diff --git a/packages/lib/src/config/definitions.ts b/packages/lib/src/config/definitions.ts
index 37eb17fa..b8257ecd 100644
--- a/packages/lib/src/config/definitions.ts
+++ b/packages/lib/src/config/definitions.ts
@@ -716,36 +716,73 @@ function validateFieldNames(
 }
 
 /**
- * Add config fields defined by the provided plugin infos
+ * Add the config fields defined by the by a specific plugin infos
+ */
+export function addPluginFieldDefinitions(
+	pluginInfo: PluginNodeEnvInfo | PluginWebpackEnvInfo,
+	kind: "controllerConfigFields" | "hostConfigFields" | "instanceConfigFields",
+	Config: typeof classes.Config<any>
+) {
+	// Define plugin.load_plugin
+	const fieldDef: classes.FieldDefinition = {
+		title: "Load Plugin",
+		type: "boolean",
+		initialValue: true,
+		restartRequired: true,
+	};
+
+	// The validator is dynamic based on the feature requirements of the plugin
+	if (kind === "instanceConfigFields" && pluginInfo.features) {
+		fieldDef.dependsOn = [];
+
+		const savePatching = pluginInfo.features.includes("SavePatching");
+		if (savePatching) {
+			fieldDef.dependsOn.push("factorio.enable_save_patching");
+		}
+
+		const scriptCommands = pluginInfo.features.includes("ScriptCommands");
+		if (scriptCommands) {
+			fieldDef.dependsOn.push("factorio.enable_script_commands");
+		}
+
+		if (scriptCommands || savePatching) {
+			fieldDef.validator = (enabled, config) => {
+				if (!enabled) {
+					return;
+				}
+				if (savePatching && !config.get("factorio.enable_save_patching")) {
+					throw new Error(`Plugin ${pluginInfo.name} requires save patching`);
+				}
+				if (scriptCommands && !config.get("factorio.enable_script_commands")) {
+					throw new Error(`Plugin ${pluginInfo.name} requires script commands`);
+				}
+			};
+		}
+	}
+
+	Config.fieldDefinitions[`${pluginInfo.name}.load_plugin`] = fieldDef;
+
+	// Merge in other fields from the plugin
+	const fields = pluginInfo[kind];
+	if (fields) {
+		validateFieldNames(pluginInfo.name, fields);
+		Object.assign(Config.fieldDefinitions, fields);
+	}
+}
+
+/**
+ * Add all config fields defined by the provided plugin infos
  *
  * @param {Array<Object>} pluginInfos - Array of plugin info objects.
  */
 export function addPluginConfigFields(pluginInfos: PluginNodeEnvInfo[] | PluginWebpackEnvInfo[]) {
-	function pluginConfig(
-		pluginInfo: PluginNodeEnvInfo | PluginWebpackEnvInfo,
-		kind: "controllerConfigFields" | "hostConfigFields" | "instanceConfigFields",
-		Config: typeof ControllerConfig | typeof HostConfig | typeof InstanceConfig,
-	) {
-		(Config.fieldDefinitions as any)[`${pluginInfo.name}.load_plugin`] = {
-			title: "Load Plugin",
-			restartRequired: true,
-			type: "boolean",
-			initialValue: true,
-		};
-
-		const fields = pluginInfo[kind];
-		if (fields) {
-			validateFieldNames(pluginInfo.name, fields);
-			Object.assign(Config.fieldDefinitions, fields);
-		}
-	}
 	for (let pluginInfo of pluginInfos) {
-		pluginConfig(pluginInfo, "controllerConfigFields", ControllerConfig);
+		addPluginFieldDefinitions(pluginInfo, "controllerConfigFields", ControllerConfig);
 		if (pluginInfo.hostEntrypoint || pluginInfo.instanceEntrypoint) {
-			pluginConfig(pluginInfo, "hostConfigFields", HostConfig);
+			addPluginFieldDefinitions(pluginInfo, "hostConfigFields", HostConfig);
 		}
 		if (pluginInfo.instanceEntrypoint) {
-			pluginConfig(pluginInfo, "instanceConfigFields", InstanceConfig);
+			addPluginFieldDefinitions(pluginInfo, "instanceConfigFields", InstanceConfig);
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/packages/lib/src/plugin.ts b/packages/lib/src/plugin.ts
index ae09788e..08a03ed3 100644
--- a/packages/lib/src/plugin.ts
+++ b/packages/lib/src/plugin.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,14 @@ import type { Logger } from "./logging";
 import type { FieldDefinition } from "./config";
 import type { PlayerStats } from "./data";
 
+
+export const PluginFeatureFlags = [
+	/** The plugin requires module code to be patched into the save */
+	"SavePatching",
+	/** The plugin requires access to script commands over rcon */
+	"ScriptCommands",
+] as const;
+
 /** Used to define the plugin export in plugins */
 export type PluginDeclaration = {
 	name: string;
@@ -26,6 +34,8 @@ export type PluginDeclaration = {
 	webEntrypoint?: string;
 	controlConfigFields?: Record<string, FieldDefinition>;
 
