Try to keep a separate, basic server using flatfiles ready. When we have a LOLNOTCH update, simply launch the other server. Original server is then safe and sound.
The problem with this is - since one server would be using flatfiles and the other MySQL their config would not be synchronized while plugins and configs constantly change. This would basically require maintaining two servers separately with one being offline most of the time, which is quite stupid.
hMod and most plugins sadly don't work well "out of the box" with no configuration and hence keeping the other server "basic" doesn't mean much.