diff --git a/plugins/plugin/internal-functions b/plugins/plugin/internal-functions
index 67098e819e8..08e2ead4d06 100755
--- a/plugins/plugin/internal-functions
+++ b/plugins/plugin/internal-functions
@@ -33,3 +33,33 @@ plugin_prime_bash_completion() {
   dokku_log_info1_quiet "Priming bash-completion cache"
   dokku --quiet help --all | awk '/^    /{ print $1 }' | sort >"/var/cache/dokku-completion"
 }
+
+fn-is-core-plugin() {
+  declare PLUGIN_NAME="$1"
+
+  if [[ -L "$PLUGIN_CORE_ENABLED_PATH/$PLUGIN_NAME" ]]; then
+    return 0
+  fi
+
+  return 1
+}
+
+fn-is-valid-plugin() {
+  declare PLUGIN_NAME="$1"
+
+  if [[ "$PLUGIN_NAME" =~ ^[0-9a-zA-Z_-]+$ ]]; then
+    return 0
+  fi
+
+  return 1
+}
+
+fn-plugin-enabled() {
+  declare PLUGIN_NAME="$1"
+
+  if [[ -L "$PLUGIN_ENABLED_PATH/$PLUGIN_NAME" ]]; then
+    return 0
+  fi
+
+  return 1
+}
diff --git a/plugins/plugin/subcommands/install b/plugins/plugin/subcommands/install
index 64351ad0927..ab3db3354af 100755
--- a/plugins/plugin/subcommands/install
+++ b/plugins/plugin/subcommands/install
@@ -21,6 +21,12 @@ cmd-plugin-install() {
       plugn trigger install
       ;;
     *)
+      if [[ -n "$FLAG" ]]; then
+        dokku_log_warn "First argument must be --core or url to plugin"
+        dokku_log_warn "Valid prefixes: https:, git:, ssh:, file:"
+        dokku_log_warn "Valid suffixes: .tar.gz, .tgz"
+        dokku_log_fail "Please retry with valid arguments"
+      fi
       plugn trigger install
       ;;
   esac
diff --git a/plugins/plugin/subcommands/update b/plugins/plugin/subcommands/update
index 366b09bb615..6f8be432141 100755
--- a/plugins/plugin/subcommands/update
+++ b/plugins/plugin/subcommands/update
@@ -10,8 +10,21 @@ cmd-plugin-update() {
   declare PLUGIN="$1" PLUGIN_COMMITTISH="$2"
 
   if [[ -n "$PLUGIN" ]]; then
+    if ! fn-is-valid-plugin "$PLUGIN"; then
+      dokku_log_fail "Invalid plugin name specified"
+    fi
+
+    if ! fn-plugin-enabled "$PLUGIN"; then
+      dokku_log_fail "Specified plugin not enabled or installed"
+    fi
+
+    if fn-is-core-plugin "$PLUGIN"; then
+      dokku_log_fail "Cannot trigger plugin:update against core plugin, please update Dokku instead"
+    fi
+
     plugn update "$PLUGIN" "$PLUGIN_COMMITTISH"
   fi
+
   plugn trigger update
   plugin_prime_bash_completion
 }
diff --git a/tests/unit/plugin.bats b/tests/unit/plugin.bats
index 25f226dfbac..10761acf84f 100644
--- a/tests/unit/plugin.bats
+++ b/tests/unit/plugin.bats
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ teardown() {
   run /bin/bash -c "dokku plugin:installed $TEST_PLUGIN_NAME"
   echo "output: $output"
   echo "status: $status"
-  assert_failure  
+  assert_failure
 
   run /bin/bash -c "dokku plugin:install $TEST_PLUGIN_GIT_REPO --name $TEST_PLUGIN_NAME"
   echo "output: $output"
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ teardown() {
   run /bin/bash -c "dokku plugin:installed $TEST_PLUGIN_NAME"
   echo "output: $output"
   echo "status: $status"
-  assert_success  
+  assert_success
 
   run /bin/bash -c "dokku plugin:update $TEST_PLUGIN_NAME"
   echo "output: $output"
@@ -214,6 +214,80 @@ teardown() {
   assert_output_contains "dokku" "3"
 }
 
+@test "(plugin) plugin:install [errors]" {
+  run /bin/bash -c "dokku plugin:install YABBA_DABBA_DOO XXXX YYYY"
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_failure
+  assert_output_contains "Please retry with valid arguments"
+
+  run /bin/bash -c "dokku plugin:install ZXZX --random-flag"
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_failure
+  assert_output_contains "Please retry with valid arguments"
+
+  run /bin/bash -c "dokku plugin:install http://www.example.com/ --random-flag"
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_failure
+  assert_output_contains "Please retry with valid arguments"
+
+  run /bin/bash -c "dokku plugin:install http://www.example.com/gives-a-404"
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_failure
+  assert_output_contains "Please retry with valid arguments"
+
+  run /bin/bash -c "dokku plugin:install http://xxxx/ --random-flag"
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_failure
+  assert_output_contains "Please retry with valid arguments"
+
+  run /bin/bash -c "dokku plugin:install /path/to/nonexistent/dir"
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_failure
+  assert_output_contains "Please retry with valid arguments"
+}
+
+@test "(plugin) plugin:update [errors]" {
+  run /bin/bash -c "dokku plugin:install $TEST_PLUGIN_GIT_REPO --name $TEST_PLUGIN_NAME"
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_success
+
+  run /bin/bash -c "dokku plugin:disable $TEST_PLUGIN_NAME"
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_success
+
+  run /bin/bash -c "dokku plugin:update $TEST_PLUGIN_NAME"
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_failure
+  assert_output_contains "Specified plugin not enabled or installed"
+
+  run /bin/bash -c "dokku plugin:update invalid"
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_failure
+  assert_output_contains "Specified plugin not enabled or installed"
+
+  run /bin/bash -c "dokku plugin:update $TEST_PLUGIN_GIT_REPO"
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_failure
+  assert_output_contains "Invalid plugin name specified"
+
+  run /bin/bash -c "dokku plugin:update app-json"
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_failure
+  assert_output_contains "please update Dokku instead"
+}
+
 @test "(plugin) plugin:update permissions set properly" {
   run /bin/bash -c "ls -lah /var/lib/dokku/core-plugins/available/git/commands"
   echo "output: $output"