diff --git a/pkg/cmd/server/server.go b/pkg/cmd/server/server.go
index abb9cc4c5..5d19215f6 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/server/server.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/server/server.go
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ func NewCommand() *cobra.Command {
 	var (
 		sortedLogLevels = getSortedLogLevels()
 		logLevelFlag    = flag.NewEnum(logrus.InfoLevel.String(), sortedLogLevels...)
+		pluginDir       = "/plugins"
 	)
 
 	var command = &cobra.Command{
@@ -101,7 +102,7 @@ func NewCommand() *cobra.Command {
 			}
 			namespace := getServerNamespace(namespaceFlag)
 
-			s, err := newServer(namespace, fmt.Sprintf("%s-%s", c.Parent().Name(), c.Name()), logger)
+			s, err := newServer(namespace, fmt.Sprintf("%s-%s", c.Parent().Name(), c.Name()), pluginDir, logger)
 
 			cmd.CheckError(err)
 
@@ -110,6 +111,7 @@ func NewCommand() *cobra.Command {
 	}
 
 	command.Flags().Var(logLevelFlag, "log-level", fmt.Sprintf("the level at which to log. Valid values are %s.", strings.Join(sortedLogLevels, ", ")))
+	command.Flags().StringVar(&pluginDir, "plugin-dir", pluginDir, "directory containing Ark plugins")
 
 	return command
 }
@@ -175,7 +177,7 @@ type server struct {
 	pluginManager         plugin.Manager
 }
 
-func newServer(namespace, baseName string, logger *logrus.Logger) (*server, error) {
+func newServer(namespace, baseName, pluginDir string, logger *logrus.Logger) (*server, error) {
 	clientConfig, err := client.Config("", "", baseName)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -191,7 +193,7 @@ func newServer(namespace, baseName string, logger *logrus.Logger) (*server, erro
 		return nil, errors.WithStack(err)
 	}
 
-	pluginManager, err := plugin.NewManager(logger, logger.Level)
+	pluginManager, err := plugin.NewManager(logger, logger.Level, pluginDir)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/plugin/manager.go b/pkg/plugin/manager.go
index ee8dbdfaa..7bd6a637a 100644
--- a/pkg/plugin/manager.go
+++ b/pkg/plugin/manager.go
@@ -74,8 +74,6 @@ const (
 	// PluginKindRestoreItemAction is the Kind string for
 	// a Restore ItemAction plugin.
 	PluginKindRestoreItemAction PluginKind = "restoreitemaction"
-
-	pluginDir = "/plugins"
 )
 
 var AllPluginKinds = []PluginKind{
@@ -132,15 +130,17 @@ type manager struct {
 	logLevel       logrus.Level
 	pluginRegistry *registry
 	clientStore    *clientStore
+	pluginDir      string
 }
 
 // NewManager constructs a manager for getting plugin implementations.
-func NewManager(logger logrus.FieldLogger, level logrus.Level) (Manager, error) {
+func NewManager(logger logrus.FieldLogger, level logrus.Level, pluginDir string) (Manager, error) {
 	m := &manager{
 		logger:         logger,
 		logLevel:       level,
 		pluginRegistry: newRegistry(),
 		clientStore:    newClientStore(),
+		pluginDir:      pluginDir,
 	}
 
 	if err := m.registerPlugins(); err != nil {
@@ -190,14 +190,14 @@ func (m *manager) registerPlugins() error {
 	m.pluginRegistry.register("svc", arkCommand, []string{"run-plugin", string(PluginKindRestoreItemAction), "svc"}, PluginKindRestoreItemAction)
 
 	// second, register external plugins (these will override internal plugins, if applicable)
-	if _, err := os.Stat(pluginDir); err != nil {
+	if _, err := os.Stat(m.pluginDir); err != nil {
 		if os.IsNotExist(err) {
 			return nil
 		}
 		return err
 	}
 
-	files, err := ioutil.ReadDir(pluginDir)
+	files, err := ioutil.ReadDir(m.pluginDir)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -209,9 +209,9 @@ func (m *manager) registerPlugins() error {
 		}
 
 		if kind == PluginKindCloudProvider {
-			m.pluginRegistry.register(name, filepath.Join(pluginDir, file.Name()), nil, PluginKindObjectStore, PluginKindBlockStore)
+			m.pluginRegistry.register(name, filepath.Join(m.pluginDir, file.Name()), nil, PluginKindObjectStore, PluginKindBlockStore)
 		} else {
-			m.pluginRegistry.register(name, filepath.Join(pluginDir, file.Name()), nil, kind)
+			m.pluginRegistry.register(name, filepath.Join(m.pluginDir, file.Name()), nil, kind)
 		}
 	}