diff --git a/addons/common/CfgEventHandlers.hpp b/addons/common/CfgEventHandlers.hpp
index aab746c5e..e53a38deb 100644
--- a/addons/common/CfgEventHandlers.hpp
+++ b/addons/common/CfgEventHandlers.hpp
@@ -1,4 +1,10 @@
 
+class Extended_PreStart_EventHandlers {
+    class ADDON {
+        init = QUOTE(call COMPILE_FILE(XEH_preStart));
+    };
+};
+
 class Extended_PreInit_EventHandlers {
     class ADDON {
         init = QUOTE(call COMPILE_FILE(XEH_preInit));
diff --git a/addons/common/XEH_preInit.sqf b/addons/common/XEH_preInit.sqf
index d927fc36a..0b81d28c2 100644
--- a/addons/common/XEH_preInit.sqf
+++ b/addons/common/XEH_preInit.sqf
@@ -47,10 +47,8 @@ call COMPILE_FILE(init_perFrameHandler);
 call COMPILE_FILE(init_delayLess);
 
 // Due to activateAddons being overwritten by eachother (only the last executed command will be active), we apply this bandaid
-private _addons = ("true" configClasses (configFile >> "CfgPatches")) apply {configName _x};
-
-activateAddons _addons;
-GVAR(addons) = _addons;
+activateAddons call (uiNamespace getVariable [QGVAR(unitAddons), {[]}]);
+GVAR(addons) = call (uiNamespace getVariable [QGVAR(addons), {[]}]);
 
 // BWC
 #include "backwards_comp.sqf"
diff --git a/addons/common/XEH_preStart.sqf b/addons/common/XEH_preStart.sqf
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8e76073b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/addons/common/XEH_preStart.sqf
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#include "script_component.hpp"
+
+//See usage in XEH_preInit
+private _cfgPatches = configFile >> "CfgPatches";
+private _allComponents = "true" configClasses _cfgPatches apply {configName _x};
+
+//Filter out addons that don't have any units defined as we don't need to activate these
+private _unitAddons = _allComponents select {
+    !(getArray (_cfgPatches >> _x >> "units") isEqualTo [])
+};
+
+//Filter out addons defined in CfgAddons as they are always activated
+private _allAddons = "true" configClasses (configFile >> "CfgAddons");
+private _preloadedAddons = [];
+
+{
+    _preloadedAddons append (getArray (_x >> "list") apply {configName (_cfgPatches >> _x)});
+} forEach _allAddons;
+
+_unitAddons = _unitAddons - _preloadedAddons;
+
+uiNamespace setVariable [QGVAR(addons), compileFinal str _allComponents];
+uiNamespace setVariable [QGVAR(unitAddons), compileFinal str _unitAddons];