diff --git a/include/QF/plugin.h b/include/QF/plugin.h
index 80efd5ab8..10b21e4e0 100644
--- a/include/QF/plugin.h
+++ b/include/QF/plugin.h
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ extern struct cvar_s	*fs_pluginpath;
 */
 plugin_t *PI_LoadPlugin (const char *, const char *);
 qboolean PI_UnloadPlugin (plugin_t *);
+void PI_RegisterPlugins (plugin_list_t *);
 void PI_Init (void);
 void PI_Shutdown (void);
 
diff --git a/libs/audio/cd.c b/libs/audio/cd.c
index 61b01ba06..e4672b8cd 100644
--- a/libs/audio/cd.c
+++ b/libs/audio/cd.c
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ CD_f (void)
 int
 CDAudio_Init (void)
 {
+	PI_RegisterPlugins (cd_plugin_list);
 	cd_plugin = Cvar_Get ("cd_plugin", "null", CVAR_ARCHIVE, NULL,
 						  "CD Plugin to use");
 	cdmodule = PI_LoadPlugin ("cd", cd_plugin->string);
diff --git a/libs/audio/snd.c b/libs/audio/snd.c
index 5fc60066b..c5f55c8cd 100644
--- a/libs/audio/snd.c
+++ b/libs/audio/snd.c
@@ -84,6 +84,8 @@ S_Init (void)
 		return;
 	}
 
+	PI_RegisterPlugins (snd_output_list);
+	PI_RegisterPlugins (snd_render_list);
 	snd_output_module = PI_LoadPlugin ("snd_output", snd_output->string);
 	if (!snd_output_module) {
 		Sys_Printf ("Loading of sound output module: %s failed!\n",
diff --git a/libs/util/plugin.c b/libs/util/plugin.c
index f75f683e5..106910db1 100644
--- a/libs/util/plugin.c
+++ b/libs/util/plugin.c
@@ -55,13 +55,21 @@ static const char rcsid[] =
 #endif
 
 #include "QF/cvar.h"
+#include "QF/hash.h"
 #include "QF/plugin.h"
 #include "QF/sys.h"
 
 #include "compat.h"
 
-cvar_t	*fs_pluginpath;
+cvar_t     *fs_pluginpath;
 
+hashtab_t  *registered_plugins;
+
+static const char *
+get_key (void *pl, void *unused)
+{
+	return ((plugin_list_t *)pl)->name;
+}
 
 void
 PI_InitCvars (void)
@@ -80,6 +88,7 @@ void
 PI_Init (void)
 {
 	PI_InitCvars ();
+	registered_plugins = Hash_NewTable (253, get_key, 0, 0);
 }
 
 void
@@ -91,62 +100,74 @@ plugin_t *
 PI_LoadPlugin (const char *type, const char *name)
 {
 	char			realname[4096];
+	char            plugin_name[1024];
 	char            plugin_info_name[1024];
 	char			*tmpname;
 	void			*dlhand = NULL;
 	plugin_t		*plugin = NULL;
 	P_PluginInfo	plugin_info = NULL;
+	plugin_list_t  *pl;
 
 	if (!name)
 		return NULL;
 
 	tmpname = strrchr (name, '/');	// Get the base name, don't allow paths
 
-	// Build the plugin info name
-	snprintf (plugin_info_name, sizeof (plugin_info_name), "%s_%s_PluginInfo",
-			  type, name);
-	// Build the path to the file to load
+	// Build the plugin name
+	snprintf (plugin_name, sizeof (plugin_name), "%s_%s", type, name);
+	pl = Hash_Find (registered_plugins, plugin_name);
+	if (pl) {
+		plugin_info = pl->info;
+	}
+	if (!plugin_info) {
+		// Build the plugin info name
+		snprintf (plugin_info_name, sizeof (plugin_info_name),
+				  "%s_%s_PluginInfo", type, name);
+		// Build the path to the file to load
 #if defined(HAVE_DLOPEN)
-	snprintf (realname, sizeof (realname), "%s/lib%s_%s.so",
-				fs_pluginpath->string, type, (tmpname ? tmpname + 1 : name));
+		snprintf (realname, sizeof (realname), "%s/lib%s_%s.so",
+					fs_pluginpath->string, type,
+					(tmpname ? tmpname + 1 : name));
 #elif defined(_WIN32)
-	snprintf (realname, sizeof (realname), "%s/QF%s_%s.dll",
-				fs_pluginpath->string, type, (tmpname ? tmpname + 1 : name));
+		snprintf (realname, sizeof (realname), "%s/QF%s_%s.dll",
+					fs_pluginpath->string, type,
+					(tmpname ? tmpname + 1 : name));
 #else
 # error "No shared library support. FIXME"
-	return NULL;
+		return NULL;
 #endif
 
 #if defined(HAVE_DLOPEN)
-	if (!(dlhand = dlopen (realname, RTLD_GLOBAL | RTLD_NOW))) {
-		// lib not found
-		Sys_Printf ("Could not load plugin \"%s\": %s\n", realname,
-					dlerror ());
-		return NULL;
-	}
+		if (!(dlhand = dlopen (realname, RTLD_GLOBAL | RTLD_NOW))) {
+			// lib not found
+			Sys_Printf ("Could not load plugin \"%s\": %s\n", realname,
+						dlerror ());
+			return NULL;
+		}
 #elif defined (_WIN32)
-	if (!(dlhand = LoadLibrary (realname))) {	// lib not found
-		Sys_Printf ("Could not load plugin \"%s\".\n", realname);
-		return NULL;
-	}
+		if (!(dlhand = LoadLibrary (realname))) {	// lib not found
+			Sys_Printf ("Could not load plugin \"%s\".\n", realname);
+			return NULL;
+		}
 #endif
 
 #if defined(HAVE_DLOPEN)
-	if (!(plugin_info = dlsym (dlhand, plugin_info_name))) {
-		// info function not found
-		dlclose (dlhand);
-		Sys_Printf ("Plugin info function not found\n");
-		return NULL;
-	}
+		if (!(plugin_info = dlsym (dlhand, plugin_info_name))) {
+			// info function not found
+			dlclose (dlhand);
+			Sys_Printf ("Plugin info function not found\n");
+			return NULL;
+		}
 #elif defined (_WIN32)
-	if (!(plugin_info = (P_PluginInfo) GetProcAddress (dlhand,
-													   plugin_info_name))) {
-		// info function not found
-		FreeLibrary (dlhand);
-		Sys_Printf ("Plugin info function not found\n");
-		return NULL;
-	}
+		if (!(plugin_info = (P_PluginInfo) GetProcAddress (dlhand,
+														   plugin_info_name))) {
+			// info function not found
+			FreeLibrary (dlhand);
+			Sys_Printf ("Plugin info function not found\n");
+			return NULL;
+		}
 #endif
+	}
 
 	if (!(plugin = plugin_info ())) {	// Something went badly wrong
 #if defined(HAVE_DLOPEN)
@@ -173,9 +194,18 @@ PI_UnloadPlugin (plugin_t *plugin)
 	} else {
 		Sys_Printf ("Warning: No shutdown function for type %d plugin!\n", plugin->type);
 	}
+	if (!plugin->handle) // we didn't load it
+		return true;
 #if defined(HAVE_DLOPEN)
 	return (dlclose (plugin->handle) == 0);
 #elif defined (_WIN32)
 	return (FreeLibrary (plugin->handle) == 0);
 #endif
 }
+
+void
+PI_RegisterPlugins (plugin_list_t *plugins)
+{
+	while (plugins->name)
+		Hash_Add (registered_plugins, plugins++);
+}