diff --git a/lib/plugin-capabilities.js b/lib/plugin-capabilities.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e1839e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/plugin-capabilities.js
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+export function createVirtualDisplayRegistry(defaultFactory) {
+  let provider = { name: 'core', factory: defaultFactory };
+
+  return {
+    register(pluginName, factory) {
+      if (typeof factory !== 'function') {
+        throw new TypeError(`virtual display provider for plugin "${pluginName}" must be a function`);
+      }
+      if (provider.name !== 'core') {
+        const error = new Error(
+          `virtual display provider conflict: "${provider.name}" already owns the capability; "${pluginName}" cannot also provide it`
+        );
+        error.code = 'plugin_capability_conflict';
+        throw error;
+      }
+      provider = { name: pluginName, factory };
+    },
+
+    create() {
+      return provider.factory();
+    },
+
+    get owner() {
+      return provider.name;
+    },
+  };
+}
diff --git a/lib/plugins.js b/lib/plugins.js
index 6db2947..282eeb3 100644
--- a/lib/plugins.js
+++ b/lib/plugins.js
@@ -140,8 +140,8 @@ export function createPluginEvents() {
  * Load and register all plugins from plugins/<name>/index.js.
  *
  * @param {object} app - Express app
- * @param {object} ctx - Plugin context: { sessions, config, log, events, auth, ensureBrowser, getSession, destroySession }
- *                       Mutable -- plugins can replace ctx.createVirtualDisplay etc.
+ * @param {object} ctx - Shared plugin context. Each registration receives `ctx.plugin`,
+ *                       containing that plugin's name, settings, and scoped capabilities.
  * @returns {string[]} - Names of loaded plugins
  */
 export async function loadPlugins(app, ctx, options = {}) {
@@ -191,10 +191,19 @@ export async function loadPlugins(app, ctx, options = {}) {
       }
 
       const pluginConfig = pluginConfigs.get(name) || {};
-      await register(app, ctx, pluginConfig);
+      const pluginCtx = Object.create(ctx);
+      pluginCtx.plugin = {
+        name,
+        settings: pluginConfig,
+        registerVirtualDisplayProvider(factory) {
+          return ctx.registerVirtualDisplayProvider(name, factory);
+        },
+      };
+      await register(app, pluginCtx, pluginConfig);
       loaded.push(name);
       ctx.log('info', 'plugin loaded', { plugin: name });
     } catch (err) {
+      if (err?.code === 'plugin_capability_conflict') throw err;
       ctx.log('error', 'plugin load failed', { plugin: name, error: err.message, stack: err.stack });
     }
   }
diff --git a/plugins/vnc/AGENTS.md b/plugins/vnc/AGENTS.md
index b5edfe9..29f8ac0 100644
--- a/plugins/vnc/AGENTS.md
+++ b/plugins/vnc/AGENTS.md
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ Disabled by default. Enable with `ENABLE_VNC=1` env var or `"vnc": { "enabled":
 
 ## Architecture
 
-The plugin overrides `ctx.createVirtualDisplay` to use a higher-resolution display (default 1920x1080 instead of 1x1). `vnc-watcher.sh` polls for the Xvfb process, then attaches x11vnc + noVNC on top.
+The plugin registers the `virtualDisplay` capability for its own `plugins.vnc` settings, selecting a higher-resolution display (default 1920x1080 instead of 1x1). A second plugin cannot silently replace that provider. `vnc-watcher.sh` polls for the Xvfb process, then attaches x11vnc + noVNC on top.
 
