diff --git a/netbox/netbox/configuration.example.py b/netbox/netbox/configuration.example.py
index 7002def9b..fded8d2f5 100644
--- a/netbox/netbox/configuration.example.py
+++ b/netbox/netbox/configuration.example.py
@@ -187,6 +187,18 @@ PREFER_IPV4 = False
 # this setting is derived from the installed location.
 # SCRIPTS_ROOT = '/opt/netbox/netbox/scripts'
 
+# Enable plugin support in netbox. This setting must be enabled for any installed plugins to function.
+PLUGINS_ENABLED = False
+
+# Plugins configuration settings. These settings are used by various plugins that the user may have installed.
+# Each key in the dictionary is the name of an installed plugin and its value is a dictionary of settings.
+# PLUGINS_CONFIG = {
+#     'my_plugin': {
+#         'foo': 'bar',
+#         'buzz': 'bazz'
+#     }
+# }
+
 # By default, NetBox will store session data in the database. Alternatively, a file path can be specified here to use
 # local file storage instead. (This can be useful for enabling authentication on a standby instance with read-only
 # database access.) Note that the user as which NetBox runs must have read and write permissions to this path.
diff --git a/netbox/netbox/settings.py b/netbox/netbox/settings.py
index 8f1678b95..2e27cfcbb 100644
--- a/netbox/netbox/settings.py
+++ b/netbox/netbox/settings.py
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ NAPALM_TIMEOUT = getattr(configuration, 'NAPALM_TIMEOUT', 30)
 NAPALM_USERNAME = getattr(configuration, 'NAPALM_USERNAME', '')
 PAGINATE_COUNT = getattr(configuration, 'PAGINATE_COUNT', 50)
 PLUGINS_CONFIG = getattr(configuration, 'PLUGINS_CONFIG', {})
+PLUGINS_ENABLED = getattr(configuration, 'PLUGINS_ENABLED', False)
 PREFER_IPV4 = getattr(configuration, 'PREFER_IPV4', False)
 REPORTS_ROOT = getattr(configuration, 'REPORTS_ROOT', os.path.join(BASE_DIR, 'reports')).rstrip('/')
 SCRIPTS_ROOT = getattr(configuration, 'SCRIPTS_ROOT', os.path.join(BASE_DIR, 'scripts')).rstrip('/')
@@ -601,48 +602,49 @@ if PAGINATE_COUNT not in PER_PAGE_DEFAULTS:
 #
 
 PLUGINS = []
-for entry_point in iter_entry_points(group='netbox.plugin', name=None):
-    plugin = entry_point.module_name
-    PLUGINS.append(plugin)
-    INSTALLED_APPS.append(plugin)
+if PLUGINS_ENABLED:
+    for entry_point in iter_entry_points(group='netbox.plugin', name=None):
+        plugin = entry_point.module_name
+        PLUGINS.append(plugin)
+        INSTALLED_APPS.append(plugin)
 
-    try:
-        module = importlib.import_module(plugin)
-        default_app_config = getattr(module, 'default_app_config')
-        module, app_config = default_app_config.rsplit('.', 1)
-        app_config = getattr(importlib.import_module(module), app_config)
-    except ImportError:
-        raise ImproperlyConfigured('Plugin config for {} could not be imported!'.format(plugin))
+        try:
+            module = importlib.import_module(plugin)
+            default_app_config = getattr(module, 'default_app_config')
+            module, app_config = default_app_config.rsplit('.', 1)
+            app_config = getattr(importlib.import_module(module), app_config)
+        except ImportError:
+            raise ImproperlyConfigured('Plugin config for {} could not be imported!'.format(plugin))
 
-    app_config_meta = getattr(app_config, 'NetBoxPluginMeta', None)
-    if not app_config_meta:
-        raise ImproperlyConfigured(
-            'The app config for plugin {} does not contain an inner meta class'.format(plugin)
-        )
-
-    # Add middleware
-    plugin_middleware = getattr(app_config_meta, 'middleware', [])
-    if plugin_middleware and isinstance(plugin_middleware, list):
-        MIDDLEWARE.extend(plugin_middleware)
-
-    # Add installed apps
-    plugin_installed_apps = getattr(app_config_meta, 'installed_apps', [])
-    if plugin_installed_apps and isinstance(plugin_installed_apps, list):
-        INSTALLED_APPS.extend(plugin_installed_apps)
-
-    # Verify required configuration settings
-    if plugin not in PLUGINS_CONFIG:
-        PLUGINS_CONFIG[plugin] = {}
-    for setting in getattr(app_config_meta, 'required_settings', []):
-        if setting not in PLUGINS_CONFIG[plugin]:
+        app_config_meta = getattr(app_config, 'NetBoxPluginMeta', None)
+        if not app_config_meta:
             raise ImproperlyConfigured(
-                "Plugin {} requires '{}' to be present in the PLUGINS_CONFIG section of configuration.py.".format(
-                    plugin,
-                    setting
-                )
+                'The app config for plugin {} does not contain an inner meta class'.format(plugin)
             )
 
-    # Set defined default setting values
-    for setting, value in getattr(app_config_meta, 'default_settings', {}).items():
-        if setting not in PLUGINS_CONFIG[plugin]:
-            PLUGINS_CONFIG[plugin][setting] = value
+        # Add middleware
+        plugin_middleware = getattr(app_config_meta, 'middleware', [])
+        if plugin_middleware and isinstance(plugin_middleware, list):
+            MIDDLEWARE.extend(plugin_middleware)
+
+        # Add installed apps
+        plugin_installed_apps = getattr(app_config_meta, 'installed_apps', [])
+        if plugin_installed_apps and isinstance(plugin_installed_apps, list):
+            INSTALLED_APPS.extend(plugin_installed_apps)
+
+        # Verify required configuration settings
+        if plugin not in PLUGINS_CONFIG:
+            PLUGINS_CONFIG[plugin] = {}
+        for setting in getattr(app_config_meta, 'required_settings', []):
+            if setting not in PLUGINS_CONFIG[plugin]:
+                raise ImproperlyConfigured(
+                    "Plugin {} requires '{}' to be present in the PLUGINS_CONFIG section of configuration.py.".format(
+                        plugin,
+                        setting
+                    )
+                )
+
+        # Set defined default setting values
+        for setting, value in getattr(app_config_meta, 'default_settings', {}).items():
+            if setting not in PLUGINS_CONFIG[plugin]:
+                PLUGINS_CONFIG[plugin][setting] = value