diff --git a/src/musikcore/c_context.cpp b/src/musikcore/c_context.cpp
index 6b81712e2..7dd355601 100644
--- a/src/musikcore/c_context.cpp
+++ b/src/musikcore/c_context.cpp
@@ -178,6 +178,8 @@ mcsdk_export void mcsdk_context_init(mcsdk_context** context) {
         mcsdk_env_init();
     }
 
+    plugin::Init();
+
     auto c = new mcsdk_context();
     memset(c, 0, sizeof(mcsdk_context));
 
@@ -253,7 +255,7 @@ mcsdk_export void mcsdk_set_plugin_context(mcsdk_context* context) {
     plugin_context = context;
     if (plugin_context) {
         auto internal = static_cast<mcsdk_context_internal*>(context->internal.opaque);
-        plugin::Init(message_queue, internal->playback, internal->library);
+        plugin::Start(message_queue, internal->playback, internal->library);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/musikcore/plugin/Plugins.cpp b/src/musikcore/plugin/Plugins.cpp
index ad13948f0..8f8375967 100644
--- a/src/musikcore/plugin/Plugins.cpp
+++ b/src/musikcore/plugin/Plugins.cpp
@@ -361,7 +361,7 @@ static class Environment: public IEnvironment {
 
 namespace musik { namespace core { namespace plugin {
 
-    void Init(IMessageQueue* messageQueue, IPlaybackService* playbackService, ILibraryPtr library) {
+    void Init() {
         /* preferences */
         Preferences::LoadPluginPreferences();
 
@@ -371,7 +371,9 @@ namespace musik { namespace core { namespace plugin {
             [](musik::core::sdk::IPlugin* plugin, SetDebug func) {
             func(&debugger);
         });
+    }
 
+    void Start(IMessageQueue* messageQueue, IPlaybackService* playbackService, ILibraryPtr library) {
         /* metadata proxies */
         delete metadataProxy;
         ::messageQueue = messageQueue;
diff --git a/src/musikcore/plugin/Plugins.h b/src/musikcore/plugin/Plugins.h
index 4e1d1b89a..84c48ad8a 100644
--- a/src/musikcore/plugin/Plugins.h
+++ b/src/musikcore/plugin/Plugins.h
@@ -41,7 +41,9 @@
 
 namespace musik { namespace core { namespace plugin {
 
-    void Init(
+    void Init();
+
+    void Start(
         musik::core::runtime::IMessageQueue* messageQueue,
         musik::core::sdk::IPlaybackService* playback,
         musik::core::ILibraryPtr library);
diff --git a/src/musikcube/Main.cpp b/src/musikcube/Main.cpp
index e90a48aec..4c377c14f 100644
--- a/src/musikcube/Main.cpp
+++ b/src/musikcube/Main.cpp
@@ -100,37 +100,37 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
     boost::filesystem::path::imbue(utf8Locale);
 
     /* ensure we have the correct locale loaded */
-    musik::core::i18n::Locale::Instance().Initialize(musik::core::GetApplicationDirectory() + "/locales/");
+    core::i18n::Locale::Instance().Initialize(core::GetApplicationDirectory() + "/locales/");
 
 #ifdef WIN32
-    AddDllDirectory(u8to16(musik::core::GetPluginDirectory()).c_str());
+    AddDllDirectory(u8to16(core::GetPluginDirectory()).c_str());
     #ifdef __PDCURSES__
         PDC_set_resize_limits(MIN_HEIGHT, 1000, MIN_WIDTH, 1000);
         resize_term(26, 100); /* must be before app init */
     #endif
 #endif
 
-    std::string errorFn = musik::core::GetDataDirectory() + "stderr.txt";
+    std::string errorFn = core::GetDataDirectory() + "stderr.txt";
     freopen(errorFn.c_str(), "w", stderr);
 
-    auto fileLogger = new musik::debug::SimpleFileBackend();
+    auto fileLogger = new debug::SimpleFileBackend();
     auto consoleLogger = new ConsoleLogger(Window::MessageQueue());
-    musik::debug::Start({ fileLogger, consoleLogger });
+    debug::Start({ fileLogger, consoleLogger });
+
+    plugin::Init();
 
     LibraryFactory::Initialize(Window::MessageQueue());
-    auto library = std::make_shared<musik::core::library::MasterLibrary>();
+    auto library = std::make_shared<library::MasterLibrary>();
 
     {
-        auto prefs = Preferences::ForComponent(
-            musik::core::prefs::components::Settings);
+        auto prefs = Preferences::ForComponent(core::prefs::components::Settings);
 
         PlaybackService playback(Window::MessageQueue(), library);
 
         GlobalHotkeys globalHotkeys(playback, library);
         Window::SetNavigationKeys(Hotkeys::NavigationKeys());
 
-        musik::core::plugin::Init(
-            &Window::MessageQueue(), &playback, library);
+        plugin::Start(&Window::MessageQueue(), &playback, library);
 
 #ifdef WIN32
         auto font = GetApplicationDirectory() + "fonts/SourceCodePro-Medium.ttf";
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
         app.SetQuitKey(prefs->GetString(keys::AppQuitKey, "^D"));
 
         /* fire up the indexer if configured to run on startup */
-        if (prefs->GetBool(musik::core::prefs::keys::SyncOnStartup, true)) {
+        if (prefs->GetBool(core::prefs::keys::SyncOnStartup, true)) {
             library->Indexer()->Schedule(IIndexer::SyncType::All);
         }
 
@@ -214,12 +214,12 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
         library->Indexer()->Stop();
     }
 
-    musik::core::audio::vis::HideSelectedVisualizer();
-    musik::core::plugin::Deinit();
+    audio::vis::HideSelectedVisualizer();
+    plugin::Deinit();
 
     LibraryFactory::Instance().Shutdown();
 
-    musik::debug::Stop();
+    debug::Stop();
 
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/musikcubed/main.cpp b/src/musikcubed/main.cpp
index 010f5e07e..da4bf0c7e 100644
--- a/src/musikcubed/main.cpp
+++ b/src/musikcubed/main.cpp
@@ -282,6 +282,8 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
 
     srand((unsigned int) time(0));
 
+    plugin::Init();
+
     EvMessageQueue messageQueue;
     LibraryFactory::Initialize(messageQueue);
     auto library = LibraryFactory::Instance().DefaultLocalLibrary();
@@ -289,7 +291,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
     {
         PlaybackService playback(messageQueue, library);
 
-        plugin::Init(&messageQueue, &playback, library);
+        plugin::Start(&messageQueue, &playback, library);
 
         auto prefs = Preferences::ForComponent(prefs::components::Settings);
         if (prefs->GetBool(prefs::keys::SyncOnStartup, true)) {
diff --git a/src/plugins/pipewireout/PipeWireOut.cpp b/src/plugins/pipewireout/PipeWireOut.cpp
index 3eedd302c..b4f20e89e 100644
--- a/src/plugins/pipewireout/PipeWireOut.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/pipewireout/PipeWireOut.cpp
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ IDevice* PipeWireOut::GetDefaultDevice() {
 }
 
 void PipeWireOut::StopPipeWire() {
-    if (::debug) ::debug->Info(TAG, "shutdown started");
+    ::debug->Info(TAG, "shutdown started");
 
     this->Stop();
 
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ void PipeWireOut::StopPipeWire() {
     this->channelCount = 0;
     this->sampleRate = 0;
 
-    if (::debug) ::debug->Info(TAG, "shutdown complete");
+    ::debug->Info(TAG, "shutdown complete");
 }
 
 bool PipeWireOut::StartPipeWire(IBuffer* buffer) {