diff --git a/CHANGES/5235.feature b/CHANGES/5235.feature
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ca6e2f966f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CHANGES/5235.feature
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Added ``ENABLED_PLUGINS`` option to allow selecting installed plugins to be enabled.
diff --git a/pulpcore/app/settings.py b/pulpcore/app/settings.py
index d4220a2d36..2ce97d8007 100644
--- a/pulpcore/app/settings.py
+++ b/pulpcore/app/settings.py
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@
 
 from contextlib import suppress
 from importlib import import_module
+from importlib.metadata import entry_points
 from logging import getLogger
 from pathlib import Path
-from pkg_resources import iter_entry_points
 
 from cryptography.fernet import Fernet
 from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured
@@ -81,14 +81,6 @@
     "pulpcore.app",
 ]
 
-# Enumerate the installed Pulp plugins during the loading process for use in the status API
-INSTALLED_PULP_PLUGINS = []
-
-for entry_point in iter_entry_points("pulpcore.plugin"):
-    plugin_app_config = entry_point.load()
-    INSTALLED_PULP_PLUGINS.append(entry_point.module_name)
-    INSTALLED_APPS.append(plugin_app_config)
-
 # Optional apps that help with development, or augment Pulp in some non-critical way
 OPTIONAL_APPS = [
     "crispy_forms",
@@ -317,9 +309,17 @@
 
 # HERE STARTS DYNACONF EXTENSION LOAD (Keep at the very bottom of settings.py)
 # Read more at https://dynaconf.readthedocs.io/en/latest/guides/django.html
-from dynaconf import DjangoDynaconf, Validator  # noqa
+from dynaconf import DjangoDynaconf, Dynaconf, Validator  # noqa
 
 # Validators
+
+enabled_plugins_validator = Validator(
+    "ENABLED_PLUGINS",
+    is_type_of=list,
+    len_min=1,
+    when=Validator("ENABLED_PLUGINS", must_exist=True),
+)
+
 content_origin_validator = Validator(
     "CONTENT_ORIGIN",
     must_exist=True,
@@ -407,19 +407,43 @@
     authentication_json_header_validator & authentication_json_header_jq_filter_validator
 )
 
+
+def load_plugin_config_hook(settings):
+    # Enumerate the installed Pulp plugins during the loading process for use in the status API
+    ENABLED_PLUGINS = getattr(settings, "ENABLED_PLUGINS", None)
+    installed_plugins = []
+    installed_plugin_apps = []
+
+    for entry_point in entry_points().get("pulpcore.plugin", []):
+        if ENABLED_PLUGINS is not None and entry_point.name not in ENABLED_PLUGINS:
+            continue
+        installed_plugins.append(entry_point.module)
+        installed_plugin_apps.append(entry_point.load())
+
+    plugin_settings = Dynaconf(
+        PRELOAD_FOR_DYNACONF=[f"{module}.app.settings" for module in installed_plugins]
+    )
+
+    data = {"dynaconf_merge": True}
+    data.update(plugin_settings.as_dict())
+    data.update(settings.as_dict())
+    data["INSTALLED_APPS"].extend(installed_plugin_apps)
+    data["INSTALLED_APPS"].append("dynaconf_merge_unique")
+    return data
+
+
 settings = DjangoDynaconf(
     __name__,
     ENVVAR_PREFIX_FOR_DYNACONF="PULP",
     ENV_SWITCHER_FOR_DYNACONF="PULP_ENV",
-    PRELOAD_FOR_DYNACONF=[
-        "{}.app.settings".format(plugin_name) for plugin_name in INSTALLED_PULP_PLUGINS
-    ],
     ENVVAR_FOR_DYNACONF="PULP_SETTINGS",
+    post_hooks=(load_plugin_config_hook,),
     load_dotenv=False,
     validators=[
         api_root_validator,
         cache_validator,
         content_origin_validator,
+        enabled_plugins_validator,
         sha256_validator,
         storage_validator,
         unknown_algs_validator,
diff --git a/pulpcore/tests/functional/__init__.py b/pulpcore/tests/functional/__init__.py
index 0f2960e9aa..9a7f9b9fe5 100644
--- a/pulpcore/tests/functional/__init__.py
+++ b/pulpcore/tests/functional/__init__.py
@@ -1071,11 +1071,7 @@ def _monitor_task_group(task_group_href, timeout=TASK_TIMEOUT):
 
 @pytest.fixture(scope="session")
 def pulp_settings():
-    import django
-
-    django.setup()
-
-    from django.conf import settings
+    from pulpcore.app import settings
 
     return settings
 
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 811a0e9e3f..b095aa14fc 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ djangorestframework-queryfields>=1.0,<=1.1.0
 drf-access-policy>=1.1.2,<1.5.1
 drf-nested-routers>=0.93.4,<=0.93.5
 drf-spectacular==0.26.5  # We monkeypatch this so we need a very narrow requirement string
-dynaconf>=3.1.12,<3.2.6
+dynaconf>=3.2.5,<3.2.6
 gunicorn>=20.1,<=21.2.0
 importlib-metadata>=6.0.1,<=6.0.1  # Pinned to fix opentelemetry dependency solving issues with pip
 jinja2>=3.1,<=3.1.3
diff --git a/staging_docs/admin/learn/settings.md b/staging_docs/admin/learn/settings.md
index 84efeae6eb..8562593672 100644
--- a/staging_docs/admin/learn/settings.md
+++ b/staging_docs/admin/learn/settings.md
@@ -157,6 +157,11 @@ The password for Redis.
 Pulp defines the following settings itself:
 
 
+### ENABLED_PLUGINS
+
+An optional list of plugin names.
+If provided, Pulp will limit loading plugins to this list.
+If omitted, Pulp will load all installed plugins.
 
 ### API_ROOT