diff -u b/core/modules/help_topics/src/Plugin/HelpTopic/HelpTopicPluginManager.php b/core/modules/help_topics/src/Plugin/HelpTopic/HelpTopicPluginManager.php
--- b/core/modules/help_topics/src/Plugin/HelpTopic/HelpTopicPluginManager.php
+++ b/core/modules/help_topics/src/Plugin/HelpTopic/HelpTopicPluginManager.php
@@ -6,9 +6,7 @@
 use Drupal\Core\Plugin\Discovery\YamlDirectoryDiscovery;
 use Drupal\Core\Extension\ModuleHandlerInterface;
 use Drupal\Core\Extension\ThemeHandlerInterface;
-use Drupal\Component\Utility\NestedArray;
 use Drupal\Core\Plugin\DefaultPluginManager;
-use Drupal\Core\Plugin\Factory\ContainerFactory;
 
 /**
  * Provides the default help_topic manager.
@@ -69,23 +67,6 @@
   }
 
   /**
-   * Performs extra processing on plugin definitions.
-   *
-   * By default we add defaults for the type to the definition. If a type has
-   * additional processing logic, the logic can be added by replacing or
-   * extending this method.
-   *
-   * @param array $definition
-   *   The definition to be processed and modified by reference.
-   * @param string $plugin_id
-   *   The ID of the plugin this definition is being used for.
-   */
-  public function processDefinition(&$definition, $plugin_id) {
-    $definition = NestedArray::mergeDeep($this->defaults, $definition);
-    $definition['id'] = $plugin_id;
-  }
-
-  /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
   protected function getDiscovery() {
@@ -106,32 +87,10 @@
   }
 
   /**
-   * Gets the plugin factory.
-   *
-   * @return \Drupal\Component\Plugin\Factory\FactoryInterface
-   *   An instance of the ContainerFactory object.
-   */
-  protected function getFactory() {
-    if (!isset($this->factory)) {
-      $this->factory = new ContainerFactory($this);
-    }
-    return $this->factory;
-  }
-
-  /**
    * {@inheritdoc}
    */
-  protected function findDefinitions() {
-    $definitions = $this->getDiscovery()->getDefinitions();
-
-    foreach ($definitions as $plugin_id => &$definition) {
-      $definition['id'] = $plugin_id;
-      $this->processDefinition($definition, $plugin_id);
-    }
-    $this->alterDefinitions($definitions);
-
-    $this->definitions = $definitions;
-    return $definitions;
+  protected function providerExists($provider) {
+    return $this->moduleHandler->moduleExists($provider) || $this->themeHandler->themeExists($provider);
   }
 
   /**