diff --git a/packages/core/src/app/createBaseApp.ts b/packages/core/src/app/createBaseApp.ts
index dc8b18750d..fd961f3138 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/app/createBaseApp.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/app/createBaseApp.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ import { resolveAppOptions } from './resolveAppOptions.js'
 import { resolveAppSiteData } from './resolveAppSiteData.js'
 import { resolveAppVersion } from './resolveAppVersion.js'
 import { resolveAppWriteTemp } from './resolveAppWriteTemp.js'
-import { setupAppThemeAndPlugins } from './setupAppThemeAndPlugins.js'
 
 /**
  * Create base vuepress app.
@@ -49,10 +48,5 @@ export const createBaseApp = (config: AppConfig): App => {
     prepare: async () => appPrepare(app),
   } satisfies AppPropertiesBase as App
 
-  // setup theme and plugins
-  // notice that we setup theme before plugins,
-  // so user plugins could override theme plugins
-  setupAppThemeAndPlugins(app, config)
-
   return app
 }
diff --git a/packages/core/src/app/createBuildApp.ts b/packages/core/src/app/createBuildApp.ts
index 13e1651b8e..4f359595c8 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/app/createBuildApp.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/app/createBuildApp.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import type { AppConfig, BuildApp } from '../types/index.js'
 import { createBaseApp } from './createBaseApp.js'
+import { setupAppThemeAndPlugins } from './setupAppThemeAndPlugins.js'
 
 /**
  * Create vuepress build app.
@@ -11,5 +12,8 @@ export const createBuildApp = (config: AppConfig): BuildApp => {
   app.env.isBuild = true
   app.build = async () => app.options.bundler.build(app)
 
+  // setup theme and plugins
+  setupAppThemeAndPlugins(app, config)
+
   return app
 }
diff --git a/packages/core/src/app/createDevApp.ts b/packages/core/src/app/createDevApp.ts
index 3d21ea35ed..104cb9f01a 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/app/createDevApp.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/app/createDevApp.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import type { AppConfig, DevApp } from '../types/index.js'
 import { createBaseApp } from './createBaseApp.js'
+import { setupAppThemeAndPlugins } from './setupAppThemeAndPlugins.js'
 
 /**
  * Create vuepress dev app.
@@ -11,5 +12,8 @@ export const createDevApp = (config: AppConfig): DevApp => {
   app.env.isDev = true
   app.dev = async () => app.options.bundler.dev(app)
 
+  // setup theme and plugins
+  setupAppThemeAndPlugins(app, config)
+
   return app
 }
diff --git a/packages/core/tests/app/createBuildApp.spec.ts b/packages/core/tests/app/createBuildApp.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4ddca78046
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/core/tests/app/createBuildApp.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+import { expect, it } from 'vitest'
+import type { App, BuildApp, Bundler } from '../../src/index.js'
+import { createBuildApp } from '../../src/index.js'
+
+it('should create build app correctly', () => {
+  const checkApp = (app: App): void => {
+    expect(app.env.isDev).toBe(false)
+    expect((app as unknown as { dev: never }).dev).toBeUndefined()
+
+    expect(app.env.isBuild).toBe(true)
+    expect(typeof (app as BuildApp).build).toBe('function')
+  }
+
+  const buildApp = createBuildApp({
+    source: '/foo',
+    theme: (appInTheme) => {
+      checkApp(appInTheme)
+      return { name: 'test-theme' }
+    },
+    bundler: {} as Bundler,
+    plugins: [
+      (appInPlugin) => {
+        checkApp(appInPlugin)
+        return { name: 'test-plugin' }
+      },
+    ],
+  })
+  checkApp(buildApp)
+})
diff --git a/packages/core/tests/app/createDevApp.spec.ts b/packages/core/tests/app/createDevApp.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a932ddf3b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/core/tests/app/createDevApp.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+import { expect, it } from 'vitest'
+import type { App, Bundler, DevApp } from '../../src/index.js'
+import { createDevApp } from '../../src/index.js'
+
+it('should create dev app correctly', () => {
+  const checkApp = (app: App): void => {
+    expect(app.env.isDev).toBe(true)
+    expect(typeof (app as DevApp).dev).toBe('function')
+
+    expect(app.env.isBuild).toBe(false)
+    expect((app as unknown as { build: never }).build).toBeUndefined()
+  }
+
+  const devApp = createDevApp({
+    source: '/foo',
+    theme: (appInTheme) => {
+      checkApp(appInTheme)
+      return { name: 'test-theme' }
+    },
+    bundler: {} as Bundler,
+    plugins: [
+      (appInPlugin) => {
+        checkApp(appInPlugin)
+        return { name: 'test-plugin' }
+      },
+    ],
+  })
+  checkApp(devApp)
+})