diff --git a/config.js b/config.js
index bde0e1806c..345a161c28 100644
--- a/config.js
+++ b/config.js
@@ -39,6 +39,11 @@ config.themeDir = 'themes';
  */
 config.activeTheme = 'casper';
 
+
+config.activePlugins = [
+    'fancyFirstChar.js'
+];
+
 // Default Navigation Items
 /**
  * @property {Array} nav
diff --git a/content/plugins/fancyFirstChar.js b/content/plugins/fancyFirstChar.js
index df7aa8acb5..157fc71054 100644
--- a/content/plugins/fancyFirstChar.js
+++ b/content/plugins/fancyFirstChar.js
@@ -1,27 +1,16 @@
-/*globals exports */
-(function () {
-    "use strict";
+var fancyFirstChar;
 
-    var FancyFirstChar;
-
-    FancyFirstChar = function (ghost) {
-        this.ghost = function () {
-            return ghost;
-        };
-    };
-
-    FancyFirstChar.prototype.init = function () {
-        this.ghost().registerFilter('prePostsRender', function (posts) {
+fancyFirstChar = {
+    init: function (ghost) {
+        ghost.registerFilter('prePostsRender', function (posts) {
             var post,
                 originalContent,
                 newContent,
                 firstCharIndex = 0;
 
-
-
             for (post in posts) {
                 if (posts.hasOwnProperty(post)) {
-                    originalContent = posts[post].content;
+                    originalContent = posts[post].content_html;
                     if (originalContent.substr(0, 1) === '<') {
                         firstCharIndex = originalContent.indexOf('>') + 1;
                     }
@@ -32,17 +21,14 @@
                     newContent += '</span>';
                     newContent += originalContent.substr(firstCharIndex + 1, originalContent.length - firstCharIndex - 1);
 
-                    posts[post].content = newContent;
+                    posts[post].content_html = newContent;
                 }
             }
             return posts;
         });
-    };
+    },
+    activate: function () {},
+    deactivate: function () {}
+};
 
-    FancyFirstChar.prototype.activate = function () {};
-    FancyFirstChar.prototype.deactivate = function () {};
-
-
-
-    module.exports = FancyFirstChar;
-}());
+module.exports = fancyFirstChar;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/core/ghost.js b/core/ghost.js
index 3d1c4f2139..9be4d0b467 100644
--- a/core/ghost.js
+++ b/core/ghost.js
@@ -14,8 +14,10 @@ var config = require('./../config'),
     models = require('./shared/models'),
 
     requireTree = require('./shared/require-tree'),
-    themeDirectories = requireTree(path.resolve(__dirname + '../../content/themes')),
-    pluginDirectories = requireTree(path.resolve(__dirname + '../../content/plugins')),
+    themePath = path.resolve(__dirname + '../../content/themes'),
+    pluginPath = path.resolve(__dirname + '../../content/plugins'),
+    themeDirectories = requireTree(themePath),
+    pluginDirectories = requireTree(pluginPath),
 
     Ghost,
     instance,
@@ -113,10 +115,35 @@ Ghost.prototype.init = function () {
     var self = this;
 
     return when.join(instance.dataProvider.init(), instance.getPaths()).then(function () {
+        return self.loadPlugins();
+    }, errors.logAndThrowError).then(function () {
         return self.updateSettingsCache();
     }, errors.logAndThrowError);
 };
 
+Ghost.prototype.loadPlugins = function () {
+    var self = this,
+        pluginPaths = _.values(self.paths().availablePlugins),
+        pluginPromises = [];
+
+    _.each(self.config().activePlugins, function (plugin) {
+        var match = _.find(pluginPaths, function (path) {
+            return new RegExp(plugin + '$').test(path);
+        });
+
+        if (match) {
+            pluginPromises.push(require(path.join(pluginPath, plugin)));
+        }
+    });
+
+    return when.all(pluginPromises).then(function (plugins) {
+        _.each(plugins, function (plugin) {
+            if (_.isFunction(plugin.init)) {
+                plugin.init(self);
+            }
+        });
+    }, errors.logAndThrowError);
+};
 
 Ghost.prototype.updateSettingsCache = function (settings) {
     var self = this;