diff --git a/packages/babel-core/src/config/full.ts b/packages/babel-core/src/config/full.ts
index fb016f79734e..de947b5d4e53 100644
--- a/packages/babel-core/src/config/full.ts
+++ b/packages/babel-core/src/config/full.ts
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ type LoadedDescriptor = {
   options: {};
   dirname: string;
   alias: string;
-  externalDependencies: DeepArray<string>;
+  externalDependencies: ReadonlyDeepArray<string>;
 };
 
 export type { InputOptions } from "./validation/options";
@@ -319,7 +319,13 @@ const makeDescriptorLoader = <Context, API>(
       throw new Error(error);
     }
 
-    return { value: item, options, dirname, alias, externalDependencies };
+    return {
+      value: item,
+      options,
+      dirname,
+      alias,
+      externalDependencies: freezeDeepArray(externalDependencies),
+    };
   });
 
 const pluginDescriptorLoader = makeDescriptorLoader<
@@ -397,7 +403,16 @@ const instantiatePlugin = makeWeakCache(function* (
       plugin.visitor || {},
     ]);
 
-    externalDependencies.push(inherits.externalDependencies);
+    if (inherits.externalDependencies.length > 0) {
+      if (externalDependencies.length === 0) {
+        externalDependencies = inherits.externalDependencies;
+      } else {
+        externalDependencies = freezeDeepArray([
+          externalDependencies,
+          inherits.externalDependencies,
+        ]);
+      }
+    }
   }
 
   return new Plugin(plugin, options, alias, externalDependencies);
@@ -470,7 +485,7 @@ const instantiatePreset = makeWeakCacheSync(
       options: validate("preset", value),
       alias,
       dirname,
-      externalDependencies: freezeDeepArray(externalDependencies),
+      externalDependencies,
     };
   },
 );
diff --git a/packages/babel-core/src/config/plugin.ts b/packages/babel-core/src/config/plugin.ts
index bb3151e0c018..ea10bb8c7eaa 100644
--- a/packages/babel-core/src/config/plugin.ts
+++ b/packages/babel-core/src/config/plugin.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { finalize } from "./helpers/deep-array";
-import type { DeepArray, ReadonlyDeepArray } from "./helpers/deep-array";
+import type { ReadonlyDeepArray } from "./helpers/deep-array";
 import type { PluginObject } from "./validation/plugins";
 
 export default class Plugin {
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ export default class Plugin {
     plugin: PluginObject,
     options: {},
     key?: string,
-    externalDependencies: DeepArray<string> = [],
+    externalDependencies: ReadonlyDeepArray<string> = finalize([]),
   ) {
     this.key = plugin.name || key;
 
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ export default class Plugin {
     this.generatorOverride = plugin.generatorOverride;
 
     this.options = options;
-
-    this.externalDependencies = finalize(externalDependencies);
+    this.externalDependencies = externalDependencies;
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/babel-core/test/external-dependencies.js b/packages/babel-core/test/external-dependencies.js
index fe041e054484..e37c26785e37 100644
--- a/packages/babel-core/test/external-dependencies.js
+++ b/packages/babel-core/test/external-dependencies.js
@@ -230,4 +230,55 @@ describe("externalDependencies", () => {
       ).not.toThrow();
     });
   });
+
+  describe("regressions", () => {
+    describe("#14233", () => {
+      it("no external dependencies", () => {
+        const code = `let a = 1`;
+
+        function pluginA(api) {
+          api.cache.never();
+          return { name: "plugin-a" };
+        }
+        function pluginB() {
+          return { name: "plugin-b", inherits: pluginA };
+        }
+
+        expect(() => {
+          transform(code, { plugins: [pluginB] });
+
+          transform(code, { plugins: [pluginB] });
+        }).not.toThrow();
+      });
+
+      it("with external dependencies", () => {
+        const code = `let a = 1`;
+
+        let pluginAdep = "./a-foo";
+
+        function pluginA(api) {
+          api.cache.never();
+          api.addExternalDependency(pluginAdep);
+          return { name: "plugin-a" };
+        }
+        const pluginB = jest.fn(function pluginB(api) {
+          api.cache.using(() => 0);
+          api.addExternalDependency("./b-foo");
+          return { name: "plugin-b", inherits: pluginA };
+        });
+
+        const result1 = transform(code, { plugins: [pluginB] });
+        pluginAdep = "./a-bar";
+        const result2 = transform(code, { plugins: [pluginB] });
+
+        expect(pluginB).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+        expect(new Set(result1.externalDependencies)).toEqual(
+          new Set(["./a-foo", "./b-foo"]),
+        );
+        expect(new Set(result2.externalDependencies)).toEqual(
+          new Set(["./a-bar", "./b-foo"]),
+        );
+      });
+    });
+  });
 });