diff --git a/app/scripts/app.js b/app/scripts/app.js
index 38e74e2b..6dcaea4e 100644
--- a/app/scripts/app.js
+++ b/app/scripts/app.js
@@ -33,7 +33,10 @@ ready(() => {
         .then(loadConfigs)
         .then(initModules)
         .then(loadRemoteConfig)
-        .then(showApp);
+        .then(showApp)
+        .catch(e => {
+            appModel.appLogger.error('Error starting app', e);
+        });
 
     function loadMixins() {
         require('./mixins/view');
@@ -68,21 +71,18 @@ ready(() => {
     }
 
     function loadRemoteConfig() {
-        return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+        return Promise.resolve().then(() => {
             SettingsManager.setBySettings(appModel.settings);
             const configParam = getConfigParam();
             if (configParam) {
-                appModel.loadConfig(configParam, err => {
+                return appModel.loadConfig(configParam).then(() => {
                     SettingsManager.setBySettings(appModel.settings);
-                    if (err && !appModel.settings.get('cacheConfigSettings')) {
+                }).catch(e => {
+                    if (!appModel.settings.get('cacheConfigSettings')) {
                         showSettingsLoadError();
-                        reject(err);
-                    } else {
-                        resolve();
+                        throw e;
                     }
                 });
-            } else {
-                resolve();
             }
         });
     }
diff --git a/app/scripts/models/app-model.js b/app/scripts/models/app-model.js
index fdae77ef..c23c287f 100644
--- a/app/scripts/models/app-model.js
+++ b/app/scripts/models/app-model.js
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ const Format = require('../util/format');
 const UrlUtil = require('../util/url-util');
 const AutoType = require('../auto-type');
 const Launcher = require('../comp/launcher');
+const PluginManager = require('../plugins/plugin-manager');
 
 require('../mixins/protected-value-ex');
 
@@ -49,39 +50,42 @@ const AppModel = Backbone.Model.extend({
         _.forEach(Storage, prv => prv.init());
     },
 
-    loadConfig: function(configLocation, callback) {
-        this.appLogger.debug('Loading config from', configLocation);
-        const ts = this.appLogger.ts();
-        const xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
-        xhr.open('GET', configLocation);
-        xhr.responseType = 'json';
-        xhr.send();
-        xhr.addEventListener('load', () => {
-            let response = xhr.response;
-            if (!response) {
-                const errorDesc = xhr.statusText === 'OK' ? 'Malformed JSON' : xhr.statusText;
-                this.appLogger.error('Error loading app config', errorDesc);
-                return callback(true);
-            }
-            if (typeof response === 'string') {
-                try {
-                    response = JSON.parse(response);
-                } catch (e) {
-                    this.appLogger.error('Error parsing response', e, response);
-                    return callback(true);
+    loadConfig: function(configLocation) {
+        return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+            this.appLogger.debug('Loading config from', configLocation);
+            const ts = this.appLogger.ts();
+            const xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
+            xhr.open('GET', configLocation);
+            xhr.responseType = 'json';
+            xhr.send();
+            xhr.addEventListener('load', () => {
+                let response = xhr.response;
+                if (!response) {
+                    const errorDesc = xhr.statusText === 'OK' ? 'Malformed JSON' : xhr.statusText;
+                    this.appLogger.error('Error loading app config', errorDesc);
+                    return reject('Error loading app config');
                 }
-            }
-            if (!response.settings) {
-                this.appLogger.error('Invalid app config, no settings section', response);
-                return callback(true);
-            }
-            this.appLogger.info('Loaded app config from', configLocation, this.appLogger.ts(ts));
-            this.applyUserConfig(response);
-            callback();
-        });
-        xhr.addEventListener('error', () => {
-            this.appLogger.error('Error loading app config', xhr.statusText, xhr.status);
-            callback(true);
+                if (typeof response === 'string') {
+                    try {
+                        response = JSON.parse(response);
+                    } catch (e) {
+                        this.appLogger.error('Error parsing response', e, response);
+                        return reject('Error parsing response');
+                    }
+                }
+                if (!response.settings) {
+                    this.appLogger.error('Invalid app config, no settings section', response);
+                    return reject('Invalid app config, no settings section');
+                }
+                this.appLogger.info('Loaded app config from', configLocation, this.appLogger.ts(ts));
+                resolve(response);
+            });
+            xhr.addEventListener('error', () => {
+                this.appLogger.error('Error loading app config', xhr.statusText, xhr.status);
+                reject('Error loading app config');
+            });
+        }).then(config => {
+            return this.applyUserConfig(config);
         });
     },
 
@@ -104,6 +108,9 @@ const AppModel = Backbone.Model.extend({
                 .reverse()
                 .forEach(fi => this.fileInfos.unshift(fi));
         }
+        if (config.plugins) {
+            return Promise.all(config.plugins.map(plugin => PluginManager.installIfNew(plugin.url, plugin.manifest)));
+        }
     },
 
     addFile: function(file) {
diff --git a/app/scripts/plugins/plugin-manager.js b/app/scripts/plugins/plugin-manager.js
index bc7c4676..8786567f 100644
--- a/app/scripts/plugins/plugin-manager.js
+++ b/app/scripts/plugins/plugin-manager.js
@@ -45,6 +45,11 @@ const PluginManager = Backbone.Model.extend({
         });
     },
 
+    installIfNew(url, expectedManifest) {
+        const plugin = this.get('plugins').find({ url });
+        return plugin ? Promise.resolve() : this.install(url, expectedManifest);
+    },
+
     uninstall(id) {
         const plugins = this.get('plugins');
         const plugin = plugins.get(id);
diff --git a/util/config-example.json b/util/config-example.json
index b245a143..f471670e 100644
--- a/util/config-example.json
+++ b/util/config-example.json
@@ -49,5 +49,8 @@
     "path": "webdav-url",
     "options": { "user": "", "password": "" }
   }],
+  "plugins": [{
+    "url": ""
+  }],
   "showOnlyFilesFromConfig": false
 }