diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 4f1bcdabb..493f32af5 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -22,8 +22,11 @@ option(ENABLE_LOGGING "Enable logging with google-glog library" ON)
 option(BOOST_USE_CXX11 "Boost has been built with C++11 support" OFF)
 option(BOOST_USE_SIGNALS2 "Boost use signals2 instead of signals" ON)
 option(ENABLE_ASAN "Enable Address Sanitizer (Unix Only)" OFF)
+option(INSTALL_PRIVATE_HEADERS "Install private headers (usually needed for externally built Rime plugins)" OFF)
+option(ENABLE_EXTERNAL_PLUGINS "Enable loading of externally built Rime plugins (from directory set by RIME_PLUGINS_DIR variable)" OFF)
 
 set(RIME_DATA_DIR "${CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_DATADIR}/rime-data" CACHE STRING "Target directory for Rime data")
+set(RIME_PLUGINS_DIR "${CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_LIBDIR}/rime-plugins" CACHE STRING "Target directory for externally built Rime plugins")
 
 if(WIN32)
   set(ext ".exe")
@@ -183,6 +186,7 @@ if(${CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME} MATCHES "Linux|FreeBSD|DragonFly|GNU")
   set(bindir "${CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_BINDIR}")
   set(libdir "${CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_LIBDIR}")
   set(pkgdatadir "${RIME_DATA_DIR}")
+  set(pluginsdir "${RIME_PLUGINS_DIR}")
   set(includedir "${CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_INCLUDEDIR}")
   configure_file(
       ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/rime.pc.in
@@ -198,6 +202,19 @@ install(FILES cmake/RimeConfig.cmake
 file(GLOB rime_public_header_files ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/*.h)
 install(FILES ${rime_public_header_files}
   DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_INCLUDEDIR})
+if(INSTALL_PRIVATE_HEADERS)
+  file(GLOB rime_private_header_files
+    ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/rime/*.h
+    ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/src/rime/*.h)
+  install(FILES ${rime_private_header_files}
+    DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_INCLUDEDIR}/rime)
+  foreach(rime_private_header_files_dir algo config dict gear lever)
+    file(GLOB rime_private_header_files
+      ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/rime/${rime_private_header_files_dir}/*.h)
+    install(FILES ${rime_private_header_files}
+      DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_INCLUDEDIR}/rime/${rime_private_header_files_dir})
+  endforeach()
+endif()
 
 if(BUILD_DATA)
   file(GLOB rime_preset_data_files ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/data/preset/*.yaml)
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 060a8f884..b8d881ff5 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -42,21 +42,24 @@ release:
 	cmake . -B$(build) \
 	-DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$(prefix) \
 	-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
-	-DBUILD_MERGED_PLUGINS=OFF
+	-DBUILD_MERGED_PLUGINS=OFF \
+	-DENABLE_EXTERNAL_PLUGINS=ON
 	cmake --build $(build)
 
 merged-plugins:
 	cmake . -B$(build) \
 	-DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$(prefix) \
 	-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
-	-DBUILD_MERGED_PLUGINS=ON
+	-DBUILD_MERGED_PLUGINS=ON \
+	-DENABLE_EXTERNAL_PLUGINS=OFF
 	cmake --build $(build)
 
 debug:
 	cmake . -B$(build) \
 	-DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$(prefix) \
 	-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug \
-	-DBUILD_MERGED_PLUGINS=OFF
+	-DBUILD_MERGED_PLUGINS=OFF \
+	-DENABLE_EXTERNAL_PLUGINS=ON
 	cmake --build $(build)
 
 install:
diff --git a/plugins/CMakeLists.txt b/plugins/CMakeLists.txt
index f8a505b89..e70438f5a 100644
--- a/plugins/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/plugins/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,12 +2,26 @@ set(RIME_SOURCE_DIR ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR})
 set(LIBRARY_OUTPUT_PATH ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/lib)
 
 # work around CMake build issues on macOS
-aux_source_directory(. rime_plugins_src)
+set(rime_plugin_boilerplate_src "plugin.cc")
+
+set(plugins_module_src "plugins_module.cc")
 
 unset(plugins_objs)
 unset(plugins_deps)
 unset(plugins_modules)
 
+if(ENABLE_EXTERNAL_PLUGINS)
+  add_library(rime-plugins-objs OBJECT ${plugins_module_src})
+  if(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
+    set_target_properties(rime-plugins-objs
+      PROPERTIES
+      POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE ON)
+  endif()
+
+  set(plugins_objs ${plugins_objs} $<TARGET_OBJECTS:rime-plugins-objs>)
+  set(plugins_modules ${plugins_modules} "plugins")
+endif()
+
 if(DEFINED ENV{RIME_PLUGINS})
   set(plugins $ENV{RIME_PLUGINS})
   message(STATUS "Prescribed plugins: ${plugins}")
@@ -38,12 +52,12 @@ foreach(plugin ${plugins})
     set(plugins_modules ${plugins_modules} ${plugin_modules})
   else()
     message(STATUS "Plugin ${plugin_name} provides modules: ${plugin_modules}")
-    add_library(${plugin_name} ${rime_plugins_src} ${plugin_objs})
+    add_library(${plugin_name} ${rime_plugin_boilerplate_src} ${plugin_objs})
     target_link_libraries(${plugin_name} ${plugin_deps})
     if(XCODE_VERSION)
       set_target_properties(${plugin_name} PROPERTIES INSTALL_NAME_DIR "@rpath")
     endif(XCODE_VERSION)
-    install(TARGETS ${plugin_name} DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_LIBDIR})
+    install(TARGETS ${plugin_name} DESTINATION ${RIME_PLUGINS_DIR})
   endif()
 endforeach(plugin)
 
