diff --git a/docs/omarchy-shell.md b/docs/omarchy-shell.md
index 0b9601ad..e90282d5 100644
--- a/docs/omarchy-shell.md
+++ b/docs/omarchy-shell.md
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ The lower-level IPC methods remain available through `omarchy-shell shell ...`.
 
 ## Elsewhen
 
-Elsewhen (`omacom.elsewhen`) ships in the `elsewhen` package at `/usr/share/omarchy/shell/plugins/omacom.elsewhen`, where the shell discovers it automatically. New installs place it immediately before the clock; the migration uses `omarchy bar put omacom.elsewhen --before omarchy.clock`, which preserves an existing placement and uses Elsewhen's normal right-side placement if the clock is absent. Existing plugin directories and symlinks are left intact. The normal update flow restarts the shell after migrations; the migration does not interrupt plugin loading with an immediate restart.
+Elsewhen (`omacom.elsewhen`) ships in the `elsewhen` package at `/usr/share/omarchy/shell/plugins/omacom.elsewhen`, where the shell discovers it automatically. New installs place it immediately before the clock; the migration uses `omarchy bar put omacom.elsewhen --before omarchy.clock`, which preserves an existing placement and uses Elsewhen's normal right-side placement if the clock is absent. Existing plugin directories and symlinks are left intact. The normal update flow restarts the shell after migrations; the migration does not interrupt plugin loading with an immediate restart. With no shell to ask, as in an update from a TTY, the migration installs the package and skips the placement rather than failing the update; `omarchy bar put omacom.elsewhen --before omarchy.clock` places the widget later.
 
 ## IPC
 
diff --git a/migrations/1789581661.sh b/migrations/1789581661.sh
index ad0dfd5e..8dce1c3e 100644
--- a/migrations/1789581661.sh
+++ b/migrations/1789581661.sh
@@ -2,13 +2,22 @@ echo "Install Elsewhen, the world clock plugin"
 
 omarchy-pkg-add elsewhen
 
-# Dev checkouts do not contain plugins installed by system packages.
 packaged_plugin="/usr/share/omarchy/shell/plugins/omacom.elsewhen"
 user_plugin="$HOME/.config/omarchy/plugins/omacom.elsewhen"
+
+# The package moved from plugins/ to shell/plugins/ once, stranding the link an
+# earlier run made to the old path. A link the user made is left alone.
+if [[ -L $user_plugin && ! -e $user_plugin && $(readlink "$user_plugin") == /usr/share/omarchy/* && -d $packaged_plugin ]]; then
+  ln -sfn "$packaged_plugin" "$user_plugin"
+fi
+
+# Dev checkouts do not contain plugins installed by system packages.
 if [[ ! $OMARCHY_PATH -ef /usr/share/omarchy && -d $packaged_plugin && ! -e $user_plugin && ! -L $user_plugin ]]; then
   mkdir -p "${user_plugin%/*}"
   ln -s "$packaged_plugin" "$user_plugin"
 fi
 
-omarchy-shell shell rescanPlugins
+# Best-effort, like the put below: an update whose shell cannot be asked still
+# finishes, and restarts the shell once the migrations are through.
+omarchy-shell -q shell rescanPlugins
 omarchy-bar put omacom.elsewhen --before omarchy.clock
diff --git a/test/shell.d/elsewhen-default-migration-test.sh b/test/shell.d/elsewhen-default-migration-test.sh
index 0c2565f4..78dc69a9 100644
--- a/test/shell.d/elsewhen-default-migration-test.sh
+++ b/test/shell.d/elsewhen-default-migration-test.sh
@@ -18,7 +18,17 @@ SH
 cat >"$test_dir/bin/omarchy-shell" <<'SH'
 #!/bin/bash
 printf '%s\n' "$*" >>"$CALL_LOG"
-[[ $2 != "rescanPlugins" ]] || exit "${SCAN_STATUS:-0}"
+quiet=0
+if [[ $1 == "-q" ]]; then
+  quiet=1
+  shift
+fi
+if [[ ${SHELL_ABSENT:-0} == 1 ]]; then
+  (( quiet )) && exit 0
+  echo "omarchy-shell is not running" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+[[ $2 != "rescanPlugins" ]] || exit 0
 printf '%s\n' "${TEST_PUT_RESULT:-ok}"
 SH
 cat >"$test_dir/bin/omarchy-restart-shell" <<'SH'
@@ -50,7 +60,7 @@ run_migration
 [[ ! -e $ROOT/config/omarchy/plugins/omacom.elsewhen && ! -L $ROOT/config/omarchy/plugins/omacom.elsewhen ]] || fail "fresh installs do not ship a user plugin link"
 pass "migration and fresh installs rely on the packaged plugin directory"
 
