Index: utils.py
===================================================================
--- utils.py	(revision 13199)
+++ utils.py	(working copy)
@@ -71,24 +71,37 @@
 
 def findPlugins(path):
   plugins = []
-  for plugin in glob.glob(path + "/plugins/*"):
-    if os.path.isdir(plugin):
-      plugins.append( os.path.basename(plugin) )
- 
+  try:
+    for plugin in glob.glob(path + "/*/__init__.py*"):
+      plugindir = os.path.split(plugin)[0]
+      plugin = os.path.basename(plugindir)
+      if plugin not in plugins:
+          plugins.append( plugin )
+  except:
+    pass
   return plugins
 
 def updateAvailablePlugins():
   from qgis.core import QgsApplication
-  pythonPath = unicode(QgsApplication.pkgDataPath()) + "/python"
-  homePythonPath = unicode(QgsApplication.qgisSettingsDirPath()) + "/python"
+  plugindirs = [ 
+      (QgsApplication.pkgDataPath()) + "/python/plugins",
+      unicode(QgsApplication.qgisSettingsDirPath()) + "/python/plugins" 
+      ]
+  env = os.environ.get("QGIS_PLUGINPATH")
+  if env:
+      plugindirs.extend(env.split(";"))
 
-  plugins = findPlugins( pythonPath )
-  homePlugins = findPlugins( homePythonPath )
-
   # merge the lists
-  for p in homePlugins:
-    if p not in plugins:
-      plugins.append(p)
+  plugins = []
+  for path in plugindirs:
+      pluginpath = path+"/plugins"
+      newplugins = findPlugins(path)
+      if len(newplugins) > 0:
+          if pluginpath not in sys.path:
+              sys.path.append(pluginpath)
+          for p in newplugins:
+              if p not in plugins: 
+                  plugins.append(p)
 
   global available_plugins
   available_plugins = plugins