diff --git a/mkdocs.yml b/mkdocs.yml
index 791659b..902d399 100644
--- a/mkdocs.yml
+++ b/mkdocs.yml
@@ -62,7 +62,6 @@ markdown_extensions:
       permalink: true
   - footnotes
   - meta
-# pymd
   - pymdownx.arithmatex
   - pymdownx.betterem:
       smart_enable: all
diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index 7023855..0d4abd0 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ const log = new Logger({
 
 const I18n = require('@eartharoid/i18n');
 const { CommandManager } = require('./modules/commands');
+const { PluginManager } = require('./modules/plugins');
 
 const {
 	Client,
@@ -84,20 +85,29 @@ class Bot extends Client {
 				intents: Intents.NON_PRIVILEGED,
 			}
 		});
-
-		Object.assign(this, {
-			commands: new CommandManager(this),
-			config,
-			db: require('./database')(log), // this.db.models.Ticket...
-			log,
-			i18n: new I18n(path('./src/locales'), 'en-GB')
-		});
-
+		/** The global bot configuration */
+		this.config= config;
+		/** A sequelize instance */
+		this.db = require('./database')(log), // this.db.models.Ticket...
+		/** A leekslazylogger instance */
+		this.log = log;
+		/** An @eartharoid/i18n instance */
+		this.i18n = new I18n(path('./src/locales'), 'en-GB');
+		
+		// set the max listeners for each event to the number in the config
 		this.setMaxListeners(this.config.max_listeners);
 
+		// check for updates
 		require('./updater')(this);
+		// load internal listeners
 		require('./modules/listeners')(this);
-		require('./modules/plugins')(this);
+
+		/** The command manager, used by internal and plugin commands */
+		this.commands = new CommandManager(this);
+		/** The plugin manager */
+		this.plugins = new PluginManager(this);
+		// load plugins
+		this.plugins.load();
 
 		this.log.info('Connecting to Discord API...');
 