+	features?: (typeof PluginFeatureFlags)[number][];
+
 	messages?: any[];
 	routes?: string[];
 }
diff --git a/test/lib/config/validators.test.js b/test/lib/config/validators.test.js
index 876d95c5..29869fc9 100644
--- a/test/lib/config/validators.test.js
+++ b/test/lib/config/validators.test.js
@@ -207,35 +207,107 @@ describe("lib/config/definitions/validators", function() {
 			);
 		});
 
-		it("should validate factorio.player_online_autosave_slots against autosave slots", function() {
-			const config = new InstanceConfig("controller", {
-				"factorio.settings": {
-					autosave_slots: 5,
-				},
+		describe("factorio.player_online_autosave_slots", function() {
+			it("should validate against autosave slots", function() {
+				const config = new InstanceConfig("controller", {
+					"factorio.settings": {
+						autosave_slots: 5,
+					},
+				});
+
+				// valid: equal
+				assert.doesNotThrow(() => config.set("factorio.player_online_autosave_slots", 5));
+
+				// valid: greater
+				assert.doesNotThrow(() => config.set("factorio.player_online_autosave_slots", 6));
+
+				// invalid: less than autosave_slots
+				assert.throws(
+					() => config.set("factorio.player_online_autosave_slots", 4),
+					/Value cannot be less than the number of autosave slots/
+				);
 			});
+			it("should allow when autosave_slots is not a number", function() {
+				const config = new InstanceConfig("controller", {
+					"factorio.settings": {
+						autosave_slots: null,
+					},
+				});
 
-			// valid: equal
-			assert.doesNotThrow(() => config.set("factorio.player_online_autosave_slots", 5));
-
-			// valid: greater
-			assert.doesNotThrow(() => config.set("factorio.player_online_autosave_slots", 6));
-
-			// invalid: less than autosave_slots
-			assert.throws(
-				() => config.set("factorio.player_online_autosave_slots", 4),
-				/Value cannot be less than the number of autosave slots/
-			);
+				assert.doesNotThrow(() => config.set("factorio.player_online_autosave_slots", 0));
+				assert.doesNotThrow(() => config.set("factorio.player_online_autosave_slots", 1));
+			});
 		});
 
-		it("should allow player_online_autosave_slots when autosave_slots is not a number", function() {
-			const config = new InstanceConfig("controller", {
-				"factorio.settings": {
-					autosave_slots: null,
-				},
-			});
+		describe("plugin.load_plugin", function() {
+			class TestInstanceConfig extends InstanceConfig {
+				static fieldDefinitions = { ...InstanceConfig.fieldDefinitions };
+			}
+			it("should validate against factorio.enable_save_patching", function() {
+				lib.addPluginFieldDefinitions(
+					{name: "save_patching", features: ["SavePatching"] },
+					"instanceConfigFields", TestInstanceConfig
+				);
 
-			assert.doesNotThrow(() => config.set("factorio.player_online_autosave_slots", 0));
-			assert.doesNotThrow(() => config.set("factorio.player_online_autosave_slots", 1));
+				const config = new TestInstanceConfig("controller");
+
+				// valid: does not require script commands
+				assert.doesNotThrow(() => config.set("factorio.enable_script_commands", false));
+
+				// valid: can have load disabled
+				assert.doesNotThrow(() => config.set("save_patching.load_plugin", false));
+
+				// valid: does not require save patching when not loaded
+				assert.doesNotThrow(() => config.set("factorio.enable_save_patching", false));
+
+				// invalid: requires save patching when loaded
+				assert.throws(
+					() => config.set("save_patching.load_plugin", true),
+					/requires save patching/
+				);
+			});
+			it("should validate against factorio.enable_script_commands", function() {
+				lib.addPluginFieldDefinitions(
+					{ name: "script_commands", features: ["ScriptCommands"] },
+					"instanceConfigFields", TestInstanceConfig
+				);
+
+				const config = new TestInstanceConfig("controller");
+
+				// valid: does not require save patching
+				assert.doesNotThrow(() => config.set("factorio.enable_save_patching", false));
+
+				// valid: can have load disabled
+				assert.doesNotThrow(() => config.set("script_commands.load_plugin", false));
+
+				// valid: does not require script commands when not loaded
+				assert.doesNotThrow(() => config.set("factorio.enable_script_commands", false));
+
+				// invalid: requires script commands when loaded
+				assert.throws(
+					() => config.set("script_commands.load_plugin", true),
+					/requires script commands/
+				);
+			});
+			it("should allow when no feature flags are present", function() {
+				lib.addPluginFieldDefinitions(
+					{ name: "no_features", features: [] },
+					"instanceConfigFields", TestInstanceConfig
+				);
+
+				const config = new TestInstanceConfig("controller");
+
+				// valid: does not require save patching
+				assert.doesNotThrow(() => config.set("factorio.enable_save_patching", false));
+
+				// valid: does not require script commands
+				assert.doesNotThrow(() => config.set("factorio.enable_script_commands", false));
+
+				// valid: can have load disabled
+				assert.doesNotThrow(() => config.set("script_commands.load_plugin", false));
+
+				// no invalid case
+			});
 		});
 	});