diff --git a/pkg/api/datasources.go b/pkg/api/datasources.go
index 38a4004c241..15a13ee60c7 100644
--- a/pkg/api/datasources.go
+++ b/pkg/api/datasources.go
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ func GetDataSourcePlugins(c *middleware.Context) {
 	dsList := make(map[string]interface{})
 
 	for key, value := range plugins.DataSources {
-		if value.(map[string]interface{})["builtIn"] == nil {
+		if !value.BuiltIn {
 			dsList[key] = value
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/web.go b/pkg/cmd/web.go
index 69843b6b095..9ab2df82921 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/web.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/web.go
@@ -28,12 +28,13 @@ func newMacaron() *macaron.Macaron {
 		m.Use(middleware.Gziper())
 	}
 
-	mapStatic(m, "", "public")
-	mapStatic(m, "app", "app")
-	mapStatic(m, "css", "css")
-	mapStatic(m, "img", "img")
-	mapStatic(m, "fonts", "fonts")
-	mapStatic(m, "robots.txt", "robots.txt")
+	mapStatic(m, setting.StaticRootPath, "", "public")
+	mapStatic(m, setting.StaticRootPath, "app", "app")
+	mapStatic(m, setting.StaticRootPath, "css", "css")
+	mapStatic(m, setting.StaticRootPath, "img", "img")
+	mapStatic(m, setting.StaticRootPath, "fonts", "fonts")
+	mapStatic(m, setting.StaticRootPath, "robots.txt", "robots.txt")
+	mapStatic(m, setting.DataPath, "plugins", "_plugins")
 
 	m.Use(macaron.Renderer(macaron.RenderOptions{
 		Directory:  path.Join(setting.StaticRootPath, "views"),
@@ -51,7 +52,7 @@ func newMacaron() *macaron.Macaron {
 	return m
 }
 
-func mapStatic(m *macaron.Macaron, dir string, prefix string) {
+func mapStatic(m *macaron.Macaron, rootDir string, dir string, prefix string) {
 	headers := func(c *macaron.Context) {
 		c.Resp.Header().Set("Cache-Control", "public, max-age=3600")
 	}
@@ -63,7 +64,7 @@ func mapStatic(m *macaron.Macaron, dir string, prefix string) {
 	}
 
 	m.Use(httpstatic.Static(
-		path.Join(setting.StaticRootPath, dir),
+		path.Join(rootDir, dir),
 		httpstatic.StaticOptions{
 			SkipLogging: true,
 			Prefix:      prefix,
diff --git a/pkg/plugins/models.go b/pkg/plugins/models.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..fe294d9b576
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/plugins/models.go
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+package plugins
+
+import "github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/models"
+
+type DataSourcePlugin struct {
+	Type               string                 `json:"type"`
+	Name               string                 `json:"name"`
+	ServiceName        string                 `json:"serviceName"`
+	Module             string                 `json:"module"`
+	Partials           map[string]interface{} `json:"partials"`
+	DefaultMatchFormat string                 `json:"defaultMatchFormat"`
+	Annotations        bool                   `json:"annotations"`
+	Metrics            bool                   `json:"metrics"`
+	BuiltIn            bool                   `json:"builtIn"`
+}
+
+type ExternalPluginRoute struct {
+	Path            string          `json:"path"`
+	Method          string          `json:"method"`
+	ReqSignedIn     bool            `json:"req_signed_in"`
+	ReqGrafanaAdmin bool            `json:"req_grafana_admin"`
+	ReqRole         models.RoleType `json:"req_role"`
+	Url             string          `json:"url"`
+}
+
+type ExternalPluginJs struct {
+	Src string `json:"src"`
+}
+
+type ExternalPluginMenuItem struct {
+	Text string `json:"text"`
+	Icon string `json:"icon"`
+	Href string `json:"href"`
+}
+
+type ExternalPluginCss struct {
+	Href string `json:"href"`
+}
+
+type ExternalPluginSettings struct {
+	Routes    []*ExternalPluginRoute    `json:"routes"`
+	Js        []*ExternalPluginJs       `json:"js"`
+	Css       []*ExternalPluginCss      `json:"css"`
+	MenuItems []*ExternalPluginMenuItem `json:"menu_items"`
+}
+
+type ExternalPlugin struct {
+	PluginType string                 `json:"pluginType"`
+	Settings   ExternalPluginSettings `json:"settings"`
+}
diff --git a/pkg/plugins/plugins.go b/pkg/plugins/plugins.go
index 323c5e87aaa..e823964e485 100644
--- a/pkg/plugins/plugins.go
+++ b/pkg/plugins/plugins.go
@@ -8,52 +8,11 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/log"
-	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/models"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/setting"
 )
 
-type PluginMeta struct {
-	Type string `json:"type"`
-	Name string `json:"name"`
-}
-
-type ExternalPluginRoute struct {
-	Path            string          `json:"path"`
-	Method          string          `json:"method"`
-	ReqSignedIn     bool            `json:"req_signed_in"`
-	ReqGrafanaAdmin bool            `json:"req_grafana_admin"`
-	ReqRole         models.RoleType `json:"req_role"`
-	Url             string          `json:"url"`
-}
-
-type ExternalPluginJs struct {
-	Src string `json:"src"`
-}
-
-type ExternalPluginMenuItem struct {
-	Text string `json:"text"`
-	Icon string `json:"icon"`
-	Href string `json:"href"`
-}
-
-type ExternalPluginCss struct {
-	Href string `json:"href"`
-}
-
-type ExternalPluginSettings struct {
-	Routes    []*ExternalPluginRoute    `json:"routes"`
-	Js        []*ExternalPluginJs       `json:"js"`
-	Css       []*ExternalPluginCss      `json:"css"`
-	MenuItems []*ExternalPluginMenuItem `json:"menu_items"`
-}
-
-type ExternalPlugin struct {
-	PluginType string                 `json:"pluginType"`
-	Settings   ExternalPluginSettings `json:"settings"`
-}
-
 var (
-	DataSources     map[string]interface{}
+	DataSources     map[string]DataSourcePlugin
 	ExternalPlugins []ExternalPlugin
 )
 
@@ -63,13 +22,14 @@ type PluginScanner struct {
 }
 
 func Init() {
+	DataSources = make(map[string]DataSourcePlugin)
+	ExternalPlugins = make([]ExternalPlugin, 0)
+
 	scan(path.Join(setting.StaticRootPath, "app/plugins"))
+	scan(path.Join(setting.DataPath, "plugins"))
 }
 
 func scan(pluginDir string) error {
-	DataSources = make(map[string]interface{})
-	ExternalPlugins = make([]ExternalPlugin, 0)
-
 	scanner := &PluginScanner{
 		pluginPath: pluginDir,
 	}
@@ -125,12 +85,19 @@ func (scanner *PluginScanner) loadPluginJson(path string) error {
 	}
 
 	if pluginType == "datasource" {
-		datasourceType, exists := pluginJson["type"]
-		if !exists {
+		p := DataSourcePlugin{}
+		reader.Seek(0, 0)
+		if err := jsonParser.Decode(&p); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		if p.Type == "" {
 			return errors.New("Did not find type property in plugin.json")
 		}
-		DataSources[datasourceType.(string)] = pluginJson
+
+		DataSources[p.Type] = p
 	}
+
 	if pluginType == "externalPlugin" {
 		p := ExternalPlugin{}
 		reader.Seek(0, 0)