diff --git a/interface/src/Application.cpp b/interface/src/Application.cpp
index bad1d40be9..01f7ce411f 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Application.cpp
@@ -802,6 +802,10 @@ bool setupEssentials(int& argc, char** argv, bool runningMarkerExisted) {
     if (auto steamClient = pluginManager->getSteamClientPlugin()) {
         steamClient->init();
     }
+    if (auto oculusPlatform = pluginManager->getOculusPlatformPlugin()) {
+        oculusPlatform->init();
+    }
+
     PROFILE_SET_THREAD_NAME("Main Thread");
 
 #if defined(Q_OS_WIN)
@@ -2745,6 +2749,10 @@ Application::~Application() {
         steamClient->shutdown();
     }
 
+    if (auto oculusPlatform = PluginManager::getInstance()->getOculusPlatformPlugin()) {
+        oculusPlatform->shutdown();
+    }
+
     DependencyManager::destroy<PluginManager>();
 
     DependencyManager::destroy<CompositorHelper>(); // must be destroyed before the FramebufferCache
diff --git a/libraries/plugins/src/plugins/OculusPlatformPlugin.h b/libraries/plugins/src/plugins/OculusPlatformPlugin.h
index 93bf534c6e..d5e54f30f1 100644
--- a/libraries/plugins/src/plugins/OculusPlatformPlugin.h
+++ b/libraries/plugins/src/plugins/OculusPlatformPlugin.h
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ public:
     virtual QString getName() const = 0;
     virtual QString getOculusUserID() const = 0;
 
+    virtual bool init() = 0;
+    virtual void shutdown() = 0;
+
     virtual bool isRunning() const = 0;
 
     virtual void requestNonceAndUserID(NonceUserIDCallback callback) = 0;
diff --git a/plugins/oculus/src/OculusPlatformPlugin.cpp b/plugins/oculus/src/OculusPlatformPlugin.cpp
index 27fb98c8b5..02807f85b2 100644
--- a/plugins/oculus/src/OculusPlatformPlugin.cpp
+++ b/plugins/oculus/src/OculusPlatformPlugin.cpp
@@ -16,20 +16,31 @@
 
 QString OculusAPIPlugin::NAME { "Oculus Rift" };
 
-OculusAPIPlugin::OculusAPIPlugin() {
-    _session = hifi::ovr::acquireRenderSession();
+bool OculusAPIPlugin::init() {
+    if (qApp->property(hifi::properties::OCULUS_STORE).toBool()) {
+        _session = hifi::ovr::acquireRenderSession();
+    }
+    return _session;
 }
 
-OculusAPIPlugin::~OculusAPIPlugin() {
-    hifi::ovr::releaseRenderSession(_session);
+void OculusAPIPlugin::shutdown() {
+    if (isRunning()) {
+        hifi::ovr::releaseRenderSession(_session);
+    }
 }
 
 bool OculusAPIPlugin::isRunning() const {
-    return (qApp->property(hifi::properties::OCULUS_STORE).toBool());
+    return _session;
 }
 
 void OculusAPIPlugin::requestNonceAndUserID(NonceUserIDCallback callback) {
 #ifdef OCULUS_APP_ID
+    if (!isRunning()) {
+        qCWarning(oculusLog) << "Oculus request failed: Oculus platform plugin not running";
+        callback("", "");
+        return;
+    }
+
     _nonceUserIDCallback = callback;
     ovr_User_GetUserProof();
     ovr_User_GetLoggedInUser();
@@ -38,72 +49,74 @@ void OculusAPIPlugin::requestNonceAndUserID(NonceUserIDCallback callback) {
 
 void OculusAPIPlugin::handleOVREvents() {
 #ifdef OCULUS_APP_ID
-    if (qApp->property(hifi::properties::OCULUS_STORE).toBool()) {
-        // pop messages to see if we got a return for an entitlement check
-        ovrMessageHandle message { nullptr };
+    if (!isRunning()) {
+        return;
+    }
 
