diff --git a/cmd/apiserver/apiserver.go b/cmd/apiserver/apiserver.go
index 85e0b3cdba3..5fb67926249 100644
--- a/cmd/apiserver/apiserver.go
+++ b/cmd/apiserver/apiserver.go
@@ -75,23 +75,13 @@ func main() {
 		glog.Fatalf("-etcd_servers flag is required.")
 	}
 
-	var cloud cloudprovider.Interface
-	switch *cloudProvider {
-	case "gce":
-		var err error
-		cloud, err = cloudprovider.NewGCECloud()
-		if err != nil {
-			glog.Fatalf("Couldn't connect to GCE cloud: %#v", err)
-		}
-	case "vagrant":
-		var err error
-		cloud, err = cloudprovider.NewVagrantCloud()
-		if err != nil {
-			glog.Fatalf("Couldn't connect to vagrant cloud: %#v", err)
-		}
-	default:
+	cloud, err := cloudprovider.GetCloudProvider(*cloudProvider)
+	if err != nil {
+		glog.Fatalf("Couldn't init cloud provider %q: %#v", *cloudProvider, err)
+	}
+	if cloud == nil {
 		if len(*cloudProvider) > 0 {
-			glog.Infof("Unknown cloud provider: %s", *cloudProvider)
+			glog.Fatalf("Unknown cloud provider: %s", *cloudProvider)
 		} else {
 			glog.Info("No cloud provider specified.")
 		}
diff --git a/cmd/apiserver/plugins.go b/cmd/apiserver/plugins.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9463332c590
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/apiserver/plugins.go
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2014 Google Inc. All rights reserved.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package main
+
+// This file exists to force the desired plugin implementations to be linked.
+// This should probably be part of some configuration fed into the build for a
+// given binary target.
+import (
+	_ "github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/cloudprovider/gce"
+	_ "github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/cloudprovider/vagrant"
+)
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/fake_cloud.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/fake/fake.go
similarity index 89%
rename from pkg/cloudprovider/fake_cloud.go
rename to pkg/cloudprovider/fake/fake.go
index da16f336fdd..3b4fe7c1f4d 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/fake_cloud.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/fake/fake.go
@@ -14,11 +14,13 @@ See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 limitations under the License.
 */
 
-package cloudprovider
+package fake_cloud
 
 import (
 	"net"
 	"regexp"
+
+	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/cloudprovider"
 )
 
 // FakeCloud is a test-double implementation of Interface, TCPLoadBalancer and Instances. It is useful for testing.
@@ -28,7 +30,7 @@ type FakeCloud struct {
 	Calls    []string
 	IP       net.IP
 	Machines []string
-	Zone
+	cloudprovider.Zone
 }
 
 func (f *FakeCloud) addCall(desc string) {
@@ -43,18 +45,18 @@ func (f *FakeCloud) ClearCalls() {
 // TCPLoadBalancer returns a fake implementation of TCPLoadBalancer.
 //
 // Actually it just returns f itself.
-func (f *FakeCloud) TCPLoadBalancer() (TCPLoadBalancer, bool) {
+func (f *FakeCloud) TCPLoadBalancer() (cloudprovider.TCPLoadBalancer, bool) {
 	return f, true
 }
 
 // Instances returns a fake implementation of Instances.
 //
 // Actually it just returns f itself.
-func (f *FakeCloud) Instances() (Instances, bool) {
+func (f *FakeCloud) Instances() (cloudprovider.Instances, bool) {
 	return f, true
 }
 
-func (f *FakeCloud) Zones() (Zones, bool) {
+func (f *FakeCloud) Zones() (cloudprovider.Zones, bool) {
 	return f, true
 }
 
@@ -104,7 +106,7 @@ func (f *FakeCloud) List(filter string) ([]string, error) {
 	return result, f.Err
 }
 
-func (f *FakeCloud) GetZone() (Zone, error) {
+func (f *FakeCloud) GetZone() (cloudprovider.Zone, error) {
 	f.addCall("get-zone")
 	return f.Zone, f.Err
 }
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/gce.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/gce/gce.go
similarity index 91%
rename from pkg/cloudprovider/gce.go
rename to pkg/cloudprovider/gce/gce.go
index f657f7b3c11..f8e4c048ea1 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/gce.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/gce/gce.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 limitations under the License.
 */
 
-package cloudprovider
+package gce_cloud
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import (
 
