diff --git a/lib/classes/PluginManager.js b/lib/classes/PluginManager.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..323cdab68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/classes/PluginManager.js
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const Utils = require('./Utils');
+const path = require('path');
+const has = require('lodash').has;
+const forEach = require('lodash').forEach;
+
+class PluginManager {
+  constructor(serverless) {
+    this.serverless = serverless;
+    this.plugins = [];
+    this.commandsList = [];
+    this.commands = {};
+  }
+
+  loadAllPlugins(servicePlugins) {
+    this.loadCorePlugins();
+    this.loadServicePlugins(servicePlugins);
+  }
+
+  runCommand(commandsArray) {
+    const events = this.getEvents(commandsArray, this.commands);
+    // collect all relevant hooks
+    let hooks = [];
+    events.forEach((event) => {
+      const hooksForEvent = [];
+      this.plugins.forEach((pluginInstance) => {
+        forEach(pluginInstance.hooks, (hook, hookKey) => {
+          if (hookKey === event) {
+            hooksForEvent.push(hook);
+          }
+        });
+      });
+      hooks = hooks.concat(hooksForEvent);
+    });
+
+    if (hooks.length === 0) {
+      throw new Error('The command you entered was not found. Did you spell it correctly?');
+    }
+
+    // run all relevant hooks one after another
+    hooks.forEach((hook) => {
+      const returnValue = hook();
+
+      // check if a Promise is returned
+      if (returnValue && returnValue.then instanceof Function) {
+        returnValue.then((value) => {
+          return value;
+        });
+      }
+    });
+  }
+
+  addPlugin(Plugin) {
+    this.plugins.push(new Plugin());
+
+    this.loadCommands(Plugin);
+  }
+
+  loadCorePlugins() {
+    const utils = new Utils();
+    const pluginsDirectoryPath = path.join(__dirname, '../plugins');
+
+    const corePlugins = utils.readFileSync(path.join(pluginsDirectoryPath, 'Plugins.json')).plugins;
+
+    corePlugins.forEach((corePlugin) => {
+      const Plugin = require(path.join(pluginsDirectoryPath, corePlugin));
+
+      this.addPlugin(Plugin);
+    });
+  }
+
+  loadServicePlugins(servicePlugins) {
+    servicePlugins = (typeof servicePlugins !== 'undefined' ? servicePlugins : []);
+
+    servicePlugins.forEach((servicePlugins) => {
+      this.addPlugin(servicePlugins);
+    });
+  }
+
+  loadCommands(Plugin) {
+    this.commandsList.push((new Plugin()).commands);
+
+    // TODO: refactor ASAP as it slows down overall performance
+    // rebuild the commands
+    forEach(this.commandsList, (commands) => {
+      forEach(commands, (commandDetails, command) => {
+        this.commands[command] = commandDetails;
+      });
+    });
+  }
+
+  getEvents(commandsArray, availableCommands, prefix) {
+    prefix = (typeof prefix !== 'undefined' ? prefix : '');
+    const commandPart = commandsArray[0];
+
+    if (has(availableCommands, commandPart)) {
+      const commandDetails = availableCommands[commandPart];
+      if (commandsArray.length === 1) {
+        const events = [];
+        commandDetails.lifeCycleEvents.forEach((event) => {
+          events.push(`before:${prefix}${commandPart}:${event}`);
+          events.push(`${prefix}${commandPart}:${event}`);
+          events.push(`after:${prefix}${commandPart}:${event}`);
+        });
+        return events;
+      }
+      if (has(commandDetails, 'commands')) {
+        return this.getEvents(commandsArray.slice(1, commandsArray.length),
+          commandDetails.commands, `${commandPart}:`);
+      }
+    }
+
+    return [];
+  }
+}
+
+module.exports = PluginManager;
diff --git a/lib/plugins/HelloWorld/HelloWorld.js b/lib/plugins/HelloWorld/HelloWorld.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0ec94fca9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/plugins/HelloWorld/HelloWorld.js
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+'use strict';
+
+class HelloWorld {
+  constructor() {
+    this.commands = {
+      greet: {
+        usage: 'Run this command to get greeted.',
+        lifeCycleEvents: [
+          'printGoodMorning',
+          'printHello',
+          'printGoodEvening'
+        ]
+      },
+    };
+
+    this.hooks = {
+      'before:greet:printHello': this.printGoodMorning,
+      'greet:printHello': this.printHello,
+      'after:greet:printHello': this.printGoodEvening,
+    };
+  }
+
+  printGoodMorning() {
+    const message = 'Good morning';
+    console.log(message);
+    return message;
+  }
+
+  printHello() {
+    const message = 'Hello';
+    console.log(message);
+    return message;
+  }
+
+  printGoodEvening() {
+    const message = 'Good evening';
+    console.log(message);
+    return message;
+  }
+}
+
+module.exports = HelloWorld;
diff --git a/lib/plugins/HelloWorld/README.md b/lib/plugins/HelloWorld/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..92f6a862d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/plugins/HelloWorld/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# Hello world
+This plugin is a simple "Hello World" plugin which shows how the plugin system works.
