diff --git a/lib/plugin/instance.rb b/lib/plugin/instance.rb
index 916248efcf7..725fe7caee1 100644
--- a/lib/plugin/instance.rb
+++ b/lib/plugin/instance.rb
@@ -576,6 +576,22 @@ class Plugin::Instance
     DiscourseEvent.on(event_name) { |*args, **kwargs| block.call(*args, **kwargs) if enabled? }
   end
 
+  # A proxy to `DiscourseEvent.on(:site_setting_changed)` triggered when the plugin enabled setting specified by
+  # `enabled_site_setting` value is changed, including when the plugin is turned off.
+  #
+  # It is useful when the plugin needs to perform tasks like properly clearing caches when enabled/disabled
+  # note it will not be triggered when a plugin is installed/uninstalled by adding/removing its code
+  def on_enabled_change(&block)
+    event_proc =
+      Proc.new do |setting_name, old_value, new_value|
+        block.call(old_value, new_value) if setting_name == @enabled_site_setting
+      end
+    DiscourseEvent.on(:site_setting_changed, &event_proc)
+
+    # returns the block to be used for DiscourseEvent.off(:site_setting_changed, &block) for testing purposes
+    event_proc
+  end
+
   def notify_after_initialize
     color_schemes.each do |c|
       unless ColorScheme.where(name: c[:name]).exists?
diff --git a/spec/lib/plugin/instance_spec.rb b/spec/lib/plugin/instance_spec.rb
index 2610e269076..7377446a19a 100644
--- a/spec/lib/plugin/instance_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/plugin/instance_spec.rb
@@ -183,6 +183,7 @@ TEXT
 
       class TroutPlugin < Plugin::Instance
         attr_accessor :enabled
+
         def enabled?
           @enabled
         end
@@ -278,6 +279,42 @@ TEXT
         @plugin.enabled = true
         expect(DiscoursePluginRegistry.build_html("test:html", ctx)).to eq("<div>hello</div>")
       end
+
+      it "can act when the plugin is enabled/disabled" do
+        plugin = Plugin::Instance.new
+        plugin.enabled_site_setting(:discourse_sample_plugin_enabled)
+
+        SiteSetting.discourse_sample_plugin_enabled = false
+        expect(plugin.enabled?).to eq(false)
+
+        begin
+          expected_old_value = expected_new_value = nil
+
+          event_handler =
+            plugin.on_enabled_change do |old_value, new_value|
+              expected_old_value = old_value
+              expected_new_value = new_value
+            end
+
+          SiteSetting.discourse_sample_plugin_enabled = true
+          expect(expected_old_value).to eq(false)
+          expect(expected_new_value).to eq(true)
+
+          SiteSetting.discourse_sample_plugin_enabled = false
+          expect(expected_old_value).to eq(true)
+          expect(expected_new_value).to eq(false)
+
+          # ensures only the setting specified in `enabled_site_setting` is tracked
+          expected_old_value = expected_new_value = nil
+          plugin.enabled_site_setting(:discourse_sample_plugin_enabled_alternative)
+          SiteSetting.discourse_sample_plugin_enabled = true
+          expect(expected_old_value).to be_nil
+          expect(expected_new_value).to be_nil
+        ensure
+          # clear the underlying DiscourseEvent
+          DiscourseEvent.off(:site_setting_changed, &event_handler)
+        end
+      end
     end
   end