diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/plugins/PluginsService.java b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/plugins/PluginsService.java
index c3db32874d260..9d3efbbfae5e9 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/plugins/PluginsService.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/plugins/PluginsService.java
@@ -525,8 +525,7 @@ private static void addSortedBundle(
         for (String dependency : bundle.plugin.getExtendedPlugins()) {
             Bundle depBundle = bundles.get(dependency);
             if (depBundle == null) {
-                continue;
-                // throw new IllegalArgumentException("Missing plugin [" + dependency + "], dependency of [" + name + "]");
+                throw new IllegalArgumentException("Missing plugin [" + dependency + "], dependency of [" + name + "]");
             }
             addSortedBundle(depBundle, bundles, sortedBundles, dependencyStack);
             assert sortedBundles.contains(depBundle);
@@ -663,9 +662,7 @@ static void checkBundleJarHell(Set<URL> classpath, Bundle bundle, Map<String, Se
             Set<URL> urls = new HashSet<>();
             for (String extendedPlugin : exts) {
                 Set<URL> pluginUrls = transitiveUrls.get(extendedPlugin);
-                if (pluginUrls == null) {
-                    continue;
-                }
+                assert pluginUrls != null : "transitive urls should have already been set for " + extendedPlugin;
 
                 Set<URL> intersection = new HashSet<>(urls);
                 intersection.retainAll(pluginUrls);