diff --git a/scikits/image/io/_plugins/gtk_plugin.ini b/scikits/image/io/_plugins/gtk_plugin.ini
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..554f0403
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scikits/image/io/_plugins/gtk_plugin.ini
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+[gtk]
+provides = imshow, _app_show
+
diff --git a/scikits/image/io/_plugins/gtk_plugin.py b/scikits/image/io/_plugins/gtk_plugin.py
index bafe7865..39cd9a27 100644
--- a/scikits/image/io/_plugins/gtk_plugin.py
+++ b/scikits/image/io/_plugins/gtk_plugin.py
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 from util import prepare_for_display, window_manager, GuiLockError
-import plugin
 
 try:
     # we try to aquire the gui lock first
@@ -41,21 +40,15 @@ else:
             def destroy(self, widget, data=None):
                 self.mgr.remove_window(self)
 
-        def gtk_imshow(arr):
+        def imshow(arr):
             arr = prepare_for_display(arr)
 
             iw = ImageWindow(arr, window_manager)
             iw.show()
 
-        def gtk_show():
+        def _app_show():
             if window_manager.has_windows():
                 window_manager.register_callback(gtk.main_quit)
                 gtk.main()
             else:
                 print 'no images to display'
-
-
-        plugin.register('gtk', show=gtk_imshow, appshow=gtk_show)
-
-
-
diff --git a/scikits/image/io/_plugins/matplotlib_plugin.ini b/scikits/image/io/_plugins/matplotlib_plugin.ini
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2116ad47
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scikits/image/io/_plugins/matplotlib_plugin.ini
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+[matplotlib]
+provides = imshow
+
diff --git a/scikits/image/io/_plugins/matplotlib_plugin.py b/scikits/image/io/_plugins/matplotlib_plugin.py
index c922b731..349bbe8d 100644
--- a/scikits/image/io/_plugins/matplotlib_plugin.py
+++ b/scikits/image/io/_plugins/matplotlib_plugin.py
@@ -1,8 +1,4 @@
-import plugin
-
 try:
-    import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
-except ImportError, e:
-    print e
-else:
-    plugin.register('matplotlib', show=plt.imshow, save=plt.imsave)
+    from matplotlib.pyplot import imshow, imsave
+except ImportError:
+    print "Could not import Matplotlib."
diff --git a/scikits/image/io/_plugins/pil_plugin.ini b/scikits/image/io/_plugins/pil_plugin.ini
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..98413e18
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scikits/image/io/_plugins/pil_plugin.ini
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+[pil]
+provides = imread
+
diff --git a/scikits/image/io/_plugins/pil_plugin.py b/scikits/image/io/_plugins/pil_plugin.py
index d639091f..e50cbe6c 100644
--- a/scikits/image/io/_plugins/pil_plugin.py
+++ b/scikits/image/io/_plugins/pil_plugin.py
@@ -5,50 +5,45 @@ import numpy as np
 
 try:
     from PIL import Image
-    has_pil = True
 except ImportError:
-    has_pil = False
+    print 'Could not load Python Imaging Library'
+else:
+    def imread(fname, as_grey=False, dtype=None):
+        """Load an image from file.
 
-def imread(fname, as_grey=False, dtype=None):
-    """Load an image from file.
+        """
+        im = Image.open(fname)
+        if im.mode == 'P':
+            if palette_is_grayscale(im):
+                im = im.convert('L')
+            else:
+                im = im.convert('RGB')
 
-    """
-    im = Image.open(fname)
-    if im.mode == 'P':
-        if palette_is_grayscale(im):
-            im = im.convert('L')
-        else:
-            im = im.convert('RGB')
+        if as_grey and not \
+               im.mode in ('1', 'L', 'I', 'F', 'I;16', 'I;16L', 'I;16B'):
+            im = im.convert('F')
 
-    if as_grey and not \
-           im.mode in ('1', 'L', 'I', 'F', 'I;16', 'I;16L', 'I;16B'):
-        im = im.convert('F')
+        return np.array(im, dtype=dtype)
 
-    return np.array(im, dtype=dtype)
+    def palette_is_grayscale(pil_image):
+        """Return True if PIL image in palette mode is grayscale.
 
-def palette_is_grayscale(pil_image):
-    """Return True if PIL image in palette mode is grayscale.
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        pil_image : PIL image
+            PIL Image that is in Palette mode.
 
