diff --git a/src/command.ts b/src/command.ts
index 2962859d..63939d71 100644
--- a/src/command.ts
+++ b/src/command.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import * as Parser from '@anycli/parser'
 
 import {IConfig} from './config'
-import {IPlugin} from './plugin'
 
 export interface ICommandBase {
   _base: string
@@ -23,7 +22,7 @@ export interface ICachedCommand extends ICommandBase {
 
 export interface IConvertToCachedOptions {
   id?: string
-  plugin?: IPlugin
+  pluginName?: string
 }
 
 export interface ICommand<T = any> extends ICommandBase {
diff --git a/src/engine.ts b/src/engine.ts
index 70ca0dbe..2149df28 100644
--- a/src/engine.ts
+++ b/src/engine.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,16 @@ import {IConfig} from './config'
 import {IPlugin} from './plugin'
 import {ITopic} from './topic'
 
+export interface LoadPluginOptions {
+  type: 'core' | 'user' | 'link' | 'dev'
+  root?: string
+  name?: string
+  config?: IConfig
+  tag?: string
+  useCache?: boolean
+  loadDevPlugins?: boolean
+}
+
 export interface IEngine {
   readonly config: IConfig
   readonly plugins: IPlugin[]
@@ -23,5 +33,5 @@ export interface IEngine {
 
   load(config: IConfig): Promise<void>
 
-  getPluginCommands(plugin: IPlugin): Promise<ICachedCommand[]>
+  loadPlugin(opts: LoadPluginOptions): Promise<IPlugin>
 }
diff --git a/src/plugin.ts b/src/plugin.ts
index 1696b467..74c5acbf 100644
--- a/src/plugin.ts
+++ b/src/plugin.ts
@@ -9,8 +9,13 @@ export interface IPlugin {
   root: string
   tag?: string
   config: IConfig
-  commands: ICachedCommand[]
+  manifest: IPluginManifest
   topics: ITopic[]
   plugins: IPlugin[]
   hooks: {[k: string]: string[]}
 }
+
+export interface IPluginManifest {
+  version: string
+  commands: ICachedCommand[]
+}