diff --git a/dspace-api/src/test/java/org/dspace/workflow/WorkflowCurationIT.java b/dspace-api/src/test/java/org/dspace/workflow/WorkflowCurationIT.java
index d3866d534b24..aa3dd5cfda9e 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/test/java/org/dspace/workflow/WorkflowCurationIT.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/test/java/org/dspace/workflow/WorkflowCurationIT.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 import org.dspace.content.Community;
 import org.dspace.content.MetadataValue;
 import org.dspace.content.service.ItemService;
+import org.dspace.core.LegacyPluginServiceImpl;
 import org.dspace.ctask.testing.MarkerTask;
 import org.dspace.eperson.EPerson;
 import org.dspace.util.DSpaceConfigurationInitializer;
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@
 import org.dspace.xmlworkflow.storedcomponents.XmlWorkflowItem;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
 import org.springframework.test.context.ContextConfiguration;
 import org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringRunner;
 
@@ -46,6 +48,8 @@ public class WorkflowCurationIT
         extends AbstractIntegrationTestWithDatabase {
     @Inject
     private ItemService itemService;
+    @Autowired
+    private LegacyPluginServiceImpl legacyPluginService;
 
     /**
      * Basic smoke test of a curation task attached to a workflow step.
@@ -57,6 +61,11 @@ public void curationTest()
             throws Exception {
         context.turnOffAuthorisationSystem();
 
+        // Reset the named plugin cache to avoid pollution from other tests
+        // (e.g. CreateMissingIdentifiersIT) that may have run before this one.
+        // See https://github.com/DSpace/DSpace/issues/8533
+        legacyPluginService.clearNamedPluginClasses();
+
         //** GIVEN **
 
         // A submitter;
diff --git a/dspace-server-webapp/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/rest/exception/DSpaceApiExceptionControllerAdvice.java b/dspace-server-webapp/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/rest/exception/DSpaceApiExceptionControllerAdvice.java
index 6bfb43297b54..d937add9614f 100644
--- a/dspace-server-webapp/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/rest/exception/DSpaceApiExceptionControllerAdvice.java
+++ b/dspace-server-webapp/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/rest/exception/DSpaceApiExceptionControllerAdvice.java
@@ -61,6 +61,14 @@
 public class DSpaceApiExceptionControllerAdvice extends ResponseEntityExceptionHandler {
     private static final Logger log = LogManager.getLogger();
 
+    /**
+     * Dedicated logger for 404 NOT_FOUND responses. Configured at OFF level by default
+     * so that expected 404s don't flood production logs.
+     * Set to WARN in log4j2.xml to see 404 responses in logs.
+     */
+    private static final Logger notFoundLog =
+            LogManager.getLogger("org.dspace.app.rest.exception.DSpaceApiExceptionControllerAdvice.NotFound");
+
     /**
      * Default collection of HTTP error codes to log as ERROR with full stack trace.
      */
@@ -277,7 +285,6 @@ private void sendErrorResponse(final HttpServletRequest request,
             // Log the full error and status code
             log.error("{} (status:{})", message, statusCode, ex);
         } else if (HttpStatus.valueOf(statusCode).is4xxClientError()) {
-            // Log the error as a single-line WARN
             String location;
             String exceptionMessage;
             if (null == ex) {
@@ -288,12 +295,27 @@ private void sendErrorResponse(final HttpServletRequest request,
                 StackTraceElement[] trace = ex.getStackTrace();
                 location = trace.length <= 0 ? "unknown" : trace[0].toString();
             }
-            log.warn("{} (status:{} exception: {} at: {})", message, statusCode,
-                    exceptionMessage, location);
+            logClientError(statusCode, message, exceptionMessage, location);
         }
 
         //Exception properties will be set by org.springframework.boot.web.support.ErrorPageFilter
         response.sendError(statusCode, message);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Log a 4xx client error. 404 NOT_FOUND is sent to a dedicated logger ({@link #notFoundLog})
+     * at WARN level, but the logger is set to OFF by default in log4j2.xml (suppressed).
+     * Set logger to WARN in log4j2.xml to see 404 responses in logs.
+     */
+    private void logClientError(int statusCode, String message,
+                                String exceptionMessage, String location) {
+        if (statusCode == HttpServletResponse.SC_NOT_FOUND) {
+            notFoundLog.warn("{} (status:{} exception: {} at: {})",
+                    message, statusCode, exceptionMessage, location);
+        } else {
+            log.warn("{} (status:{} exception: {} at: {})",
+                    message, statusCode, exceptionMessage, location);
+        }
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/dspace/config/log4j2.xml b/dspace/config/log4j2.xml
index 51c04ef2dcc4..bfda6bd4900a 100644
--- a/dspace/config/log4j2.xml
+++ b/dspace/config/log4j2.xml
@@ -88,6 +88,13 @@
             <AppenderRef ref='A1'/>
         </Logger>
 
+        <!-- NotFound logger for 404 responses - set to WARN to enable 404 logging -->
+        <Logger name='org.dspace.app.rest.exception.DSpaceApiExceptionControllerAdvice.NotFound'
+                level='OFF'
+                additivity='false'>
+            <AppenderRef ref='A1'/>
+        </Logger>
+
         <!-- Block services logging except on exceptions -->
         <Logger name='org.dspace.kernel'
                 level='ERROR'/>