-    Parameters
-    ----------
-    pil_image : PIL image
-        PIL Image that is in Palette mode.
-
-    Returns
-    -------
-    is_grayscale : bool
-        True if all colors in image palette are gray.
-    """
-    assert pil_image.mode == 'P'
-    # get palette as an array with R, G, B columns
-    palette = np.asarray(pil_image.getpalette()).reshape((256, 3))
-    # Not all palette colors are used; unused colors have junk values.
-    start, stop = pil_image.getextrema()
-    valid_palette = palette[start:stop]
-    # Image is grayscale if channel differences (R - G and G - B)
-    # are all zero.
-    return np.allclose(np.diff(valid_palette), 0)
-
-
-if has_pil:
-    plugin.register('pil', read=imread)
+        Returns
+        -------
+        is_grayscale : bool
+            True if all colors in image palette are gray.
+        """
+        assert pil_image.mode == 'P'
+        # get palette as an array with R, G, B columns
+        palette = np.asarray(pil_image.getpalette()).reshape((256, 3))
+        # Not all palette colors are used; unused colors have junk values.
+        start, stop = pil_image.getextrema()
+        valid_palette = palette[start:stop]
+        # Image is grayscale if channel differences (R - G and G - B)
+        # are all zero.
+        return np.allclose(np.diff(valid_palette), 0)
diff --git a/scikits/image/io/_plugins/plugin.py b/scikits/image/io/_plugins/plugin.py
index cd887f53..9a24e669 100644
--- a/scikits/image/io/_plugins/plugin.py
+++ b/scikits/image/io/_plugins/plugin.py
@@ -2,45 +2,45 @@
 
 """
 
-__all__ = ['register', 'use', 'load', 'available', 'call']
+__all__ = ['use', 'load', 'available', 'call']
 
 import warnings
+from ConfigParser import ConfigParser
+import os.path
+from glob import glob
 
-plugin_store = {'read': [],
-                'save': [],
-                'show': [],
-                'appshow': []}
+plugin_store = {'imread': [],
+                'imsave': [],
+                'imshow': [],
+                '_app_show': []}
 
-def register(name, **kwds):
-    """Register an image I/O plugin.
+plugin_provides = {}
+plugin_module_name = {}
 
-    Parameters
-    ----------
-    name : str
-        Name of this plugin.
-    read : callable, optional
-        Function with signature
-        ``read(filename, as_grey=False, dtype=None, **plugin_specific_args)``
-        that reads images.
-    save : callable, optional
-        Function with signature
-        ``write(filename, arr, **plugin_specific_args)``
-        that writes an image to disk.
-    show : callable, optional
-        Function with signature
-        ``show(X, **plugin_specific_args)`` that displays an image.
+def _scan_plugins():
+    """Scan the plugins directory for .ini files and parse them
+    to gather plugin meta-data.
 
     """
-    for kind in kwds:
-        if kind not in plugin_store.keys():
-            raise ValueError('Tried to register invalid plugin method.')
+    pd = os.path.dirname(__file__)
+    ini = glob(os.path.join(pd, '*.ini'))
 
-        func = kwds[kind]
-        if not callable(func):
-            raise ValueError('Can only register functions as plugins.')
+    for f in ini:
+        cp = ConfigParser()
+        cp.read(f)
+        name = cp.sections()[0]
+        provides = [s.strip() for s in cp.get(name, 'provides').split(',')]
+        valid_provides = [p for p in provides if p in plugin_store]
 
-        plugin_store[kind].insert(0, (name, func))
+        for p in provides:
+            if not p in plugin_store:
+                print "Plugin `%s` wants to provide non-existent `%s`." \
+                      " Ignoring." % (name, p)
 
+        plugin_provides[name] = valid_provides
+        plugin_module_name[name] = os.path.basename(f)[:-4]
+
+_scan_plugins()
 
 def call(kind, *args, **kwargs):
     """Find the appropriate plugin of 'kind' and execute it.
@@ -103,10 +103,16 @@ def use(name, kind=None):
         kind = plugin_store.keys()
     else:
         kind = [kind]
+        if not kind in plugin_provides[name]:
+            raise RuntimeError("Plugin %s does not support `%s`." % \
+                               (name, kind))
+
+    if not name in available(loaded=True):
+        raise RuntimeError("No plugin '%s' has been loaded." % name)
 
     for k in kind:
         if not k in plugin_store:
-            raise RuntimeError("Could not find plugin for '%s'" % k)
+            raise RuntimeError("'%s' is not a known plugin function." % k)
 
         funcs = plugin_store[k]
 
@@ -115,36 +121,29 @@ def use(name, kind=None):
         funcs = [(n, f) for (n, f) in funcs if n == name] + \
                 [(n, f) for (n, f) in funcs if n != name]
 
-        n, f = funcs[0]
-        if not n == name:
-            warnings.warn(RuntimeWarning('Could not set plugin "%s" for'
-                                         ' function "%s".' % (name, k)))
-
         plugin_store[k] = funcs
 
-def available(kind=None):
+def available(loaded=False):
     """List available plugins.
 
