diff --git a/plugins/CMakeLists.txt b/plugins/CMakeLists.txt
index 661fa2624..e38c27125 100644
--- a/plugins/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/plugins/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ dfhack_plugin(autofarm autofarm.cpp)
 dfhack_plugin(blueprint blueprint.cpp LINK_LIBRARIES lua)
 #dfhack_plugin(burrows burrows.cpp LINK_LIBRARIES lua)
 #dfhack_plugin(building-hacks building-hacks.cpp LINK_LIBRARIES lua)
-#add_subdirectory(buildingplan)
+dfhack_plugin(buildingplan buildingplan.cpp LINK_LIBRARIES lua)
 #dfhack_plugin(changeitem changeitem.cpp)
 dfhack_plugin(changelayer changelayer.cpp)
 dfhack_plugin(changevein changevein.cpp)
diff --git a/plugins/buildingplan.cpp b/plugins/buildingplan.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1688d7d55
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/buildingplan.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,166 @@
+#include "Core.h"
+#include "Debug.h"
+#include "PluginManager.h"
+
+#include "modules/Persistence.h"
+#include "modules/World.h"
+
+#include "df/world.h"
+
+#include <string>
+#include <vector>
+
+using std::string;
+using std::vector;
+
+using namespace DFHack;
+
+DFHACK_PLUGIN("buildingplan");
+DFHACK_PLUGIN_IS_ENABLED(is_enabled);
+
+REQUIRE_GLOBAL(world);
+
+// logging levels can be dynamically controlled with the `debugfilter` command.
+namespace DFHack {
+    // for configuration-related logging
+    DBG_DECLARE(buildingplan, status, DebugCategory::LINFO);
+    // for logging during the periodic scan
+    DBG_DECLARE(buildingplan, cycle, DebugCategory::LINFO);
+}
+
+static const string CONFIG_KEY = string(plugin_name) + "/config";
+static PersistentDataItem config;
+enum ConfigValues {
+    CONFIG_IS_ENABLED = 0,
+    CONFIG_BLOCKS = 1,
+    CONFIG_BOULDERS = 2,
+    CONFIG_LOGS = 3,
+    CONFIG_BARS = 4,
+};
+static int get_config_val(int index) {
+    if (!config.isValid())
+        return -1;
+    return config.ival(index);
+}
+static bool get_config_bool(int index) {
+    return get_config_val(index) == 1;
+}
+static void set_config_val(int index, int value) {
+    if (config.isValid())
+        config.ival(index) = value;
+}
+static void set_config_bool(int index, bool value) {
+    set_config_val(index, value ? 1 : 0);
+}
+
+static const int32_t CYCLE_TICKS = 600; // twice per game day
+static int32_t cycle_timestamp = 0;  // world->frame_counter at last cycle
+
+static command_result do_command(color_ostream &out, vector<string> &parameters);
+static void do_cycle(color_ostream &out);
+
+DFhackCExport command_result plugin_init(color_ostream &out, std::vector <PluginCommand> &commands) {
+    DEBUG(status,out).print("initializing %s\n", plugin_name);
+
+    // provide a configuration interface for the plugin
+    commands.push_back(PluginCommand(
+        plugin_name,
+        "Plan building placement before you have materials.",
+        do_command));
+
+    return CR_OK;
+}
+
+DFhackCExport command_result plugin_enable(color_ostream &out, bool enable) {
+    if (!Core::getInstance().isWorldLoaded()) {
+        out.printerr("Cannot enable %s without a loaded world.\n", plugin_name);
+        return CR_FAILURE;
+    }
+
+    if (enable != is_enabled) {
+        is_enabled = enable;
+        DEBUG(status,out).print("%s from the API; persisting\n",
+                                is_enabled ? "enabled" : "disabled");
+        set_config_bool(CONFIG_IS_ENABLED, is_enabled);
+    } else {
+        DEBUG(status,out).print("%s from the API, but already %s; no action\n",
+                                is_enabled ? "enabled" : "disabled",
+                                is_enabled ? "enabled" : "disabled");
+    }
+    return CR_OK;
+}
+
+DFhackCExport command_result plugin_shutdown (color_ostream &out) {
+    DEBUG(status,out).print("shutting down %s\n", plugin_name);
+
+    return CR_OK;
+}
+
+DFhackCExport command_result plugin_load_data (color_ostream &out) {
+    config = World::GetPersistentData(CONFIG_KEY);
+
+    if (!config.isValid()) {
+        DEBUG(status,out).print("no config found in this save; initializing\n");
+        config = World::AddPersistentData(CONFIG_KEY);
+        set_config_bool(CONFIG_IS_ENABLED, is_enabled);
+        set_config_bool(CONFIG_BLOCKS, true);
+        set_config_bool(CONFIG_BOULDERS, true);
+        set_config_bool(CONFIG_LOGS, true);
+        set_config_bool(CONFIG_BARS, false);
+    }
+
+    // we have to copy our enabled flag into the global plugin variable, but
+    // all the other state we can directly read/modify from the persistent
+    // data structure.
+    is_enabled = get_config_bool(CONFIG_IS_ENABLED);
+    DEBUG(status,out).print("loading persisted enabled state: %s\n",
+                            is_enabled ? "true" : "false");
+    return CR_OK;
+}
+
+DFhackCExport command_result plugin_onstatechange(color_ostream &out, state_change_event event) {
+    if (event == DFHack::SC_WORLD_UNLOADED) {
+        if (is_enabled) {
+            DEBUG(status,out).print("world unloaded; disabling %s\n",
+                                    plugin_name);
+            is_enabled = false;
+        }
+    }
+    return CR_OK;
+}
+
+DFhackCExport command_result plugin_onupdate(color_ostream &out) {
+    if (is_enabled && world->frame_counter - cycle_timestamp >= CYCLE_TICKS)
+        do_cycle(out);
+    return CR_OK;
+}
+
+static command_result do_command(color_ostream &out, vector<string> &parameters) {
+    // be sure to suspend the core if any DF state is read or modified
+    CoreSuspender suspend;
+
+    if (!Core::getInstance().isWorldLoaded()) {
+        out.printerr("Cannot run %s without a loaded world.\n", plugin_name);
+        return CR_FAILURE;
+    }
+
+    // TODO: configuration logic
+    // simple commandline parsing can be done in C++, but there are lua libraries
+    // that can easily handle more complex commandlines. see the blueprint plugin
+    // for an example.
+
+    return CR_OK;
+}
+
+/////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+// cycle logic
+//
+
+static void do_cycle(color_ostream &out) {
+    // mark that we have recently run
+    cycle_timestamp = world->frame_counter;
+
+    DEBUG(cycle,out).print("running %s cycle\n", plugin_name);
+
+    // TODO: logic that runs every get_config_val(CONFIG_CYCLE_TICKS) ticks
+}