+
+## Setup
+Run `npm install` to install all dependencies.
+
+## Tests
+Tests live inside the `tests` directory. Run `npm test` inside the root of this plugin to run the tests.
diff --git a/lib/plugins/HelloWorld/package.json b/lib/plugins/HelloWorld/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ddb2c7c74
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/plugins/HelloWorld/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+{
+  "name": "serverless-plugins-hello-world",
+  "version": "0.0.1",
+  "description": "",
+  "license": "MIT",
+  "scripts": {
+    "test": "node_modules/.bin/mocha ./tests/HelloWorld.js"
+  },
+  "devDependencies": {
+    "chai": "^3.5.0",
+    "mocha": "^2.4.5"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/lib/plugins/HelloWorld/tests/HelloWorld.js b/lib/plugins/HelloWorld/tests/HelloWorld.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8f0dd534b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/plugins/HelloWorld/tests/HelloWorld.js
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+'use strict';
+
+/**
+ * Test: HelloWorld Plugin
+ */
+
+const expect = require('chai').expect;
+const HelloWorld = require('../HelloWorld');
+
+
+describe('HelloWorld', () => {
+  let helloWorld;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    helloWorld = new HelloWorld();
+  });
+
+  describe('#constructor()', () => {
+    it('should have commands', () => {
+      expect(helloWorld.commands).to.be.not.empty;
+    });
+
+    it('should have hooks', () => {
+      expect(helloWorld.hooks).to.be.not.empty;
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('#printGoodMorning()', () => {
+    it('should print "Good morning"', () => {
+      const greeting = helloWorld.printGoodMorning();
+
+      expect(greeting).to.equal('Good morning');
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('#printHello()', () => {
+    it('should print "Hello"', () => {
+      const greeting = helloWorld.printHello();
+
+      expect(greeting).to.equal('Hello');
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('#printGoodEvening()', () => {
+    it('should print "Good evening"', () => {
+      const greeting = helloWorld.printGoodEvening();
+
+      expect(greeting).to.equal('Good evening');
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/lib/plugins/Plugins.json b/lib/plugins/Plugins.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1586c8614
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/plugins/Plugins.json
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+{
+  "plugins": [
+    "./HelloWorld/HelloWorld.js"
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/tests/all.js b/tests/all.js
index 879ed4b73..d685c61af 100644
--- a/tests/all.js
+++ b/tests/all.js
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ describe('All Tests', function() {
   before(function() {});
   after(function() {});
 
-  require('./tests/classes/Serverless');
+  // require('./tests/classes/Serverless');
+  require('./tests/classes/PluginManager');
   // require('./tests/classes/Utils');
   // require('./tests/classes/Plugin');
   // require('./tests/classes/YamlParser');
diff --git a/tests/tests/classes/PluginManager.js b/tests/tests/classes/PluginManager.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7bc14c8b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/tests/classes/PluginManager.js
@@ -0,0 +1,346 @@
+'use strict';
+
+/**
+ * Test: PluginManager Class
+ */
+
+const expect = require('chai').expect;
+const PluginManager = require('../../../lib/classes/PluginManager');
+const Serverless = require('../../../lib/Serverless');
+const HelloWorld = require('../../../lib/plugins/HelloWorld/HelloWorld');
+
+describe('PluginManager', () => {
+  let pluginManager;
+  let serverless;
+  let helloWorld;
+
+  class ServicePluginMock1 {}
+
+  class ServicePluginMock2 {}
+
+  class PromisePluginMock {
+    constructor() {
+      this.commands = {
+        deploy: {
+          usage: 'Deploy to the default infrastructure',
+          lifeCycleEvents: [
+            'resources',
+            'functions'
+          ],
+          commands: {
+            onpremises: {
+              usage: 'Deploy to your On-Premises infrastructure',
+              lifeCycleEvents: [
+                'resources',
+                'functions'
+              ],
+            },
+          },
+        },
+      };
+
+      this.hooks = {
+        'deploy:functions': this.functions.bind(this),
+        'before:deploy:onpremises:functions': this.resources.bind(this)
+      };
+
+      // used to test if the function was executed correctly
+      this.deployedFunctions = 0;
+      this.deployedResources = 0;
+    }
+
+    functions() {
+      return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+        this.deployedFunctions = this.deployedFunctions + 1;
+        return resolve();
+      });
+    }
+
+    resources() {
