diff --git a/packages/controller/src/Controller.ts b/packages/controller/src/Controller.ts
index bcbdd007..f24469df 100644
--- a/packages/controller/src/Controller.ts
+++ b/packages/controller/src/Controller.ts
@@ -644,8 +644,7 @@ export default class Controller {
 				}
 
 				packageName = pluginInfo.npmPackage ?? pluginInfo.name;
-				const pluginPackageJsonPath = require.resolve(path.posix.join(pluginInfo.requirePath, "package.json"));
-				const pluginPackageJson = JSON.parse(await fs.readFile(pluginPackageJsonPath, "utf8"));
+				const pluginPackageJson = JSON.parse(await fs.readFile(pluginInfo.packagePath, "utf8"));
 				if (pluginInfo.version !== pluginPackageJson.version) {
 					this.config.restartRequired = true;
 					return true;
diff --git a/packages/host/src/Host.ts b/packages/host/src/Host.ts
index c97ca6fc..7cae0ce6 100644
--- a/packages/host/src/Host.ts
+++ b/packages/host/src/Host.ts
@@ -876,8 +876,7 @@ export default class Host extends lib.Link {
 				}
 
 				packageName = pluginInfo.npmPackage ?? pluginInfo.name;
-				const pluginPackageJsonPath = require.resolve(path.posix.join(pluginInfo.requirePath, "package.json"));
-				const pluginPackageJson = JSON.parse(await fs.readFile(pluginPackageJsonPath, "utf8"));
+				const pluginPackageJson = JSON.parse(await fs.readFile(pluginInfo.packagePath, "utf8"));
 				if (pluginInfo.version !== pluginPackageJson.version) {
 					this.config.restartRequired = true;
 					return true;
diff --git a/packages/host/src/patch.ts b/packages/host/src/patch.ts
index 639ce65f..c94f5ce1 100644
--- a/packages/host/src/patch.ts
+++ b/packages/host/src/patch.ts
@@ -91,8 +91,7 @@ export class SaveModule {
 	}
 
 	static async fromPlugin(plugin: BaseInstancePlugin) {
-		let pluginPackagePath = require.resolve(path.posix.join(plugin.info.requirePath, "package.json"));
-		let moduleDirectory = path.join(path.dirname(pluginPackagePath), "module");
+		let moduleDirectory = path.join(path.dirname(plugin.info.packagePath), "module");
 		try {
 			await fs.access(moduleDirectory);
 		} catch (err: any) {
diff --git a/packages/lib/src/plugin.ts b/packages/lib/src/plugin.ts
index 94942f07..456cde2a 100644
--- a/packages/lib/src/plugin.ts
+++ b/packages/lib/src/plugin.ts
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@ export type PluginNodeEnvInfo = PluginDeclaration & {
 	 * server in order for the web interface to be able to load the plugin.
 	 */
 	webStaticPath: string;
+	/**
+	 * Absolute path to the package.json file for the plugin.
+	 */
+	packagePath: string;
 	requirePath: string;
 	version: string;
 	manifest: any;
diff --git a/packages/lib/src/plugin_loader.ts b/packages/lib/src/plugin_loader.ts
index 90a1fc72..31ec7a03 100644
--- a/packages/lib/src/plugin_loader.ts
+++ b/packages/lib/src/plugin_loader.ts
@@ -26,11 +26,15 @@ export async function loadPluginInfos(pluginList: Map<string, string>) {
 	for (let [pluginName, pluginPath] of pluginList) {
 		let pluginInfo: libPlugin.PluginNodeEnvInfo;
 		let pluginPackage: { name?: string, version: string, main?: string, private?: boolean };
+		let packagePath;
 
-		// Check if plugin path exists, otherwise remove it
+		// Check if plugin has a package.json file, otherwise remove it
 		try {
-			require.resolve(pluginPath);
-		} catch {
+			const absolute = path.isAbsolute(pluginPath);
+			const packageImport = path.posix.join(pluginPath, "package.json");
+			packagePath = require.resolve(packageImport);
+			await fs.access(packagePath, fs.constants.F_OK);
+		} catch (err) {
 			let errMsg = `Plugin path ${pluginPath} does not exist`;
 			try {
 				await fs.access(pluginPath, fs.constants.F_OK);
@@ -43,7 +47,7 @@ export async function loadPluginInfos(pluginList: Map<string, string>) {
 
 		try {
 			pluginInfo = require(pluginPath).plugin;
-			pluginPackage = require(path.posix.join(pluginPath, "package.json"));
+			pluginPackage = require(packagePath);
 		} catch (err: any) {
 			if (err.code === "InstallationError") {
 				throw err;
@@ -69,12 +73,8 @@ export async function loadPluginInfos(pluginList: Map<string, string>) {
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		pluginInfo.webStaticPath = path.join(
-			path.dirname(
-				require.resolve(path.posix.join(pluginPath, "package.json"))
-			),
-			"dist", "web", "static",
-		);
+		pluginInfo.webStaticPath = path.join(path.dirname(packagePath), "dist", "web", "static");
+		pluginInfo.packagePath = packagePath;
 		pluginInfo.requirePath = pluginPath;
 		pluginInfo.version = pluginPackage.version;
 		pluginInfo.npmPackage = !pluginPackage.private && pluginPath === pluginPackage.name ? pluginPath : undefined;
diff --git a/test/controller/Controller.js b/test/controller/Controller.js
index 35e6db9c..736d4cbe 100644
--- a/test/controller/Controller.js
+++ b/test/controller/Controller.js
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ describe("controller/src/Controller", function() {
 				controller.config.set("global_chat.load_plugin", true);
 				controller.pluginInfos[0] = {
 					name: "global_chat",
-					requirePath: path.dirname(require.resolve("@clusterio/controller/package.json")),
+					packagePath: require.resolve("@clusterio/controller/package.json"),
 					version: controllerVersion,
 				};
 			});
diff --git a/test/host.js b/test/host.js
index 4308c189..ad97bd83 100644
--- a/test/host.js
+++ b/test/host.js
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ describe("Host testing", function() {
 				// This can be used more generally, but i did not want to interfere with handleSyncUserListsEvent
 				const pluginInfos = [{
 					name: "global_chat",
-					requirePath: path.dirname(require.resolve("@clusterio/host/package.json")),
+					packagePath: require.resolve("@clusterio/host/package.json"),
 					version: hostVersion,
 				}];
 				const hostConfig = new lib.HostConfig("host", { "host.version": hostVersion });
diff --git a/test/lib/plugin_loader.js b/test/lib/plugin_loader.js
index 02476e96..58281988 100644
--- a/test/lib/plugin_loader.js
+++ b/test/lib/plugin_loader.js
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ describe("lib/plugin_loader", function() {
 					name: "test",
 					version: "0.0.1",
 					npmPackage: undefined,
+					packagePath: path.resolve(path.join(testPlugin, "package.json")),
 					requirePath: path.resolve(testPlugin),
 					webStaticPath: path.resolve(path.join(testPlugin, "dist", "web", "static")),
 				}]