diff --git a/library/PluginManager.cpp b/library/PluginManager.cpp
index 306ad67f4..6f80f40a2 100644
--- a/library/PluginManager.cpp
+++ b/library/PluginManager.cpp
@@ -272,13 +272,23 @@ bool Plugin::load(color_ostream &con)
             plugin_abort_load; \
             return false; \
         }
+    #define plugin_check_symbols(sym1,sym2) \
+        if (!LookupPlugin(plug, sym1) && !LookupPlugin(plug, sym2)) \
+        { \
+            con.printerr("Plugin %s: missing symbols: %s & %s\n", name.c_str(), sym1, sym2); \
+            plugin_abort_load; \
+            return false; \
+        }
 
-    plugin_check_symbol("plugin_name")
-    plugin_check_symbol("plugin_version")
+    plugin_check_symbols("plugin_name", "name")					// allow r3 plugins		
+    plugin_check_symbols("plugin_version", "version")			// allow r3 plugins	
     plugin_check_symbol("plugin_self")
     plugin_check_symbol("plugin_init")
     plugin_check_symbol("plugin_globals")
     const char ** plug_name =(const char ** ) LookupPlugin(plug, "plugin_name");
+	if (!plug_name)												// allow r3 plugin naming	
+		plug_name = (const char ** )LookupPlugin(plug, "name");
+
     if (name != *plug_name)
     {
         con.printerr("Plugin %s: name mismatch, claims to be %s\n", name.c_str(), *plug_name);
@@ -286,6 +296,9 @@ bool Plugin::load(color_ostream &con)
         return false;
     }
     const char ** plug_version =(const char ** ) LookupPlugin(plug, "plugin_version");
+	if (!plug_version)											// allow r3 plugin version
+		plug_version =(const char ** ) LookupPlugin(plug, "version");
+
     const char ** plug_git_desc_ptr = (const char**) LookupPlugin(plug, "plugin_git_description");
     Plugin **plug_self = (Plugin**)LookupPlugin(plug, "plugin_self");
     const char *dfhack_version = Version::dfhack_version();