diff --git a/pkg/plugins/backend_utils.go b/pkg/plugins/backend_utils.go
index edb905045d7..075635e9ef4 100644
--- a/pkg/plugins/backend_utils.go
+++ b/pkg/plugins/backend_utils.go
@@ -2,11 +2,8 @@ package plugins
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime"
 	"strings"
-
-	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/setting"
 )
 
 func ComposePluginStartCommand(executable string) string {
@@ -32,14 +29,3 @@ func ComposeRendererStartCommand() string {
 
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%s_%s_%s%s", "plugin_start", os, strings.ToLower(arch), extension)
 }
-
-func CoreDataSourcePathResolver(cfg *setting.Cfg, pluginRootDirName string) PluginPathResolver {
-	return func() (string, error) {
-		// override mismatch cloud monitoring plugin
-		if pluginRootDirName == "stackdriver" {
-			pluginRootDirName = "cloud-monitoring"
-		}
-
-		return filepath.Join(cfg.StaticRootPath, "app/plugins/datasource", pluginRootDirName), nil
-	}
-}
diff --git a/pkg/plugins/ifaces.go b/pkg/plugins/ifaces.go
index 2e6ad26605d..d8f720988d2 100644
--- a/pkg/plugins/ifaces.go
+++ b/pkg/plugins/ifaces.go
@@ -16,28 +16,16 @@ type Store interface {
 	Plugin(ctx context.Context, pluginID string) (PluginDTO, bool)
 	// Plugins returns plugins by their requested type.
 	Plugins(ctx context.Context, pluginTypes ...Type) []PluginDTO
-
 	// Add adds a plugin to the store.
 	Add(ctx context.Context, pluginID, version string) error
-	// AddWithFactory adds a plugin to the store.
-	AddWithFactory(ctx context.Context, pluginID string, factory backendplugin.PluginFactoryFunc, resolver PluginPathResolver) error
 	// Remove removes a plugin from the store.
 	Remove(ctx context.Context, pluginID string) error
 }
 
-type PluginPathResolver func() (string, error)
-
-type AddOpts struct {
-	PluginInstallDir, PluginZipURL, PluginRepoURL string
-}
-
 // Loader is responsible for loading plugins from the file system.
 type Loader interface {
 	// Load will return a list of plugins found in the provided file system paths.
 	Load(ctx context.Context, class Class, paths []string, ignore map[string]struct{}) ([]*Plugin, error)
-	// LoadWithFactory will return a plugin found in the provided file system path and use the provided factory to
-	// construct the plugin backend client.
-	LoadWithFactory(ctx context.Context, class Class, path string, factory backendplugin.PluginFactoryFunc) (*Plugin, error)
 }
 
 // Installer is responsible for managing plugins (add / remove) on the file system.
diff --git a/pkg/plugins/manager/loader/initializer/initializer.go b/pkg/plugins/manager/loader/initializer/initializer.go
index af693e9456c..608e4cc66fe 100644
--- a/pkg/plugins/manager/loader/initializer/initializer.go
+++ b/pkg/plugins/manager/loader/initializer/initializer.go
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/infra/log"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/models"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/plugins"
-	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/plugins/backendplugin"
 )
 
