diff --git a/assignment-client/CMakeLists.txt b/assignment-client/CMakeLists.txt
index 54afabfd21..c9af474949 100644
--- a/assignment-client/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/assignment-client/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ endif ()
 link_hifi_libraries(
   audio avatars octree gpu model fbx entities
   networking animation recording shared script-engine embedded-webserver
-  controllers physics plugins
+  physics plugins
 )
 
 if (WIN32)
diff --git a/assignment-client/src/audio/AudioMixer.cpp b/assignment-client/src/audio/AudioMixer.cpp
index 5e0cd740e6..93b9b10eb7 100644
--- a/assignment-client/src/audio/AudioMixer.cpp
+++ b/assignment-client/src/audio/AudioMixer.cpp
@@ -166,19 +166,6 @@ void AudioMixer::handleMuteEnvironmentPacket(QSharedPointer<ReceivedMessage> mes
     }
 }
 
-DisplayPluginList getDisplayPlugins() {
-    DisplayPluginList result;
-    return result;
-}
-
-InputPluginList getInputPlugins() {
-    InputPluginList result;
-    return result;
-}
-
-// must be here to satisfy a reference in PluginManager::saveSettings()
-void saveInputPluginSettings(const InputPluginList& plugins) {}
-
 const std::pair<QString, CodecPluginPointer> AudioMixer::negotiateCodec(std::vector<QString> codecs) {
     QString selectedCodecName;
     CodecPluginPointer selectedCodec;
diff --git a/interface/src/Application.cpp b/interface/src/Application.cpp
index a7bed9fc9c..3ca8c29288 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Application.cpp
@@ -441,6 +441,11 @@ static const QString STATE_ADVANCED_MOVEMENT_CONTROLS = "AdvancedMovement";
 static const QString STATE_GROUNDED = "Grounded";
 static const QString STATE_NAV_FOCUSED = "NavigationFocused";
 
+// Statically provided display and input plugins
+extern DisplayPluginList getDisplayPlugins();
+extern InputPluginList getInputPlugins();
+extern void saveInputPluginSettings(const InputPluginList& plugins);
+
 bool setupEssentials(int& argc, char** argv, bool runningMarkerExisted) {
     const char** constArgv = const_cast<const char**>(argv);
 
@@ -480,6 +485,11 @@ bool setupEssentials(int& argc, char** argv, bool runningMarkerExisted) {
 
     Setting::init();
 
+    // Tell the plugin manager about our statically linked plugins
+    PluginManager::setInputPluginProvider([] { return getInputPlugins(); });
+    PluginManager::setDisplayPluginProvider([] { return getDisplayPlugins(); });
+    PluginManager::setInputPluginSettingsPersister([](const InputPluginList& plugins) { saveInputPluginSettings(plugins); });
+
     if (auto steamClient = PluginManager::getInstance()->getSteamClientPlugin()) {
         steamClient->init();
     }
diff --git a/libraries/plugins/src/plugins/Forward.h b/libraries/plugins/src/plugins/Forward.h
index b95bf4c2e6..90746d648e 100644
--- a/libraries/plugins/src/plugins/Forward.h
+++ b/libraries/plugins/src/plugins/Forward.h
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 
 #include <vector>
 #include <memory>
+#include <functional>
 
 enum class PluginType {
     DISPLAY_PLUGIN,
@@ -26,8 +27,12 @@ class PluginManager;
 
 using DisplayPluginPointer = std::shared_ptr<DisplayPlugin>;
 using DisplayPluginList = std::vector<DisplayPluginPointer>;
+using DisplayPluginProvider = std::function<DisplayPluginList()>;
 using InputPluginPointer = std::shared_ptr<InputPlugin>;
 using InputPluginList = std::vector<InputPluginPointer>;
+using InputPluginProvider = std::function<InputPluginList()>;
 using CodecPluginPointer = std::shared_ptr<CodecPlugin>;
 using CodecPluginList = std::vector<CodecPluginPointer>;
+using CodecPluginProvider = std::function<CodecPluginList()>;
 using SteamClientPluginPointer = std::shared_ptr<SteamClientPlugin>;
+using InputPluginSettingsPersister = std::function<void(const InputPluginList&)>;
diff --git a/libraries/plugins/src/plugins/PluginManager.cpp b/libraries/plugins/src/plugins/PluginManager.cpp
index 8471dbc7e8..e90d3e3a0f 100644
--- a/libraries/plugins/src/plugins/PluginManager.cpp
+++ b/libraries/plugins/src/plugins/PluginManager.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,26 @@
 #include "InputPlugin.h"
 #include "PluginLogging.h"
 
