diff --git a/libraries/app/application.cpp b/libraries/app/application.cpp
index 5e4f9c7e..45b8e66b 100644
--- a/libraries/app/application.cpp
+++ b/libraries/app/application.cpp
@@ -924,7 +924,8 @@ namespace detail {
       std::shared_ptr<fc::http::websocket_server>      _websocket_server;
       std::shared_ptr<fc::http::websocket_tls_server>  _websocket_tls_server;
 
-      std::map<string, std::shared_ptr<abstract_plugin>> _plugins;
+      std::map<string, std::shared_ptr<abstract_plugin>> _active_plugins;
+      std::map<string, std::shared_ptr<abstract_plugin>> _available_plugins;
 
       bool _is_finished_syncing = false;
    };
@@ -963,6 +964,7 @@ void application::set_program_options(boost::program_options::options_descriptio
          ("genesis-json", bpo::value<boost::filesystem::path>(), "File to read Genesis State from")
          ("dbg-init-key", bpo::value<string>(), "Block signing key to use for init witnesses, overrides genesis file")
          ("api-access", bpo::value<boost::filesystem::path>(), "JSON file specifying API permissions")
+         ("plugins", bpo::value<string>(), "Space-separated list of plugins to activate")
          ;
    command_line_options.add(configuration_file_options);
    command_line_options.add_options()
@@ -1008,6 +1010,22 @@ void application::initialize(const fc::path& data_dir, const boost::program_opti
 
       std::exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
    }
+
+   std::vector<string> wanted;
+   if( options.count("plugins") )
+   {
+      boost::split(wanted, options.at("plugins").as<std::string>(), [](char c){return c == ' ';});
+   }
+   else
+   {
+      wanted.push_back("witness");
+      wanted.push_back("account_history");
+      wanted.push_back("market_history");
+   }
+   for (auto& it : wanted)
+   {
+      if (!it.empty()) enable_plugin(it);
+   }
 }
 
 void application::startup()
@@ -1025,7 +1043,7 @@ void application::startup()
 
 std::shared_ptr<abstract_plugin> application::get_plugin(const string& name) const
 {
-   return my->_plugins[name];
+   return my->_active_plugins[name];
 }
 
 net::node_ptr application::p2p_node()
@@ -1058,14 +1076,20 @@ bool application::is_finished_syncing() const
    return my->_is_finished_syncing;
 }
 
-void graphene::app::application::add_plugin(const string& name, std::shared_ptr<graphene::app::abstract_plugin> p)
+void graphene::app::application::enable_plugin(const string& name)
 {
-   my->_plugins[name] = p;
+   FC_ASSERT(my->_available_plugins[name], "Unknown plugin '" + name + "'");
+   my->_active_plugins[name] = my->_available_plugins[name];
+   my->_active_plugins[name]->plugin_set_app(this);
+}
+
+void graphene::app::application::add_available_plugin(std::shared_ptr<graphene::app::abstract_plugin> p) {
+   my->_available_plugins[p->plugin_name()] = p;
 }
 
 void application::shutdown_plugins()
 {
-   for( auto& entry : my->_plugins )
+   for( auto& entry : my->_active_plugins )
       entry.second->plugin_shutdown();
    return;
 }
@@ -1079,14 +1103,14 @@ void application::shutdown()
 
 void application::initialize_plugins( const boost::program_options::variables_map& options )
 {
-   for( auto& entry : my->_plugins )
+   for( auto& entry : my->_active_plugins )
       entry.second->plugin_initialize( options );
    return;
 }
 
 void application::startup_plugins()
 {
-   for( auto& entry : my->_plugins )
+   for( auto& entry : my->_active_plugins )
       entry.second->plugin_startup();
    return;
 }
diff --git a/libraries/app/include/graphene/app/application.hpp b/libraries/app/include/graphene/app/application.hpp
index f5172144..ba07e80a 100644
--- a/libraries/app/include/graphene/app/application.hpp
+++ b/libraries/app/include/graphene/app/application.hpp
@@ -96,7 +96,8 @@ namespace graphene { namespace app {
          boost::signals2::signal<void()> syncing_finished;
 
       private:
-         void add_plugin( const string& name, std::shared_ptr<abstract_plugin> p );
+         void enable_plugin( const string& name );
+         void add_available_plugin( std::shared_ptr<abstract_plugin> p );
          std::shared_ptr<detail::application_impl> my;
 
          boost::program_options::options_description _cli_options;
diff --git a/libraries/plugins/delayed_node/delayed_node_plugin.cpp b/libraries/plugins/delayed_node/delayed_node_plugin.cpp
index fb70cb68..a73e5923 100644
--- a/libraries/plugins/delayed_node/delayed_node_plugin.cpp
+++ b/libraries/plugins/delayed_node/delayed_node_plugin.cpp
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ delayed_node_plugin::~delayed_node_plugin()
 void delayed_node_plugin::plugin_set_program_options(bpo::options_description& cli, bpo::options_description& cfg)
 {
    cli.add_options()
-         ("trusted-node", boost::program_options::value<std::string>()->required(), "RPC endpoint of a trusted validating node (required)")
+         ("trusted-node", boost::program_options::value<std::string>(), "RPC endpoint of a trusted validating node (required)")
          ;
    cfg.add(cli);
 }
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ void delayed_node_plugin::connect()
 
 void delayed_node_plugin::plugin_initialize(const boost::program_options::variables_map& options)
 {
+   FC_ASSERT(options.count("trusted-node") > 0);
    my->remote_endpoint = "ws://" + options.at("trusted-node").as<std::string>();
 }
 
diff --git a/programs/delayed_node/main.cpp b/programs/delayed_node/main.cpp
index 74cd8fc3..44d12f37 100644
--- a/programs/delayed_node/main.cpp
+++ b/programs/delayed_node/main.cpp
@@ -70,10 +70,19 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
 
       bpo::variables_map options;
 