 	"code.google.com/p/goauth2/compute/serviceaccount"
 	compute "code.google.com/p/google-api-go-client/compute/v1"
+	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/cloudprovider"
 )
 
 // GCECloud is an implementation of Interface, TCPLoadBalancer and Instances for Google Compute Engine.
@@ -38,6 +39,10 @@ type GCECloud struct {
 	instanceRE string
 }
 
+func init() {
+	cloudprovider.RegisterCloudProvider("gce", func() (cloudprovider.Interface, error) { return newGCECloud() })
+}
+
 func getProjectAndZone() (string, string, error) {
 	client := http.Client{}
 	url := "http://metadata/computeMetadata/v1/instance/zone"
@@ -62,8 +67,8 @@ func getProjectAndZone() (string, string, error) {
 	return parts[1], parts[3], nil
 }
 
-// NewGCECloud creates a new instance of GCECloud.
-func NewGCECloud() (*GCECloud, error) {
+// newGCECloud creates a new instance of GCECloud.
+func newGCECloud() (*GCECloud, error) {
 	projectID, zone, err := getProjectAndZone()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -84,17 +89,17 @@ func NewGCECloud() (*GCECloud, error) {
 }
 
 // TCPLoadBalancer returns an implementation of TCPLoadBalancer for Google Compute Engine.
-func (gce *GCECloud) TCPLoadBalancer() (TCPLoadBalancer, bool) {
+func (gce *GCECloud) TCPLoadBalancer() (cloudprovider.TCPLoadBalancer, bool) {
 	return gce, true
 }
 
 // Instances returns an implementation of Instances for Google Compute Engine.
-func (gce *GCECloud) Instances() (Instances, bool) {
+func (gce *GCECloud) Instances() (cloudprovider.Instances, bool) {
 	return gce, true
 }
 
 // Zones returns an implementation of Zones for Google Compute Engine.
-func (gce *GCECloud) Zones() (Zones, bool) {
+func (gce *GCECloud) Zones() (cloudprovider.Zones, bool) {
 	return gce, true
 }
 
@@ -237,12 +242,12 @@ func (gce *GCECloud) List(filter string) ([]string, error) {
 	return instances, nil
 }
 
-func (gce *GCECloud) GetZone() (Zone, error) {
+func (gce *GCECloud) GetZone() (cloudprovider.Zone, error) {
 	region, err := getGceRegion(gce.zone)
 	if err != nil {
-		return Zone{}, err
+		return cloudprovider.Zone{}, err
 	}
-	return Zone{
+	return cloudprovider.Zone{
 		FailureDomain: gce.zone,
 		Region:        region,
 	}, nil
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/gce_test.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/gce/gce_test.go
similarity index 97%
rename from pkg/cloudprovider/gce_test.go
rename to pkg/cloudprovider/gce/gce_test.go
index b542d1d32da..32345c72dfc 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/gce_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/gce/gce_test.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 limitations under the License.
 */
 
-package cloudprovider
+package gce_cloud
 
 import (
 	"testing"
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/plugins.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/plugins.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..cac60f630eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/plugins.go
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2014 Google Inc. All rights reserved.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package cloudprovider
+
+import (
+	"sync"
+
+	"github.com/golang/glog"
+)
+
+// Factory is a function that returns a cloudprovider.Interface.
+type Factory func() (Interface, error)
+
+// All registered cloud providers.
+var providersMutex sync.Mutex
+var providers = make(map[string]Factory)
+
+// RegisterCloudProvider registers a cloudprovider.Factory by name.  This
+// is expected to happen during app startup.
+func RegisterCloudProvider(name string, cloud Factory) {
+	providersMutex.Lock()
+	defer providersMutex.Unlock()
+	_, found := providers[name]
+	if found {
+		glog.Fatalf("Cloud provider %q was registered twice", name)
+	}
+	glog.Infof("Registered cloud provider %q", name)
+	providers[name] = cloud
+}
+
+// GetCloudProvider creates an instance of the named cloud provider, or nil if
+// the name is not known.  The error return is only used if the named provider
+// was known but failed to initialize.
+func GetCloudProvider(name string) (Interface, error) {
+	providersMutex.Lock()
+	defer providersMutex.Unlock()
+	f, found := providers[name]
+	if !found {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+	return f()
+}
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/vagrant.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/vagrant/vagrant.go
similarity index 89%
rename from pkg/cloudprovider/vagrant.go
rename to pkg/cloudprovider/vagrant/vagrant.go
index 6488776a3ac..ed79cdcf7a3 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/vagrant.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/vagrant/vagrant.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 limitations under the License.
 */
 
