diff --git a/projects/packages/connection/changelog/update-tracker_send_on_init b/projects/packages/connection/changelog/update-tracker_send_on_init
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..007974bcd7bad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/projects/packages/connection/changelog/update-tracker_send_on_init
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+Significance: patch
+Type: changed
+
+Package Version Tracker: send package versions to wpcom on the init hook instead of plugins_loaded
diff --git a/projects/packages/connection/src/class-manager.php b/projects/packages/connection/src/class-manager.php
index 64ab116d8176a..9aea45e0be3ed 100644
--- a/projects/packages/connection/src/class-manager.php
+++ b/projects/packages/connection/src/class-manager.php
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ public static function configure() {
 
 		if ( $manager->is_connected() ) {
 			add_filter( 'xmlrpc_methods', array( $manager, 'public_xmlrpc_methods' ) );
-			add_filter( 'plugins_loaded', array( new Package_Version_Tracker(), 'maybe_update_package_versions' ) );
+			add_filter( 'init', array( new Package_Version_Tracker(), 'maybe_update_package_versions' ) );
 		}
 
 		add_action( 'rest_api_init', array( $manager, 'initialize_rest_api_registration_connector' ) );