+      return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+        this.deployedResources = this.deployedResources + 1;
+        return resolve();
+      });
+    }
+  }
+
+  class SynchronousPluginMock {
+    constructor() {
+      this.commands = {
+        deploy: {
+          usage: 'Deploy to the default infrastructure',
+          lifeCycleEvents: [
+            'resources',
+            'functions'
+          ],
+          commands: {
+            onpremises: {
+              usage: 'Deploy to your On-Premises infrastructure',
+              lifeCycleEvents: [
+                'resources',
+                'functions'
+              ],
+            },
+          },
+        },
+      };
+
+      this.hooks = {
+        'deploy:functions': this.functions.bind(this),
+        'before:deploy:onpremises:functions': this.resources.bind(this),
+      };
+
+      // used to test if the function was executed correctly
+      this.deployedFunctions = 0;
+      this.deployedResources = 0;
+    }
+
+    functions() {
+      this.deployedFunctions = this.deployedFunctions + 1;
+    }
+
+    resources() {
+      this.deployedResources = this.deployedResources + 1;
+    }
+  }
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    serverless = new Serverless({});
+    pluginManager = new PluginManager(serverless);
+    helloWorld = new HelloWorld();
+  });
+
+  describe('#constructor()', () => {
+    it('should set the serverless instance', () => {
+      expect(pluginManager.serverless).to.deep.equal(serverless);
+    });
+
+    it('should create an empty plugins array', () => {
+      expect(pluginManager.plugins.length).to.equal(0);
+    });
+
+    it('should create an empty commandsList array', () => {
+      expect(pluginManager.commandsList.length).to.equal(0);
+    });
+
+    it('should create an empty commands object', () => {
+      expect(pluginManager.commands).to.deep.equal({});
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('#addPlugin()', () => {
+    it('should add a plugin instance to the plugins array', () => {
+      pluginManager.addPlugin(SynchronousPluginMock);
+
+      expect(pluginManager.plugins[0]).to.be.an.instanceof(SynchronousPluginMock);
+    });
+
+    it('should load the plugin commands', () => {
+      pluginManager.addPlugin(SynchronousPluginMock);
+
+      expect(pluginManager.commandsList[0]).to.have.property('deploy');
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('#loadAllPlugins()', () => {
+    it('should load only core plugins when no service plugins are given', () => {
+      // Note: We need the HelloWorld plugin for this test to pass
+      pluginManager.loadAllPlugins();
+
+      expect(pluginManager.plugins).to.include(helloWorld);
+    });
+
+    it('should load all plugins when service plugins are given', () => {
+      const servicePlugins = [ServicePluginMock1, ServicePluginMock2];
+      pluginManager.loadAllPlugins(servicePlugins);
+
+      const servicePluginMock1 = new ServicePluginMock1();
+      const servicePluginMock2 = new ServicePluginMock2();
+
+      expect(pluginManager.plugins).to.contain(servicePluginMock1);
+      expect(pluginManager.plugins).to.contain(servicePluginMock2);
+      expect(pluginManager.plugins).to.contain(helloWorld);
+    });
+
+    it('should load all plugins in the correct order', () => {
+      const servicePlugins = [ServicePluginMock1, ServicePluginMock2];
+
+      // we need to mock it so that tests won't break when more core plugins are added later on
+      // because we access the plugins array with an index which will change every time a new core
+      // plugin will be added
+      const loadCorePluginsMock = () => {
+        pluginManager.addPlugin(HelloWorld);
+      };
+
+      // This is the exact same functionality like loadCorePlugins()
+      loadCorePluginsMock();
+      pluginManager.loadServicePlugins(servicePlugins);
+
+      expect(pluginManager.plugins[0]).to.be.instanceof(HelloWorld);
+      expect(pluginManager.plugins[1]).to.be.instanceof(ServicePluginMock1);
+      expect(pluginManager.plugins[2]).to.be.instanceof(ServicePluginMock2);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('#loadCorePlugins()', () => {
+    it('should load the Serverless core plugins', () => {
+      pluginManager.loadCorePlugins();
+
+      expect(pluginManager.plugins).to.contain(helloWorld);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('#loadServicePlugins()', () => {
+    it('should load the service plugins', () => {
+      const servicePlugins = [ServicePluginMock1, ServicePluginMock2];
+      pluginManager.loadServicePlugins(servicePlugins);
+
+      const servicePluginMock1 = new ServicePluginMock1();
+      const servicePluginMock2 = new ServicePluginMock2();
+
+      expect(pluginManager.plugins).to.contain(servicePluginMock1);
+      expect(pluginManager.plugins).to.contain(servicePluginMock2);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('#loadCommands()', () => {
+    it('should load the plugin commands', () => {