 ## Original Contributors
 
diff --git a/plugins/vnc/README.md b/plugins/vnc/README.md
index be688ae..fa57b1e 100644
--- a/plugins/vnc/README.md
+++ b/plugins/vnc/README.md
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ noVNC / websockify (port 6080)
 Your browser → http://localhost:6080/vnc.html
 ```
 
-The plugin overrides Camoufox's default 1x1 virtual display with a human-usable resolution, then runs a watcher process that detects the Xvfb display and attaches x11vnc + noVNC. The watcher handles browser restarts automatically — when Camoufox relaunches on a new display, x11vnc reattaches.
+The plugin registers the `virtualDisplay` capability for its own `plugins.vnc` settings, selecting a human-usable resolution instead of the default 1x1 display. A second enabled display plugin cannot silently replace that provider. The watcher handles browser restarts automatically — when Camoufox relaunches on a new display, x11vnc reattaches.
 
 ## Quick start
 
diff --git a/plugins/vnc/index.js b/plugins/vnc/index.js
index 26080b7..7b15c52 100644
--- a/plugins/vnc/index.js
+++ b/plugins/vnc/index.js
@@ -50,9 +50,10 @@ import { removeXvfbDisplayFiles } from '../../lib/tmp-cleanup.js';
 
 export async function register(app, ctx, pluginConfig = {}) {
   const { events, config, log, sessions, VirtualDisplay, safeError } = ctx;
+  const settings = ctx.plugin?.settings || pluginConfig;
 
-  // Resolve all config (env vars + pluginConfig) via the launcher module
-  const vncConfig = resolveVncConfig(pluginConfig);
+  // Resolve all config (env vars + plugin settings) via the launcher module
+  const vncConfig = resolveVncConfig(settings);
 
   if (!vncConfig.enabled) {
     log('info', 'vnc plugin: disabled (set ENABLE_VNC=1 or plugins.vnc.enabled=true)');
@@ -86,8 +87,8 @@ export async function register(app, ctx, pluginConfig = {}) {
     }
   }
 
-  ctx.createVirtualDisplay = () => new VncVirtualDisplay();
-  log('info', 'vnc plugin: overriding Xvfb resolution', { resolution });
+  ctx.plugin.registerVirtualDisplayProvider(() => new VncVirtualDisplay());
+  log('info', 'vnc plugin: registered Xvfb display provider', { resolution });
 
   // --- VNC watcher process ---
   log('info', 'vnc plugin enabled', {
diff --git a/plugins/vnc/vnc.test.js b/plugins/vnc/vnc.test.js
index 983bdbf..f3d3557 100644
--- a/plugins/vnc/vnc.test.js
+++ b/plugins/vnc/vnc.test.js
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ describe('vnc plugin', () => {
     mockApp = {
       get: jest.fn((path, ...handlers) => { routes[`GET ${path}`] = handlers; }),
     };
+    const displayProvider = { create: () => new MockVirtualDisplay() };
     ctx = {
       events,
       config: {},
@@ -77,8 +78,11 @@ describe('vnc plugin', () => {
       sessions: new Map(),
       safeError: (err) => typeof err === 'string' ? err : (err?.message || 'Internal error'),
       VirtualDisplay: MockVirtualDisplay,
-      createVirtualDisplay: () => new MockVirtualDisplay(),
+      plugin: {
+        registerVirtualDisplayProvider: (factory) => { displayProvider.create = factory; },
+      },
     };
+    ctx.createVirtualDisplay = () => displayProvider.create();
     mockStartWatcher.mockClear();
     mockStartWatcher.mockImplementation(mockWatcher);
     mockResolveVncConfig.mockClear();
diff --git a/server.js b/server.js
index 7298db4..c470365 100644
--- a/server.js
+++ b/server.js
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ import { createReporter, createTabHealthTracker, collectResourceSnapshot, classi
 import { mountDocs } from './lib/openapi.js';
 import { initSentry, captureException as sentryCaptureException, setupExpressErrorHandler as setupSentryErrorHandler, flush as sentryFlush } from './lib/sentry.js';
 import { prepareExternalCamoufoxExecutable } from './lib/camoufox-executable.js';
