diff --git a/pkg/plugins/backendplugin/manager/manager.go b/pkg/plugins/backendplugin/manager/manager.go
index 5c87e408324..a903d4bb2f5 100644
--- a/pkg/plugins/backendplugin/manager/manager.go
+++ b/pkg/plugins/backendplugin/manager/manager.go
@@ -27,7 +27,10 @@ import (
 )
 
 func init() {
-	registry.RegisterServiceWithPriority(&manager{}, registry.MediumHigh)
+	registry.RegisterServiceWithPriority(&manager{
+		logger:  log.New("plugins.backend"),
+		plugins: map[string]backendplugin.Plugin{},
+	}, registry.MediumHigh)
 }
 
 type manager struct {
@@ -37,14 +40,9 @@ type manager struct {
 	pluginsMu              sync.RWMutex
 	plugins                map[string]backendplugin.Plugin
 	logger                 log.Logger
-	pluginSettings         map[string]pluginSettings
 }
 
 func (m *manager) Init() error {
-	m.plugins = make(map[string]backendplugin.Plugin)
-	m.logger = log.New("plugins.backend")
-	m.pluginSettings = extractPluginSettings(m.Cfg)
-
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -65,11 +63,6 @@ func (m *manager) Register(pluginID string, factory backendplugin.PluginFactoryF
 		return fmt.Errorf("backend plugin %s already registered", pluginID)
 	}
 
-	pluginSettings := pluginSettings{}
-	if ps, exists := m.pluginSettings[pluginID]; exists {
-		pluginSettings = ps
-	}
-
 	hostEnv := []string{
 		fmt.Sprintf("GF_VERSION=%s", m.Cfg.BuildVersion),
 		fmt.Sprintf("GF_EDITION=%s", m.License.Edition()),
@@ -89,7 +82,7 @@ func (m *manager) Register(pluginID string, factory backendplugin.PluginFactoryF
 	}
 
 	hostEnv = append(hostEnv, m.getAWSEnvironmentVariables()...)
-
+	pluginSettings := getPluginSettings(pluginID, m.Cfg)
 	env := pluginSettings.ToEnv("GF_PLUGIN", hostEnv)
 
 	pluginLogger := m.logger.New("pluginId", pluginID)
diff --git a/pkg/plugins/backendplugin/manager/manager_test.go b/pkg/plugins/backendplugin/manager/manager_test.go
index 443b61bd721..2e354880d49 100644
--- a/pkg/plugins/backendplugin/manager/manager_test.go
+++ b/pkg/plugins/backendplugin/manager/manager_test.go
@@ -294,6 +294,8 @@ func newManagerScenario(t *testing.T, managed bool, fn func(t *testing.T, ctx *m
 			Cfg:                    cfg,
 			License:                license,
 			PluginRequestValidator: validator,
+			logger:                 log.New("test"),
+			plugins:                map[string]backendplugin.Plugin{},
 		},
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/plugins/backendplugin/manager/plugin_settings.go b/pkg/plugins/backendplugin/manager/plugin_settings.go
index 2b9987e0fd7..4c4b0884720 100644
--- a/pkg/plugins/backendplugin/manager/plugin_settings.go
+++ b/pkg/plugins/backendplugin/manager/plugin_settings.go
@@ -20,20 +20,15 @@ func (ps pluginSettings) ToEnv(prefix string, hostEnv []string) []string {
 	return env
 }
 
-func extractPluginSettings(cfg *setting.Cfg) map[string]pluginSettings {
-	psMap := map[string]pluginSettings{}
-	for pluginID, settings := range cfg.PluginSettings {
-		ps := pluginSettings{}
-		for k, v := range settings {
-			if k == "path" || strings.ToLower(k) == "id" {
-				continue
-			}
-
-			ps[k] = v
+func getPluginSettings(plugID string, cfg *setting.Cfg) pluginSettings {
+	ps := pluginSettings{}
+	for k, v := range cfg.PluginSettings[plugID] {
+		if k == "path" || strings.ToLower(k) == "id" {
+			continue
 		}
 
-		psMap[pluginID] = ps
+		ps[k] = v
 	}
 
-	return psMap
+	return ps
 }
diff --git a/pkg/plugins/backendplugin/manager/plugin_settings_test.go b/pkg/plugins/backendplugin/manager/plugin_settings_test.go
index 388993a324c..c7488329d15 100644
--- a/pkg/plugins/backendplugin/manager/plugin_settings_test.go
+++ b/pkg/plugins/backendplugin/manager/plugin_settings_test.go
@@ -19,25 +19,24 @@ func TestPluginSettings(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		}
 
-		ps := extractPluginSettings(cfg)
-		require.Len(t, ps, 1)
-		require.Len(t, ps["plugin"], 2)
+		ps := getPluginSettings("plugin", cfg)
+		require.Len(t, ps, 2)
 
 		t.Run("Should skip path setting", func(t *testing.T) {
 			cfg.PluginSettings["plugin"]["path"] = "value"
-			ps := extractPluginSettings(cfg)
-			require.Len(t, ps["plugin"], 2)
+			ps := getPluginSettings("plugin", cfg)
+			require.Len(t, ps, 2)
 		})
 
 		t.Run("Should skip id setting", func(t *testing.T) {
 			cfg.PluginSettings["plugin"]["id"] = "value"
-			ps := extractPluginSettings(cfg)
-			require.Len(t, ps["plugin"], 2)
+			ps := getPluginSettings("plugin", cfg)
+			require.Len(t, ps, 2)
 		})
 
 		t.Run("Should return expected environment variables from plugin settings ", func(t *testing.T) {
-			ps := extractPluginSettings(cfg)
-			env := ps["plugin"].ToEnv("GF_PLUGIN", []string{"GF_VERSION=6.7.0"})
+			ps := getPluginSettings("plugin", cfg)
+			env := ps.ToEnv("GF_PLUGIN", []string{"GF_VERSION=6.7.0"})
 			sort.Strings(env)
 			require.Len(t, env, 3)
 			require.EqualValues(t, []string{"GF_PLUGIN_KEY1=value1", "GF_PLUGIN_KEY2=value2", "GF_VERSION=6.7.0"}, env)
diff --git a/pkg/plugins/manager/manager.go b/pkg/plugins/manager/manager.go
index 2ca996558eb..d8ba6df7a5d 100644
--- a/pkg/plugins/manager/manager.go
+++ b/pkg/plugins/manager/manager.go
@@ -68,8 +68,9 @@ type PluginManager struct {
 
 func init() {
 	registry.Register(&registry.Descriptor{
-		Name:     "PluginManager",
-		Instance: newManager(nil),
+		Name:         "PluginManager",
+		Instance:     newManager(nil),
+		InitPriority: registry.MediumHigh,
 	})
 }