diff --git a/pkg/plugins/dashboard_importer_test.go b/pkg/plugins/dashboard_importer_test.go
index 3094e6f6d52..7272e5a1e2e 100644
--- a/pkg/plugins/dashboard_importer_test.go
+++ b/pkg/plugins/dashboard_importer_test.go
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ func pluginScenario(desc string, t *testing.T, fn func()) {
 		setting.Cfg = ini.Empty()
 		sec, _ := setting.Cfg.NewSection("plugin.test-app")
 		sec.NewKey("path", "../../tests/test-app")
-		err := Init(context.TODO())
+		err := initPlugins(context.TODO())
 
 		So(err, ShouldBeNil)
 
diff --git a/pkg/plugins/dashboards_test.go b/pkg/plugins/dashboards_test.go
index e1a927eb36f..bd0fd96a100 100644
--- a/pkg/plugins/dashboards_test.go
+++ b/pkg/plugins/dashboards_test.go
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ func TestPluginDashboards(t *testing.T) {
 		setting.Cfg = ini.Empty()
 		sec, _ := setting.Cfg.NewSection("plugin.test-app")
 		sec.NewKey("path", "../../tests/test-app")
-		err := Init(context.TODO())
+		err := initPlugins(context.TODO())
 
 		So(err, ShouldBeNil)
 
diff --git a/pkg/plugins/datasource_plugin.go b/pkg/plugins/datasource_plugin.go
index fb164f29c6c..826839cf3d4 100644
--- a/pkg/plugins/datasource_plugin.go
+++ b/pkg/plugins/datasource_plugin.go
@@ -73,10 +73,12 @@ func buildExecutablePath(pluginDir, executable, os, arch string) string {
 func (p *DataSourcePlugin) initBackendPlugin(ctx context.Context, log log.Logger) error {
 	p.log = log.New("plugin-id", p.Id)
 
-	p.spawnSubProcess()
-	go p.reattachKilledProcess(ctx)
+	err := p.spawnSubProcess()
+	if err == nil {
+		go p.restartKilledProcess(ctx)
+	}
 
-	return nil
+	return err
 }
 
 func (p *DataSourcePlugin) spawnSubProcess() error {
@@ -109,7 +111,7 @@ func (p *DataSourcePlugin) spawnSubProcess() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (p *DataSourcePlugin) reattachKilledProcess(ctx context.Context) error {
+func (p *DataSourcePlugin) restartKilledProcess(ctx context.Context) error {
 	ticker := time.NewTicker(time.Second * 1)
 
 	for {
diff --git a/pkg/plugins/plugins.go b/pkg/plugins/plugins.go
index 28cc58281d9..4bf2de94d46 100644
--- a/pkg/plugins/plugins.go
+++ b/pkg/plugins/plugins.go
@@ -23,8 +23,7 @@ var (
 	StaticRoutes []*PluginStaticRoute
 	Apps         map[string]*AppPlugin
 	Plugins      map[string]*PluginBase
-	//BackendDatasources map[string]*BackendDatasource
-	PluginTypes map[string]interface{}
+	PluginTypes  map[string]interface{}
 
 	GrafanaLatestVersion string
 	GrafanaHasUpdate     bool
@@ -43,7 +42,12 @@ type PluginManager struct {
 }
 
 func NewPluginManager(ctx context.Context) (*PluginManager, error) {
-	Init(ctx)
+	err := initPlugins(ctx)
+
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	return &PluginManager{
 		log: log.New("plugins"),
 	}, nil
@@ -60,14 +64,14 @@ func (p *PluginManager) Run(ctx context.Context) error {
 	return ctx.Err()
 }
 
-func Init(ctx context.Context) error {
+func initPlugins(ctx context.Context) error {
 	plog = log.New("plugins")
 
-	DataSources = make(map[string]*DataSourcePlugin)
-	StaticRoutes = make([]*PluginStaticRoute, 0)
-	Panels = make(map[string]*PanelPlugin)
-	Apps = make(map[string]*AppPlugin)
-	Plugins = make(map[string]*PluginBase)
+	DataSources = map[string]*DataSourcePlugin{}
+	StaticRoutes = []*PluginStaticRoute{}
+	Panels = map[string]*PanelPlugin{}
+	Apps = map[string]*AppPlugin{}
+	Plugins = map[string]*PluginBase{}
 	PluginTypes = map[string]interface{}{
 		"panel":      PanelPlugin{},
 		"datasource": DataSourcePlugin{},
@@ -79,9 +83,8 @@ func Init(ctx context.Context) error {
 
 	// check if plugins dir exists
 	if _, err := os.Stat(setting.PluginsPath); os.IsNotExist(err) {
-		plog.Warn("Plugin dir does not exist", "dir", setting.PluginsPath)
 		if err = os.MkdirAll(setting.PluginsPath, os.ModePerm); err != nil {
-			plog.Warn("Failed to create plugin dir", "dir", setting.PluginsPath, "error", err)
+			plog.Error("Failed to create plugin dir", "dir", setting.PluginsPath, "error", err)
 		} else {
 			plog.Info("Plugin dir created", "dir", setting.PluginsPath)
 			scan(setting.PluginsPath)
@@ -96,13 +99,18 @@ func Init(ctx context.Context) error {
 	for _, panel := range Panels {
 		panel.initFrontendPlugin()
 	}
+
 	for _, ds := range DataSources {
 		if ds.Backend {
-			ds.initBackendPlugin(ctx, plog)
+			err := ds.initBackendPlugin(ctx, plog)
+			if err != nil {
+				plog.Error("Failed to init plugin.", "error", err, "plugin", ds.Id)
+			}
 		}
 
 		ds.initFrontendPlugin()
 	}
+
 	for _, app := range Apps {
 		app.initApp()
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/plugins/plugins_test.go b/pkg/plugins/plugins_test.go
index e2dc17f3ae7..1b9e27ba5b4 100644
--- a/pkg/plugins/plugins_test.go
+++ b/pkg/plugins/plugins_test.go
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ func TestPluginScans(t *testing.T) {
 	Convey("When scaning for plugins", t, func() {
 		setting.StaticRootPath, _ = filepath.Abs("../../public/")
 		setting.Cfg = ini.Empty()
-		err := Init(context.TODO())
+		err := initPlugins(context.TODO())
 
 		So(err, ShouldBeNil)
 		So(len(DataSources), ShouldBeGreaterThan, 1)
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ func TestPluginScans(t *testing.T) {
 		setting.Cfg = ini.Empty()
 		sec, _ := setting.Cfg.NewSection("plugin.nginx-app")
 		sec.NewKey("path", "../../tests/test-app")
-		err := Init(context.TODO())
+		err := initPlugins(context.TODO())
 
 		So(err, ShouldBeNil)
 		So(len(Apps), ShouldBeGreaterThan, 0)