diff --git a/pkg/plugins/ifaces.go b/pkg/plugins/ifaces.go
index 509c84a8ab6..9575deeb8a2 100644
--- a/pkg/plugins/ifaces.go
+++ b/pkg/plugins/ifaces.go
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/plugins/backendplugin"
 )
 
-// Store is the storage for plugins.
+// Store is the publicly accessible storage for plugins.
 type Store interface {
 	// Plugin finds a plugin by its ID.
 	Plugin(ctx context.Context, pluginID string) (PluginDTO, bool)
diff --git a/pkg/plugins/manager/registry/ifaces.go b/pkg/plugins/manager/registry/ifaces.go
index 5f81086c5fc..94c7696eac8 100644
--- a/pkg/plugins/manager/registry/ifaces.go
+++ b/pkg/plugins/manager/registry/ifaces.go
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/plugins"
 )
 
-// Service is responsible for the storing and retrieval of plugins.
+// Service is responsible for the internal storing and retrieval of plugins.
 type Service interface {
 	// Plugin finds a plugin by its ID.
 	Plugin(ctx context.Context, id string) (*plugins.Plugin, bool)
diff --git a/pkg/services/store/resolver/ds_cache.go b/pkg/services/store/resolver/ds_cache.go
index 632fe39da56..64081d057a7 100644
--- a/pkg/services/store/resolver/ds_cache.go
+++ b/pkg/services/store/resolver/ds_cache.go
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/plugins/manager/registry"
+	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/plugins"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/services/datasources"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/services/store"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/tsdb/grafanads"
@@ -22,11 +22,11 @@ type dsVal struct {
 }
 
 type dsCache struct {
-	ds             datasources.DataSourceService
-	pluginRegistry registry.Service
-	cache          map[int64]map[string]*dsVal
-	timestamp      time.Time // across all orgIDs
-	mu             sync.Mutex
+	ds          datasources.DataSourceService
+	pluginStore plugins.Store
+	cache       map[int64]map[string]*dsVal
+	timestamp   time.Time // across all orgIDs
+	mu          sync.Mutex
 }
 
 func (c *dsCache) refreshCache(ctx context.Context) error {
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ func (c *dsCache) refreshCache(ctx context.Context) error {
 			Type:       ds.Type,
 			IsDefault:  ds.IsDefault,
 		}
-		_, ok := c.pluginRegistry.Plugin(ctx, val.Type)
+		_, ok := c.pluginStore.Plugin(ctx, val.Type)
 		val.PluginExists = ok
 
 		orgCache, ok := cache[ds.OrgId]
diff --git a/pkg/services/store/resolver/service.go b/pkg/services/store/resolver/service.go
index 956b911e873..d4471a2412d 100644
--- a/pkg/services/store/resolver/service.go
+++ b/pkg/services/store/resolver/service.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/models"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/plugins"
-	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/plugins/manager/registry"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/services/datasources"
 )
 
@@ -32,19 +31,19 @@ type ObjectReferenceResolver interface {
 	Resolve(ctx context.Context, ref *models.ObjectExternalReference) (ResolutionInfo, error)
 }
 
-func ProvideObjectReferenceResolver(ds datasources.DataSourceService, pluginRegistry registry.Service) ObjectReferenceResolver {
+func ProvideObjectReferenceResolver(ds datasources.DataSourceService, pluginStore plugins.Store) ObjectReferenceResolver {
 	return &standardReferenceResolver{
-		pluginRegistry: pluginRegistry,
+		pluginStore: pluginStore,
 		ds: dsCache{
-			ds:             ds,
-			pluginRegistry: pluginRegistry,
+			ds:          ds,
+			pluginStore: pluginStore,
 		},
 	}
 }
 
 type standardReferenceResolver struct {
-	pluginRegistry registry.Service
-	ds             dsCache
+	pluginStore plugins.Store
+	ds          dsCache
 }
 
 func (r *standardReferenceResolver) Resolve(ctx context.Context, ref *models.ObjectExternalReference) (ResolutionInfo, error) {
@@ -101,8 +100,8 @@ func (r *standardReferenceResolver) resolveDatasource(ctx context.Context, ref *
 }
 
 func (r *standardReferenceResolver) resolvePlugin(ctx context.Context, ref *models.ObjectExternalReference) (ResolutionInfo, error) {
-	p, ok := r.pluginRegistry.Plugin(ctx, ref.UID)
-	if !ok || p == nil {
+	p, ok := r.pluginStore.Plugin(ctx, ref.UID)
+	if !ok {
 		return ResolutionInfo{
 			OK:        false,
 			Timestamp: getNow(),
diff --git a/pkg/services/store/resolver/service_test.go b/pkg/services/store/resolver/service_test.go
index 0f324989d80..09bd725f51c 100644
--- a/pkg/services/store/resolver/service_test.go
+++ b/pkg/services/store/resolver/service_test.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/models"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/plugins"
-	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/plugins/manager/registry"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/services/datasources"
 	fakeDatasources "github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/services/datasources/fakes"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/services/store"
@@ -36,20 +35,17 @@ func TestResolver(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 
-	p1 := &plugins.Plugin{}
-	p2 := &plugins.Plugin{}
-	p3 := &plugins.Plugin{}
+	p1 := plugins.PluginDTO{}
+	p2 := plugins.PluginDTO{}
+	p3 := plugins.PluginDTO{}
 
 	p1.ID = "influx"
 	p2.ID = "heatmap"
 	p3.ID = "xyz"
-
-	pluginRegistry := registry.ProvideService()
-	_ = pluginRegistry.Add(ctxOrg1, p1)
-	_ = pluginRegistry.Add(ctxOrg1, p2)
-	_ = pluginRegistry.Add(ctxOrg1, p3)
-
-	provider := ProvideObjectReferenceResolver(ds, pluginRegistry)
+	pluginStore := plugins.FakePluginStore{
+		PluginList: []plugins.PluginDTO{p1, p2, p3},
+	}
+	provider := ProvideObjectReferenceResolver(ds, pluginStore)
 
 	scenarios := []struct {
 		name   string