diff --git a/command/plugin_register.go b/command/plugin_register.go
index 577da80472..f9f503289e 100644
--- a/command/plugin_register.go
+++ b/command/plugin_register.go
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ type PluginRegisterCommand struct {
 	flagOCIImage string
 	flagRuntime  string
 	flagEnv      []string
+	flagDownload bool
 }
 
 func (c *PluginRegisterCommand) Synopsis() string {
@@ -59,6 +60,12 @@ Usage: vault plugin register [options] TYPE NAME
           -args=--with-glibc,--with-cgo \
           auth my-custom-plugin
 
+  Register a plugin with -download (enterprise only):
+
+      $ vault plugin register \
+          -version=v0.17.0+ent \
+          -download=true \
+          secret vault-plugin-secrets-keymgmt
 ` + c.Flags().Help()
 
 	return strings.TrimSpace(helpText)
@@ -127,6 +134,14 @@ func (c *PluginRegisterCommand) Flags() *FlagSets {
 			"flag can be specified multiple times to specify multiple environment variables.",
 	})
 
+	f.BoolVar(&BoolVar{
+		Name:       "download",
+		Target:     &c.flagDownload,
+		Completion: complete.PredictAnything,
+		Usage: "Enterprise only. If set, Vault will automatically download plugins from" +
+			"releases.hashicorp.com",
+	})
+
 	return set
 }
 
@@ -198,6 +213,7 @@ func (c *PluginRegisterCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 		OCIImage: c.flagOCIImage,
 		Runtime:  c.flagRuntime,
 		Env:      c.flagEnv,
+		Download: c.flagDownload,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		c.UI.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Error registering plugin %s: %s", pluginName, err))
diff --git a/vault/extended_system_view.go b/vault/extended_system_view.go
index b8a0902500..8364d8d959 100644
--- a/vault/extended_system_view.go
+++ b/vault/extended_system_view.go
@@ -142,7 +142,3 @@ func (e extendedSystemViewImpl) DeregisterWellKnownRedirect(ctx context.Context,
 func (e extendedSystemViewImpl) GetPinnedPluginVersion(ctx context.Context, pluginType consts.PluginType, pluginName string) (*pluginutil.PinnedVersion, error) {
 	return e.core.pluginCatalog.GetPinnedVersion(ctx, pluginType, pluginName)
 }
-
-func (e extendedSystemViewImpl) DownloadExtractVerifyPlugin(_ context.Context, _ *pluginutil.PluginRunner) error {
-	return fmt.Errorf("cannot call DownloadExtractVerifyPlugin from a plugin backend")
-}
diff --git a/vault/logical_system.go b/vault/logical_system.go
index a36fbd8111..c77fdda534 100644
--- a/vault/logical_system.go
+++ b/vault/logical_system.go
@@ -538,6 +538,10 @@ func (b *SystemBackend) handlePluginCatalogUpdate(ctx context.Context, _ *logica
 		return logical.ErrorResponse("version %q is not allowed because 'builtin' is a reserved metadata identifier", pluginVersion), nil
 	}
 
+	if download := d.Get("download").(bool); download {
+		return logical.ErrorResponse("download is an enterprise only feature"), nil
+	}
+
 	sha256 := d.Get("sha256").(string)
 	if sha256 == "" {
 		sha256 = d.Get("sha_256").(string)
@@ -6923,6 +6927,11 @@ Must already be present on the machine.`,
 		`The Vault plugin runtime to use when running the plugin.`,
 		"",
 	},
+	"plugin-catalog_download": {
+		`Automatically downloads official HashiCorp plugins
+from releases.hashicorp.com (beta)`,
+		"",
+	},
 	"plugin-catalog-pins": {
 		"Configures pinned plugin versions from the plugin catalog",
 		`
diff --git a/vault/logical_system_oss_test.go b/vault/logical_system_oss_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..285d439b85
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vault/logical_system_oss_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+// Copyright (c) HashiCorp, Inc.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: BUSL-1.1
+
+//go:build !enterprise
+
+package vault
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/hashicorp/vault/helper/namespace"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/vault/sdk/helper/consts"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/vault/sdk/logical"
+)
+
+// TestSystemBackend_PluginCatalog_Update_Download_Should_Fail tests the update failure
+// cases when download is true
+func TestSystemBackend_PluginCatalog_Update_Download_Should_Fail(t *testing.T) {
+	const expectedErrStr = "download is an enterprise only feature"
+	sym, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(os.TempDir())
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("error: %v", err)
+	}
+	c, _, _ := TestCoreUnsealedWithConfig(t, &CoreConfig{
+		PluginDirectory: sym,
+	})
+	b := c.systemBackend
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		pluginType    consts.PluginType
+		pluginVersion string
+		pluginName    string
+	}{
+		{
+			pluginName:    "vault-plugin-database-redis",
+			pluginVersion: "v0.6.0",
+			pluginType:    consts.PluginTypeDatabase,
+		},
+		{
+			pluginName:    "vault-plugin-secrets-kv",
+			pluginVersion: "v0.24.0",
+			pluginType:    consts.PluginTypeSecrets,
+		},
+		{
+			pluginName:    "vault-plugin-auth-jwt",
+			pluginVersion: "v0.24.1",
+			pluginType:    consts.PluginTypeCredential,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(fmt.Sprintf("%s %s", tt.pluginName, tt.pluginVersion), func(t *testing.T) {
+			req := logical.TestRequest(t, logical.UpdateOperation,
+				"plugins/catalog/"+tt.pluginType.String()+"/"+tt.pluginName)
+			req.Data["version"] = tt.pluginVersion
+			req.Data["download"] = true
+			resp, err := b.HandleRequest(namespace.RootContext(nil), req)
+			if err != nil || resp.Error() == nil {
+				t.Fatalf("expected error when download is true, got resp: %v, err: %v", resp, err)
+			} else if !strings.Contains(resp.Error().Error(), expectedErrStr) {
+				t.Fatalf("expected error %q, got resp: %v", expectedErrStr, resp)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/vault/logical_system_paths.go b/vault/logical_system_paths.go
index daac98b4d5..f5747a58e8 100644
--- a/vault/logical_system_paths.go
+++ b/vault/logical_system_paths.go
@@ -1891,6 +1891,10 @@ func (b *SystemBackend) pluginsCatalogCRUDPath() *framework.Path {
 				Type:        framework.TypeString,
 				Description: strings.TrimSpace(sysHelp["plugin-catalog_version"][0]),
 			},
+			"download": {
+				Type:        framework.TypeBool,
+				Description: strings.TrimSpace(sysHelp["plugin-catalog_download"][0]),
+			},
 		},
 
 		Operations: map[logical.Operation]framework.OperationHandler{