-package cloudprovider
+package vagrant_cloud
 
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	neturl "net/url"
 	"sort"
+
+	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/cloudprovider"
 )
 
 // VagrantCloud is an implementation of Interface, TCPLoadBalancer and Instances for developer managed Vagrant cluster
@@ -34,6 +36,10 @@ type VagrantCloud struct {
 	saltAuth string
 }
 
+func init() {
+	cloudprovider.RegisterCloudProvider("vagrant", func() (cloudprovider.Interface, error) { return newVagrantCloud() })
+}
+
 // SaltToken is an authorization token required by Salt REST API
 type SaltToken struct {
 	Token string `json:"token"`
@@ -61,8 +67,8 @@ type SaltMinionsResponse struct {
 	Minions []SaltMinions `json:"return"`
 }
 
-// NewVagrantCloud creates a new instance of VagrantCloud configured to talk to the Salt REST API.
-func NewVagrantCloud() (*VagrantCloud, error) {
+// newVagrantCloud creates a new instance of VagrantCloud configured to talk to the Salt REST API.
+func newVagrantCloud() (*VagrantCloud, error) {
 	return &VagrantCloud{
 		saltURL:  "http://127.0.0.1:8000",
 		saltUser: "vagrant",
@@ -72,17 +78,17 @@ func NewVagrantCloud() (*VagrantCloud, error) {
 }
 
 // TCPLoadBalancer returns an implementation of TCPLoadBalancer for Vagrant cloud
-func (v *VagrantCloud) TCPLoadBalancer() (TCPLoadBalancer, bool) {
+func (v *VagrantCloud) TCPLoadBalancer() (cloudprovider.TCPLoadBalancer, bool) {
 	return nil, false
 }
 
 // Instances returns an implementation of Instances for Vagrant cloud
-func (v *VagrantCloud) Instances() (Instances, bool) {
+func (v *VagrantCloud) Instances() (cloudprovider.Instances, bool) {
 	return v, true
 }
 
 // Zones returns an implementation of Zones for Vagrant cloud
-func (v *VagrantCloud) Zones() (Zones, bool) {
+func (v *VagrantCloud) Zones() (cloudprovider.Zones, bool) {
 	return nil, false
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/cloudprovider/vagrant_test.go b/pkg/cloudprovider/vagrant/vagrant_test.go
similarity index 99%
rename from pkg/cloudprovider/vagrant_test.go
rename to pkg/cloudprovider/vagrant/vagrant_test.go
index 0877f678379..e0c4c20d5ad 100644
--- a/pkg/cloudprovider/vagrant_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cloudprovider/vagrant/vagrant_test.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 limitations under the License.
 */
 
-package cloudprovider
+package vagrant_cloud
 
 import (
 	"net/http"
diff --git a/pkg/registry/minion/cloud_registry_test.go b/pkg/registry/minion/cloud_registry_test.go
index 1b1fb08e917..d325b91b259 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/minion/cloud_registry_test.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/minion/cloud_registry_test.go
@@ -20,12 +20,12 @@ import (
 	"reflect"
 	"testing"
 
-	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/cloudprovider"
+	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/cloudprovider/fake"
 )
 
