diff --git a/environments/mocks/mu-plugins/wporg-plugin-author-import.php b/environments/mocks/mu-plugins/wporg-plugin-author-import.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..21c50f3a64
--- /dev/null
+++ b/environments/mocks/mu-plugins/wporg-plugin-author-import.php
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Plugin Name: WPORG Plugin Author Import (local dev)
+ * Description: When a plugin post is created without a post_author (e.g. via
+ *              import-plugin.php --create in CLI), fetch the plugin's author
+ *              from the wordpress.org REST API and create the local user so the
+ *              admin UI has a real author to display.
+ */
+
+namespace WordPressdotorg\Env;
+
+/**
+ * Intercept plugin post inserts that have no author and resolve one from wp.org.
+ *
+ * Runs only in CLI to avoid touching real submissions from authenticated users.
+ *
+ * @param array $data    Sanitised post data about to be inserted.
+ * @param array $postarr Original post data passed to wp_insert_post().
+ * @return array Post data, possibly with post_author rewritten.
+ */
+function maybe_populate_plugin_author( $data, $postarr ) {
+	if ( 'cli' !== php_sapi_name() ) {
+		return $data;
+	}
+
+	if ( ( $data['post_type'] ?? '' ) !== 'plugin' ) {
+		return $data;
+	}
+
+	// Only on new inserts, and only when no author was supplied.
+	if ( ! empty( $postarr['ID'] ) ) {
+		return $data;
+	}
+	if ( ! empty( $data['post_author'] ) ) {
+		return $data;
+	}
+
+	$slug = $data['post_name'] ?? '';
+	if ( ! $slug ) {
+		return $data;
+	}
+
+	$author = fetch_plugin_author( $slug );
+	if ( ! $author ) {
+		return $data;
+	}
+
+	$user_id = ensure_local_user( $author );
+	if ( $user_id ) {
+		$data['post_author'] = $user_id;
+		fwrite( STDERR, "[wporg-plugin-author-import] {$slug}: post_author set to {$user_id} ({$author['slug']}).\n" );
+	}
+
+	return $data;
+}
+add_filter( 'wp_insert_post_data', __NAMESPACE__ . '\maybe_populate_plugin_author', 5, 2 );
+
+/**
+ * Fetch the embedded author object for a plugin slug from the wp.org REST API.
+ *
+ * @param string $slug Plugin slug.
+ * @return array|null Author array (id, slug, name, ...) or null on failure.
+ */
+function fetch_plugin_author( $slug ) {
+	$url = add_query_arg(
+		array(
+			'slug'     => $slug,
+			'_embed'   => 1,
+			'per_page' => 1,
+		),
+		'https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-json/wp/v2/plugin'
+	);
+
+	$response = wp_remote_get( $url, array( 'timeout' => 30 ) );
+	if ( is_wp_error( $response ) || 200 !== wp_remote_retrieve_response_code( $response ) ) {
+		return null;
+	}
+
+	$results = json_decode( wp_remote_retrieve_body( $response ), true );
+	if ( empty( $results[0]['_embedded']['author'][0]['slug'] ) ) {
+		return null;
+	}
+
+	return $results[0]['_embedded']['author'][0];
+}
+
+/**
+ * Find or create a local user matching the given wp.org author payload.
+ *
+ * @param array $author Author array from the REST API (must include slug).
+ * @return int User ID, or 0 on failure.
+ */
+function ensure_local_user( array $author ) {
+	$slug = $author['slug'];
+
+	$existing = get_user_by( 'slug', $slug );
+	if ( $existing ) {
+		return (int) $existing->ID;
+	}
+
+	$user_id = wp_insert_user( array(
+		'user_login'    => $slug,
+		'user_nicename' => $slug,
+		'user_email'    => $slug . '@example.invalid',
+		'display_name'  => $author['name'] ?? $slug,
+		'user_url'      => $author['url'] ?? '',
+		'user_pass'     => wp_generate_password(),
+		'role'          => 'subscriber',
+	) );
+
+	if ( is_wp_error( $user_id ) ) {
+		fwrite( STDERR, "[wporg-plugin-author-import] wp_insert_user failed for {$slug}: " . $user_id->get_error_message() . "\n" );
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	return (int) $user_id;
+}
diff --git a/wordpress.org/public_html/wp-content/plugins/plugin-directory/admin/class-customizations.php b/wordpress.org/public_html/wp-content/plugins/plugin-directory/admin/class-customizations.php
index d1e30f3c4b..9adf692411 100644
--- a/wordpress.org/public_html/wp-content/plugins/plugin-directory/admin/class-customizations.php
+++ b/wordpress.org/public_html/wp-content/plugins/plugin-directory/admin/class-customizations.php
@@ -785,14 +785,16 @@ public function register_admin_metaboxes( $post_type, $post ) {
 				array( __NAMESPACE__ . '\Metabox\Author_Notice', 'display' ),
 				'plugin', 'normal', 'high'
 			);
-		}
 
-		add_meta_box(
-			'plugin-elasticsearch',
-			__( 'ElasticSearch Index', 'wporg-plugins' ),
-			array( __NAMESPACE__ . '\Metabox\Elasticsearch', 'display' ),
-			'plugin', 'normal', 'low'
-		);
+			if ( class_exists( '\Automattic\Jetpack\Search\Classic_Search' ) ) {
+				add_meta_box(
+					'plugin-elasticsearch',
+					__( 'ElasticSearch Index', 'wporg-plugins' ),
+					array( __NAMESPACE__ . '\Metabox\Elasticsearch', 'display' ),
+					'plugin', 'normal', 'low'
+				);
+			}
+		}
 
 		// Remove unnecessary metaboxes.
 		remove_meta_box( 'commentsdiv', 'plugin', 'normal' );