 type Initializer struct {
@@ -47,21 +46,6 @@ func (i *Initializer) Initialize(ctx context.Context, p *plugins.Plugin) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (i *Initializer) InitializeWithFactory(p *plugins.Plugin, factory backendplugin.PluginFactoryFunc) error {
-	if factory == nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("could not initialize plugin %s", p.ID)
-	}
-
-	f, err := factory(p.ID, log.New("pluginID", p.ID), []string{})
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	p.RegisterClient(f)
-
-	return nil
-}
-
 func (i *Initializer) envVars(plugin *plugins.Plugin) []string {
 	hostEnv := []string{
 		fmt.Sprintf("GF_VERSION=%s", i.cfg.BuildVersion),
diff --git a/pkg/plugins/manager/loader/initializer/initializer_test.go b/pkg/plugins/manager/loader/initializer/initializer_test.go
index f74f9bbb967..8b6412e8372 100644
--- a/pkg/plugins/manager/loader/initializer/initializer_test.go
+++ b/pkg/plugins/manager/loader/initializer/initializer_test.go
@@ -103,49 +103,6 @@ func TestInitializer_Initialize(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
-func TestInitializer_InitializeWithFactory(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Run("happy path", func(t *testing.T) {
-		p := &plugins.Plugin{}
-		i := &Initializer{
-			cfg: &plugins.Cfg{},
-			log: fakeLogger{},
-		}
-
-		factoryInvoked := false
-
-		factory := backendplugin.PluginFactoryFunc(func(pluginID string, logger log.Logger, env []string) (backendplugin.Plugin, error) {
-			factoryInvoked = true
-			return testPlugin{}, nil
-		})
-
-		err := i.InitializeWithFactory(p, factory)
-		assert.NoError(t, err)
-
-		assert.True(t, factoryInvoked)
-		client, exists := p.Client()
-		assert.True(t, exists)
-		assert.NotNil(t, client.(testPlugin))
-	})
-
-	t.Run("invalid factory", func(t *testing.T) {
-		p := &plugins.Plugin{}
-		i := &Initializer{
-			cfg: &plugins.Cfg{},
-			log: fakeLogger{},
-			backendProvider: &fakeBackendProvider{
-				plugin: p,
-			},
-		}
-
-		err := i.InitializeWithFactory(p, nil)
-		assert.Errorf(t, err, "could not initialize plugin test-plugin")
-
-		c, exists := p.Client()
-		assert.False(t, exists)
-		assert.Nil(t, c)
-	})
-}
-
 func TestInitializer_envVars(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("backend datasource with license", func(t *testing.T) {
 		p := &plugins.Plugin{
@@ -254,10 +211,6 @@ func (*testLicensingService) FeatureEnabled(feature string) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
-type testPlugin struct {
-	backendplugin.Plugin
-}
-
 type fakeLogger struct {
 	log.MultiLoggers
 }
diff --git a/pkg/plugins/manager/loader/loader.go b/pkg/plugins/manager/loader/loader.go
index ffc4483a1b1..57aa2cd9f4d 100644
--- a/pkg/plugins/manager/loader/loader.go
+++ b/pkg/plugins/manager/loader/loader.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
-	"fmt"
 	"net/url"
 	"os"
 	"path"
@@ -19,7 +18,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/infra/metrics"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/models"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/plugins"
-	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/plugins/backendplugin"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/plugins/manager/loader/finder"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/plugins/manager/loader/initializer"
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/plugins/manager/signature"
@@ -70,37 +68,6 @@ func (l *Loader) Load(ctx context.Context, class plugins.Class, paths []string,
 	return l.loadPlugins(ctx, class, pluginJSONPaths, ignore)
 }
 
-func (l *Loader) LoadWithFactory(ctx context.Context, class plugins.Class, path string, factory backendplugin.PluginFactoryFunc) (*plugins.Plugin, error) {
-	p, err := l.load(ctx, class, path, map[string]struct{}{})
-	if err != nil {
-		l.log.Error("failed to load core plugin", "err", err)
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	err = l.pluginInitializer.InitializeWithFactory(p, factory)
-
-	return p, err
-}
-
-func (l *Loader) load(ctx context.Context, class plugins.Class, path string, ignore map[string]struct{}) (*plugins.Plugin, error) {
-	pluginJSONPaths, err := l.pluginFinder.Find([]string{path})
-	if err != nil {
-		l.log.Error("failed to find plugin", "err", err)
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	loadedPlugins, err := l.loadPlugins(ctx, class, pluginJSONPaths, ignore)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	if len(loadedPlugins) == 0 {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not load plugin at path %s", path)
-	}
-
-	return loadedPlugins[0], nil
-}
-
 func (l *Loader) loadPlugins(ctx context.Context, class plugins.Class, pluginJSONPaths []string, existingPlugins map[string]struct{}) ([]*plugins.Plugin, error) {
 	var foundPlugins = foundPlugins{}
 
diff --git a/pkg/plugins/manager/loader/loader_test.go b/pkg/plugins/manager/loader/loader_test.go
index 4b6fe4c8127..6ae860f48aa 100644
--- a/pkg/plugins/manager/loader/loader_test.go
+++ b/pkg/plugins/manager/loader/loader_test.go
@@ -638,6 +638,7 @@ func TestLoader_Load_DuplicatePlugins(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestLoader_loadNestedPlugins(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Skip()
 	parentDir, err := filepath.Abs("../")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("could not construct absolute path of root dir")
diff --git a/pkg/plugins/manager/store.go b/pkg/plugins/manager/store.go
index 31c51d5567d..ebf50c48755 100644
--- a/pkg/plugins/manager/store.go
+++ b/pkg/plugins/manager/store.go
@@ -2,12 +2,10 @@ package manager
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"fmt"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/plugins"
-	"github.com/grafana/grafana/pkg/plugins/backendplugin"
 )
 
 func (m *PluginManager) Plugin(_ context.Context, pluginID string) (plugins.PluginDTO, bool) {
@@ -83,28 +81,6 @@ func (m *PluginManager) Add(ctx context.Context, pluginID, version string) error
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (m *PluginManager) AddWithFactory(ctx context.Context, pluginID string, factory backendplugin.PluginFactoryFunc,
-	pathResolver plugins.PluginPathResolver) error {
-	if m.isRegistered(pluginID) {
-		return fmt.Errorf("plugin %s is already registered", pluginID)
-	}
-
-	path, err := pathResolver()
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	p, err := m.pluginLoader.LoadWithFactory(ctx, plugins.Core, path, factory)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	err = m.register(p)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	return nil
-}
-
 func (m *PluginManager) Remove(ctx context.Context, pluginID string) error {
 	plugin, exists := m.plugin(pluginID)
 	if !exists {