diff --git a/lib/PlugsManager.vala b/lib/PlugsManager.vala
index 4ca6e71c..d19be705 100644
--- a/lib/PlugsManager.vala
+++ b/lib/PlugsManager.vala
@@ -36,8 +36,23 @@ public class Switchboard.PlugsManager : GLib.Object {
 
     private PlugsManager () {
         plugs = new Gee.LinkedList<Switchboard.Plug> ();
-        var base_folder = File.new_for_path (Build.PLUGS_DIR);
-        find_plugins (base_folder);
+
+        string[] prefixes = {
+            "/usr",
+            "/usr/local"
+        };
+        string[] plugin_paths = {};
+        foreach (unowned string prefix in prefixes) {
+            var plugin_dir = Path.build_filename (prefix, Build.LIB_DIR, "switchboard-3") + "/";
+            if (FileUtils.test (plugin_dir, FileTest.EXISTS)) {
+                debug ("Found plugin directory: %s", plugin_dir);
+                plugin_paths += plugin_dir ;
+            }
+        }
+
+        foreach (unowned string path in plugin_paths) {
+            find_plugins (File.new_for_path (path));
+        }
     }
 
     private void load (string path) {
diff --git a/lib/config.vapi b/lib/config.vapi
index cdbd47e4..2613d9f6 100644
--- a/lib/config.vapi
+++ b/lib/config.vapi
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 [CCode (cprefix = "", lower_case_cprefix = "", cheader_filename = "config.h")]
 namespace Build {
     public const string PLUGS_DIR;
+    public const string LIB_DIR;
 }
diff --git a/lib/meson.build b/lib/meson.build
index 5f5f733e..5f1454b8 100644
--- a/lib/meson.build
+++ b/lib/meson.build
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ config_vapi = meson.get_compiler('vala').find_library('config', dirs: meson.curr
 
 config_data = configuration_data()
 config_data.set_quoted('PLUGS_DIR', plugs_dir)
+config_data.set_quoted('LIB_DIR', get_option('libdir'))
 
 config_header = configure_file(
     configuration: config_data,