     Parameters
     ----------
-    kind : {'show', 'save', 'read'}, optional
-        Display the plugin list for the given function type.  If not
-        specified, return a dictionary with the plugins for all
-        functions.
+    loaded : bool
+        If True, show only those plugins currently loaded.  By default,
+        all plugins are shown.
 
     """
-    if kind is None:
-        kind = plugin_store.keys()
-    else:
-        kind = [kind]
+    from copy import deepcopy
+    active_plugins = set()
+    for k in plugin_store:
+        for plugin, fname in plugin_store[k]:
+            active_plugins.add(plugin)
 
     d = {}
-    for k in kind:
-        if not k in plugin_store:
-            raise ValueError('No function "%s" exists in the plugin registry.'
-                             % kind)
-
-        d[k] = [name for (name, func) in plugin_store[k]]
+    for plugin in plugin_provides:
+        if not loaded or plugin in active_plugins:
+            d[plugin] = [f for f in plugin_provides[plugin] \
+                         if not f.startswith('_')]
 
     return d
 
@@ -161,7 +160,21 @@ def load(plugin):
     plugins : List of available plugins
 
     """
-    try:
-        __import__('scikits.image.io._plugins.' + plugin + "_plugin")
-    except ImportError:
-        raise ValueError('Plugin %s not found.' % plugin)
+    if not plugin in plugin_module_name:
+        raise ValueError("Plugin %s not found." % plugin)
+    else:
+        modname = plugin + "_plugin"
+        plugin_module = __import__('scikits.image.io._plugins.' + modname,
+                                   fromlist=[modname])
+
+    provides = plugin_provides[plugin]
+    for p in provides:
+        if not hasattr(plugin_module, p):
+            print "Plugin %s does not provide %s as advertised.  Ignoring." % \
+                  (plugin, p)
+        else:
+            store = plugin_store[p]
+            func = getattr(plugin_module, p)
+            if not func in store:
+                store.insert(0, (plugin, func))
+
diff --git a/scikits/image/io/_plugins/qt_plugin.ini b/scikits/image/io/_plugins/qt_plugin.ini
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f27e64e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scikits/image/io/_plugins/qt_plugin.ini
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+[qt]
+provides = imshow, _app_show
+
diff --git a/scikits/image/io/_plugins/qt_plugin.py b/scikits/image/io/_plugins/qt_plugin.py
index 54fe9b8e..032d6409 100644
--- a/scikits/image/io/_plugins/qt_plugin.py
+++ b/scikits/image/io/_plugins/qt_plugin.py
@@ -1,10 +1,8 @@
-import plugin
 from util import prepare_for_display, window_manager, GuiLockError
 
 import numpy as np
 import sys
 
-
 try:
     # We try to aquire the gui lock first or else the gui import might
     # trample another GUI's PyOS_InputHook.
@@ -47,7 +45,7 @@ else:
                 # references to it
                 self.mgr.remove_window(self)
 
-        def qt_imshow(arr):
+        def imshow(arr):
             global app
 
             if not app:
@@ -58,11 +56,9 @@ else:
             iw = ImageWindow(arr, window_manager)
             iw.show()
 
-        def qt_show():
+        def _app_show():
             global app
             if app and window_manager.has_windows():
                 app.exec_()
             else:
                 print 'No images to show.  See `imshow`.'
-
-        plugin.register('qt', show=qt_imshow, appshow=qt_show)
diff --git a/scikits/image/io/_plugins/test_plugin.ini b/scikits/image/io/_plugins/test_plugin.ini
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0dfbb133
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scikits/image/io/_plugins/test_plugin.ini
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+[test]
+provides = imsave, imshow, imread
+
+
diff --git a/scikits/image/io/_plugins/test_plugin.py b/scikits/image/io/_plugins/test_plugin.py
index bd160829..975d55d9 100644
--- a/scikits/image/io/_plugins/test_plugin.py
+++ b/scikits/image/io/_plugins/test_plugin.py
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
-import plugin
+def imread(fname, as_grey=False, dtype=None):
+    assert fname == 'test.png'
+    assert as_grey == True
+    assert dtype == 'i4'
 
-def save(fname, arr):
-    return fname, arr
+def imsave(fname, arr):
+    assert fname == 'test.png'
+    assert arr == [1, 2, 3]
 
-plugin.register('test', save=save)
+def imshow(arr, plugin_arg=None):
+    assert arr == [1, 2, 3]
+    assert plugin_arg == (1, 2)
diff --git a/scikits/image/io/io.py b/scikits/image/io/io.py
index aaf826a4..66d3b82b 100644
--- a/scikits/image/io/io.py
+++ b/scikits/image/io/io.py
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ def imread(fname, as_grey=False, dtype=None, plugin=None, flatten=None,
     if flatten is not None:
         as_grey = flatten
 
-    return call_plugin('read', fname, as_grey=as_grey, dtype=dtype,
+    return call_plugin('imread', fname, as_grey=as_grey, dtype=dtype,
                        plugin=plugin, **plugin_args)
 
 def imsave(fname, arr, plugin=None, **plugin_args):
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ def imsave(fname, arr, plugin=None, **plugin_args):
         Passed to the given plugin.
 
