diff --git a/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/diff/gr-diff-builder/gr-diff-builder.html b/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/diff/gr-diff-builder/gr-diff-builder.html
index 098a4af1a7..42a262a2ed 100644
--- a/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/diff/gr-diff-builder/gr-diff-builder.html
+++ b/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/diff/gr-diff-builder/gr-diff-builder.html
@@ -124,26 +124,13 @@ limitations under the License.
           '_groupsChanged(_groups.splices)',
         ],
 
-        attached() {
-          // Setup annotation layers.
-          const layers = [
-            this._createTrailingWhitespaceLayer(),
-            this.$.syntaxLayer,
-            this._createIntralineLayer(),
-            this._createTabIndicatorLayer(),
-            this.$.rangeLayer,
-          ];
-
-          // Get layers from plugins (if any).
-          for (const pluginLayer of this.$.jsAPI.getDiffLayers(
-              this.diffPath, this.changeNum, this.patchNum)) {
-            layers.push(pluginLayer);
-          }
-
-          this._layers = layers;
-        },
-
         render(keyLocations, prefs) {
+          // Setting up annotation layers must happen after plugins are
+          // installed, and |render| satisfies the requirement, however,
+          // |attached| doesn't because in the diff view page, the element is
+          // attached before plugins are installed.
+          this._setupAnnotationLayers();
+
           this.$.syntaxLayer.enabled = prefs.syntax_highlighting;
           this._showTabs = !!prefs.show_tabs;
           this._showTrailingWhitespace = !!prefs.show_whitespace_errors;
@@ -188,6 +175,24 @@ limitations under the License.
               });
         },
 
+        _setupAnnotationLayers() {
+          const layers = [
+            this._createTrailingWhitespaceLayer(),
+            this.$.syntaxLayer,
+            this._createIntralineLayer(),
+            this._createTabIndicatorLayer(),
+            this.$.rangeLayer,
+          ];
+
+          // Get layers from plugins (if any).
+          for (const pluginLayer of this.$.jsAPI.getDiffLayers(
+              this.diffPath, this.changeNum, this.patchNum)) {
+            layers.push(pluginLayer);
+          }
+
+          this._layers = layers;
+        },
+
         getLineElByChild(node) {
           while (node) {
             if (node instanceof Element) {
diff --git a/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/diff/gr-diff-builder/gr-diff-builder_test.html b/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/diff/gr-diff-builder/gr-diff-builder_test.html
index 1b0ba04286..294d08538b 100644
--- a/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/diff/gr-diff-builder/gr-diff-builder_test.html
+++ b/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/diff/gr-diff-builder/gr-diff-builder_test.html
@@ -582,13 +582,14 @@ limitations under the License.
       setup(() => {
         element = fixture('basic');
         element._showTrailingWhitespace = true;
+        element._setupAnnotationLayers();
         initialLayersCount = element._layers.length;
       });
 
       test('no plugin layers', () => {
         const getDiffLayersStub = sinon.stub(element.$.jsAPI, 'getDiffLayers')
                                        .returns([]);
-        element.attached();
+        element._setupAnnotationLayers();
         assert.isTrue(getDiffLayersStub.called);
         assert.equal(element._layers.length, initialLayersCount);
       });
@@ -596,9 +597,9 @@ limitations under the License.
       test('with plugin layers', () => {
         const getDiffLayersStub = sinon.stub(element.$.jsAPI, 'getDiffLayers')
                                        .returns([{}, {}]);
-        element.attached();
+        element._setupAnnotationLayers();
         assert.isTrue(getDiffLayersStub.called);
-        assert.equal(element._layers.length, initialLayersCount+2);
+        assert.equal(element._layers.length, initialLayersCount + 2);
       });
     });