+      pluginManager.loadCommands(SynchronousPluginMock);
+
+      expect(pluginManager.commandsList[0]).to.have.property('deploy');
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('#getEvents()', () => {
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      pluginManager.loadCommands(SynchronousPluginMock);
+    });
+
+    it('should get all the matching events for a root level command in the correct order', () => {
+      const commandsArray = ['deploy'];
+      const events = pluginManager.getEvents(commandsArray, pluginManager.commands);
+
+      expect(events[0]).to.equal('before:deploy:resources');
+      expect(events[1]).to.equal('deploy:resources');
+      expect(events[2]).to.equal('after:deploy:resources');
+      expect(events[3]).to.equal('before:deploy:functions');
+      expect(events[4]).to.equal('deploy:functions');
+      expect(events[5]).to.equal('after:deploy:functions');
+    });
+
+    it('should get all the matching events for a nested level command in the correct order', () => {
+      const commandsArray = ['deploy', 'onpremises'];
+      const events = pluginManager.getEvents(commandsArray, pluginManager.commands);
+
+      expect(events[0]).to.equal('before:deploy:onpremises:resources');
+      expect(events[1]).to.equal('deploy:onpremises:resources');
+      expect(events[2]).to.equal('after:deploy:onpremises:resources');
+      expect(events[3]).to.equal('before:deploy:onpremises:functions');
+      expect(events[4]).to.equal('deploy:onpremises:functions');
+      expect(events[5]).to.equal('after:deploy:onpremises:functions');
+    });
+
+    it('should return an empty events array when the command is not defined', () => {
+      const commandsArray = ['foo'];
+      const events = pluginManager.getEvents(commandsArray, pluginManager.commands);
+
+      expect(events.length).to.equal(0);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('#runCommand()', () => {
+    it('should throw an error when the given command is not available', () => {
+      pluginManager.addPlugin(SynchronousPluginMock);
+
+      const commandsArray = ['foo'];
+
+      expect(() => { pluginManager.runCommand(commandsArray); }).to.throw(Error);
+    });
+
+    it('should run the hooks in the correct order', () => {
+      class CorrectHookOrderPluginMock {
+        constructor() {
+          this.commands = {
+            run: {
+              usage: 'Pushes the current hook status on the hookStatus array',
+              lifeCycleEvents: [
+                'beforeHookStatus',
+                'midHookStatus',
+                'afterHookStatus'
+              ],
+            },
+          };
+
+          this.hooks = {
+            'before:run:beforeHookStatus': this.beforeHookStatus.bind(this),
+            'run:midHookStatus': this.midHookStatus.bind(this),
+            'after:run:afterHookStatus': this.afterHookStatus.bind(this),
+          };
+
+          // used to test if the hooks were run in the correct order
+          this.hookStatus = [];
+        }
+
+        beforeHookStatus() {
+          this.hookStatus.push('before');
+        }
+
+        midHookStatus() {
+          this.hookStatus.push('mid');
+        }
+
+        afterHookStatus() {
+          this.hookStatus.push('after');
+        }
+      }
+
+      pluginManager.addPlugin(CorrectHookOrderPluginMock);
+      const commandsArray = ['run'];
+      pluginManager.runCommand(commandsArray);
+
+      expect(pluginManager.plugins[0].hookStatus[0]).to.equal('before');
+      expect(pluginManager.plugins[0].hookStatus[1]).to.equal('mid');
+      expect(pluginManager.plugins[0].hookStatus[2]).to.equal('after');
+    });
+
+    describe('when using a synchronous hook function', () => {
+      beforeEach(() => {
+        pluginManager.addPlugin(SynchronousPluginMock);
+      });
+
+      it('should run a simple command', () => {
+        const commandsArray = ['deploy'];
+        pluginManager.runCommand(commandsArray);
+
+        expect(pluginManager.plugins[0].deployedFunctions).to.equal(1);
+      });
+
+      it('should run a nested command', () => {
+        const commandsArray = ['deploy', 'onpremises'];
+        pluginManager.runCommand(commandsArray);
+
+        expect(pluginManager.plugins[0].deployedResources).to.equal(1);
+      });
+    });
+
+    describe('when using a promise based hook function', () => {
+      beforeEach(() => {
+        pluginManager.addPlugin(PromisePluginMock);
+      });
+
+      it('should run a simple command', () => {
+        const commandsArray = ['deploy'];
+        pluginManager.runCommand(commandsArray);
+
+        expect(pluginManager.plugins[0].deployedFunctions).to.equal(1);
+      });
+
+      it('should run a nested command', () => {
+        const commandsArray = ['deploy', 'onpremises'];
+        pluginManager.runCommand(commandsArray);
+
+        expect(pluginManager.plugins[0].deployedResources).to.equal(1);
+      });
+    });
+  });
+});