     """
-    return call_plugin('save', fname, arr, plugin=plugin, **plugin_args)
+    return call_plugin('imsave', fname, arr, plugin=plugin, **plugin_args)
 
 def imshow(arr, plugin=None, **plugin_args):
     """Display an image.
@@ -87,17 +87,23 @@ def imshow(arr, plugin=None, **plugin_args):
         Passed to the given plugin.
 
     """
-    return call_plugin('show', arr, plugin=plugin, **plugin_args)
+    return call_plugin('imshow', arr, plugin=plugin, **plugin_args)
 
 def show():
-    '''Launches the event loop of the current gui plugin,
-    and displays all pending images. This is required,
-    when using imshow() from a non-interactive script.
-    Simply make all the calls to imshow() to queue up as many
-    images as you need, then call show(). After the
-    last window is closed, the gui event loop will exit,
-    and you script will continue execution.
+    '''Display pending images.
 
-    If this is called from the interactive terminal,
-    it will block until all windows are closed.'''
-    return call_plugin('appshow')
+    Launch the event loop of the current gui plugin, and display all
+    pending images, queued via `imshow`. This is required when using
+    `imshow` from non-interactive scripts.
+
+    A call to `show` will block execution of code until all windows
+    have been closed.
+
+    Examples
+    --------
+    >>> for i in range(4):
+    ...     imshow(np.random.random((50, 50))
+    >>> show()
+
+    '''
+    return call_plugin('_app_show')
diff --git a/scikits/image/io/tests/test_plugin.py b/scikits/image/io/tests/test_plugin.py
index b6d3c550..3ed62869 100644
--- a/scikits/image/io/tests/test_plugin.py
+++ b/scikits/image/io/tests/test_plugin.py
@@ -5,55 +5,45 @@ from scikits.image.io._plugins import plugin
 
 from copy import deepcopy
 
-def read(fname, as_grey=False, dtype=None):
-    assert fname == 'test.png'
-    assert as_grey == True
-    assert dtype == 'i4'
-
-def save(fname, arr):
-    assert fname == 'test.png'
-    assert arr == [1, 2, 3]
-
-def show(arr, plugin_arg=None):
-    assert arr == [1, 2, 3]
-    assert plugin_arg == (1, 2)
-
-def show_other(arr):
-    return "other"
 
 def setup_module(self):
     self.backup_plugin_store = deepcopy(plugin.plugin_store)
-    plugin.register('testcase', read=read, save=save, show=show)
-    plugin.register('other', show=show_other)
+    plugin.load('test')
 
 def teardown_module(self):
     plugin.plugin_store = self.backup_plugin_store
 
 class TestPlugin:
     def test_read(self):
-        io.imread('test.png', as_grey=True, dtype='i4', plugin='testcase')
+        io.imread('test.png', as_grey=True, dtype='i4', plugin='test')
 
     def test_save(self):
-        io.imsave('test.png', [1, 2, 3], plugin='testcase')
+        io.imsave('test.png', [1, 2, 3], plugin='test')
 
     def test_show(self):
-        io.imshow([1, 2, 3], plugin_arg=(1, 2), plugin='testcase')
+        io.imshow([1, 2, 3], plugin_arg=(1, 2), plugin='test')
 
     def test_use(self):
-        plugin.use('other', 'show')
-        assert io.imshow(None) == 'other'
+        plugin.use('test')
+
+    @raises(RuntimeError)
+    def test_failed_use(self):
+        plugin.use('asd')
+
+    def test_use_priority(self):
+        plugin.use('pil')
+        plug, func = plugin.plugin_store['imread'][0]
+        print plugin.plugin_store
+        assert_equal(plug, 'pil')
+
+        plugin.use('test')
+        plug, func = plugin.plugin_store['imread'][0]
+        print plugin.plugin_store
+        assert_equal(plug, 'test')
 
     def test_available(self):
-        plugin.use('other', 'show')
-        d = plugin.available('show')
-        assert d['show'][0] == 'other'
-
-    def test_load(self):
-        plugin.load('test')
-        fname, arr = io.imsave('outfile', [1, 2, 3])
-        assert_equal(fname, 'outfile')
-        assert_equal(arr, [1, 2, 3])
-        assert_equal(plugin.available('save')['save'][0], 'test')
+        assert 'qt' in io.plugins()
+        assert 'test' in io.plugins(loaded=True)
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     run_module_suite()