diff --git a/skimage/viewer/plugins/base.py b/skimage/viewer/plugins/base.py
index 17387b8b..ba68ecb6 100644
--- a/skimage/viewer/plugins/base.py
+++ b/skimage/viewer/plugins/base.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 from PyQt4 import QtGui
+from PyQt4.QtCore import Qt
 
 import matplotlib as mpl
 
@@ -23,17 +24,13 @@ class Plugin(QtGui.QDialog):
     ----------
     image_viewer : ImageViewer
         Window containing image used in measurement.
-    image : array
-        Image used in measurement/manipulation.
     """
     name = 'Plugin'
     draws_on_image = False
 
-    def __init__(self, image_viewer, image_filter=None, height=100, width=400,
-                 useblit=None):
-        self.image_viewer = image_viewer
-        QtGui.QDialog.__init__(self, image_viewer)
-        self.image_viewer.plugins.append(self)
+    def __init__(self, image_filter=None, height=100, width=400, useblit=None):
+        QtGui.QDialog.__init__(self)
+        self.image_viewer = None
 
         self.setWindowTitle(self.name)
         self.layout = QtGui.QGridLayout(self)
@@ -42,18 +39,24 @@ class Plugin(QtGui.QDialog):
         if image_filter is not None:
             self.image_filter = image_filter
 
-        #TODO: Always passing image as first argument may be bad assumption.
-        self.arguments = [image_viewer.original_image]
+        self.arguments = []
         self.keyword_arguments= {}
 
-        self.image = self.image_viewer.image
-
         if useblit is None:
             useblit = True if mpl.backends.backend.endswith('Agg') else False
         self.useblit = useblit
         self.cids = []
         self.artists = []
 
+    def attach(self, image_viewer):
+        self.setParent(image_viewer)
+        self.setWindowFlags(Qt.Dialog)
+
+        self.image_viewer = image_viewer
+        self.image_viewer.plugins.append(self)
+        #TODO: Always passing image as first argument may be bad assumption.
+        self.arguments.append(self.image_viewer.original_image)
+
         if self.draws_on_image:
             self.connect_event('draw_event', self.on_draw)
 
diff --git a/skimage/viewer/plugins/canny.py b/skimage/viewer/plugins/canny.py
index 97465e6a..5ec6e415 100644
--- a/skimage/viewer/plugins/canny.py
+++ b/skimage/viewer/plugins/canny.py
@@ -8,15 +8,18 @@ class CannyPlugin(OverlayPlugin):
 
     name = 'Canny Filter'
 
-    def __init__(self, image_viewer, *args, **kwargs):
-        height = kwargs.get('height', 100)
-        width = kwargs.get('width', 400)
-        super(CannyPlugin, self).__init__(image_viewer,
-                                          width=width, height=height)
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        kwargs.setdefault('height', 100)
+        kwargs.setdefault('width', 400)
+        super(CannyPlugin, self).__init__(**kwargs)
+
         self.add_widget(Slider('sigma', 0, 5, update_on='release'))
         self.add_widget(Slider('low threshold', 0, 255, update_on='release'))
         self.add_widget(Slider('high threshold', 0, 255, update_on='release'))
         self.add_widget(ComboBox('color', self.color_names, ptype='plugin'))
+
+    def attach(self, image_viewer):
+        super(CannyPlugin, self).attach(image_viewer)
         # Update image overlay to default slider values.
         self.filter_image()
 
diff --git a/skimage/viewer/plugins/lineprofile.py b/skimage/viewer/plugins/lineprofile.py
index 32ea967d..f41407b3 100644
--- a/skimage/viewer/plugins/lineprofile.py
+++ b/skimage/viewer/plugins/lineprofile.py
@@ -33,43 +33,46 @@ class LineProfile(PlotPlugin):
     name = 'Line Profile'
     draws_on_image = True
 
-    def __init__(self, image_viewer, useblit=None,
-                 linewidth=1, epsilon=5, limits='image'):
-        super(LineProfile, self).__init__(image_viewer, height=200, width=600,
+    def __init__(self, useblit=None, linewidth=1, epsilon=5, limits='image'):
+        super(LineProfile, self).__init__(height=200, width=600,
                                           useblit=useblit)
-
         self.linewidth = linewidth
         self.epsilon = epsilon
+        self._active_pt = None
+        self._limit_type = limits
+        self.line_kwargs = dict(color='y', lw=linewidth, alpha=0.5, marker='s',
+                                markersize=5, solid_capstyle='butt')
+        print self.help()
 
-        if limits == 'image':
-            self.limits = (np.min(self.image), np.max(self.image))
-        elif limits == 'dtype':
-            self.limits = dtype_range[self.image.dtype.type]
-        elif limits is None or len(limits) == 2:
-            self.limits = limits
+    def attach(self, image_viewer):
+        super(LineProfile, self).attach(image_viewer)
+
+        image = image_viewer.original_image
+
+        if self._limit_type == 'image':
+            self.limits = (np.min(image), np.max(image))
+        elif self._limit_type == 'dtype':
+            self.self._limit_type = dtype_range[image.dtype.type]
+        elif self._limit_type is None or len(self._limit_type) == 2:
+            self.limits = self._limit_type
         else:
-            raise ValueError("Unrecognized `limits`: %s" % limits)
+            raise ValueError("Unrecognized `limits`: %s" % self._limit_type)
 
