diff --git a/sleekxmpp/basexmpp.py b/sleekxmpp/basexmpp.py
index c0e5f9bd..dc1f6b94 100644
--- a/sleekxmpp/basexmpp.py
+++ b/sleekxmpp/basexmpp.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ from sleekxmpp.xmlstream.matcher import MatchXPath
 from sleekxmpp.xmlstream.handler import Callback
 
 from sleekxmpp.features import *
-from sleekxmpp.plugins import PluginManager, register_plugin
+from sleekxmpp.plugins import PluginManager, register_plugin, load_plugin
 
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -218,34 +218,7 @@ class BaseXMPP(XMLStream):
             pconfig = self.plugin_config.get(plugin, {})
 
         if not self.plugin.registered(plugin):
-            # Use old-style plugin
-            try:
-                #Import the given module that contains the plugin.
-                if not module:
-                    try:
-                        module = sleekxmpp.plugins
-                        module = __import__(
-                                str("%s.%s" % (module.__name__, plugin)),
-                                globals(), locals(), [str(plugin)])
-                    except ImportError:
-                        module = sleekxmpp.features
-                        module = __import__(
-                                str("%s.%s" % (module.__name__, plugin)),
-                                globals(), locals(), [str(plugin)])
-                if isinstance(module, str):
-                    # We probably want to load a module from outside
-                    # the sleekxmpp package, so leave out the globals().
-                    module = __import__(module, fromlist=[plugin])
-
-                plugin_class = getattr(module, plugin)
-
-                if not hasattr(plugin_class, 'name'):
-                    plugin_class.name = plugin
-                register_plugin(plugin_class, name=plugin)
-            except:
-                log.exception("Unable to load plugin: %s", plugin)
-                return
-                
+            load_plugin(plugin, module)
         self.plugin.enable(plugin, pconfig)
 
     def register_plugins(self):
diff --git a/sleekxmpp/plugins/__init__.py b/sleekxmpp/plugins/__init__.py
index 4fb41919..8f8f851a 100644
--- a/sleekxmpp/plugins/__init__.py
+++ b/sleekxmpp/plugins/__init__.py
@@ -6,8 +6,9 @@
     See the file LICENSE for copying permission.
 """
 
-from sleekxmpp.plugins.base import PluginManager, PluginNotFound, \
-                                   BasePlugin, register_plugin
+from sleekxmpp.plugins.base import PluginManager, PluginNotFound, BasePlugin
+from sleekxmpp.plugins.base import register_plugin, load_plugin
+
 
 __all__ = [
     # Non-standard
diff --git a/sleekxmpp/plugins/base.py b/sleekxmpp/plugins/base.py
index 447ffba7..bc0504ea 100644
--- a/sleekxmpp/plugins/base.py
+++ b/sleekxmpp/plugins/base.py
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ PLUGIN_DEPENDENTS = {}
 REGISTRY_LOCK = threading.RLock()
 
 
+class PluginNotFound(Exception):
+    """Raised if an unknown plugin is accessed."""
+
+
 def register_plugin(impl, name=None):
     """Add a new plugin implementation to the registry.
 
@@ -56,8 +60,40 @@ def register_plugin(impl, name=None):
             PLUGIN_DEPENDENTS[dep].add(name)
 
 
-class PluginNotFound(Exception):
-    """Raised if an unknown plugin is accessed."""
+def load_plugin(name, module=None):
+    """Find and import a plugin module so that it can be registered.
+
+    This function is called to import plugins that have selected for
+    enabling, but no matching registered plugin has been found.
+
+    :param str name: The name of the plugin. It is expected that
+                     plugins are in packages matching their name,
+                     even though the plugin class name does not
+                     have to match.
+    :param str module: The name of the base module to search 
+                       for the plugin.
+    """
+    try:
+        if not module:
+            try:
+                module = 'sleekxmpp.plugins.%s' % name
+                mod = __import__(module, fromlist=[str(name)])
+            except:
+                module = 'sleekxmpp.features.%s' % name
+                mod = __import__(module, fromlist=[str(name)])
+        else:
+            mod = __import__(module, fromlist=[str(name)])
+
+        # Add older style plugins to the registry.
+        if hasattr(mod, name):
+            plugin = getattr(mod, name)
+            if not hasattr(plugin, 'name'):
+                plugin.name = name
+            register_plugin(plugin, name)
+        else:
+            log.debug("%s does not have %s", mod, name)
+    except:
+        log.exception("Unable to load plugin: %s", name)
 
 
 class PluginManager(object): 
@@ -105,6 +141,9 @@ class PluginManager(object):
             if name not in self._enabled:
                 enabled.add(name)
                 self._enabled.add(name)
+                if not self.registered(name):
+                    load_plugin(name)
+
                 plugin_class = PLUGIN_REGISTRY.get(name, None)
                 if not plugin_class:
                     raise PluginNotFound(name)