diff --git a/AUTHORS.rst b/AUTHORS.rst
index 3291067a..328790dd 100644
--- a/AUTHORS.rst
+++ b/AUTHORS.rst
@@ -67,3 +67,4 @@ Authors
 * Ofek Lev - https://github.com/ofek
 * Art Pelling - https://github.com/artpelling
 * Markéta Machová - https://github.com/MeggyCal
+* pctablet505 - https://github.com/pctablet505
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.rst b/CHANGELOG.rst
index 15a028dd..e46e6209 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.rst
+++ b/CHANGELOG.rst
@@ -2,6 +2,15 @@
 Changelog
 =========
 
+7.1.1 (unreleased)
+------------------
+
+* Fixed a confusing ``AttributeError: 'Central' object has no attribute 'configure_node'`` crash
+  that could happen when another plugin (for example one driven by ``addopts`` in a config file)
+  enables pytest-xdist only after pytest-cov has already decided to run in centralised mode.
+  This now raises a clear ``DistCovError`` instead.
+  See `#740 <https://github.com/pytest-dev/pytest-cov/issues/740>`_.
+
 7.1.0 (2026-03-21)
 ------------------
 
diff --git a/src/pytest_cov/plugin.py b/src/pytest_cov/plugin.py
index 9f5c3f76..d4525039 100644
--- a/src/pytest_cov/plugin.py
+++ b/src/pytest_cov/plugin.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 
 from . import CovDisabledWarning
 from . import CovReportWarning
+from . import DistCovError
 from . import PytestCovWarning
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
@@ -304,6 +305,7 @@ def pytest_configure_node(self, node):
         Mark this hook as optional in case xdist is not installed.
         """
         if not self._disabled:
+            self._check_is_distributed()
             self.cov_controller.configure_node(node)
 
     @pytest.hookimpl(optionalhook=True)
@@ -313,8 +315,36 @@ def pytest_testnodedown(self, node, error):
         Mark this hook as optional in case xdist is not installed.
         """
         if not self._disabled:
+            self._check_is_distributed()
             self.cov_controller.testnodedown(node, error)
 
+    def _check_is_distributed(self):
+        """Guard against xdist hooks firing on a non-distributed controller.
+
+        Whether we run centralised or distributed is decided very early on, in
+        ``pytest_load_initial_conftests``, based on the xdist options known at that
+        point. If some other plugin (e.g. one that enables xdist based on
+        ``pyproject.toml``/``addopts``) only adds ``-n``/``--dist`` afterwards, we can
+        end up having already started a centralised controller by the time xdist
+        calls one of its distributed-only hooks. Recovering from that would mean
+        discarding coverage already collected, so we fail with a clear error instead
+        of a confusing AttributeError.
+        """
+        # import engine lazily here to avoid importing
+        # it for unit tests that don't need it
+        from . import engine
+
+        if not isinstance(self.cov_controller, engine.DistMaster):
+            raise DistCovError(
+                'pytest-xdist workers were started but pytest-cov had already initialized itself for '
+                'centralised (non-distributed) coverage measurement. This usually happens when another '
+                'plugin enables pytest-xdist (e.g. via "addopts" coming from a config file or a plugin '
+                'like pytest-enabler) after pytest-cov has already inspected the command line. '
+                'Make sure the xdist options (-n/--dist) are visible on the command line or in the pytest '
+                'configuration file before pytest-cov starts, for example by adding them to the "addopts" '
+                'pytest reads directly, rather than relying on a plugin that injects them later.'
+            )
+
     def _should_report(self):
         needed = self.options.cov_report or self.options.cov_fail_under
         return needed and not (self.failed and self.options.no_cov_on_fail)
diff --git a/tests/test_pytest_cov.py b/tests/test_pytest_cov.py
index b291f432..e33cd2cf 100644
--- a/tests/test_pytest_cov.py
+++ b/tests/test_pytest_cov.py
@@ -1833,6 +1833,29 @@ def test_dynamic_context(pytester, testdir, opts, prop):
         )
 
 
+def test_xdist_enabled_after_initial_conftests(pytester, testdir):
+    """A plugin that only enables xdist after pytest-cov looked at the command
+    line (e.g. one that reacts to "addopts" from a config file) used to crash
+    with a cryptic ``AttributeError: 'Central' object has no attribute
+    'configure_node'``. See #740.
+    """
+    testdir.makepyfile(test_1='def test_1():\n    assert True\n')
+    testdir.makepyfile(
+        late_xdist_plugin="""
+        def pytest_load_initial_conftests(early_config, parser, args):
+            # Simulate a plugin that decides to enable xdist only after
+            # pytest-cov's own `tryfirst=True` pytest_load_initial_conftests
+            # has already run and started coverage measurement centrally.
+            args.extend(['-n', '2'])
+        """
+    )
+    testdir.syspathinsert()
+    result = testdir.runpytest('-v', '--cov=.', '--cov-report=', '-p', 'late_xdist_plugin')
+    output = '\n'.join(result.outlines + result.errlines)
+    assert 'pytest_cov.DistCovError: pytest-xdist workers were started' in output
+    assert 'AttributeError' not in output
+
+
 @xdist_params
 def test_simple(pytester, testdir, opts, prop):
     script = testdir.makepyfile(test_1=prop.code)