diff --git a/src/controllers/plugins/Plugin.cpp b/src/controllers/plugins/Plugin.cpp
index 5d3400a79..5769b106d 100644
--- a/src/controllers/plugins/Plugin.cpp
+++ b/src/controllers/plugins/Plugin.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 #include "Plugin.hpp"
+
 #ifdef CHATTERINO_HAVE_PLUGINS
 
+#    include "lua.h"
+
 namespace chatterino {
 bool Plugin::registerCommand(const QString &name, const QString &functionName)
 {
@@ -27,5 +30,14 @@ std::set<QString> Plugin::listRegisteredCommands()
     }
     return out;
 }
+
+Plugin::~Plugin()
+{
+    if (this->state_ != nullptr)
+    {
+        lua_close(this->state_);
+    }
+}
+
 }  // namespace chatterino
 #endif
diff --git a/src/controllers/plugins/Plugin.hpp b/src/controllers/plugins/Plugin.hpp
index 71095a377..7edc3f96b 100644
--- a/src/controllers/plugins/Plugin.hpp
+++ b/src/controllers/plugins/Plugin.hpp
@@ -125,6 +125,8 @@ public:
     {
     }
 
+    ~Plugin();
+
     bool registerCommand(const QString &name, const QString &functionName);
 
     std::set<QString> listRegisteredCommands();
diff --git a/src/controllers/plugins/PluginController.cpp b/src/controllers/plugins/PluginController.cpp
index 6cd30810e..2d8238f0e 100644
--- a/src/controllers/plugins/PluginController.cpp
+++ b/src/controllers/plugins/PluginController.cpp
@@ -35,11 +35,6 @@ void PluginController::initialize(Settings &settings, Paths &paths)
         else
         {
             // uninitialize plugins
-            for (const auto &[codename, plugin] : this->plugins_)
-            {
-                this->reload(codename);
-            }
-            // can safely delete them now, after lua freed its stuff
             this->plugins_.clear();
         }
     });
@@ -54,6 +49,7 @@ void PluginController::actuallyInitialize()
             << "Loading plugins disabled via Setting, skipping";
         return;
     }
+    this->plugins_.clear();
     auto dir = QDir(getPaths()->pluginsDirectory);
     qCDebug(chatterinoLua) << "Loading plugins in" << dir.path();
     for (const auto &info : dir.entryInfoList(QDir::NoDotAndDotDot))