diff --git a/docs/dev/Lua API.rst b/docs/dev/Lua API.rst
index b25b41166..1a2fdc18c 100644
--- a/docs/dev/Lua API.rst	
+++ b/docs/dev/Lua API.rst	
@@ -5593,9 +5593,9 @@ reloaded. For example::
     end
 
 The attachment to ``dfhack.onStateChange`` should appear in your script code
-outside of any function. The `script-manager` will load your script as a module
-when DFHack is initialized, giving this code an opportunity to run and attach
-hooks before a game is loaded.
+outside of any function. DFHack will load your script as a module just before
+the ``SC_DFHACK_INITIALIZED`` state change event is sent, giving your code an
+opportunity to run and attach hooks before the game is loaded.
 
 Save init script
 ================
diff --git a/docs/plugins/script-manager.rst b/docs/plugins/script-manager.rst
deleted file mode 100644
index 6a2e07f53..000000000
--- a/docs/plugins/script-manager.rst
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,14 +0,0 @@
-script-manager
-==============
-
-.. dfhack-tool::
-    :summary: Triggers startup tasks for scripts.
-    :tags: dev
-    :no-command:
-
-This plugin loads all scripts that are declared as modules so that they can
-put state change hooks in place for loading persistent data. It also scans for
-global ``isEnabled()`` functions and gathers them for script enabled state
-tracking and reporting for the `enable` command.
-
-Please see `script-enable-api` for more details.
diff --git a/library/Core.cpp b/library/Core.cpp
index 33d9c43b2..eed2de30a 100644
--- a/library/Core.cpp
+++ b/library/Core.cpp
@@ -832,8 +832,7 @@ command_result Core::runCommand(color_ostream &con, const std::string &first_, v
 
             auto L = Lua::Core::State;
             Lua::StackUnwinder top(L);
-            Lua::CallLuaModuleFunction(con, L,
-                                       "plugins.script-manager", "list");
+            Lua::CallLuaModuleFunction(con, L, "script-manager", "list");
         }
     }
     else if (first == "ls" || first == "dir")
@@ -1838,8 +1837,12 @@ void Core::doUpdate(color_ostream &out, bool first_update)
 {
     Lua::Core::Reset(out, "DF code execution");
 
-    if (first_update)
+    if (first_update) {
+        auto L = Lua::Core::State;
+        Lua::StackUnwinder top(L);
+        Lua::CallLuaModuleFunction(out, L, "script-manager", "reload");
         onStateChange(out, SC_CORE_INITIALIZED);
+    }
 
     // find the current viewscreen
     df::viewscreen *screen = NULL;
diff --git a/plugins/lua/script-manager.lua b/library/lua/script-manager.lua
similarity index 97%
rename from plugins/lua/script-manager.lua
rename to library/lua/script-manager.lua
index 919db077b..ef0c1fede 100644
--- a/plugins/lua/script-manager.lua
+++ b/library/lua/script-manager.lua
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-local _ENV = mkmodule('plugins.script-manager')
+local _ENV = mkmodule('script-manager')
 
 local utils = require('utils')
 
diff --git a/plugins/CMakeLists.txt b/plugins/CMakeLists.txt
index 78bf63903..3ad19efb4 100644
--- a/plugins/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/plugins/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -154,7 +154,6 @@ if(BUILD_SUPPORTED)
     dfhack_plugin(rename rename.cpp LINK_LIBRARIES lua PROTOBUFS rename)
     add_subdirectory(rendermax)
     dfhack_plugin(reveal reveal.cpp LINK_LIBRARIES lua)
-    dfhack_plugin(script-manager script-manager.cpp LINK_LIBRARIES lua)
     dfhack_plugin(search search.cpp)
     dfhack_plugin(seedwatch seedwatch.cpp)
     dfhack_plugin(showmood showmood.cpp)
diff --git a/plugins/lua/overlay.lua b/plugins/lua/overlay.lua
index 95148e8b8..9f2c9029b 100644
--- a/plugins/lua/overlay.lua
+++ b/plugins/lua/overlay.lua
@@ -2,11 +2,10 @@ local _ENV = mkmodule('plugins.overlay')
 
 local gui = require('gui')
 local json = require('json')
+local scriptmanager = require('script-manager')
 local utils = require('utils')
 local widgets = require('gui.widgets')
 
-local scriptmanager = require('plugins.script-manager')
-
 local OVERLAY_CONFIG_FILE = 'dfhack-config/overlay.json'
 local OVERLAY_WIDGETS_VAR = 'OVERLAY_WIDGETS'
 
diff --git a/plugins/script-manager.cpp b/plugins/script-manager.cpp
deleted file mode 100644
index 767819f93..000000000
--- a/plugins/script-manager.cpp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,31 +0,0 @@
-#include "Debug.h"
-#include "LuaTools.h"
-#include "PluginManager.h"
-
-using std::string;
-using std::vector;
-
-using namespace DFHack;
-
-DFHACK_PLUGIN("script-manager");
-
-namespace DFHack {
-    DBG_DECLARE(script_manager, log, DebugCategory::LINFO);
-}
-
-DFhackCExport command_result plugin_init(color_ostream &, std::vector<PluginCommand> &) {
-    return CR_OK;
-}
-
-DFhackCExport command_result plugin_onstatechange(color_ostream &out, state_change_event event) {
-    if (event != SC_CORE_INITIALIZED)
-        return CR_OK;
-
-    DEBUG(log,out).print("scanning scripts for onStateChange() functions\n");
-
-    auto L = Lua::Core::State;
-    Lua::StackUnwinder top(L);
-    Lua::CallLuaModuleFunction(out, L, "plugins.script-manager", "reload");
-
-    return CR_OK;
-}