diff --git a/plugins/plugins_module.cc b/plugins/plugins_module.cc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7a567be48
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/plugins_module.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+//
+// Copyright RIME Developers
+// Distributed under the BSD License
+//
+
+#include <boost/algorithm/string.hpp>
+#include <boost/dll.hpp>
+#include <boost/filesystem.hpp>
+#include <rime/build_config.h>
+#include <rime/common.h>
+#include <rime/component.h>
+#include <rime/module.h>
+#include <rime/registry.h>
+#include <rime_api.h>
+
+namespace fs = boost::filesystem;
+
+namespace rime {
+
+class PluginManager {
+ public:
+  void LoadPlugins(fs::path plugins_dir);
+
+  static string plugin_name_of(fs::path plugin_file);
+
+  static PluginManager& instance();
+
+ private:
+  PluginManager() = default;
+
+  map<string, boost::dll::shared_library> plugin_libs_;
+};
+
+void PluginManager::LoadPlugins(fs::path plugins_dir) {
+  const fs::perms exe_perms = (fs::owner_exe | fs::group_exe | fs::others_exe);
+  ModuleManager& mm = ModuleManager::instance();
+  if (!fs::is_directory(plugins_dir)) {
+    return;
+  }
+  LOG(INFO) << "loading plugins from " << plugins_dir;
+  for (fs::directory_iterator iter(plugins_dir), end; iter != end; ++iter) {
+    fs::path plugin_file = iter->path();
+    if (plugin_file.extension() == boost::dll::shared_library::suffix()) {
+      fs::file_status plugin_file_status = fs::status(plugin_file);
+      if (fs::is_regular_file(plugin_file_status) &&
+          fs::status(plugin_file).permissions() & exe_perms) {
+        DLOG(INFO) << "found plugin: " << plugin_file;
+        string plugin_name = plugin_name_of(plugin_file);
+        if (plugin_libs_.find(plugin_name) == plugin_libs_.end()) {
+          LOG(INFO) << "loading plugin '" << plugin_name
+                    << "' from " << plugin_file;
+          try {
+            auto plugin_lib = boost::dll::shared_library(plugin_file);
+            plugin_libs_[plugin_name] = plugin_lib;
+          } catch (const std::exception& ex) {
+            LOG(ERROR) << "error loading plugin " << plugin_name << ": "
+                       << ex.what();
+            continue;
+          }
+        }
+        if (RimeModule* module = mm.Find(plugin_name)) {
+          mm.LoadModule(module);
+          LOG(INFO) << "loaded plugin: " << plugin_name;
+        } else {
+          LOG(WARNING) << "module '" << plugin_name
+                       << "' is not provided by plugin library " << plugin_file;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+string PluginManager::plugin_name_of(fs::path plugin_file) {
+  string name = plugin_file.stem().string();
+  // remove prefix "(lib)rime-"
+  if (boost::starts_with(name, "librime-")) {
+    boost::erase_first(name, "librime-");
+  } else if (boost::starts_with(name, "rime-")) {
+    boost::erase_first(name, "rime-");
+  }
+  // replace dash with underscore, for the plugin name is part of the module
+  // initializer function name.
+  boost::replace_all(name, "-", "_");
+  return name;
+}
+
+PluginManager& PluginManager::instance() {
+  static the<PluginManager> s_instance;
+  if (!s_instance) {
+    s_instance.reset(new PluginManager);
+  }
+  return *s_instance;
+}
+
+}  // namespace rime
+
+static void rime_plugins_initialize() {
+  rime::PluginManager::instance().LoadPlugins(RIME_PLUGINS_DIR);
+}
+
+static void rime_plugins_finalize() {}
+
+RIME_REGISTER_MODULE(plugins)
diff --git a/rime.pc.in b/rime.pc.in
index 7291e9f85..1a8c54318 100644
--- a/rime.pc.in
+++ b/rime.pc.in
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ exec_prefix=@exec_prefix@
 libdir=@libdir@
 includedir=@includedir@
 pkgdatadir=@pkgdatadir@
+pluginsdir=@pluginsdir@
 
 Name: Rime
 Description: Rime Input Method Engine
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index b667fa6bf..78e826d48 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ set(rime_optional_deps "")
 if(Gflags_FOUND)
   set(rime_optional_deps ${rime_optional_deps} ${Gflags_LIBRARY})
 endif()
+if(ENABLE_EXTERNAL_PLUGINS)
+  set(rime_optional_deps ${rime_optional_deps} dl)
+endif()
 
 set(rime_core_deps
     ${Boost_LIBRARIES}
diff --git a/src/rime/build_config.h.in b/src/rime/build_config.h.in
index ebd16527e..760059086 100644
--- a/src/rime/build_config.h.in
+++ b/src/rime/build_config.h.in
@@ -8,4 +8,7 @@
 #cmakedefine RIME_BOOST_SIGNALS2
 #cmakedefine RIME_ENABLE_LOGGING
 
+#cmakedefine RIME_DATA_DIR "@RIME_DATA_DIR@"
+#cmakedefine RIME_PLUGINS_DIR "@RIME_PLUGINS_DIR@"
+
 #endif  // RIME_BUILD_CONFIG_H_