diff --git a/src/gateway/server/__tests__/test-utils.ts b/src/gateway/server/__tests__/test-utils.ts
index bfc6a687170..6adf47d9fb9 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server/__tests__/test-utils.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server/__tests__/test-utils.ts
@@ -1,22 +1,7 @@
-import type { PluginRegistry } from "../../../plugins/registry.js";
+import { createEmptyPluginRegistry, type PluginRegistry } from "../../../plugins/registry.js";
 
 export const createTestRegistry = (overrides: Partial<PluginRegistry> = {}): PluginRegistry => {
-  const base: PluginRegistry = {
-    plugins: [],
-    tools: [],
-    hooks: [],
-    typedHooks: [],
-    channels: [],
-    providers: [],
-    gatewayHandlers: {},
-    httpHandlers: [],
-    httpRoutes: [],
-    cliRegistrars: [],
-    services: [],
-    commands: [],
-    diagnostics: [],
-  };
-  const merged = { ...base, ...overrides };
+  const merged = { ...createEmptyPluginRegistry(), ...overrides };
   return {
     ...merged,
     gatewayHandlers: merged.gatewayHandlers ?? {},
diff --git a/src/plugins/registry.ts b/src/plugins/registry.ts
index ef763910036..29f2f87aa85 100644
--- a/src/plugins/registry.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/registry.ts
@@ -143,8 +143,8 @@ export type PluginRegistryParams = {
   runtime: PluginRuntime;
 };
 
-export function createPluginRegistry(registryParams: PluginRegistryParams) {
-  const registry: PluginRegistry = {
+export function createEmptyPluginRegistry(): PluginRegistry {
+  return {
     plugins: [],
     tools: [],
     hooks: [],
@@ -159,6 +159,10 @@ export function createPluginRegistry(registryParams: PluginRegistryParams) {
     commands: [],
     diagnostics: [],
   };
+}
+
+export function createPluginRegistry(registryParams: PluginRegistryParams) {
+  const registry = createEmptyPluginRegistry();
   const coreGatewayMethods = new Set(Object.keys(registryParams.coreGatewayHandlers ?? {}));
 
   const pushDiagnostic = (diag: PluginDiagnostic) => {