 func TestCloudList(t *testing.T) {
 	instances := []string{"m1", "m2"}
-	fakeCloud := cloudprovider.FakeCloud{
+	fakeCloud := fake_cloud.FakeCloud{
 		Machines: instances,
 	}
 	registry, err := NewCloudRegistry(&fakeCloud, ".*")
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ func TestCloudList(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestCloudContains(t *testing.T) {
 	instances := []string{"m1", "m2"}
-	fakeCloud := cloudprovider.FakeCloud{
+	fakeCloud := fake_cloud.FakeCloud{
 		Machines: instances,
 	}
 	registry, err := NewCloudRegistry(&fakeCloud, ".*")
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ func TestCloudContains(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestCloudListRegexp(t *testing.T) {
 	instances := []string{"m1", "m2", "n1", "n2"}
-	fakeCloud := cloudprovider.FakeCloud{
+	fakeCloud := fake_cloud.FakeCloud{
 		Machines: instances,
 	}
 	registry, err := NewCloudRegistry(&fakeCloud, "m[0-9]+")
diff --git a/pkg/registry/pod/storage_test.go b/pkg/registry/pod/storage_test.go
index dfa76274942..d047ae4e703 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/pod/storage_test.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/pod/storage_test.go
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/api"
-	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/cloudprovider"
+	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/cloudprovider/fake"
 	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/labels"
 	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/registry/minion"
 	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/registry/registrytest"
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ func TestGetPod(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestGetPodCloud(t *testing.T) {
-	fakeCloud := &cloudprovider.FakeCloud{}
+	fakeCloud := &fake_cloud.FakeCloud{}
 	podRegistry := registrytest.NewPodRegistry(nil)
 	podRegistry.Pod = &api.Pod{JSONBase: api.JSONBase{ID: "foo"}}
 	storage := RegistryStorage{
diff --git a/pkg/registry/service/storage_test.go b/pkg/registry/service/storage_test.go
index fa92505343d..e86f499efac 100644
--- a/pkg/registry/service/storage_test.go
+++ b/pkg/registry/service/storage_test.go
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/api"
-	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/cloudprovider"
+	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/cloudprovider/fake"
 	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/labels"
 	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/registry/minion"
 	"github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/kubernetes/pkg/registry/registrytest"
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ import (
 
 func TestServiceRegistryCreate(t *testing.T) {
 	registry := registrytest.NewServiceRegistry()
-	fakeCloud := &cloudprovider.FakeCloud{}
+	fakeCloud := &fake_cloud.FakeCloud{}
 	machines := []string{"foo", "bar", "baz"}
 	storage := NewRegistryStorage(registry, fakeCloud, minion.NewRegistry(machines))
 	svc := &api.Service{
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ func TestServiceStorageValidatesUpdate(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestServiceRegistryExternalService(t *testing.T) {
 	registry := registrytest.NewServiceRegistry()
-	fakeCloud := &cloudprovider.FakeCloud{}
+	fakeCloud := &fake_cloud.FakeCloud{}
 	machines := []string{"foo", "bar", "baz"}
 	storage := NewRegistryStorage(registry, fakeCloud, minion.NewRegistry(machines))
 	svc := &api.Service{
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ func TestServiceRegistryExternalService(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestServiceRegistryExternalServiceError(t *testing.T) {
 	registry := registrytest.NewServiceRegistry()
-	fakeCloud := &cloudprovider.FakeCloud{
+	fakeCloud := &fake_cloud.FakeCloud{
 		Err: fmt.Errorf("test error"),
 	}
 	machines := []string{"foo", "bar", "baz"}
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ func TestServiceRegistryExternalServiceError(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestServiceRegistryDelete(t *testing.T) {
 	registry := registrytest.NewServiceRegistry()
-	fakeCloud := &cloudprovider.FakeCloud{}
+	fakeCloud := &fake_cloud.FakeCloud{}
 	machines := []string{"foo", "bar", "baz"}
 	storage := NewRegistryStorage(registry, fakeCloud, minion.NewRegistry(machines))
 	svc := api.Service{
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ func TestServiceRegistryDelete(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestServiceRegistryDeleteExternal(t *testing.T) {
 	registry := registrytest.NewServiceRegistry()
-	fakeCloud := &cloudprovider.FakeCloud{}
+	fakeCloud := &fake_cloud.FakeCloud{}
 	machines := []string{"foo", "bar", "baz"}
 	storage := NewRegistryStorage(registry, fakeCloud, minion.NewRegistry(machines))
 	svc := api.Service{
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ func TestServiceRegistryMakeLinkVariables(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestServiceRegistryGet(t *testing.T) {
 	registry := registrytest.NewServiceRegistry()
-	fakeCloud := &cloudprovider.FakeCloud{}
+	fakeCloud := &fake_cloud.FakeCloud{}
 	machines := []string{"foo", "bar", "baz"}
 	storage := NewRegistryStorage(registry, fakeCloud, minion.NewRegistry(machines))
 	registry.CreateService(api.Service{
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ func TestServiceRegistryGet(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestServiceRegistryList(t *testing.T) {
 	registry := registrytest.NewServiceRegistry()
-	fakeCloud := &cloudprovider.FakeCloud{}
+	fakeCloud := &fake_cloud.FakeCloud{}
 	machines := []string{"foo", "bar", "baz"}
 	storage := NewRegistryStorage(registry, fakeCloud, minion.NewRegistry(machines))
 	registry.CreateService(api.Service{