diff --git a/ObservatoryCore/PluginManagement/PluginManager.cs b/ObservatoryCore/PluginManagement/PluginManager.cs
index 70ba82b..57b861b 100644
--- a/ObservatoryCore/PluginManagement/PluginManager.cs
+++ b/ObservatoryCore/PluginManagement/PluginManager.cs
@@ -3,13 +3,14 @@
 using Observatory.Utils;
 using System.Data;
 using System.Diagnostics;
+using System.Diagnostics.CodeAnalysis;
+using System.IO.Compression;
 using System.Reflection;
+using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
+using System.Runtime.Loader;
 using System.Text.Json;
 using System.Text.Json.Serialization;
-using System.Runtime.Loader;
-using System.IO.Compression;
-using System.Diagnostics.CodeAnalysis;
-using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
+using System.Text.RegularExpressions;
 
 namespace Observatory.PluginManagement
 {
@@ -795,6 +796,8 @@ private void ReadDirectory(DirectoryInfo directory)
 
         private class PluginPackage
         {
+            private static readonly Regex VersionSuffixRegEx = new("-.*$");
+
             internal PluginPackage(string filePath, bool includeLegacyDeps = false)
             {
                 var bundle = new PluginBundle(filePath);
@@ -862,7 +865,8 @@ private void ProcessPluginManifest(PluginBundle bundle)
                 
                 var nameAndVersion = pluginLibraryEntry.Key.Split('/') ?? ["No Library", "0"];
                 PluginName = nameAndVersion.First() ?? string.Empty;
-                Version = new Version(nameAndVersion.Last() ?? "0");
+                var versionWithoutSuffx = VersionSuffixRegEx.Replace(nameAndVersion.Last() ?? "0", "");
+                Version = new Version(versionWithoutSuffx);
 
                 foreach (var dependency in targets.Where(t => t.Key != pluginLibraryEntry.Key))
                 {
diff --git a/ObservatoryCore/UI/PluginList.cs b/ObservatoryCore/UI/PluginList.cs
index 35f81f7..2a2d303 100644
--- a/ObservatoryCore/UI/PluginList.cs
+++ b/ObservatoryCore/UI/PluginList.cs
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ internal class PluginList : TableLayoutPanel
 
         internal PluginList(IEnumerable<IObservatoryPlugin> plugins)
         {
+            SuspendLayout();
+
             ColumnCount = 7;
             _title = new() 
             { 
@@ -62,6 +64,7 @@ Label createHeaderLabel(string text)
             int row = 2;
 
             var enabledPlugins = GetEnabledPlugins();
+            List<Task> updateTasks = new();
 
             foreach (var plugin in plugins)
             {
@@ -162,7 +165,7 @@ Label createLineLabel(string text)
                 AddWithLocation(pluginEnabled, row, 5);
                 AddWithLocation(pluginMenu, row, 6);
 
-                Task.Run(() =>
+                updateTasks.Add(new Task(() =>
                 {
                     var thisRow = row;
                     // Check for a plugin update.
@@ -198,15 +201,32 @@ Label createLineLabel(string text)
                             var startInfo = new ProcessStartInfo(updateInfo.Url ?? "https://observatory.xjph.net") { UseShellExecute = true };
                             Process.Start(startInfo);
                         };
-                        AddWithLocation(updateLink, GetRow(pluginStatus), 4);
+                        var row = GetRow(pluginStatus);
                         Controls.Remove(pluginStatus);
+                        AddWithLocation(updateLink, row, 4);
                     }
-                });
+                }));
 
                 row++;
             }
 
+            ResumeLayout();
+
             Resize += PluginList_Resize;
+
+            // Avoid blocking the main thread by running one or more update tasks.
+            Task.Run(() =>
+            {
+                // Run the update tasks now that we've completely laid out the plugin list -- one at a time.
+                // This avoids the these tasks and the main thread trigging layout passes on the underlying TableLayoutPanel
+                // that end up conflicting with each other causing mysterious index-out-of-bounds and null errors deep
+                // within the Layout engine.
+                foreach (var t in updateTasks)
+                {
+                    t.Start();
+                    t.Wait();
+                }
+            });
         }
 
         private void PluginList_Resize(object? sender, EventArgs e)