-        if not limits is None:
+        if not self._limit_type is None:
             self.ax.set_ylim(self.limits)
 
-        h, w = self.image.shape
-
+        h, w = image.shape
         self._init_end_pts = np.array([[w/3, h/2], [2*w/3, h/2]])
         self.end_pts = self._init_end_pts.copy()
 
         x, y = np.transpose(self.end_pts)
-        self.scan_line = self.image_viewer.ax.plot(x, y, 'y-s', markersize=5,
-                                                   lw=linewidth, alpha=0.5,
-                                                   solid_capstyle='butt')[0]
+        self.scan_line = image_viewer.ax.plot(x, y, **self.line_kwargs)[0]
         self.artists.append(self.scan_line)
 
-        scan_data = profile_line(self.image, self.end_pts)
+        scan_data = profile_line(image, self.end_pts)
         self.profile = self.ax.plot(scan_data, 'k-')[0]
         self._autoscale_view()
 
-        self._active_pt = None
-
         self.connect_event('key_press_event', self.on_key_press)
         self.connect_event('button_press_event', self.on_mouse_press)
         self.connect_event('button_release_event', self.on_mouse_release)
@@ -77,7 +80,6 @@ class LineProfile(PlotPlugin):
         self.connect_event('scroll_event', self.on_scroll)
 
         self.image_viewer.redraw()
-        print self.help()
 
     def help(self):
         helpstr = ("Line profile tool",
@@ -169,7 +171,8 @@ class LineProfile(PlotPlugin):
         self.scan_line.set_data(np.transpose(self.end_pts))
         self.scan_line.set_linewidth(self.linewidth)
 
-        scan = profile_line(self.image, self.end_pts, linewidth=self.linewidth)
+        scan = profile_line(self.image_viewer.original_image, self.end_pts,
+                            linewidth=self.linewidth)
         self.profile.set_xdata(np.arange(scan.shape[0]))
         self.profile.set_ydata(scan)
 
diff --git a/skimage/viewer/plugins/overlayplugin.py b/skimage/viewer/plugins/overlayplugin.py
index e9a6a42a..3b051e1a 100644
--- a/skimage/viewer/plugins/overlayplugin.py
+++ b/skimage/viewer/plugins/overlayplugin.py
@@ -16,12 +16,15 @@ class OverlayPlugin(Plugin):
               'green': (0, 1, 0),
               'cyan': (0, 1, 1)}
 
-    def __init__(self, image_viewer, **kwargs):
-        Plugin.__init__(self, image_viewer, **kwargs)
+    def __init__(self, **kwargs):
+        super(OverlayPlugin, self).__init__(**kwargs)
         self._overlay_plot = None
         self._overlay = None
         self.cmap = None
         self.color_names = self.colors.keys()
+
+    def attach(self, image_viewer):
+        super(OverlayPlugin, self).attach(image_viewer)
         #TODO: `color` doesn't update GUI widget when set manually.
         self.color = 0
 
diff --git a/skimage/viewer/plugins/plotplugin.py b/skimage/viewer/plugins/plotplugin.py
index 38762dc4..66afa676 100644
--- a/skimage/viewer/plugins/plotplugin.py
+++ b/skimage/viewer/plugins/plotplugin.py
@@ -40,8 +40,9 @@ class PlotPlugin(Plugin):
     image : array
         Image used in measurement/manipulation.
     """
-    def __init__(self, image_viewer, **kwargs):
-        Plugin.__init__(self, image_viewer, **kwargs)
+
+    def attach(self, image_viewer):
+        super(PlotPlugin, self).attach(image_viewer)
         # Add plot for displaying intensity profile.
         self.add_plot()
 
diff --git a/skimage/viewer/viewers/core.py b/skimage/viewer/viewers/core.py
index ac004987..fe22d750 100644
--- a/skimage/viewer/viewers/core.py
+++ b/skimage/viewer/viewers/core.py
@@ -96,6 +96,10 @@ class ImageViewer(QtGui.QMainWindow):
 
         self.connect_event('motion_notify_event', self.update_status_bar)
 
+    def __iadd__(self, plugin):
+        plugin.attach(self)
+        return self
+
     def closeEvent(self, ce):
         self.close()
 
diff --git a/viewer_examples/plugins/canny.py b/viewer_examples/plugins/canny.py
index e84a8270..eaa33330 100644
--- a/viewer_examples/plugins/canny.py
+++ b/viewer_examples/plugins/canny.py
@@ -5,5 +5,5 @@ from skimage.viewer.plugins.canny import CannyPlugin
 
 image = data.camera()
 viewer = ImageViewer(image)
-CannyPlugin(viewer)
+viewer += CannyPlugin()
 viewer.show()
diff --git a/viewer_examples/plugins/lineprofile.py b/viewer_examples/plugins/lineprofile.py
index 310c23e4..2f1b2cdc 100644
--- a/viewer_examples/plugins/lineprofile.py
+++ b/viewer_examples/plugins/lineprofile.py
@@ -5,5 +5,5 @@ from skimage.viewer.plugins.lineprofile import LineProfile
 
 image = data.camera()
 viewer = ImageViewer(image)
-LineProfile(viewer)
+viewer += LineProfile()
 viewer.show()