diff --git a/config-win32.h b/config-win32.h
index 611e7d35..d397ad81 100644
--- a/config-win32.h
+++ b/config-win32.h
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 #define HAVE_ISO_CODES
 #define PACKAGE_NAME "hexchat"
 #define PACKAGE_VERSION "2.9.5"
-#define HEXCHATLIBDIR "."
+#define HEXCHATLIBDIR ".\\plugins"
 #define HEXCHATSHAREDIR "."
 #define OLD_PERL
 #define GETTEXT_PACKAGE "hexchat"
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 50dc242c..11b09c20 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -940,14 +940,14 @@ test "x$exec_prefix" = xNONE && exec_prefix="$prefix"
 
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(PREFIX, "${prefix}")
 
-AS_AC_EXPAND(HEXCHATLIBDIR, "${libdir}/hexchat")
+AS_AC_EXPAND(HEXCHATLIBDIR, "${libdir}/hexchat/plugins")
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(HEXCHATLIBDIR, "$HEXCHATLIBDIR")
 
 AS_AC_EXPAND(HEXCHATSHAREDIR, "$datadir")
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(HEXCHATSHAREDIR, "$HEXCHATSHAREDIR")
 
 dnl for plugins/xxx/Makefile.am
-hexchatlibdir=${libdir}/hexchat
+hexchatlibdir=${libdir}/hexchat/plugins
 AC_SUBST(hexchatlibdir)
 
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([
diff --git a/plugins/checksum/Makefile.am b/plugins/checksum/Makefile.am
index b834327e..419c762f 100644
--- a/plugins/checksum/Makefile.am
+++ b/plugins/checksum/Makefile.am
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-libdir = $(hexchatlibdir)/plugins
+libdir = $(hexchatlibdir)
 
 lib_LTLIBRARIES = checksum.la
 checksum_la_SOURCES = checksum.c
diff --git a/plugins/doat/Makefile.am b/plugins/doat/Makefile.am
index 07aa8569..abfca29e 100644
--- a/plugins/doat/Makefile.am
+++ b/plugins/doat/Makefile.am
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-libdir = $(hexchatlibdir)/plugins
+libdir = $(hexchatlibdir)
 
 lib_LTLIBRARIES = doat.la
 doat_la_SOURCES = doat.c
diff --git a/plugins/fishlim/Makefile.am b/plugins/fishlim/Makefile.am
index bc921fb3..49a79160 100644
--- a/plugins/fishlim/Makefile.am
+++ b/plugins/fishlim/Makefile.am
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 EXTRA_DIST = INSTALL LICENSE README
 
-libdir = $(hexchatlibdir)/plugins
+libdir = $(hexchatlibdir)
 
 lib_LTLIBRARIES = fishlim.la
 fishlim_la_SOURCES = fish.c irc.c keystore.c misc.c plugin_hexchat.c
diff --git a/plugins/perl/Makefile.am b/plugins/perl/Makefile.am
index f9681bd2..02f29252 100644
--- a/plugins/perl/Makefile.am
+++ b/plugins/perl/Makefile.am
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 EXTRA_DIST=alt_completion.pl generate_header lib/Xchat.pm lib/Xchat/Embed.pm lib/Xchat/List/Network.pm \
 	lib/Xchat/List/Network/Entry.pm lib/Xchat/List/Network/AutoJoin.pm lib/IRC.pm
 
-libdir = $(hexchatlibdir)/plugins
+libdir = $(hexchatlibdir)
 
 lib_LTLIBRARIES = perl.la
 perl_la_SOURCES = perl.c
diff --git a/plugins/python/Makefile.am b/plugins/python/Makefile.am
index 5a97c2b5..259f2a0f 100644
--- a/plugins/python/Makefile.am
+++ b/plugins/python/Makefile.am
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 EXTRA_DIST = 
 
-libdir = $(hexchatlibdir)/plugins
+libdir = $(hexchatlibdir)
 
 lib_LTLIBRARIES = python.la
 python_la_SOURCES = python.c
diff --git a/plugins/sysinfo/Makefile.am b/plugins/sysinfo/Makefile.am
index c37b0d84..0b8d7fad 100644
--- a/plugins/sysinfo/Makefile.am
+++ b/plugins/sysinfo/Makefile.am
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-libdir = $(hexchatlibdir)/plugins
+libdir = $(hexchatlibdir)
 