+DisplayPluginProvider PluginManager::_displayPluginProvider = []()->DisplayPluginList { return {}; };
+InputPluginProvider PluginManager::_inputPluginProvider = []()->InputPluginList { return {}; };
+CodecPluginProvider PluginManager::_codecPluginProvider = []()->CodecPluginList { return {}; };
+InputPluginSettingsPersister PluginManager::_inputSettingsPersister = [](const InputPluginList& list) {};
+
+void PluginManager::setDisplayPluginProvider(const DisplayPluginProvider& provider) {
+    _displayPluginProvider = provider;
+}
+
+void PluginManager::setInputPluginProvider(const InputPluginProvider& provider) {
+    _inputPluginProvider = provider;
+}
+
+void PluginManager::setCodecPluginProvider(const CodecPluginProvider& provider) {
+    _codecPluginProvider = provider;
+}
+
+void PluginManager::setInputPluginSettingsPersister(const InputPluginSettingsPersister& persister) {
+    _inputSettingsPersister = persister;
+}
 
 PluginManager* PluginManager::getInstance() {
     static PluginManager _manager;
@@ -117,12 +137,12 @@ const LoaderList& getLoadedPlugins() {
 PluginManager::PluginManager() {
 }
 
-extern CodecPluginList getCodecPlugins();
-
 const CodecPluginList& PluginManager::getCodecPlugins() {
     static CodecPluginList codecPlugins;
     static std::once_flag once;
     std::call_once(once, [&] {
+        codecPlugins = _codecPluginProvider();
+
         // Now grab the dynamic plugins
         for (auto loader : getLoadedPlugins()) {
             CodecProvider* codecProvider = qobject_cast<CodecProvider*>(loader->instance());
@@ -163,11 +183,6 @@ const SteamClientPluginPointer PluginManager::getSteamClientPlugin() {
 
 #ifndef Q_OS_ANDROID
 
-// TODO migrate to a DLL model where plugins are discovered and loaded at runtime by the PluginManager class
-extern DisplayPluginList getDisplayPlugins();
-extern InputPluginList getInputPlugins();
-
-extern void saveInputPluginSettings(const InputPluginList& plugins);
 static DisplayPluginList displayPlugins;
 
 const DisplayPluginList& PluginManager::getDisplayPlugins() {
@@ -183,7 +198,7 @@ const DisplayPluginList& PluginManager::getDisplayPlugins() {
 
     std::call_once(once, [&] {
         // Grab the built in plugins
-        displayPlugins = ::getDisplayPlugins();
+        displayPlugins = _displayPluginProvider();
 
 
         // Now grab the dynamic plugins
@@ -229,7 +244,7 @@ const InputPluginList& PluginManager::getInputPlugins() {
     };
 
     std::call_once(once, [&] {
-        inputPlugins = ::getInputPlugins();
+        inputPlugins = _inputPluginProvider();
 
         // Now grab the dynamic plugins
         for (auto loader : getLoadedPlugins()) {
@@ -288,7 +303,7 @@ void PluginManager::disableInputs(const QStringList& inputs) {
 }
 
 void PluginManager::saveSettings() {
-    saveInputPluginSettings(getInputPlugins());
+    _inputSettingsPersister(getInputPlugins());
 }
 
 void PluginManager::shutdown() {
diff --git a/libraries/plugins/src/plugins/PluginManager.h b/libraries/plugins/src/plugins/PluginManager.h
index 687e5c9e9b..cb011392a4 100644
--- a/libraries/plugins/src/plugins/PluginManager.h
+++ b/libraries/plugins/src/plugins/PluginManager.h
@@ -31,6 +31,18 @@ public:
     void setContainer(PluginContainer* container) { _container = container; }
 
