diff --git a/app/Models/Plugin.php b/app/Models/Plugin.php
index 433012e33..1e1168c54 100644
--- a/app/Models/Plugin.php
+++ b/app/Models/Plugin.php
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ class Plugin extends Model implements HasPluginSettings
                 $composerPackages = null;
                 if (array_key_exists('composer_packages', $data)) {
                     $composerPackages = $data['composer_packages'];
-                    $composerPackages = is_array($composerPackages) ? implode(',', $composerPackages) : $composerPackages;
+                    $composerPackages = is_array($composerPackages) ? json_encode($composerPackages, JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR) : $composerPackages;
                 }
 
                 $data = [
diff --git a/app/Services/Helpers/PluginService.php b/app/Services/Helpers/PluginService.php
index f5fcfc855..ab80845f2 100644
--- a/app/Services/Helpers/PluginService.php
+++ b/app/Services/Helpers/PluginService.php
@@ -162,7 +162,13 @@ class PluginService
     public function requireComposerPackages(Plugin $plugin): void
     {
         if ($plugin->composer_packages) {
-            $success = $this->composer->requirePackages(explode(',', $plugin->composer_packages));
+            $composerPackages = collect(json_decode($plugin->composer_packages, true, 512, JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR))
+                ->map(fn ($version, $package) => "'$package:$version'")
+                ->flatten()
+                ->unique()
+                ->toArray();
+
+            $success = $this->composer->requirePackages($composerPackages);
 
             if (!$success) {
                 throw new Exception("Could not require composer packages for plugin '{$plugin->id}'");