diff --git a/data/core/config.lua b/data/core/config.lua
index 777c190e..401ac0af 100644
--- a/data/core/config.lua
+++ b/data/core/config.lua
@@ -28,7 +28,9 @@ config.tab_close_button = true
 
 -- Disable plugin loading setting to false the config entry
 -- of the same name.
-config.trimwhitespace = false
-config.lineguide = false
+config.plugins = {}
+
+config.plugins.trimwhitespace = false
+config.plugins.lineguide = false
 
 return config
diff --git a/data/core/init.lua b/data/core/init.lua
index a23026b2..7a16ccae 100644
--- a/data/core/init.lua
+++ b/data/core/init.lua
@@ -712,7 +712,7 @@ function core.load_plugins()
         local ls = refused_list[root_dir == USERDIR and 'userdir' or 'datadir'].plugins
         ls[#ls + 1] = filename
       end
-      if version_match and config[basename] ~= false then
+      if version_match and config.plugins[basename] ~= false then
         local modname = "plugins." .. basename
         local ok = core.try(require, modname)
         if ok then core.log_quiet("Loaded plugin %q from %s", basename, plugin_dir) end
diff --git a/data/plugins/autocomplete.lua b/data/plugins/autocomplete.lua
index c76eed02..ce2d7ff1 100644
--- a/data/plugins/autocomplete.lua
+++ b/data/plugins/autocomplete.lua
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ local translate = require "core.doc.translate"
 local RootView = require "core.rootview"
 local DocView = require "core.docview"
 
-config.autocomplete_max_suggestions = 6
+config.plugins.autocomplete = { max_suggestions = 6 }
 
 local autocomplete = {}
 autocomplete.map = {}
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ local function update_suggestions()
   -- fuzzy match, remove duplicates and store
   items = common.fuzzy_match(items, partial)
   local j = 1
-  for i = 1, config.autocomplete_max_suggestions do
+  for i = 1, config.autocomplete.max_suggestions do
     suggestions[i] = items[j]
     while items[j] and items[i].text == items[j].text do
       items[i].info = items[i].info or items[j].info
diff --git a/data/plugins/scale.lua b/data/plugins/scale.lua
index a5f5aaee..79152f8b 100644
--- a/data/plugins/scale.lua
+++ b/data/plugins/scale.lua
@@ -8,8 +8,10 @@ local style = require "core.style"
 local RootView = require "core.rootview"
 local CommandView = require "core.commandview"
 
-config.scale_mode = "code"
-config.scale_use_mousewheel = true
+config.plugins.scale = {
+  mode = "code",
+  use_mousewheel = true
+}
 
 local scale_level = 0
 local scale_steps = 0.05
@@ -35,7 +37,7 @@ local function set_scale(scale)
   -- we set scale_level in case this was called by user
   scale_level = (scale - default_scale) / scale_steps
 
-  if config.scale_mode == "ui" then
+  if config.plugins.scale.mode == "ui" then
     SCALE = scale
 
     style.padding.x      = style.padding.x      * s
@@ -68,7 +70,7 @@ end
 local on_mouse_wheel = RootView.on_mouse_wheel
 
 function RootView:on_mouse_wheel(d, ...)
-  if keymap.modkeys["ctrl"] and config.scale_use_mousewheel then
+  if keymap.modkeys["ctrl"] and config.plugins.scale.use_mousewheel then
     if d < 0 then command.perform "scale:decrease" end
     if d > 0 then command.perform "scale:increase" end
   else
diff --git a/data/plugins/treeview.lua b/data/plugins/treeview.lua
index 0b9304aa..14ada70f 100644
--- a/data/plugins/treeview.lua
+++ b/data/plugins/treeview.lua
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ local treeview_node = node:split("left", view, {x = true}, true)
 -- in the treeview node.
 local toolbar_view = nil
 local toolbar_plugin, ToolbarView = core.try(require, "plugins.toolbarview")
-if config.toolbarview ~= false and toolbar_plugin then
+if config.plugins.toolbarview ~= false and toolbar_plugin then
   toolbar_view = ToolbarView()
   treeview_node:split("down", toolbar_view, {y = true})
   local min_toolbar_width = toolbar_view:get_min_width()