diff --git a/frontend/src/views/SetupWizard.vue b/frontend/src/views/SetupWizard.vue
index 21e8f76..d6b3b9a 100644
--- a/frontend/src/views/SetupWizard.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/views/SetupWizard.vue
@@ -42,33 +42,43 @@
                 <span class="plugin-name">{{ p.name }}</span>
                 <span class="plugin-desc">{{ p.description }}</span>
               </label>
-              <!-- Transparency note for plugins that provision extra tables -->
-              <div v-if="p.enabled && p.provisioning_note" class="provision-note">
-                <p>{{ p.provisioning_note.note }}</p>
-                <p class="provision-tables">
-                  Creates in shopdb:
-                  <code v-for="t in p.provisioning_note.tables" :key="t">{{ t }}</code>
-                </p>
-                <p v-if="p.provisioning_note.docs" class="provision-docs">Schema: <code>{{ p.provisioning_note.docs }}</code></p>
+
+              <!-- Plugins that provision tables: choose to create them here or
+                   connect an existing database -->
+              <div v-if="p.enabled && p.provisioning_note && p.provisioning_note.mode_setting" class="plugin-mode">
+                <label class="mode-opt">
+                  <input type="radio" value="selfhosted" v-model="pluginModes[p.provisioning_note.mode_setting]" />
+                  Create the tables here <span class="hint">(recommended)</span>
+                </label>
+                <label class="mode-opt">
+                  <input type="radio" value="external" v-model="pluginModes[p.provisioning_note.mode_setting]" />
+                  Connect to your own database
+                </label>
+
+                <!-- Self-hosted: transparency note -->
+                <div v-if="pluginModes[p.provisioning_note.mode_setting] !== 'external'" class="provision-note">
+                  <p>{{ p.provisioning_note.note }}</p>
+                  <p class="provision-tables">Creates in shopdb: <code v-for="t in p.provisioning_note.tables" :key="t">{{ t }}</code></p>
+                  <p v-if="p.provisioning_note.docs" class="provision-docs">Schema: <code>{{ p.provisioning_note.docs }}</code></p>
+                </div>
+
+                <!-- External: connection config -->
+                <div v-else class="config-block">
+                  <div v-for="field in p.config_schema" :key="field.key" class="form-group">
+                    <label>{{ field.label }}<span v-if="field.secret" class="secret-tag">secret</span></label>
+                    <input
+                      :type="field.type === 'password' ? 'password' : (field.type === 'number' ? 'number' : 'text')"
+                      :placeholder="field.default || ''"
+                      v-model="pluginConfig[field.key]"
+                      class="form-control" />
+                    <small v-if="field.help" class="hint">{{ field.help }}</small>
+                  </div>
+                </div>
               </div>
             </div>
           </div>
           <p v-else class="hint">No optional plugins found.</p>
 
-          <!-- Per-plugin config for enabled plugins that declare a schema -->
-          <div v-for="p in configurablePlugins" :key="`config-${p.name}`" class="config-block">
-            <h3 class="config-title">{{ p.name }} configuration</h3>
-            <div v-for="field in p.config_schema" :key="field.key" class="form-group">
-              <label>{{ field.label }}<span v-if="field.secret" class="secret-tag">secret</span></label>
-              <input
-                :type="field.type === 'password' ? 'password' : (field.type === 'number' ? 'number' : 'text')"
-                :placeholder="field.default || ''"
-                v-model="pluginConfig[field.key]"
-                class="form-control" />
-              <small v-if="field.help" class="hint">{{ field.help }}</small>
-            </div>
-          </div>
-
           <!-- Secrets are never stored in the DB; emit .env lines to paste -->
           <div v-if="envLines" class="env-block">
             <p class="hint">Paste these into <code>.env</code> and restart the app (secrets are not stored in the database):</p>
@@ -153,13 +163,21 @@ const form = ref({
 })
 const plugins = ref([])
 const pluginConfig = ref({})   // flat map: setting/field key -> value
+const pluginModes = ref({})    // mode_setting key -> 'selfhosted' | 'external'
 const saving = ref(false)
 const seeding = ref(false)
 const seedResult = ref('')
 
-// Enabled plugins that declare config fields.
+function modeOf(plugin) {
+  const key = plugin.provisioning_note?.mode_setting
+  return key ? (pluginModes.value[key] || 'selfhosted') : null
+}
+
+// Enabled plugins whose external connection config should be collected right
+// now: those in external mode (or with config but no mode concept).
 const configurablePlugins = computed(() =>
-  plugins.value.filter(p => p.enabled && (p.config_schema || []).length))
+  plugins.value.filter(p => p.enabled && (p.config_schema || []).length &&
+    (!p.provisioning_note?.mode_setting || modeOf(p) === 'external')))
 
