diff --git a/src/main/java/org/owasp/webgoat/plugins/GlobalProperties.java b/src/main/java/org/owasp/webgoat/plugins/GlobalProperties.java
index 6e478815f..d1faa6ea8 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/owasp/webgoat/plugins/GlobalProperties.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/owasp/webgoat/plugins/GlobalProperties.java
@@ -3,19 +3,21 @@ package org.owasp.webgoat.plugins;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.nio.file.Path;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Objects;
 
 public final class GlobalProperties {
 
-    private final Plugin plugin;
+    private final Path pluginDirectory;
 
     public GlobalProperties(Path pluginDirectory) {
-        this.plugin = new Plugin(pluginDirectory);
+        this.pluginDirectory = Objects.requireNonNull(pluginDirectory, "pluginDirectory cannot be null");
     }
 
     public void loadProperties(Path globalPropertiesPath) {
         try {
+            PluginFileUtils.createDirsIfNotExists(pluginDirectory);
             List<Path> filesInDirectory = PluginFileUtils.getFilesInDirectory(globalPropertiesPath);
-            this.plugin.loadFiles(filesInDirectory, true);
+            new Plugin(pluginDirectory).loadFiles(filesInDirectory, true);
         } catch (IOException e) {
             throw new IllegalStateException("Unable to load global properties, check your installation for the directory i18n: " + globalPropertiesPath.toString(), e);
         }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/owasp/webgoat/plugins/Plugin.java b/src/main/java/org/owasp/webgoat/plugins/Plugin.java
index 8e59cf5ca..0a22fd066 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/owasp/webgoat/plugins/Plugin.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/owasp/webgoat/plugins/Plugin.java
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package org.owasp.webgoat.plugins;
 
 import com.google.common.base.Optional;
+import com.google.common.base.Preconditions;
 import com.google.common.collect.Lists;
 import org.owasp.webgoat.classloader.PluginClassLoader;
 import org.owasp.webgoat.lessons.AbstractLesson;
@@ -36,11 +37,13 @@ public class Plugin {
     private File lessonSourceFile;
 
     public Plugin(Path pluginDirectory) {
+        Preconditions.checkNotNull(pluginDirectory, "plugin directory cannot be null");
+        Preconditions.checkArgument(Files.exists(pluginDirectory), "directory %s does not exists", pluginDirectory);
         this.pluginDirectory = pluginDirectory;
     }
 
     public Plugin(Path pluginDirectory, List<String> classes) {
-        this.pluginDirectory = pluginDirectory;
+        this(pluginDirectory);
         findLesson(classes);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/owasp/webgoat/plugins/PluginsLoader.java b/src/main/java/org/owasp/webgoat/plugins/PluginsLoader.java
index 716c90338..b2d727fb0 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/owasp/webgoat/plugins/PluginsLoader.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/owasp/webgoat/plugins/PluginsLoader.java
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ public class PluginsLoader implements Runnable {
         List<Plugin> plugins = Lists.newArrayList();
 
         try {
+            PluginFileUtils.createDirsIfNotExists(pluginTarget);
             List<URL> jars = listJars();
             cl.addURL(jars);
             plugins = processPlugins(jars, reload);