diff --git a/config/cmd/cmd.go b/config/cmd/cmd.go
index beb4ba97..f80827d2 100644
--- a/config/cmd/cmd.go
+++ b/config/cmd/cmd.go
@@ -92,6 +92,11 @@ var (
 			EnvVar: "MICRO_CLIENT_POOL_TTL",
 			Usage:  "Sets the client connection pool ttl. e.g 500ms, 5s, 1m. Default: 1m",
 		},
+		cli.StringSliceFlag{
+			Name:   "plugin",
+			EnvVar: "MICRO_PLUGIN",
+			Usage:  "Comma separated list of plugins e.g /path/to/plugin.so",
+		},
 		cli.IntFlag{
 			Name:   "register_ttl",
 			EnvVar: "MICRO_REGISTER_TTL",
diff --git a/plugin/plugin.go b/plugin/plugin.go
index c648bfaf..c1aecc6e 100644
--- a/plugin/plugin.go
+++ b/plugin/plugin.go
@@ -32,3 +32,15 @@ var (
 func NewPlugin() Plugin {
 	return &plugin{}
 }
+
+func Build(path string, c *Config) error {
+	return DefaultPlugin.Build(path, c)
+}
+
+func Load(path string) (*Config, error) {
+	return DefaultPlugin.Load(path)
+}
+
+func Init(c *Config) error {
+	return DefaultPlugin.Init(c)
+}
diff --git a/service.go b/service.go
index e612a4b3..eed7f8ac 100644
--- a/service.go
+++ b/service.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package micro
 import (
 	"os"
 	"os/signal"
+	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"syscall"
 
@@ -10,7 +11,9 @@ import (
 	"github.com/micro/go-micro/config/cmd"
 	"github.com/micro/go-micro/debug/handler"
 	"github.com/micro/go-micro/metadata"
+	"github.com/micro/go-micro/plugin"
 	"github.com/micro/go-micro/server"
+	"github.com/micro/go-micro/util/log"
 )
 
 type service struct {
@@ -44,6 +47,24 @@ func (s *service) Init(opts ...Option) {
 	}
 
 	s.once.Do(func() {
+		// setup the plugins
+		for _, p := range strings.Split(os.Getenv("MICRO_PLUGIN"), ",") {
+			if len(p) == 0 {
+				continue
+			}
+
+			// load the plugin
+			c, err := plugin.Load(p)
+			if err != nil {
+				log.Fatal(err)
+			}
+
+			// initialise the plugin
+			if err := plugin.Init(c); err != nil {
+				log.Fatal(err)
+			}
+		}
+
 		// Initialise the command flags, overriding new service
 		_ = s.opts.Cmd.Init(
 			cmd.Broker(&s.opts.Broker),