 lib_LTLIBRARIES = sysinfo.la
 sysinfo_la_SOURCES = hwmon.c match.c parse.c pci.c xsys.c
diff --git a/plugins/xdcc/Makefile.am b/plugins/xdcc/Makefile.am
index 9e0cf713..dd858e4d 100644
--- a/plugins/xdcc/Makefile.am
+++ b/plugins/xdcc/Makefile.am
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-libdir = $(hexchatdir)/plugins
+libdir = $(hexchatdir)
 
 lib_LTLIBRARIES = xdcc.la
 xdcc_la_SOURCES = xdcc.c
diff --git a/src/common/plugin.c b/src/common/plugin.c
index 4e841717..a1c9286b 100644
--- a/src/common/plugin.c
+++ b/src/common/plugin.c
@@ -482,26 +482,26 @@ plugin_auto_load (session *sess)
 #ifdef WIN32
 	/* a long list of bundled plugins that should be loaded automatically,
 	 * user plugins should go to <config>, leave Program Files alone! */
-	for_files (".\\plugins", "hcchecksum.dll", plugin_auto_load_cb);
-	for_files (".\\plugins", "hcdns.dll", plugin_auto_load_cb);
-	for_files (".\\plugins", "hcdoat.dll", plugin_auto_load_cb);
-	for_files (".\\plugins", "hcexec.dll", plugin_auto_load_cb);
-	for_files (".\\plugins", "hcfishlim.dll", plugin_auto_load_cb);
-	for_files (".\\plugins", "hcmpcinfo.dll", plugin_auto_load_cb);
-	for_files (".\\plugins", "hcperl.dll", plugin_auto_load_cb);
-	for_files (".\\plugins", "hcpython.dll", plugin_auto_load_cb);
-	for_files (".\\plugins", "hcupd.dll", plugin_auto_load_cb);
-	for_files (".\\plugins", "hcwinamp.dll", plugin_auto_load_cb);
-	for_files (".\\plugins", "hcsysinfo.dll", plugin_auto_load_cb);
-	for_files (".\\plugins", "hcwmpa.dll", plugin_auto_load_cb);
+	for_files (HEXCHATLIBDIR, "hcchecksum.dll", plugin_auto_load_cb);
+	for_files (HEXCHATLIBDIR, "hcdns.dll", plugin_auto_load_cb);
+	for_files (HEXCHATLIBDIR, "hcdoat.dll", plugin_auto_load_cb);
+	for_files (HEXCHATLIBDIR, "hcexec.dll", plugin_auto_load_cb);
+	for_files (HEXCHATLIBDIR, "hcfishlim.dll", plugin_auto_load_cb);
+	for_files (HEXCHATLIBDIR, "hcmpcinfo.dll", plugin_auto_load_cb);
+	for_files (HEXCHATLIBDIR, "hcperl.dll", plugin_auto_load_cb);
+	for_files (HEXCHATLIBDIR, "hcpython.dll", plugin_auto_load_cb);
+	for_files (HEXCHATLIBDIR, "hcupd.dll", plugin_auto_load_cb);
+	for_files (HEXCHATLIBDIR, "hcwinamp.dll", plugin_auto_load_cb);
+	for_files (HEXCHATLIBDIR, "hcsysinfo.dll", plugin_auto_load_cb);
+	for_files (HEXCHATLIBDIR, "hcwmpa.dll", plugin_auto_load_cb);
 
 	for_files (sub_dir, "*.dll", plugin_auto_load_cb);
 #else
 #if defined(__hpux)
-	for_files (HEXCHATLIBDIR "/plugins", "*.sl", plugin_auto_load_cb);
+	for_files (HEXCHATLIBDIR, "*.sl", plugin_auto_load_cb);
 	for_files (sub_dir, "*.sl", plugin_auto_load_cb);
 #else
-	for_files (HEXCHATLIBDIR "/plugins", "*.so", plugin_auto_load_cb);
+	for_files (HEXCHATLIBDIR, "*.so", plugin_auto_load_cb);
 	for_files (sub_dir, "*.so", plugin_auto_load_cb);
 #endif
 #endif
diff --git a/src/fe-text/fe-text.c b/src/fe-text/fe-text.c
index bff86bfd..91aa1f0c 100644
--- a/src/fe-text/fe-text.c
+++ b/src/fe-text/fe-text.c
@@ -514,7 +514,7 @@ fe_args (int argc, char *argv[])
 		}
 		free (exe);
 #else
-		printf ("%s\n", HEXCHATLIBDIR"/plugins");
+		printf ("%s\n", HEXCHATLIBDIR);
 #endif
 		return 0;
 	}