diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index ab545e3c4..544ea142d 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ endif()
 
 # Shouldn't be changed without being fully aware of the consequences.
 set(OSVR_PLUGIN_IGNORE_SUFFIX ".manualload")
+set(OSVR_PLUGIN_DEBUG_SUFFIX ".debug")
 
 # Figure out what to do with osvr_json_to_c
 if(CMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING OR ANDROID)
diff --git a/cmake-local/osvrConfig.cmake b/cmake-local/osvrConfig.cmake
index 8ba84cec7..1ecd12b2c 100644
--- a/cmake-local/osvrConfig.cmake
+++ b/cmake-local/osvrConfig.cmake
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ set(OSVR_CACHED_PLUGIN_DIR "@OSVR_PLUGIN_DIR@" CACHE INTERNAL
 
 set(OSVR_PLUGIN_IGNORE_SUFFIX "@OSVR_PLUGIN_IGNORE_SUFFIX@" CACHE INTERNAL
     "The additional suffix for OSVR plugins that are not to be auto-loaded" FORCE)
+    
+set(OSVR_PLUGIN_DEBUG_SUFFIX "@OSVR_PLUGIN_DEBUG_SUFFIX@" CACHE INTERNAL
+    "The additional suffix for OSVR plugins that are built in debug mode" FORCE)
 
 set(OSVR_CACHED_CONFIG_ROOT "@OSVR_CONFIG_ROOT@" CACHE INTERNAL
     "The OSVR_CONFIG_ROOT variable for OSVR, for use in installing plugins' sample configs, display descriptors, etc." FORCE)
diff --git a/src/osvr/PluginHost/PathConfig.h.cmake_in b/src/osvr/PluginHost/PathConfig.h.cmake_in
index f22122fd2..41ba76f0c 100644
--- a/src/osvr/PluginHost/PathConfig.h.cmake_in
+++ b/src/osvr/PluginHost/PathConfig.h.cmake_in
@@ -35,5 +35,6 @@
 #define OSVR_PLUGIN_DIR "@OSVR_PLUGIN_DIR@"
 #define OSVR_PLUGIN_EXTENSION "@CMAKE_SHARED_MODULE_SUFFIX@"
 #define OSVR_PLUGIN_IGNORE_SUFFIX "@OSVR_PLUGIN_IGNORE_SUFFIX@"
+#define OSVR_PLUGIN_DEBUG_SUFFIX "@OSVR_PLUGIN_DEBUG_SUFFIX@"
 
 #endif // INCLUDED_PathConfig_h_GUID_ACBCE484_669E_4BA5_6A87_51519A19EE5A
diff --git a/src/osvr/PluginHost/RegistrationContext.cpp b/src/osvr/PluginHost/RegistrationContext.cpp
index 629abbe26..3c8b5f10e 100644
--- a/src/osvr/PluginHost/RegistrationContext.cpp
+++ b/src/osvr/PluginHost/RegistrationContext.cpp
@@ -51,9 +51,6 @@
 namespace osvr {
 namespace pluginhost {
     static const auto PLUGIN_HOST_LOGGER_NAME = "PluginHost";
-#ifdef _MSC_VER
-    static const auto PLUGIN_HOST_DEBUG_SUFFIX = ".debug";
-#endif
     namespace fs = boost::filesystem;
 
     struct RegistrationContext::Impl : private boost::noncopyable {
@@ -88,16 +85,11 @@ namespace pluginhost {
                                         std::string const &name,
                                         OSVR_PluginRegContext ctx,
                                         bool shouldRethrow = false) {
-#if defined(_MSC_VER) && !defined(NDEBUG)
-        // Visual C++ debug runtime: we append to the plugin name.
-        const std::string decoratedPluginName = name + PLUGIN_HOST_DEBUG_SUFFIX;
-#else
-        const std::string &decoratedPluginName = name;
-#endif
+
         log.debug() << "Trying to load a plugin with the name "
-                    << decoratedPluginName;
+                    << name;
         try {
-            plugin = libfunc::loadPluginByName(decoratedPluginName, ctx);
+            plugin = libfunc::loadPluginByName(name, ctx);
             return true;
         } catch (std::runtime_error const &e) {
             log.debug() << "Failed: " << e.what();
@@ -175,7 +167,7 @@ namespace pluginhost {
             // Visual C++ debug runtime: we append to the plugin name. Must only
             // load debug plugins iff we're a debug server
             const auto isDebugRuntimePlugin =
-                boost::iends_with(pluginBaseName, PLUGIN_HOST_DEBUG_SUFFIX);
+                boost::iends_with(pluginBaseName, OSVR_PLUGIN_DEBUG_SUFFIX);
 #if defined(NDEBUG)
             /// This is a non-debug build.
             if (isDebugRuntimePlugin) {
diff --git a/src/osvr/PluginHost/SearchPath.cpp b/src/osvr/PluginHost/SearchPath.cpp
index 78eeb2cd7..205ab6496 100644
--- a/src/osvr/PluginHost/SearchPath.cpp
+++ b/src/osvr/PluginHost/SearchPath.cpp
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@
 // limitations under the License.
 
 // Internal Includes
-#include <osvr/PluginHost/SearchPath.h>
 #include <osvr/PluginHost/PathConfig.h>
+#include <osvr/PluginHost/SearchPath.h>
 #include <osvr/Util/BinaryLocation.h>
 #include <osvr/Util/Verbosity.h>
 
@@ -33,9 +33,9 @@
 #include <boost/range/iterator_range.hpp>
 
 // Standard includes
-#include <vector>
-#include <string>
 #include <algorithm>
+#include <string>
+#include <vector>
 
 namespace osvr {
 namespace pluginhost {
@@ -172,11 +172,20 @@ namespace pluginhost {
                 }
                 const auto pluginBaseName =
                     pluginCandidate.filename().stem().generic_string();
+
+#if defined(_MSC_VER) && !defined(NDEBUG)
+                // Visual C++ debug runtime: we append to the plugin name.
+                const std::string decoratedPluginName =
+                    pluginName + OSVR_PLUGIN_DEBUG_SUFFIX;
+#else
+                const std::string &decoratedPluginName = pluginName;
+#endif
+
                 /// If the name is right or has the manual load suffix, this is
                 /// a good one.
                 if ((pluginBaseName == pluginName) ||
                     (pluginBaseName ==
-                     pluginName + OSVR_PLUGIN_IGNORE_SUFFIX)) {
+                     decoratedPluginName + OSVR_PLUGIN_IGNORE_SUFFIX)) {
                     return pluginPathName.path().generic_string();
                 }
             }