diff --git a/pkg/plugins/manager/loader/finder/finder.go b/pkg/plugins/manager/loader/finder/finder.go
index 5893b8d20e2..2838749adb2 100644
--- a/pkg/plugins/manager/loader/finder/finder.go
+++ b/pkg/plugins/manager/loader/finder/finder.go
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/util"
 )
 
+var walk = util.Walk
+
 type Finder struct {
 	log log.Logger
 }
@@ -51,9 +53,18 @@ func (f *Finder) getAbsPluginJSONPaths(path string) ([]string, error) {
 		return []string{}, err
 	}
 
-	if err := util.Walk(path, true, true,
+	if err := walk(path, true, true,
 		func(currentPath string, fi os.FileInfo, err error) error {
 			if err != nil {
+				if errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
+					f.log.Error("Couldn't scan directory since it doesn't exist", "pluginDir", path, "err", err)
+					return nil
+				}
+				if errors.Is(err, os.ErrPermission) {
+					f.log.Error("Couldn't scan directory due to lack of permissions", "pluginDir", path, "err", err)
+					return nil
+				}
+
 				return fmt.Errorf("filepath.Walk reported an error for %q: %w", currentPath, err)
 			}
 
@@ -72,15 +83,6 @@ func (f *Finder) getAbsPluginJSONPaths(path string) ([]string, error) {
 			pluginJSONPaths = append(pluginJSONPaths, currentPath)
 			return nil
 		}); err != nil {
-		if errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
-			f.log.Debug("Couldn't scan directory since it doesn't exist", "pluginDir", path, "err", err)
-			return []string{}, nil
-		}
-		if errors.Is(err, os.ErrPermission) {
-			f.log.Debug("Couldn't scan directory due to lack of permissions", "pluginDir", path, "err", err)
-			return []string{}, nil
-		}
-
 		return []string{}, err
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/plugins/manager/loader/finder/finder_test.go b/pkg/plugins/manager/loader/finder/finder_test.go
index 94782b05c3e..093b2fc1bc4 100644
--- a/pkg/plugins/manager/loader/finder/finder_test.go
+++ b/pkg/plugins/manager/loader/finder/finder_test.go
@@ -2,12 +2,16 @@ package finder
 
 import (
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
-	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
-
+	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/infra/log"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/setting"
+	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/util"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
 func TestFinder_Find(t *testing.T) {
@@ -65,3 +69,59 @@ func TestFinder_Find(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestFinder_getAbsPluginJSONPaths(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("When scanning a folder that doesn't exists shouldn't return an error", func(t *testing.T) {
+		origWalk := walk
+		walk = func(path string, followSymlinks, detectSymlinkInfiniteLoop bool, walkFn util.WalkFunc) error {
+			return walkFn(path, nil, os.ErrNotExist)
+		}
+		t.Cleanup(func() {
+			walk = origWalk
+		})
+
+		finder := &Finder{
+			log: log.New(),
+		}
+
+		paths, err := finder.getAbsPluginJSONPaths("test")
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.Empty(t, paths)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("When scanning a folder that lacks permission shouldn't return an error", func(t *testing.T) {
+		origWalk := walk
+		walk = func(path string, followSymlinks, detectSymlinkInfiniteLoop bool, walkFn util.WalkFunc) error {
+			return walkFn(path, nil, os.ErrPermission)
+		}
+		t.Cleanup(func() {
+			walk = origWalk
+		})
+
+		finder := &Finder{
+			log: log.New(),
+		}
+
+		paths, err := finder.getAbsPluginJSONPaths("test")
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		require.Empty(t, paths)
+	})
+
+	t.Run("When scanning a folder that returns a non-handled error should return that error", func(t *testing.T) {
+		origWalk := walk
+		walk = func(path string, followSymlinks, detectSymlinkInfiniteLoop bool, walkFn util.WalkFunc) error {
+			return walkFn(path, nil, fmt.Errorf("random error"))
+		}
+		t.Cleanup(func() {
+			walk = origWalk
+		})
+
+		finder := &Finder{
+			log: log.New(),
+		}
+
+		paths, err := finder.getAbsPluginJSONPaths("test")
+		require.Error(t, err)
+		require.Empty(t, paths)
+	})
+}
diff --git a/pkg/plugins/manager/loader/loader.go b/pkg/plugins/manager/loader/loader.go
index 41f470fa758..e438d9a5cbc 100644
--- a/pkg/plugins/manager/loader/loader.go
+++ b/pkg/plugins/manager/loader/loader.go
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ func New(cfg *plugins.Cfg, license models.Licensing, authorizer plugins.PluginLo
 func (l *Loader) Load(ctx context.Context, class plugins.Class, paths []string, ignore map[string]struct{}) ([]*plugins.Plugin, error) {
 	pluginJSONPaths, err := l.pluginFinder.Find(paths)
 	if err != nil {
-		l.log.Error("plugin finder encountered an error", "err", err)
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	return l.loadPlugins(ctx, class, pluginJSONPaths, ignore)