diff --git a/src/modules/plugins.js b/src/modules/plugins.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 0dc6bf6..0000000
--- a/src/modules/plugins.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,14 +0,0 @@
-module.exports = client => {
-	client.config.plugins.forEach(plugin => {
-		try {
-			let package = require(`${plugin}/package.json`);
-			client.log.plugins(`Loading ${package.name} v${package.version} by ${package.author?.name || 'unknown'}`);
-			require(plugin)(client);
-		} catch (e) {
-			client.log.warn(`An error occurred whilst loading ${plugin}, have you installed it?`);
-			client.log.error(e);
-			return process.exit();
-		}
-	});
-	
-};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/modules/plugins/index.js b/src/modules/plugins/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8b43a1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/modules/plugins/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+module.exports = {
+	PluginManager: require('./manager'),
+	Plugin: require('./plugin')
+};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/modules/plugins/manager.js b/src/modules/plugins/manager.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4408b00
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/modules/plugins/manager.js
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+// eslint-disable-next-line no-unused-vars
+const { Collection, Client } = require('discord.js');
+// eslint-disable-next-line no-unused-vars
+const Plugin = require('./plugin');
+
+const fs = require('fs');
+const { join } = require('path');
+const { path } = require('../../utils/fs');
+
+/** Manages the loading of plugins */
+module.exports = class PluginManager {
+	/**
+	 * Create a PluginManager instance
+	 * @param {Client} client 
+	 */
+	constructor(client) {
+		/** The Discord Client */
+		this.client = client;
+		/** A discord.js Collection (Map) of loaded plugins */
+		this.plugins = new Collection();
+
+		/** Array of official plugins to be used to check if a plugin is official */
+		this.official = [
+			'dsctickets.portal'
+		];
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Register and load a plugin
+	 * @param {Boolean} npm Installed by NPM?
+	 * @param {Plugin} Main The Plugin class
+	 * @param {Object} pkg Contents of package.json
+	 */
+	registerPlugin(npm, Main, pkg) {
+		let {
+			name: id,
+			version,
+			author,
+			description
+		} = pkg;
+
+		if (this.plugins.has(id)) {
+			this.client.log.warn(`[PLUGINS] A plugin with the ID "${id}" is already loaded, skipping`);
+			return;
+		}
+
+		if (typeof author === 'object') {
+			author = author.name || 'unknown';
+		}
+
+		let loading = npm ? 'Loading' : 'Sideloading';
+
+		this.client.log.plugins(`${loading} "${id}" v${version} by ${author}`);
+
+		let about = {
+			id,
+			version,
+			author,
+			description
+		};
+
+		this.plugins.set(id, about);
+
+		try {
+			let plugin = new Main(this.client, id);
+			plugin.load();
+
+			this.plugins.set(id, Object.assign(about, {
+				name: plugin.name || id,
+			}));
+			
+		} catch (e) {
+			if (npm) {
+				this.client.log.warn(`An error occurred whilst loading "${id}"`);
+			} else {
+				this.client.log.warn(`An error occurred whilst sideloading "${id}"; have you manually installed its dependencies?`);
+			}
+			this.client.log.error(e);
+			process.exit();
+		}
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Automatically register and load plugins
+	 */
+	load() {
+		// normal plugins (NPM)
+		this.client.config.plugins.forEach(plugin => {
+			try {
+				let pkg = require(`${plugin}/package.json`);
+				let main = require(plugin);
+				this.registerPlugin(true, main, pkg);
+			} catch (e) {
+				this.client.log.warn(`An error occurred whilst loading ${plugin}; have you installed it?`);
+				this.client.log.error(e);
+				process.exit();
+			}
+		});
+
+		// sideload plugins for development
+		const dirs = fs.readdirSync(path('./user/plugins'));
+		dirs.forEach(dir => {
+			if (!fs.existsSync(path(`./user/plugins/${dir}/package.json`))) return;
+			let pkg = require(`../../../user/plugins/${dir}/package.json`);
+			let main = require(join(`../../../user/plugins/${dir}/`, pkg.main));
+			this.registerPlugin(false, main, pkg);
+		});
+	}
+
+};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/modules/plugins/plugin.js b/src/modules/plugins/plugin.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dd77fca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/modules/plugins/plugin.js
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+/* eslint-disable no-unused-vars */
+const { Client } = require('discord.js');
+
+const fs = require('fs');
+const { join } = require('path');
+const { path } = require('../../utils/fs');
+
+/** A plugin */
+module.exports = class Plugin {
+	/**
+	 * Create a new Plugin
+	 * @param {Client} client The Discord Client
+	 * @param {String} id The plugin ID
+	 * @param {Object} options Plugin options
+	 * @param {String} options.name A human-friendly name (can be different to the name in package.json)
+	 */
+	constructor(client, id, options) {
+		if (typeof options === 'object') {
+			/** The human-friendly name of the plugin */
+			this.name = options.name || id;
+		}
+		
+		/** The Discord Client */
+		this.client = client;
+		/** The PluginManager */
+		this.manager = this.client.plugins;
+
+		// Object.assign(this, this.manager.plugins.get(id));
+		// make JSDoc happy
+
+		let {
+			version,
+			author,
+			description
+		} = this.manager.plugins.get(id);
+
+		/** The unique ID of the plugin (NPM package name) */
+		this.id = id;
+		/** The version of the plugin (NPM package version) */
+		this.version = version;
+		/** The plugin author's name (NPM package author) */
+		this.author = author;
+		/** The plugin description (NPM package description) */
+		this.description = description;
+
+		this.directory = {};
+		/** A cleaned version of the plugin's ID suitable for use in the  directory name */
+		this.directory.name = this.id.replace(/@[-_a-zA-Z0-9]+\//, '');
+		/** The absolute path of the plugin directory */
+		this.directory.path = path(`./user/plugins/${this.directory.name}`);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Create the plugin directory if it doesn't already exist
+	 * @returns {Boolean} True if created, false if it already existed
+	 */
+	createDirectory() {
+		if (!fs.existsSync(this.directory.path)) {
+			this.client.log.plugins(`Creating plugin directory for "${this.name}"`);
+			fs.mkdirSync(this.directory.path);
+			return true;
+		} else {
+			return false;
+		}
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Create the plugin config file if it doesn't already exist
+	 * @param {Object} template The default config template
+	 * @returns {Boolean} True if created, false if it already existed
+	 */
+	createConfig(template) {
+		this.createDirectory();
+		let file = join(this.directory.path, 'config.json');
+		if (!fs.existsSync(file)) {
+			this.client.log.plugins(`Creating plugin config file for "${this.name}"`);
+			fs.writeFileSync(file, JSON.stringify(template, null, 2));
+			return true;
+		} else {
+			return false;
+		}
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * The main function where your code should go. Create functions and event listeners here
+	 */
+	load() {}
+};
\ No newline at end of file