diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 21013dea2..175542cc6 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ IF(NOT DEFINED CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE OR CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE STREQUAL "")
 ENDIF()
 
 SET(DFHACK_OUTPUT_DIR "${dfhack_BINARY_DIR}/bin" CACHE STRING "Where should be the produced libraries and binaries stored.")
+SET(DFHACK_PLUGIN_OUTPUT_DIR "${DFHACK_OUTPUT_DIR}/plugins")
 
 ## where to put things during the build (force MSVC to behave)
 SET(CMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY_RELEASE ${DFHACK_OUTPUT_DIR})
@@ -45,6 +46,8 @@ SET(DFHACK_LIBRARY_DESTINATION .)
 SET(DFHACK_BINARY_DESTINATION .)
 # Memory.xml goes here:
 SET(DFHACK_DATA_DESTINATION .)
+# Plugins go here
+SET(DFHACK_PLUGIN_DESTINATION plugins)
 # Includes go here:
 SET(DFHACK_INCLUDES_DESTINATION dev/include)
 # the Windows .lib files go here:
diff --git a/library/CMakeLists.txt b/library/CMakeLists.txt
index 755aa2f07..04df47a5b 100644
--- a/library/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/library/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -131,11 +131,12 @@ SET_TARGET_PROPERTIES(dfhack  PROPERTIES DEBUG_POSTFIX "-debug" )
 
 TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES(dfhack ${PROJECT_LIBS})
 
-ADD_CUSTOM_TARGET( memxmlcopy
+ADD_CUSTOM_TARGET( prepare
 DEPENDS ${dfhack_SOURCE_DIR}/Memory.xml
 COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E make_directory ${DFHACK_OUTPUT_DIR}
+COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E make_directory ${DFHACK_PLUGIN_OUTPUT_DIR}
 COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E copy ${dfhack_SOURCE_DIR}/Memory.xml ${DFHACK_OUTPUT_DIR})
-ADD_DEPENDENCIES(dfhack memxmlcopy)
+ADD_DEPENDENCIES(dfhack prepare)
 
 install(TARGETS dfhack
         LIBRARY DESTINATION ${DFHACK_LIBRARY_DESTINATION}
diff --git a/library/Console-windows.cpp b/library/Console-windows.cpp
index 66892dba2..ea90979e7 100644
--- a/library/Console-windows.cpp
+++ b/library/Console-windows.cpp
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ FILE * dfout_C = 0;
 duthomhas::stdiobuf * stream_o = 0;
 
 HANDLE  g_hConsoleOut;                   // Handle to debug console
+HWND ConsoleWindow;
 
 // FIXME: prime candidate for being a singleton... indeed.
 Console::Console()
@@ -61,6 +62,9 @@ Console::Console()
 
     // Allocate a console!
     AllocConsole();
+    ConsoleWindow = GetConsoleWindow();
+    HMENU  hm = GetSystemMenu(ConsoleWindow,false);
+    DeleteMenu(hm, SC_CLOSE, MF_BYCOMMAND);
 
     // set the screen buffer to be big enough to let us scroll text
     GetConsoleScreenBufferInfo(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE), &coninfo);
diff --git a/library/Core.cpp b/library/Core.cpp
index cd479bf51..e1a961fd0 100644
--- a/library/Core.cpp
+++ b/library/Core.cpp
@@ -32,12 +32,13 @@ distribution.
 #include <cstring>
 using namespace std;
 
+#include "dfhack/Error.h"
+#include "dfhack/Process.h"
 #include "dfhack/Core.h"
 #include "dfhack/Console.h"
 #include "dfhack/VersionInfoFactory.h"
 #include "ModuleFactory.h"
-#include "dfhack/Error.h"
-#include "dfhack/Process.h"
+
 #include "dfhack/modules/Gui.h"
 #include "dfhack/modules/Vegetation.h"
 #include "dfhack/modules/Maps.h"
@@ -72,16 +73,23 @@ static int getdir (string dir, vector<string> &files)
 int fIOthread(void * _core)
 {
     Core * core = (Core *) _core;
+#ifdef LINUX_BUILD
+    string path = core->p->getPath() + "/plugins/";
+#else
+    string path = core->p->getPath() + "\\plugins\\";
+#endif
+
     vector <string> filez;
     map <string, int (*)(Core *)> plugins;
-    getdir(core->p->getPath(), filez);
+    getdir(path, filez);
     const char * (*_PlugName)(void) = 0;
     int (*_PlugRun)(Core *) = 0;
     for(int i = 0; i < filez.size();i++)
     {
         if(strstr(filez[i].c_str(),".plug."))
         {
-            DFLibrary * plug = OpenPlugin(filez[i].c_str());
+            string fullpath = path + filez[i];
+            DFLibrary * plug = OpenPlugin(fullpath.c_str());
             if(!plug)
             {
                 dfout << "Can't load plugin " << filez[i] << endl;
@@ -101,7 +109,7 @@ int fIOthread(void * _core)
                 ClosePlugin(plug);
                 continue;
             }
-                        dfout << filez[i] << endl;
+            dfout << "Loaded plugin " << filez[i] << endl;
             plugins[string(_PlugName())] = _PlugRun;
         }
     }
@@ -229,6 +237,7 @@ int Core::Shutdown ( void )
     allModules.clear();
     memset(&(s_mods), 0, sizeof(s_mods));
     dfout << std::endl;
+    // kill the console object
     delete con;
     con = 0;
     return -1;
diff --git a/plugins/CMakeLists.txt b/plugins/CMakeLists.txt
index 85d3fab3b..9510aca6d 100644
--- a/plugins/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/plugins/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -16,6 +16,12 @@ MACRO(DFHACK_PLUGIN PLUGIN_NAME PLUGIN_SOURCES)
     ELSE()
         SET_TARGET_PROPERTIES(${PLUGIN_NAME} PROPERTIES SUFFIX .plug.dll)
     ENDIF()
+    SET_TARGET_PROPERTIES(${PLUGIN_NAME} PROPERTIES LIBRARY_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY_RELEASE ${DFHACK_PLUGIN_OUTPUT_DIR})
+    SET_TARGET_PROPERTIES(${PLUGIN_NAME} PROPERTIES LIBRARY_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY_MINSIZEREL ${DFHACK_PLUGIN_OUTPUT_DIR})
+    SET_TARGET_PROPERTIES(${PLUGIN_NAME} PROPERTIES LIBRARY_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY_RELWITHDEBINFO ${DFHACK_PLUGIN_OUTPUT_DIR})
+    install(TARGETS ${PLUGIN_NAME}
+            LIBRARY DESTINATION ${DFHACK_PLUGIN_DESTINATION}
+            RUNTIME DESTINATION ${DFHACK_PLUGIN_DESTINATION})
 ENDMACRO()
 
 DFHACK_PLUGIN(reveal reveal.cpp)