diff --git a/scripts/install.sh b/scripts/install.sh
index 8da7768..31de3ef 100644
--- a/scripts/install.sh
+++ b/scripts/install.sh
@@ -144,13 +144,14 @@ elif [ "$mode" = "user" ]; then
     # Plugins
     if [ "$with_plugins" = "yes" ]; then
         if [ -f "$src/marketplaces.json" ] && [ -f "$src/plugins-manifest.json" ]; then
-            # Map mode (user|project) to install-target (user|consumer)
-            plugin_target="user"
-            [ "$mode" = "project" ] && plugin_target="consumer"
+            # NOTE: this plugin-install block currently only runs in user mode
+            # (it sits inside `elif [ "$mode" = "user" ]` above). Future consumer-mode
+            # plugin install would need a separate block in the `if [ "$mode" = "project" ]`
+            # branch above, passing --install-target=consumer.
             bash "$SCRIPT_DIR/lib/install-plugins.sh" \
                 --marketplaces="$src/marketplaces.json" \
                 --manifest="$src/plugins-manifest.json" \
-                --install-target="$plugin_target" || exit 6
+                --install-target=user || exit 6
         fi
     fi
 fi
diff --git a/scripts/lib/install-plugins.sh b/scripts/lib/install-plugins.sh
index 07b1829..4c01269 100644
--- a/scripts/lib/install-plugins.sh
+++ b/scripts/lib/install-plugins.sh
@@ -79,6 +79,10 @@ case "$install_target" in
     consumer)
         filter='.plugins | to_entries[] | select(.value[0].target == "consumer" or .value[0].target == "user-level+consumer") | .key'
         ;;
+    *)
+        log_error "internal: unhandled install_target=$install_target (should have been validated above)"
+        exit 1
+        ;;
 esac
 
 for plugin in $(jq -r "$filter" "$manifest"); do