-expected=$'package elsewhen\nshell rescanPlugins\nshell putBarWidget omacom.elsewhen {"before":"omarchy.clock"}'
+expected=$'package elsewhen\n-q shell rescanPlugins\nshell putBarWidget omacom.elsewhen {"before":"omarchy.clock"}'
 [[ $(cat "$CALL_LOG") == "$expected" ]] || fail "install, scan and placement run in order" "$(cat "$CALL_LOG")"
 pass "real bar helper enables and places before the clock without restarting during reload"
 
@@ -80,10 +90,33 @@ run_migration "$ROOT"
 [[ $(readlink "$plugin") == "$test_dir/custom-plugin" ]] || fail "existing symlink is preserved"
 pass "existing symlink is preserved, including a missing target"
 
-for failure in 'SCAN_STATUS=1' 'TEST_PUT_RESULT=unknown'; do
-  if env "$failure" HOME="$test_dir/home" OMARCHY_PATH="$ROOT" PATH="$test_dir/bin:$ROOT/bin:$PATH" \
-    bash -euo pipefail "$test_dir/migration.sh" >"$test_dir/output" 2>&1; then
-    fail "$failure must leave the migration pending"
-  fi
-  pass "$failure leaves the migration pending"
+# An earlier revision, and a symlink once shipped under config/, pointed every
+# install at the package's old path.
+for tree in "$ROOT" "$test_dir/packaged"; do
+  ln -sfn "$test_dir/packaged/plugins/omacom.elsewhen" "$plugin"
+  run_migration "$tree"
+  [[ $(readlink "$plugin") == "$test_dir/packaged/shell/plugins/omacom.elsewhen" ]] ||
+    fail "a stranded link to the package's old path is re-pointed (OMARCHY_PATH=$tree)" "$(readlink "$plugin")"
 done
+pass "a stranded link to the package's old path is re-pointed on every install"
+rm "$plugin"
+
+if env TEST_PUT_RESULT=unknown HOME="$test_dir/home" OMARCHY_PATH="$ROOT" PATH="$test_dir/bin:$ROOT/bin:$PATH" \
+  bash -euo pipefail "$test_dir/migration.sh" >"$test_dir/output" 2>&1; then
+  fail "an unknown widget must leave the migration pending"
+fi
+pass "an unknown widget leaves the migration pending"
+
+# An update with no shell to ask, from a TTY or with the shell down, still
+# finishes: the package and link land, the placement is skipped, and the update
+# restarts the shell afterwards.
+rm "$plugin"
+: >"$CALL_LOG"
+if ! env SHELL_ABSENT=1 OMARCHY_SHELL_ABSENT_ATTEMPTS=1 HOME="$test_dir/home" OMARCHY_PATH="$ROOT" PATH="$test_dir/bin:$ROOT/bin:$PATH" \
+  bash -euo pipefail "$test_dir/migration.sh" >"$test_dir/output" 2>&1; then
+  fail "an absent shell must not fail the migration" "$(cat "$test_dir/output")"
+fi
+grep -q "omacom.elsewhen was not put on the bar" "$test_dir/output" || fail "an absent shell is reported" "$(cat "$test_dir/output")"
+[[ $(readlink "$plugin") == "$test_dir/packaged/shell/plugins/omacom.elsewhen" ]] || fail "the package and plugin link land without a shell"
+[[ $(cat "$CALL_LOG") == "$expected" ]] || fail "the rescan is best-effort and the put is still asked" "$(cat "$CALL_LOG")"
+pass "an absent shell leaves the update running with the package and link in place"