+import { createVirtualDisplayRegistry } from './lib/plugin-capabilities.js';
 import { killProcessIds } from './lib/browser-processes.js';
 import { snapshotOwnedBrowserProcesses, survivingOwnedBrowserProcesses, profilePathsFromProcessSnapshot } from './lib/process-ownership.js';
 import {
@@ -1082,6 +1083,8 @@ function isCamoufoxGeoipError(err) {
   return /Invalid locale:|GeoLite|MaxMind|geolocation|public proxy IP address|GeoIP setup timed out/i.test(err?.message || String(err || ''));
 }
 
+const virtualDisplayRegistry = createVirtualDisplayRegistry(() => new DefaultVirtualDisplay());
+
 async function buildLaunchOptionsWithGeoipFallback(baseOptions, attemptMeta) {
   try {
     return await withTimeout(launchOptions(baseOptions), GEOIP_SETUP_TIMEOUT_MS, 'GeoIP setup');
@@ -1114,7 +1117,7 @@ async function launchBrowserInstance() {
     let candidateBrowser = null;
     try {
       if (os.platform() === 'linux' && !useDesktopWindow) {
-        localVirtualDisplay = pluginCtx.createVirtualDisplay();
+        localVirtualDisplay = virtualDisplayRegistry.create();
         vdDisplay = await localVirtualDisplay.get();
         log('info', 'xvfb virtual display started', { display: vdDisplay, attempt });
       }
@@ -7012,8 +7015,7 @@ const pluginCtx = {
   failuresTotal,
   metricsRegistry: getRegister,
   createMetric,
-  /** Factory for Xvfb virtual display. Plugins can replace this to customise resolution/args. */
-  createVirtualDisplay: () => new DefaultVirtualDisplay(),
+  registerVirtualDisplayProvider: (pluginName, factory) => virtualDisplayRegistry.register(pluginName, factory),
   /** The upstream VirtualDisplay class -- plugins can subclass it. */
   VirtualDisplay,
 };
diff --git a/tests/unit/launchCompat.test.js b/tests/unit/launchCompat.test.js
index 84ae23b..7818307 100644
--- a/tests/unit/launchCompat.test.js
+++ b/tests/unit/launchCompat.test.js
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ describe('launch compatibility source contract', () => {
     expect(defaultVirtualDisplay).toContain("DEFAULT_VIRTUAL_DISPLAY_RESOLUTION = '1280x720x24'");
     expect(defaultVirtualDisplay).toContain('class DefaultVirtualDisplay extends VirtualDisplay');
     expect(defaultVirtualDisplay).toContain('patched[idx + 1] = DEFAULT_VIRTUAL_DISPLAY_RESOLUTION');
-    expect(pluginContext).toContain('createVirtualDisplay: () => new DefaultVirtualDisplay()');
+    expect(pluginContext).toContain('registerVirtualDisplayProvider: (pluginName, factory) => virtualDisplayRegistry.register(pluginName, factory)');
   });
 
   test('does not configure a fixed default browser context viewport', () => {
diff --git a/tests/unit/pluginCapabilities.test.js b/tests/unit/pluginCapabilities.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e76a045
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/pluginCapabilities.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+import { describe, expect, test } from '@jest/globals';
+import { createVirtualDisplayRegistry } from '../../lib/plugin-capabilities.js';
+
+describe('virtual display plugin capability', () => {
+  test('uses the registered plugin provider instead of the default provider', () => {
+    const registry = createVirtualDisplayRegistry(() => ({ owner: 'core' }));
+
+    registry.register('vnc', () => ({ owner: 'vnc' }));
+
+    expect(registry.owner).toBe('vnc');
+    expect(registry.create()).toEqual({ owner: 'vnc' });
+  });
+
+  test('rejects a second plugin provider instead of relying on load order', () => {
+    const registry = createVirtualDisplayRegistry(() => ({ owner: 'core' }));
+    registry.register('vnc', () => ({ owner: 'vnc' }));
+
+    expect(() => registry.register('other-display', () => ({ owner: 'other' }))).toThrow(
+      '"vnc" already owns the capability; "other-display" cannot also provide it'
+    );
+  });
+});