 // .env lines for secret fields that have a value entered.
 const envLines = computed(() => {
@@ -196,8 +214,15 @@ onMounted(async () => {
     plugins.value = response.data.data?.plugins || response.data.data || []
   } catch (err) { /* ignore */ }
 
-  // Preload current values for non-secret plugin config fields.
+  // Preload directory mode (defaults self-hosted) + non-secret config fields.
   for (const plugin of plugins.value) {
+    const modeKey = plugin.provisioning_note?.mode_setting
+    if (modeKey && pluginModes.value[modeKey] === undefined) {
+      try {
+        const response = await settingsApi.get(modeKey)
+        pluginModes.value[modeKey] = response.data?.data?.value || 'selfhosted'
+      } catch (err) { pluginModes.value[modeKey] = 'selfhosted' }
+    }
     for (const field of (plugin.config_schema || [])) {
       if (field.secret) continue
       try {
@@ -210,8 +235,12 @@ onMounted(async () => {
 })
 
 async function saveStep() {
-  // Plugins step: persist non-secret config fields (secrets stay in .env).
+  // Plugins step: save each plugin's directory mode, plus non-secret external
+  // connection config (secrets stay in .env).
   if (current.value.key === 'plugins') {
+    for (const [modeKey, modeValue] of Object.entries(pluginModes.value)) {
+      await settingsApi.update(modeKey, modeValue)
+    }
     for (const plugin of configurablePlugins.value) {
       for (const field of plugin.config_schema) {
         if (field.secret) continue
@@ -319,6 +348,10 @@ async function finish() {
 .plugin-row { display: grid; grid-template-columns: auto auto 1fr; gap: 0.6rem; align-items: baseline; padding: 0.5rem 0.6rem; background: var(--bg); border-radius: 6px; }
 .plugin-name { font-weight: 600; text-transform: capitalize; }
 .plugin-desc { color: var(--text-light); font-size: 0.85rem; }
+.plugin-mode { margin: 0.4rem 0 0.2rem 1.9rem; }
+.mode-opt { display: block; font-size: 0.86rem; margin-bottom: 0.3rem; cursor: pointer; }
+.mode-opt input { margin-right: 0.4rem; }
+.plugin-mode .provision-note, .plugin-mode .config-block { margin-left: 0; }
 .provision-note { margin: 0.3rem 0 0.2rem 1.9rem; padding: 0.6rem 0.75rem; background: var(--bg); border-left: 3px solid var(--warning); border-radius: 4px; font-size: 0.82rem; }
 .provision-note p { margin: 0 0 0.35rem; }
 .provision-note p:last-child { margin-bottom: 0; }
diff --git a/plugins/employees/plugin.py b/plugins/employees/plugin.py
index bd4b559..5f0a35b 100644
--- a/plugins/employees/plugin.py
+++ b/plugins/employees/plugin.py
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ class EmployeesPlugin(BasePlugin):
 
     def get_provisioning_note(self) -> Optional[Dict]:
         return {
+            'mode_setting': 'employee_directory_mode',
             'tables': ['directoryemployees'],
             'note': ('Enabling this in self-hosted mode creates a '
                      '"directoryemployees" table in the shopdb database (SSO, '
diff --git a/plugins/usb/plugin.py b/plugins/usb/plugin.py
index eafa27b..9744854 100644
--- a/plugins/usb/plugin.py
+++ b/plugins/usb/plugin.py
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ class USBPlugin(BasePlugin):
 
     def get_provisioning_note(self) -> Optional[Dict]:
         return {
+            'mode_setting': 'usb_directory_mode',
             'tables': ['usbdevicetypes', 'usbdevices', 'usbcheckouts'],
             'note': ('Enabling this creates USB tracking tables in the shopdb '
                      'database (usbdevicetypes, usbdevices, usbcheckouts) for CMMC '
diff --git a/shopdb/core/api/settings.py b/shopdb/core/api/settings.py
index 7b98058..7744852 100644
--- a/shopdb/core/api/settings.py
+++ b/shopdb/core/api/settings.py
@@ -265,10 +265,17 @@ def build_default_settings():
         },
         {
             'key': 'employee_directory_mode',
-            'value': 'external',
+            'value': 'selfhosted',
             'valuetype': 'string',
             'category': 'site',
-            'description': "Employee directory source: 'external' (a separate HR database) or 'selfhosted' (managed in-app under Employees)"
+            'description': "Employee directory source: 'selfhosted' (tables in this app, default) or 'external' (a separate HR database)"
+        },
+        {
+            'key': 'usb_directory_mode',
+            'value': 'selfhosted',
+            'valuetype': 'string',
+            'category': 'site',
+            'description': "USB check-in/out source: 'selfhosted' (tables in this app, default) or 'external' (a separate cmmc_usb database)"
         },
         {
             'key': 'site_base_url',