diff --git a/src/config/plugin-loader.ts b/src/config/plugin-loader.ts
index e2073fcf..7322ebb4 100644
--- a/src/config/plugin-loader.ts
+++ b/src/config/plugin-loader.ts
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ export default class PluginLoader {
         const userPJSONPath = join(opts.dataDir, 'package.json')
         debug('reading user plugins pjson %s', userPJSONPath)
         // ignore cache because the file might have changed within the same process (e.g. during a JIT plugin install)
-        const pjson = await readJson<PJSON>(userPJSONPath, true)
+        const pjson = await readJson<PJSON>(userPJSONPath, false)
         if (!pjson.oclif) pjson.oclif = {schema: 1}
         if (!pjson.oclif.plugins) pjson.oclif.plugins = []
         await this.loadPlugins(
diff --git a/src/util/fs.ts b/src/util/fs.ts
index 7c8722cf..9538299b 100644
--- a/src/util/fs.ts
+++ b/src/util/fs.ts
@@ -63,11 +63,11 @@ const cache = new ProdOnlyCache()
  * Will throw an error if the file does not exist.
  *
  * @param path file path of JSON file
- * @param ignoreCache if true, ignore cache and read file from disk
+ * @param useCache if false, ignore cache and read file from disk
  * @returns <T>
  */
-export async function readJson<T = unknown>(path: string, ignoreCache = false): Promise<T> {
-  if (!ignoreCache && cache.has(path)) {
+export async function readJson<T = unknown>(path: string, useCache = true): Promise<T> {
+  if (useCache && cache.has(path)) {
     return JSON.parse(cache.get(path)!) as T
   }
 
@@ -82,12 +82,12 @@ export async function readJson<T = unknown>(path: string, ignoreCache = false):
  * Will return undefined if the file does not exist.
  *
  * @param path file path of JSON file
- * @param ignoreCache if true, ignore cache and read file from disk
+ * @param useCache if false, ignore cache and read file from disk
  * @returns <T> or undefined
  */
-export async function safeReadJson<T>(path: string, ignoreCache = false): Promise<T | undefined> {
+export async function safeReadJson<T>(path: string, useCache = true): Promise<T | undefined> {
   try {
-    return await readJson<T>(path, ignoreCache)
+    return await readJson<T>(path, useCache)
   } catch {}
 }