-        // pop the next message to check, if there is one
-        while ((message = ovr_PopMessage())) {
-            switch (ovr_Message_GetType(message)) {
-                case ovrMessage_Entitlement_GetIsViewerEntitled: {
-                    if (!ovr_Message_IsError(message)) {
-                        // this viewer is entitled, no need to flag anything
-                        qCDebug(oculusLog) << "Oculus Platform entitlement check succeeded, proceeding normally";
-                    } else {
-                        // we failed the entitlement check, quit
-                        qCDebug(oculusLog) << "Oculus Platform entitlement check failed, app will now quit" << OCULUS_APP_ID;
-                        QMetaObject::invokeMethod(qApp, "quit");
-                    }
-                    break;
-                }
-                case ovrMessage_User_Get: {
-                    if (!ovr_Message_IsError(message)) {
-                        qCDebug(oculusLog) << "Oculus Platform user retrieval succeeded";
-                        ovrUserHandle user = ovr_Message_GetUser(message);
-                        _user = ovr_User_GetOculusID(user);
-                        // went all the way through the `requestNonceAndUserID()` pipeline successfully.
-                    } else {
-                        qCDebug(oculusLog) << "Oculus Platform user retrieval failed" << QString(ovr_Error_GetMessage(ovr_Message_GetError(message)));
-                        // emit the signal so we don't hang for it anywhere else.
-                        _user = "";
-                    }
-                    break;
-                }
-                case ovrMessage_User_GetLoggedInUser: {
-                    if (!ovr_Message_IsError(message)) {
-                        ovrUserHandle user = ovr_Message_GetUser(message);
-                        _userID = ovr_User_GetID(user);
-                        ovr_User_Get(_userID);
-                    } else {
-                        qCDebug(oculusLog) << "Oculus Platform user ID retrieval failed" << QString(ovr_Error_GetMessage(ovr_Message_GetError(message)));
-                        // emit the signal so we don't hang for it anywhere else.
-                    }
-                    _userIDChanged = true;
-                    break;
-                }
-                case ovrMessage_User_GetUserProof: {
-                    if (!ovr_Message_IsError(message)) {
-                        ovrUserProofHandle userProof = ovr_Message_GetUserProof(message);
-                        _nonce = ovr_UserProof_GetNonce(userProof);
-                        qCDebug(oculusLog) << "Oculus Platform nonce retrieval succeeded: " << _nonce;
-                    } else {
-                        qCDebug(oculusLog) << "Oculus Platform nonce retrieval failed" << QString(ovr_Error_GetMessage(ovr_Message_GetError(message)));
-                        _nonce = "";
-                        // emit the signal so we don't hang for it anywhere else.
-                    }
-                    _nonceChanged = true;
-                    break;
+    // pop messages to see if we got a return for an entitlement check
+    ovrMessageHandle message { nullptr };
+
+    // pop the next message to check, if there is one
+    while ((message = ovr_PopMessage())) {
+        switch (ovr_Message_GetType(message)) {
+            case ovrMessage_Entitlement_GetIsViewerEntitled: {
+                if (!ovr_Message_IsError(message)) {
+                    // this viewer is entitled, no need to flag anything
+                    qCDebug(oculusLog) << "Oculus Platform entitlement check succeeded, proceeding normally";
+                } else {
+                    // we failed the entitlement check, quit
+                    qCDebug(oculusLog) << "Oculus Platform entitlement check failed, app will now quit" << OCULUS_APP_ID;
+                    QMetaObject::invokeMethod(qApp, "quit");
                 }
+                break;
             }
-
-            if (_nonceChanged && _userIDChanged) {
-                _nonceUserIDCallback(_nonce, QString::number(_userID));
-                _nonceChanged = _userIDChanged = false;
+            case ovrMessage_User_Get: {
+                if (!ovr_Message_IsError(message)) {
+                    qCDebug(oculusLog) << "Oculus Platform user retrieval succeeded";
+                    ovrUserHandle user = ovr_Message_GetUser(message);
+                    _user = ovr_User_GetOculusID(user);
+                    // went all the way through the `requestNonceAndUserID()` pipeline successfully.
+                } else {
+                    qCDebug(oculusLog) << "Oculus Platform user retrieval failed" << QString(ovr_Error_GetMessage(ovr_Message_GetError(message)));
+                    // emit the signal so we don't hang for it anywhere else.
+                    _user = "";
+                }
+                break;
+            }
+            case ovrMessage_User_GetLoggedInUser: {
+                if (!ovr_Message_IsError(message)) {
+                    ovrUserHandle user = ovr_Message_GetUser(message);
+                    _userID = ovr_User_GetID(user);
+                    ovr_User_Get(_userID);
+                } else {
+                    qCDebug(oculusLog) << "Oculus Platform user ID retrieval failed" << QString(ovr_Error_GetMessage(ovr_Message_GetError(message)));
+                    // emit the signal so we don't hang for it anywhere else.
+                }
+                _userIDChanged = true;
+                break;
+            }
+            case ovrMessage_User_GetUserProof: {
+                if (!ovr_Message_IsError(message)) {
+                    ovrUserProofHandle userProof = ovr_Message_GetUserProof(message);
+                    _nonce = ovr_UserProof_GetNonce(userProof);
+                    qCDebug(oculusLog) << "Oculus Platform nonce retrieval succeeded: " << _nonce;
+                } else {
+                    qCDebug(oculusLog) << "Oculus Platform nonce retrieval failed" << QString(ovr_Error_GetMessage(ovr_Message_GetError(message)));
+                    _nonce = "";
+                    // emit the signal so we don't hang for it anywhere else.
+                }
+                _nonceChanged = true;
+                break;
             }
-
-            // free the message handle to cleanup and not leak
-            ovr_FreeMessage(message);
         }
+
+        if (_nonceChanged && _userIDChanged) {
+            _nonceUserIDCallback(_nonce, QString::number(_userID));
+            _nonceChanged = _userIDChanged = false;
+        }
+
+        // free the message handle to cleanup and not leak
+        ovr_FreeMessage(message);
     }
 #endif
 }
diff --git a/plugins/oculus/src/OculusPlatformPlugin.h b/plugins/oculus/src/OculusPlatformPlugin.h
index 3d80540419..d466014c68 100644
--- a/plugins/oculus/src/OculusPlatformPlugin.h
+++ b/plugins/oculus/src/OculusPlatformPlugin.h
@@ -16,13 +16,17 @@
 
 class OculusAPIPlugin : public OculusPlatformPlugin {
 public:
-    OculusAPIPlugin();
-    virtual ~OculusAPIPlugin();
+    OculusAPIPlugin() = default;
+    virtual ~OculusAPIPlugin() = default;
     QString getName() const { return NAME; }
     QString getOculusUserID() const { return _user; };
 
     bool isRunning() const;
 
+    bool init();
+
+    void shutdown();
+
     virtual void requestNonceAndUserID(NonceUserIDCallback callback);
 
     virtual void handleOVREvents();