+      bpo::options_description cli, cfg;
+      node.set_program_options(cli, cfg);
+      cfg_options.add(cfg);
+
+      cfg_options.add_options()
+              ("plugins", bpo::value<std::string>()->default_value("delayed_node account_history market_history"),
+               "Space-separated list of plugins to activate");
+
       auto delayed_plug = node.register_plugin<delayed_node::delayed_node_plugin>();
       auto history_plug = node.register_plugin<account_history::account_history_plugin>();
       auto market_history_plug = node.register_plugin<market_history::market_history_plugin>();
 
+      // add plugin options to config
       try
       {
          bpo::options_description cli, cfg;
@@ -160,6 +169,9 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
          elog("Error parsing configuration file: ${e}", ("e", e.what()));
          return 1;
       }
+      if( !options.count("plugins") )
+         options.insert( std::make_pair( "plugins", bpo::variable_value(std::string("delayed_node account_history market_history"), true) ) );
+
       node.initialize(data_dir, options);
       node.initialize_plugins( options );
 
diff --git a/programs/witness_node/main.cpp b/programs/witness_node/main.cpp
index c9a09ca3..93ba86b5 100644
--- a/programs/witness_node/main.cpp
+++ b/programs/witness_node/main.cpp
@@ -78,12 +78,23 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
       bpo::options_description cfg_options("Graphene Witness Node");
       app_options.add_options()
             ("help,h", "Print this help message and exit.")
-            ("version", "Display the version info and exit")
-            ("data-dir,d", bpo::value<boost::filesystem::path>()->default_value("witness_node_data_dir"), "Directory containing databases, configuration file, etc.")
-            ;
+            ("data-dir,d", bpo::value<boost::filesystem::path>()->default_value("witness_node_data_dir"),
+                    "Directory containing databases, configuration file, etc.")
+            ("version,v", "Display version information")
+            ("plugins", bpo::value<std::string>()
+                            ->default_value("witness account_history market_history grouped_orders api_helper_indexes"),
+                    "Space-separated list of plugins to activate");
 
       bpo::variables_map options;
 
+      bpo::options_description cli, cfg;
+      node->set_program_options(cli, cfg);
+      cfg_options.add(cfg);
+
+      cfg_options.add_options()
+              ("plugins", bpo::value<std::string>()->default_value("witness account_history market_history grouped_orders"),
+               "Space-separated list of plugins to activate");
+
       auto witness_plug = node->register_plugin<witness_plugin::witness_plugin>();
       auto history_plug = node->register_plugin<account_history::account_history_plugin>();
       auto market_history_plug = node->register_plugin<market_history::market_history_plugin>();
@@ -95,6 +106,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
       auto peerplays_sidechain = node->register_plugin<peerplays_sidechain::peerplays_sidechain_plugin>();
 //      auto snapshot_plug = node->register_plugin<snapshot_plugin::snapshot_plugin>();
 
+      // add plugin options to config
       try
       {
          bpo::options_description cli, cfg;
@@ -109,11 +121,6 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
         return 1;
       }
 
-      if( options.count("help") )
-      {
-         std::cout << app_options << "\n";
-         return 0;
-      }
       if (options.count("version"))
       {
          std::string witness_version(graphene::utilities::git_revision_description);
@@ -127,6 +134,11 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
          std::cout << "Boost: " << boost::replace_all_copy(std::string(BOOST_LIB_VERSION), "_", ".") << "\n";
          return 0;
       }
+      if( options.count("help") )
+      {
+         std::cout << app_options << "\n";
+         return 0;
+      }
 
       fc::path data_dir;
       if( options.count("data-dir") )
@@ -160,6 +172,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
          if( !fc::exists(data_dir) )
             fc::create_directories(data_dir);
 
+         boost::container::flat_set<std::string> seen;
          std::ofstream out_cfg(config_ini_path.preferred_string());
          for( const boost::shared_ptr<bpo::option_description> od : cfg_options.options() )
          {
@@ -169,6 +182,9 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
             if( !od->semantic()->apply_default(store) )
                out_cfg << "# " << od->long_name() << " = \n";
             else {
+               const std::string name = od->long_name();
+               if( seen.find(name) != seen.end() ) continue;
+               seen.insert(name);
                auto example = od->format_parameter();
                if( example.empty() )
                   // This is a boolean switch
@@ -190,7 +206,22 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
             fc::configure_logging(*logging_config);
       }
 
+      std::set<std::string> plugins;
+      boost::split(plugins, options.at("plugins").as<std::string>(), [](char c){return c == ' ';});
+
+      if(plugins.count("account_history") && plugins.count("elasticsearch")) {
+         std::cerr << "Plugin conflict: Cannot load both account_history plugin and elasticsearch plugin\n";
+         return 1;
+      }
+
+      std::for_each(plugins.begin(), plugins.end(), [node](const std::string& plug) mutable {
+         if (!plug.empty()) {
+            node->enable_plugin(plug);
+         }
+      });
+
       bpo::notify(options);
+
       node->initialize(data_dir, options);
       node->initialize_plugins( options );