diff --git a/src/everest/config/everest_config.py b/src/everest/config/everest_config.py
index 807463ba694..ff5eb7ec9be 100644
--- a/src/everest/config/everest_config.py
+++ b/src/everest/config/everest_config.py
@@ -73,18 +73,6 @@
     from pydantic_core import ErrorDetails
 
 
-def _dummy_ert_config():
-    site_config = ErtConfig.read_site_config()
-    dummy_config = {"NUM_REALIZATIONS": 1, "ENSPATH": "."}
-    dummy_config.update(site_config)
-    return ErtConfig.with_plugins().from_dict(config_dict=dummy_config)
-
-
-def get_system_installed_jobs():
-    """Returns list of all system installed job names"""
-    return list(_dummy_ert_config().installed_forward_model_steps.keys())
-
-
 # Makes property.setter work
 # Based on https://github.com/pydantic/pydantic/issues/1577#issuecomment-790506164
 # We should use computed_property instead of this, when upgrading to pydantic 2.
@@ -200,7 +188,7 @@ class EverestConfig(BaseModelWithPropertySupport, BaseModelWithContextSupport):
         default=None, description="A list of output constraints with unique names."
     )
     install_jobs: list[InstallJobConfig] | None = Field(
-        default=None, description="A list of jobs to install"
+        default=None, description="A list of jobs to install", validate_default=True
     )
     install_workflow_jobs: list[InstallJobConfig] | None = Field(
         default=None, description="A list of workflow jobs to install"
@@ -284,7 +272,8 @@ def validate_forward_model_job_name_installed(self, info: ValidationInfo) -> Sel
             return self
         installed_jobs_name = [job.name for job in install_jobs]
         installed_jobs_name += list(script_names)  # default jobs
-        installed_jobs_name += get_system_installed_jobs()  # system jobs
+        if info.context:  # Add plugin jobs
+            installed_jobs_name += info.context.get("install_jobs", {}).keys()
 
         errors = []
         for fm_job in forward_model_jobs:
@@ -769,7 +758,7 @@ def with_defaults(cls, **kwargs):
             "model": {"realizations": [0]},
         }
 
-        return cls.model_validate({**defaults, **kwargs})
+        return cls.with_plugins({**defaults, **kwargs})
 
     @staticmethod
     def lint_config_dict(config: dict) -> list["ErrorDetails"]:
@@ -818,13 +807,17 @@ def load_file(config_file: str) -> "EverestConfig":
     @classmethod
     def with_plugins(cls, config_dict):
         site_config = ErtConfig.read_site_config()
+        ert_config: ErtConfig = ErtConfig.with_plugins().from_dict(
+            config_dict=site_config
+        )
         queue_config = QueueConfig.from_dict(site_config)
         context = {
             "activate_script": ErtPluginManager().activate_script(),
             "queue_system": queue_config.queue_options,
+            "install_jobs": ert_config.installed_forward_model_steps,
         }
         with init_context(context):
-            return EverestConfig(**config_dict)
+            return cls(**config_dict)
 
     @staticmethod
     def load_file_with_argparser(
diff --git a/tests/everest/test_util.py b/tests/everest/test_util.py
index 3570f6aedaa..7cc292095d0 100644
--- a/tests/everest/test_util.py
+++ b/tests/everest/test_util.py
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 from everest import util
 from everest.bin.utils import report_on_previous_run
 from everest.config import EverestConfig, ServerConfig
-from everest.config.everest_config import get_system_installed_jobs
 from everest.config_keys import ConfigKeys
 from everest.detached import ServerStatus
 from everest.strings import SERVER_STATUS
@@ -134,13 +133,6 @@ def test_get_everserver_status_path(copy_math_func_test_data_to_tmp):
     assert path == expected_path
 
 
-def test_get_system_installed_job_names():
-    job_names = get_system_installed_jobs()
-    assert job_names is not None
-    assert isinstance(job_names, list)
-    assert len(job_names) > 0
-
-
 @patch(
     "everest.bin.utils.everserver_status",
     return_value={"status": ServerStatus.failed, "message": "mock error"},