diff --git a/lib/settings.js b/lib/settings.js
index 919e01854..13c5f2d1c 100644
--- a/lib/settings.js
+++ b/lib/settings.js
@@ -362,6 +362,32 @@ ${this.results.reduce((x, y) => {
     if (overrideRepoConfig) {
       repoConfig = this.mergeDeep.mergeDeep({}, repoConfig, overrideRepoConfig)
     }
+
+    const archivePlugin = new Archive(this.nop, this.github, repo, repoConfig, this.log)
+    let isArchived, shouldArchive, shouldUnarchive
+    try {
+      ({ isArchived, shouldArchive, shouldUnarchive } = await archivePlugin.getState())
+
+      if (shouldUnarchive) {
+        this.log.debug(`Unarchiving repo ${repo.repo}`)
+        const unArchiveResults = await archivePlugin.sync()
+        this.appendToResults(unArchiveResults)
+      } else if (isArchived) {
+        // Archived repos are read-only on GitHub - any other plugin call would just 403/422.
+        this.log.debug(`Repo ${repo.repo} is archived, skipping settings sync`)
+        return
+      }
+    } catch (e) {
+      if (this.nop) {
+        const nopcommand = new NopCommand(this.constructor.name, this.repo, null, `${e}`, 'ERROR')
+        this.log.error(`NOPCOMMAND ${JSON.stringify(nopcommand)}`)
+        this.appendToResults([nopcommand])
+        return
+      } else {
+        throw e
+      }
+    }
+
     if (repoConfig) {
       try {
         this.log.debug(`found a matching repoconfig for this repo ${JSON.stringify(repoConfig)}`)
@@ -369,15 +395,6 @@ ${this.results.reduce((x, y) => {
         const childPlugins = this.childPluginsList(repo)
         const RepoPlugin = Settings.PLUGINS.repository
 
-        const archivePlugin = new Archive(this.nop, this.github, repo, repoConfig, this.log)
-        const { shouldArchive, shouldUnarchive } = await archivePlugin.getState()
-
-        if (shouldUnarchive) {
-          this.log.debug(`Unarchiving repo ${repo.repo}`)
-          const unArchiveResults = await archivePlugin.sync()
-          this.appendToResults(unArchiveResults)
-        }
-
         const repoResults = await new RepoPlugin(this.nop, this.github, repo, repoConfig, this.installation_id, this.log, this.errors).sync()
         this.appendToResults(repoResults)
 
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/settings.test.js b/test/unit/lib/settings.test.js
index b36106518..9a2f58cc3 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/settings.test.js
+++ b/test/unit/lib/settings.test.js
@@ -305,6 +305,89 @@ repository:
     })
   }) // loadConfigs
 
+  describe('updateRepos', () => {
+    let settings
+
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      mockSubOrg = undefined
+      stubConfig = {
+        restrictedRepos: {},
+        repository: { topics: ['frontend'] }
+      }
+      settings = createSettings(stubConfig)
+      settings.subOrgConfigs = {}
+      settings.repoConfigs = {}
+      jest.spyOn(settings, 'childPluginsList').mockReturnValue([])
+    })
+
+    it('skips RepoPlugin and child plugin sync for a repo that is already archived', async () => {
+      settings.github.rest.repos.get = jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({ data: { archived: true } })
+      const RepoPlugin = Settings.PLUGINS.repository
+      const syncSpy = jest.spyOn(RepoPlugin.prototype, 'sync').mockResolvedValue([])
+
+      await settings.updateRepos(mockRepo)
+
+      expect(syncSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+      syncSpy.mockRestore()
+    })
+
+    it('unarchives then runs plugin sync when the repo should be unarchived', async () => {
+      stubConfig.repository = { topics: ['frontend'], archived: false }
+      settings = createSettings(stubConfig)
+      settings.subOrgConfigs = {}
+      settings.repoConfigs = {}
+      jest.spyOn(settings, 'childPluginsList').mockReturnValue([])
+
+      settings.github.rest.repos.get = jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({ data: { archived: true } })
+      settings.github.rest.repos.update = jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({ data: { archived: false } })
+      const RepoPlugin = Settings.PLUGINS.repository
+      const syncSpy = jest.spyOn(RepoPlugin.prototype, 'sync').mockResolvedValue([])
+
+      await settings.updateRepos(mockRepo)
+
+      expect(settings.github.rest.repos.update).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        expect.objectContaining({ archived: false })
+      )
+      expect(syncSpy).toHaveBeenCalled()
+      syncSpy.mockRestore()
+    })
+
+    it('runs RepoPlugin and child plugin sync for a repo that is not archived', async () => {
+      settings.github.rest.repos.get = jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({ data: { archived: false } })
+      const RepoPlugin = Settings.PLUGINS.repository
+      const syncSpy = jest.spyOn(RepoPlugin.prototype, 'sync').mockResolvedValue([])
+
+      await settings.updateRepos(mockRepo)
+
+      expect(syncSpy).toHaveBeenCalled()
+      syncSpy.mockRestore()
+    })
+
+    it('appends an ERROR NopCommand and does not throw when the archive check fails in nop mode', async () => {
+      settings.nop = true
+      settings.github.rest.repos.get = jest.fn().mockRejectedValue(new Error('boom'))
+      const RepoPlugin = Settings.PLUGINS.repository
+      const syncSpy = jest.spyOn(RepoPlugin.prototype, 'sync').mockResolvedValue([])
+      jest.spyOn(settings, 'appendToResults')
+
+      await expect(settings.updateRepos(mockRepo)).resolves.toBeUndefined()
+
+      expect(settings.appendToResults).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        expect.arrayContaining([
+          expect.objectContaining({ type: 'ERROR' })
+        ])
+      )
+      expect(syncSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+      syncSpy.mockRestore()
+    })
+
+    it('rethrows when the archive check fails outside of nop mode', async () => {
+      settings.github.rest.repos.get = jest.fn().mockRejectedValue(new Error('boom'))
+
+      await expect(settings.updateRepos(mockRepo)).rejects.toThrow('boom')
+    })
+  }) // updateRepos
+
   describe('loadYaml', () => {
     let settings;