videojs/video.js · error · Error

Cannot de-register base plugin.

Error message

Cannot de-register base plugin.

What it means

deregisterPlugin refuses to remove the base 'plugin' name (BASE_PLUGIN_NAME) because it is the abstract parent every advanced plugin extends; removing it would break subclass instantiation and the getPlugin('plugin') lookup. All other plugins can be de-registered freely. The check happens before any deletion.

Source

Thrown at src/js/plugin.js:388

      }
    }

    return plugin;
  }

  /**
   * De-register a Video.js plugin.
   *
   * @param  {string} name
   *         The name of the plugin to be de-registered. Must be a string that
   *         matches an existing plugin.
   *
   * @throws {Error}
   *         If an attempt is made to de-register the base plugin.
   */
  static deregisterPlugin(name) {
    if (name === BASE_PLUGIN_NAME) {
      throw new Error('Cannot de-register base plugin.');
    }
    if (pluginExists(name)) {
      delete pluginStorage[name];
      delete Player.prototype[name];
    }
  }

  /**
   * Gets an object containing multiple Video.js plugins.
   *
   * @param   {Array} [names]
   *          If provided, should be an array of plugin names. Defaults to _all_
   *          plugin names.
   *
   * @return {Object|undefined}
   *          An object containing plugin(s) associated with their name(s) or
   *          `undefined` if no matching plugins exist).
   */

View on GitHub (pinned to c3a7e0e6d2)

Solutions

1. Skip the base name when de-registering: if (name !== 'plugin') videojs.deregisterPlugin(name).
2. Filter getPlugins() output to exclude 'plugin' before bulk de-registration.
3. Only de-register plugins you actually registered.

Example fix

// before
Object.keys(videojs.getPlugins()).forEach(n => videojs.deregisterPlugin(n)); // throws on 'plugin'
// after
Object.keys(videojs.getPlugins())
  .filter(n => n !== 'plugin')
  .forEach(n => videojs.deregisterPlugin(n));

function safeDeregister(name) {
  if (name === 'plugin') throw new Error('cannot de-register base plugin');
  videojs.deregisterPlugin(name);
}
// bulk cleanup
Object.keys(videojs.getPlugins())
  .filter((n) => n !== 'plugin')
  .forEach((n) => videojs.deregisterPlugin(n));

const isDeregisterable = (name) => typeof name === 'string' && name !== 'plugin';

When it happens

Trigger: Calling videojs.deregisterPlugin('plugin') explicitly; a generic cleanup loop that de-registers every name returned by getPlugins() including the base.

Common situations: HMR teardown loops; test cleanup that iterates all plugins; tooling that de-registers by name without filtering.

Related errors

• Can not register Player component after player has been crea
• plugin "${name}" does not exist
• Illegal plugin name, "${name}", must be a string, was ${type
• Illegal plugin name, "${name}", cannot share a name with an
• Illegal plugin for "${name}", must be a function, was ${type

AI-assisted analysis of videojs/video.js@c3a7e0e6d2 (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/ee890eec046a84b1. Report an issue: GitHub.