
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/first-run-setup-service.test.ts b/src/main/runtime/first-run-setup-service.test.ts
index b60a86c2..5272aa2f 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/first-run-setup-service.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/first-run-setup-service.test.ts
@@ -251,6 +251,48 @@ test('setup service reopens when external-yomitan completion later has no extern
   });
 });
 
+test('setup service reopens when a completed setup no longer has the mpv plugin installed', async () => {
+  await withTempDir(async (root) => {
+    const configDir = path.join(root, 'SubMiner');
+    fs.mkdirSync(configDir, { recursive: true });
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(configDir, 'config.jsonc'), '{}');
+
+    const completedService = createFirstRunSetupService({
+      configDir,
+      getYomitanDictionaryCount: async () => 2,
+      detectPluginInstalled: () => true,
+      installPlugin: async () => ({
+        ok: true,
+        pluginInstallStatus: 'installed',
+        pluginInstallPathSummary: '/tmp/mpv',
+        message: 'ok',
+      }),
+      onStateChanged: () => undefined,
+    });
+
+    await completedService.ensureSetupStateInitialized();
+    await completedService.markSetupCompleted();
+
+    const service = createFirstRunSetupService({
+      configDir,
+      getYomitanDictionaryCount: async () => 2,
+      detectPluginInstalled: () => false,
+      installPlugin: async () => ({
+        ok: true,
+        pluginInstallStatus: 'installed',
+        pluginInstallPathSummary: null,
+        message: 'ok',
+      }),
+      onStateChanged: () => undefined,
+    });
+
+    const snapshot = await service.ensureSetupStateInitialized();
+    assert.equal(snapshot.state.status, 'incomplete');
+    assert.equal(snapshot.canFinish, false);
+    assert.equal(snapshot.pluginStatus, 'required');
+  });
+});
+
 test('setup service keeps completed when external-yomitan completion later has internal dictionaries available', async () => {
   await withTempDir(async (root) => {
     const configDir = path.join(root, 'SubMiner');
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/first-run-setup-service.ts b/src/main/runtime/first-run-setup-service.ts
index 91ccf000..42af4aee 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/first-run-setup-service.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/first-run-setup-service.ts
@@ -272,24 +272,20 @@ export function createFirstRunSetupService(deps: {
           getYomitanDictionaryCount: deps.getYomitanDictionaryCount,
           isExternalYomitanConfigured: deps.isExternalYomitanConfigured,
         });
-      const yomitanSetupSatisfied = isYomitanSetupSatisfied({
-        configReady,
-        dictionaryCount,
-        externalYomitanConfigured,
-      });
-      if (
-        isSetupCompleted(state) &&
-        !(
-          state.yomitanSetupMode === 'external' &&
-          !externalYomitanConfigured &&
-          !yomitanSetupSatisfied
-        )
-      ) {
+      const pluginInstalled = await deps.detectPluginInstalled();
+      const canFinish =
+        pluginInstalled &&
+        isYomitanSetupSatisfied({
+          configReady,
+          dictionaryCount,
+          externalYomitanConfigured,
+        });
+      if (isSetupCompleted(state) && canFinish) {
         completed = true;
         return refreshWithState(state);
       }
 
-      if (yomitanSetupSatisfied) {
+      if (canFinish) {
         const completedState = writeState({
           ...state,
           status: 'completed',