diff --git a/lib/plugins/unarchiver.js b/lib/plugins/unarchiver.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4a8cc239
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/plugins/unarchiver.js
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+// THIS IS A SPECIAL PLUGIN, DON'T ADD IT TO THE LIST OF PLUGINS IN SETTINGS
+const NopCommand = require('../nopcommand')
+
+const UnlockRepoMutation = `
+mutation($repoId: ID!) {
+  unarchiveRepository(input:{clientMutationId:"true",repositoryId: $repoId}) {
+      repository {
+          isArchived
+      }
+  }
+}`
+const GetRepoQuery = `query($owner: String!, $repo: String!) {
+  repository(owner: $owner, name: $repo){
+      id,
+      isArchived,
+  }
+}`
+
+function returnValue (shouldContinue, nop) {
+  return { shouldContinue, nopCommands: nop }
+}
+
+/// Unarchives repos before the other plugins.
+/// This is optimized for the case where safe-settings is the source of truth when it cames to the archive config bit.
+
+/// If the archived config is not set then we don't even read the archived status for the repo (it saves one call)
+/// This has the implication that if a repo is archived outside safe settings, other plugins may attempt to change the data and fail (it's their responsability to check if the repo is archived)
+/// However if the archive config is set, we will return false to indicate other plugins shouldn't be executed if the repo is archived (and archive config is true)
+module.exports = class Unarchiver {
+  constructor (nop, github, repo, settings, log) {
+    this.github = github
+    this.repo = repo
+    this.settings = settings
+    this.log = log
+    this.nop = nop
+  }
+
+  // Returns true if should proceed false otherwise
+  async sync () {
+    if (typeof (this.settings?.archived) !== 'undefined') {
+      this.log.debug(`Checking if ${this.repo.owner}/${this.repo.repo} is archived`)
+      const graphQLResponse = await this.github.graphql(GetRepoQuery, { owner: this.repo.owner, repo: this.repo.repo })
+      this.log(`Repo ${this.repo.owner}/${this.repo.repo} is ${graphQLResponse.repository.isArchived ? 'archived' : 'not archived'}`)
+
+      if (graphQLResponse.repository.isArchived) {
+        if (this.settings.archived) {
+          this.log(`Repo ${this.repo.owner}/${this.repo.repo} already archived, inform other plugins should not run.`)
+          return returnValue(false)
+        } else {
+          this.log(`Unarchiving ${this.repo.owner}/${this.repo.repo} ${graphQLResponse.repository.id}`)
+          if (this.nop) {
+            return returnValue(true, [new NopCommand('Unarchiver', this.repo, null, 'will unarchive')])
+          } else {
+            const graphQLUnlockResponse = await this.github.graphql(UnlockRepoMutation, { repoId: graphQLResponse.repository.id })
+            this.log.debug(`Unarchived result ${JSON.stringify(graphQLUnlockResponse)}`)
+
+            return returnValue(true)
+          }
+        }
+      }
+      this.log(`Repo ${this.repo.owner}/${this.repo.repo} not archived, ignoring.`)
+    } else {
+      this.log(`Repo ${this.repo.owner}/${this.repo.repo} archived config not set, ignoring.`)
+    }
+    return returnValue(true)
+  }
+}
diff --git a/lib/settings.js b/lib/settings.js
index 6a97aad0..8bd2d0c1 100644
--- a/lib/settings.js
+++ b/lib/settings.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ const fs = require('fs')
 const Glob = require('./glob')
 const NopCommand = require('./nopcommand')
 const { throws } = require('assert')
+const Unarchiver = require('./plugins/unarchiver')
 class Settings {
 
   static async syncAll(nop, context, repo, config, ref) {
@@ -152,39 +153,49 @@ ${this.results.reduce((x,y) => {
     if (overrideRepoConfig) {
       repoConfig = this.mergeDeep({}, repoConfig, overrideRepoConfig)
     }
-    if (repoConfig) {
-      try {
-        this.log.debug(`found a matching repoconfig for this repo ${JSON.stringify(repoConfig)}`)
+
+    // Although this is a plugin, it must be handled differently since it cannot run in parallel with the other plugins
+    // Because if the repo is archived we need to unarchived before all other plugins. 
+    // If the repo is archived but there is no config to unarchive we don't run any plugins since they would fail anyway (and uncessary calls as well)
+    const {shouldContinue, nopCommands} = await new Unarchiver(this.nop, this.github, repo, repoConfig ?? config, this.log).sync()
+    
+    if (nopCommands) this.appendToResults(nopCommands)
+
+    if(shouldContinue) {
+      if (repoConfig) {
+        try {
+          this.log.debug(`found a matching repoconfig for this repo ${JSON.stringify(repoConfig)}`)
+          const childPlugins = this.childPluginsList(repo.repo)
+          const RepoPlugin = Settings.PLUGINS.repository
+          return new RepoPlugin(this.nop, this.github, repo, repoConfig, this.installation_id, this.log).sync().then( res => {
+            this.appendToResults(res)
+            return Promise.all(
+              childPlugins.map(([Plugin, config]) => {
+                return new Plugin(this.nop, this.github, repo, config, this.log).sync()
+              }))
+            }).then( res => {
+              this.appendToResults(res)
+            })
+        } catch(e) {
+          if (this.nop) {
+            const nopcommand = new NopCommand(this.constructor.name, this.repo, null,e, "ERROR")
+            console.error(`NOPCOMMAND ${JSON.stringify(nopcommand)}`)
+            this.appendToResults([nopcommand])
+            //throw e
+          } else {
+            throw e
+          }
+        }
+
+      } else {
+        this.log.debug(`Didnt find any a matching repoconfig for this repo ${JSON.stringify(repo)} in ${JSON.stringify(this.repoConfigs)}`)
         const childPlugins = this.childPluginsList(repo.repo)
-        const RepoPlugin = Settings.PLUGINS.repository
-        return new RepoPlugin(this.nop, this.github, repo, repoConfig, this.installation_id, this.log).sync().then( res => {
-          this.appendToResults(res)
-          return Promise.all(
-            childPlugins.map(([Plugin, config]) => {
-              return new Plugin(this.nop, this.github, repo, config, this.log).sync()
-            }))
-          }).then( res => {
+        return Promise.all(childPlugins.map(([Plugin, config]) => {
+          return new Plugin(this.nop, this.github, repo, config, this.log).sync().then( res => {
             this.appendToResults(res)
           })
-      } catch(e) {
-        if (this.nop) {
-          const nopcommand = new NopCommand(this.constructor.name, this.repo, null,e, "ERROR")
-          console.error(`NOPCOMMAND ${JSON.stringify(nopcommand)}`)
-          this.appendToResults([nopcommand])
-          //throw e
-        } else {
-          throw e
-        }
+        }))
       }
-
-    } else {
-      this.log.debug(`Didnt find any a matching repoconfig for this repo ${JSON.stringify(repo)} in ${JSON.stringify(this.repoConfigs)}`)
-      const childPlugins = this.childPluginsList(repo.repo)
-      return Promise.all(childPlugins.map(([Plugin, config]) => {
-        return new Plugin(this.nop, this.github, repo, config, this.log).sync().then( res => {
-           this.appendToResults(res)
-         })
-      }))
     }
   }