     void shutdown();
+
+    // Application that have statically linked plugins can expose them to the plugin manager with these function
+    static void setDisplayPluginProvider(const DisplayPluginProvider& provider);
+    static void setInputPluginProvider(const InputPluginProvider& provider);
+    static void setCodecPluginProvider(const CodecPluginProvider& provider);
+    static void setInputPluginSettingsPersister(const InputPluginSettingsPersister& persister);
+    
 private:
+    static DisplayPluginProvider _displayPluginProvider;
+    static InputPluginProvider _inputPluginProvider;  
+    static CodecPluginProvider _codecPluginProvider;
+    static InputPluginSettingsPersister _inputSettingsPersister;
+
     PluginContainer* _container { nullptr };
 };
diff --git a/plugins/hifiCodec/CMakeLists.txt b/plugins/hifiCodec/CMakeLists.txt
index 15572e8266..28c1dc3807 100644
--- a/plugins/hifiCodec/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/plugins/hifiCodec/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 
 set(TARGET_NAME hifiCodec)
 setup_hifi_client_server_plugin()
-link_hifi_libraries(audio plugins input-plugins display-plugins)
+link_hifi_libraries(audio plugins)
 add_dependency_external_projects(hifiAudioCodec)
 target_include_directories(${TARGET_NAME} PRIVATE ${HIFIAUDIOCODEC_INCLUDE_DIRS})
 target_link_libraries(${TARGET_NAME} ${HIFIAUDIOCODEC_LIBRARIES})
diff --git a/plugins/hifiNeuron/CMakeLists.txt b/plugins/hifiNeuron/CMakeLists.txt
index e3a725ca2f..a9ed8cca6e 100644
--- a/plugins/hifiNeuron/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/plugins/hifiNeuron/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ if (APPLE OR WIN32)
     
     set(TARGET_NAME hifiNeuron)
     setup_hifi_plugin(Script Qml Widgets)
-    link_hifi_libraries(shared controllers ui plugins input-plugins display-plugins)
+    link_hifi_libraries(shared controllers ui plugins input-plugins)
     target_neuron()
 
 endif()
diff --git a/plugins/hifiSdl2/CMakeLists.txt b/plugins/hifiSdl2/CMakeLists.txt
index 86bda5a15d..7e499e314a 100644
--- a/plugins/hifiSdl2/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/plugins/hifiSdl2/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -8,5 +8,5 @@
 
 set(TARGET_NAME hifiSdl2)
 setup_hifi_plugin(Script Qml Widgets)
-link_hifi_libraries(shared controllers ui plugins input-plugins script-engine display-plugins)
+link_hifi_libraries(shared controllers ui plugins input-plugins script-engine)
 target_sdl2()
diff --git a/plugins/hifiSixense/CMakeLists.txt b/plugins/hifiSixense/CMakeLists.txt
index 54884bddff..14676217db 100644
--- a/plugins/hifiSixense/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/plugins/hifiSixense/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -9,6 +9,6 @@
 if (NOT ANDROID)
   set(TARGET_NAME hifiSixense)
   setup_hifi_plugin(Script Qml Widgets)
-  link_hifi_libraries(shared controllers ui plugins ui-plugins input-plugins display-plugins)
+  link_hifi_libraries(shared controllers ui plugins ui-plugins input-plugins)
   target_sixense()
 endif ()
diff --git a/plugins/pcmCodec/CMakeLists.txt b/plugins/pcmCodec/CMakeLists.txt
index 5e52705033..900a642a88 100644
--- a/plugins/pcmCodec/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/plugins/pcmCodec/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -8,6 +8,6 @@
 
 set(TARGET_NAME pcmCodec)
 setup_hifi_client_server_plugin()
-link_hifi_libraries(shared plugins input-plugins display-plugins)
+link_hifi_libraries(shared plugins)
 install_beside_console()