diff --git a/src/Composer/Command/Command.php b/src/Composer/Command/Command.php
index 6e91ff869..862b54e58 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Command/Command.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Command/Command.php
@@ -38,16 +38,17 @@ abstract class Command extends BaseCommand
 
     /**
      * @param  bool              $required
+     * @param  bool              $disablePlugins
      * @throws \RuntimeException
      * @return Composer
      */
-    public function getComposer($required = true)
+    public function getComposer($required = true, $disablePlugins = false)
     {
         if (null === $this->composer) {
             $application = $this->getApplication();
             if ($application instanceof Application) {
                 /* @var $application    Application */
-                $this->composer = $application->getComposer($required);
+                $this->composer = $application->getComposer($required, $disablePlugins);
             } elseif ($required) {
                 throw new \RuntimeException(
                     'Could not create a Composer\Composer instance, you must inject '.
diff --git a/src/Composer/Command/CreateProjectCommand.php b/src/Composer/Command/CreateProjectCommand.php
index 308f1d204..c764c9340 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Command/CreateProjectCommand.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Command/CreateProjectCommand.php
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ EOT
             $installedFromVcs = false;
         }
 
-        $composer = Factory::create($io);
+        $composer = Factory::create($io, null, $disablePlugins);
 
         if ($noScripts === false) {
             // dispatch event
diff --git a/src/Composer/Command/InstallCommand.php b/src/Composer/Command/InstallCommand.php
index edf8ae593..adc2ca595 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Command/InstallCommand.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Command/InstallCommand.php
@@ -58,7 +58,12 @@ EOT
 
     protected function execute(InputInterface $input, OutputInterface $output)
     {
-        $composer = $this->getComposer();
+        if ($input->getOption('no-custom-installers')) {
+            $output->writeln('<warning>You are using the deprecated option "no-custom-installers". Use "no-plugins" instead.</warning>');
+            $input->setOption('no-plugins', true);
+        }
+
+        $composer = $this->getComposer(true, $input->getOption('no-plugins'));
         $composer->getDownloadManager()->setOutputProgress(!$input->getOption('no-progress'));
         $io = $this->getIO();
         $install = Installer::create($io, $composer);
@@ -92,10 +97,6 @@ EOT
             ->setOptimizeAutoloader($input->getOption('optimize-autoloader'))
         ;
 
-        if ($input->getOption('no-custom-installers')) {
-            $output->writeln('<warning>You are using the deprecated option "no-custom-installers". Use "no-plugins" instead.</warning>');
-            $input->setOption('no-plugins', true);
-        }
         if ($input->getOption('no-plugins')) {
             $install->disablePlugins();
         }
diff --git a/src/Composer/Command/UpdateCommand.php b/src/Composer/Command/UpdateCommand.php
index 3ac0e1401..728fadd24 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Command/UpdateCommand.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Command/UpdateCommand.php
@@ -62,7 +62,12 @@ EOT
 
     protected function execute(InputInterface $input, OutputInterface $output)
     {
-        $composer = $this->getComposer();
+        if ($input->getOption('no-custom-installers')) {
+            $output->writeln('<warning>You are using the deprecated option "no-custom-installers". Use "no-plugins" instead.</warning>');
+            $input->setOption('no-plugins', true);
+        }
+
+        $composer = $this->getComposer(true, $input->getOption('no-plugins'));
         $composer->getDownloadManager()->setOutputProgress(!$input->getOption('no-progress'));
         $io = $this->getIO();
         $install = Installer::create($io, $composer);
@@ -98,10 +103,6 @@ EOT
             ->setUpdateWhitelist($input->getOption('lock') ? array('lock') : $input->getArgument('packages'))
         ;
 
-        if ($input->getOption('no-custom-installers')) {
-            $output->writeln('<warning>You are using the deprecated option "no-custom-installers". Use "no-plugins" instead.</warning>');
-            $input->setOption('no-plugins', true);
-        }
         if ($input->getOption('no-plugins')) {
             $install->disablePlugins();
         }
diff --git a/src/Composer/Console/Application.php b/src/Composer/Console/Application.php
index 0d1e45500..63bb59124 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Console/Application.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Console/Application.php
@@ -165,14 +165,15 @@ class Application extends BaseApplication
 
     /**
      * @param  bool                    $required
+     * @param  bool                    $disablePlugins
      * @throws JsonValidationException
      * @return \Composer\Composer
      */
-    public function getComposer($required = true)
+    public function getComposer($required = true, $disablePlugins = false)
     {
         if (null === $this->composer) {
             try {
-                $this->composer = Factory::create($this->io);
+                $this->composer = Factory::create($this->io, null, $disablePlugins);
             } catch (\InvalidArgumentException $e) {
                 if ($required) {
                     $this->io->write($e->getMessage());
diff --git a/src/Composer/Factory.php b/src/Composer/Factory.php
index ae18bee50..28b00fd49 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Factory.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Factory.php
@@ -177,11 +177,12 @@ class Factory
      * @param IOInterface       $io          IO instance
      * @param array|string|null $localConfig either a configuration array or a filename to read from, if null it will
      *                                       read from the default filename
+     * @param bool        $disablePlugins Whether plugins should not be loaded
      * @throws \InvalidArgumentException
      * @throws \UnexpectedValueException
      * @return Composer
      */
-    public function createComposer(IOInterface $io, $localConfig = null)
+    public function createComposer(IOInterface $io, $localConfig = null, $disablePlugins = false)
     {
         // load Composer configuration
         if (null === $localConfig) {
@@ -269,7 +270,9 @@ class Factory
             $composer->setLocker($locker);
         }
 
-        $pm->loadInstalledPlugins();
+        if (!$disablePlugins) {
+            $pm->loadInstalledPlugins();
+        }
 
         return $composer;
     }
@@ -408,12 +411,13 @@ class Factory
      * @param IOInterface $io     IO instance
      * @param mixed       $config either a configuration array or a filename to read from, if null it will read from
      *                             the default filename
+     * @param bool        $disablePlugins Whether plugins should not be loaded
      * @return Composer
      */
-    public static function create(IOInterface $io, $config = null)
+    public static function create(IOInterface $io, $config = null, $disablePlugins = false)
     {
         $factory = new static();
 
-        return $factory->createComposer($io, $config);
+        return $factory->createComposer($io, $config, $disablePlugins);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/Composer/Installer/InstallationManager.php b/src/Composer/Installer/InstallationManager.php
index a43acbbda..21b16e2fd 100644
--- a/src/Composer/Installer/InstallationManager.php
+++ b/src/Composer/Installer/InstallationManager.php
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ namespace Composer\Installer;
 
 use Composer\Package\PackageInterface;
 use Composer\Package\AliasPackage;
+use Composer\Plugin\PluginInstaller;
 use Composer\Repository\RepositoryInterface;
 use Composer\Repository\InstalledRepositoryInterface;
 use Composer\DependencyResolver\Operation\OperationInterface;