diff --git a/libraries/app/application.cpp b/libraries/app/application.cpp
index bcbe6659..5e5c7b8c 100644
--- a/libraries/app/application.cpp
+++ b/libraries/app/application.cpp
@@ -891,7 +891,8 @@ 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;
    };
@@ -933,6 +934,7 @@ void application::set_program_options(boost::program_options::options_descriptio
          ("enable-standby-votes-tracking", bpo::value<bool>()->implicit_value(true),
           "Whether to enable tracking of votes of standby witnesses and committee members. "
           "Set it to true to provide accurate data to API clients, set to false for slightly better performance.")
+         ("plugins", bpo::value<string>(), "Space-separated list of plugins to activate")
          ;
    command_line_options.add(configuration_file_options);
    command_line_options.add_options()
@@ -978,6 +980,22 @@ 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.cbegin(); it != wanted.cend(); it++)
+   {
+      if (!it->empty()) enable_plugin(*it);
+   }
 }
 
 void application::startup()
@@ -995,7 +1013,7 @@ 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()
@@ -1028,14 +1046,21 @@ 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;
 }
@@ -1049,14 +1074,14 @@ 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 26ae78ef..758069a0 100644
--- a/libraries/app/include/graphene/app/application.hpp
+++ b/libraries/app/include/graphene/app/application.hpp
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ namespace graphene { namespace app {
             if( !plugin_cfg_options.options().empty() )
                _cfg_options.add(plugin_cfg_options);
 
-            add_plugin( plug->plugin_name(), plug );
+            add_available_plugin( plug );
             return plug;
          }
          std::shared_ptr<abstract_plugin> get_plugin( const string& name )const;
@@ -89,7 +89,8 @@ 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 f9db2ccd..d49129b0 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/witness_node/main.cpp b/programs/witness_node/main.cpp
index 8c613067..ec08feb6 100644
--- a/programs/witness_node/main.cpp
+++ b/programs/witness_node/main.cpp
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include <graphene/app/config_util.hpp>
 
 #include <graphene/witness/witness.hpp>
+#include <graphene/debug_witness/debug_witness.hpp>
 #include <graphene/account_history/account_history_plugin.hpp>
 #include <graphene/accounts_list/accounts_list_plugin.hpp>
 #include <graphene/market_history/market_history_plugin.hpp>
@@ -71,6 +72,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
       bpo::variables_map options;
 
       auto witness_plug = node->register_plugin<witness_plugin::witness_plugin>();
+      auto debug_witness_plug = node->register_plugin<debug_witness_plugin::debug_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>();
       //auto generate_genesis_plug = node->register_plugin<generate_genesis_plugin::generate_genesis_plugin>();
@@ -142,7 +144,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
          exit_promise->set_value(signal);
       }, SIGTERM);
 
-      ilog("Started witness node on a chain with ${h} blocks.", ("h", node->chain_database()->head_block_num()));
+      ilog("Started BitShares node on a chain with ${h} blocks.", ("h", node->chain_database()->head_block_num()));
       ilog("Chain ID is ${id}", ("id", node->chain_database()->get_chain_id()) );
 
       int signal = exit_promise->wait();
@@ -163,4 +165,4 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
       delete node;
       return 1;
    }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}