diff --git a/components/controller.ts b/components/controller.ts
index 8bc1b7f5..d8107047 100644
--- a/components/controller.ts
+++ b/components/controller.ts
@@ -869,11 +869,23 @@ export class Controller {
     }
 
     /**
-     * Loads all normal, pre-built or pure JS plugins.
+     * Loads all normal, pre-built or pure JS plugins either from root or plugins folder.
      *
      * @internal
      */
     private async _loadPlugins(): Promise<void> {
+        if (existsSync("plugins")) {
+            const entries = (
+                await readdir(join(process.cwd(), "plugins"))
+            ).filter((n) => isPlugin(n, "js") || isPlugin(n, "cjs"))
+
+            for (const plugin of entries) {
+                const sourceFile = join(process.cwd(), "plugins", plugin)
+                const src = (await readFile(sourceFile)).toString()
+
+                await this._executePlugin(plugin, src, sourceFile)
+            }
+        }
         const entries = (await readdir(process.cwd())).filter(
             (n) => isPlugin(n, "js") || isPlugin(n, "cjs"),
         )
diff --git a/packaging/README.md b/packaging/README.md
index 8b869c5e..d43523bf 100644
--- a/packaging/README.md
+++ b/packaging/README.md
@@ -3,13 +3,13 @@
 This folder contains some tools related to the build/packaging/deployment
 infrastructure of the project.
 
-- `build.mjs` - The esbuild configuration for the server in production.
-- `buildTasks.mjs` - Pre-bundling of specific files.
-- `devLoader.mjs` - Starts the server in the development environment.
-- `esbuild-plugin-license.mjs` - esbuild plugin that automatically updates the
-  THIRDPARTYNOTICES.txt file.
-- `extractChallengeData.mjs` - a little CLI tool for downloading challenges from
-  the IOI servers.
-- `HOW_TO_USE.html` - legacy help file.
-- `json5ToJson.mjs` - Converts a JSON5 file to a JSON file with the same name (
-  but the JSON extension).
+-   `build.mjs` - The esbuild configuration for the server in production.
+-   `buildTasks.mjs` - Pre-bundling of specific files.
+-   `devLoader.mjs` - Starts the server in the development environment.
+-   `esbuild-plugin-license.mjs` - esbuild plugin that automatically updates the
+    THIRDPARTYNOTICES.txt file.
+-   `extractChallengeData.mjs` - a little CLI tool for downloading challenges from
+    the IOI servers.
+-   `HOW_TO_USE.html` - legacy help file.
+-   `json5ToJson.mjs` - Converts a JSON5 file to a JSON file with the same name (
+    but the JSON extension).