diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 343d861..4e7cb1a 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -131,5 +131,6 @@ dmypy.json
 # Miscellaneous
 .DS_Store
 .vscode/
+.idea/
 
 .ctf/
diff --git a/ctfcli/__main__.py b/ctfcli/__main__.py
index a6e061e..fecc0f5 100644
--- a/ctfcli/__main__.py
+++ b/ctfcli/__main__.py
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 import configparser
-import importlib
-import os
 import subprocess
-import sys
+
 from pathlib import Path
 
 import click
@@ -13,7 +11,7 @@
 from ctfcli.cli.plugins import Plugins
 from ctfcli.cli.templates import Templates
 from ctfcli.cli.pages import Pages
-from ctfcli.utils.plugins import get_plugin_dir
+from ctfcli.utils.plugins import load_plugins
 from ctfcli.utils.git import check_if_dir_is_inside_git_repo
 
 
@@ -93,15 +91,8 @@ def templates(self):
 
 
 def main():
-    # Load plugins
-    plugin_dir = get_plugin_dir()
-    sys.path.insert(0, plugin_dir)
-    for plugin in sorted(os.listdir(plugin_dir)):
-        plugin_path = os.path.join(plugin_dir, plugin, "__init__.py")
-        print("Loading", plugin_path, "as", plugin)
-        loaded = importlib.import_module(plugin)
-        loaded.load(COMMANDS)
-    sys.path.remove(plugin_dir)
+    # load plugins
+    load_plugins(COMMANDS)
 
     # Load CLI
     fire.Fire(CTFCLI)
diff --git a/ctfcli/utils/deploy.py b/ctfcli/utils/deploy.py
index a6688d9..e5809a3 100644
--- a/ctfcli/utils/deploy.py
+++ b/ctfcli/utils/deploy.py
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ def cloud(challenge, host, protocol):
         # Could not find the service. Create it using our pushed image.
         # Deploy the image by creating service
         service = s.post(
-            "/api/v1/services", json={"name": slug, "image": location,}
+            "/api/v1/services", json={"name": slug, "image": location,},
         ).json()["data"]
 
     # Get connection details
diff --git a/ctfcli/utils/plugins.py b/ctfcli/utils/plugins.py
index 6f93c21..4098348 100644
--- a/ctfcli/utils/plugins.py
+++ b/ctfcli/utils/plugins.py
@@ -1,16 +1,49 @@
-import os
-
 import appdirs
+import importlib
+import logging
+import os
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
 
 from ctfcli import __name__ as pkg_name
 
 
+def load_plugins(commands: dict):
+    plugin_dir = get_plugin_dir()
+    sys.path.insert(0, plugin_dir)
+
+    for plugin in sorted(os.listdir(plugin_dir)):
+        plugin_path = Path(plugin_dir) / plugin / "__init__.py"
+
+        logging.debug(f"Loading {plugin_path} as {plugin}")
+
+        loaded = importlib.import_module(plugin)
+        loaded.load(commands)
+
+    sys.path.remove(str(plugin_dir))
+
+
 def get_plugin_dir():
-    plugins_path = os.path.join(get_data_dir(), "plugins")
-    if not os.path.exists(plugins_path):
+    if os.getenv("CTFCLI_PLUGIN_DIR"):
+        plugins_path = get_custom_plugin_dir()
+    else:
+        plugins_path = get_data_dir() / "plugins"
+
+    if not plugins_path.exists():
         os.makedirs(plugins_path)
-    return os.path.join(plugins_path)
+
+    return str(plugins_path.absolute())
+
+
+def get_custom_plugin_dir() -> Path:
+    custom_plugins_path = Path(os.getenv("CTFCLI_PLUGIN_DIR"))
+
+    if custom_plugins_path.is_absolute():
+        return custom_plugins_path
+
+    base_dir = Path().parent.parent
+    return base_dir / custom_plugins_path
 
 
 def get_data_dir():
-    return appdirs.user_data_dir(appname=pkg_name)
+    return Path(appdirs.user_data_dir(appname=pkg_name))