diff --git a/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclient_global.h b/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclient_global.h
index 7df176603fd..37556715372 100644
--- a/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclient_global.h
+++ b/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclient_global.h
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ namespace Constants {
 
 const char LANGUAGECLIENT_SETTINGS_CATEGORY[] = "ZY.LanguageClient";
 const char LANGUAGECLIENT_SETTINGS_PAGE[] = "LanguageClient.General";
+const char LANGUAGECLIENT_STDIO_SETTINGS_ID[] = "LanguageClient::StdIOSettingsID";
 const char LANGUAGECLIENT_SETTINGS_TR[] = QT_TRANSLATE_NOOP("LanguageClient", "Language Client");
 const char LANGUAGECLIENT_DOCUMENT_FILTER_ID[] = "Current Document Symbols";
 const char LANGUAGECLIENT_DOCUMENT_FILTER_DISPLAY_NAME[] = QT_TRANSLATE_NOOP("LanguageClient", "Symbols in Current Document");
diff --git a/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientplugin.cpp b/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientplugin.cpp
index 31643474f60..26702c4a6d2 100644
--- a/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientplugin.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientplugin.cpp
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ LanguageClientPlugin *LanguageClientPlugin::instance()
 bool LanguageClientPlugin::initialize(const QStringList & /*arguments*/, QString * /*errorString*/)
 {
     LanguageClientManager::init();
+    LanguageClientSettings::registerClientType({Constants::LANGUAGECLIENT_STDIO_SETTINGS_ID,
+                                                tr("Generic StdIO Language Server"),
+                                                []() { return new StdIOSettings; }});
     return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientsettings.cpp b/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientsettings.cpp
index d2ade88b85e..4dd37cfb2e8 100644
--- a/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientsettings.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientsettings.cpp
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@
 #include <QJsonDocument>
 #include <QLabel>
 #include <QListView>
+#include <QMenu>
 #include <QMimeData>
 #include <QPushButton>
 #include <QSettings>
@@ -66,6 +67,7 @@
 #include <QToolButton>
 #include <QTreeView>
 
+constexpr char typeIdKey[] = "typeId";
 constexpr char nameKey[] = "name";
 constexpr char idKey[] = "id";
 constexpr char enabledKey[] = "enabled";
@@ -105,7 +107,7 @@ public:
 
     void reset(const QList<BaseSettings *> &settings);
     QList<BaseSettings *> settings() const { return m_settings; }
-    void insertSettings(BaseSettings *settings);
+    int insertSettings(BaseSettings *settings);
     void enableSetting(const QString &id);
     QList<BaseSettings *> removed() const { return m_removed; }
     BaseSettings *settingForIndex(const QModelIndex &index) const;
@@ -134,7 +136,7 @@ private:
         QWidget *widget = nullptr;
     } m_currentSettings;
 
-    void addItem();
+    void addItem(const Utils::Id &clientTypeId);
     void deleteItem();
 };
 
@@ -163,6 +165,12 @@ private:
     QPointer<LanguageClientSettingsPageWidget> m_widget;
 };
 
+QMap<Utils::Id, ClientType> &clientTypes()
+{
+    static QMap<Utils::Id, ClientType> types;
+    return types;
+}
+
 LanguageClientSettingsPageWidget::LanguageClientSettingsPageWidget(LanguageClientSettingsModel &settings)
     : m_settings(settings)
     , m_view(new QTreeView())
@@ -181,7 +189,14 @@ LanguageClientSettingsPageWidget::LanguageClientSettingsPageWidget(LanguageClien
             this, &LanguageClientSettingsPageWidget::currentChanged);
     auto buttonLayout = new QVBoxLayout();
     auto addButton = new QPushButton(LanguageClientSettingsPage::tr("&Add"));
-    connect(addButton, &QPushButton::pressed, this, &LanguageClientSettingsPageWidget::addItem);
+    auto addMenu = new QMenu;
+    addMenu->clear();
+    for (const ClientType &type : clientTypes()) {
+        auto action = new QAction(tr("New %1").arg(type.name));
+        connect(action, &QAction::triggered, this, [this, id = type.id]() { addItem(id); });
+        addMenu->addAction(action);
+    }
+    addButton->setMenu(addMenu);
     auto deleteButton = new QPushButton(LanguageClientSettingsPage::tr("&Delete"));
     connect(deleteButton, &QPushButton::pressed, this, &LanguageClientSettingsPageWidget::deleteItem);
     mainLayout->addLayout(layout);
@@ -239,11 +254,21 @@ void LanguageClientSettingsPageWidget::applyCurrentSettings()
     }
 }
 
-void LanguageClientSettingsPageWidget::addItem()
+BaseSettings *generateSettings(const Utils::Id &clientTypeId)
 {
-    const int row = m_settings.rowCount();
-    m_settings.insertRows(row);
-    m_view->setCurrentIndex(m_settings.index(row));
+    if (auto generator = clientTypes().value(clientTypeId).generator) {
+        auto settings = generator();
+        settings->m_settingsTypeId = clientTypeId;
+        return settings;
+    }
+    return nullptr;
+}
+
+void LanguageClientSettingsPageWidget::addItem(const Utils::Id &clientTypeId)
+{
+    auto newSettings = generateSettings(clientTypeId);
+    QTC_ASSERT(newSettings, return);
+    m_view->setCurrentIndex(m_settings.index(m_settings.insertSettings(newSettings)));
 }
 
 void LanguageClientSettingsPageWidget::deleteItem()
@@ -457,12 +482,13 @@ void LanguageClientSettingsModel::reset(const QList<BaseSettings *> &settings)
     endResetModel();
 }
 
-void LanguageClientSettingsModel::insertSettings(BaseSettings *settings)
+int LanguageClientSettingsModel::insertSettings(BaseSettings *settings)
 {
     int row = rowCount();
     beginInsertRows(QModelIndex(), row, row);
     m_settings.insert(row, settings);
     endInsertRows();
+    return row;
 }
 
 void LanguageClientSettingsModel::enableSetting(const QString &id)
@@ -545,6 +571,7 @@ Client *BaseSettings::createClient()
 QVariantMap BaseSettings::toMap() const
 {
     QVariantMap map;
+    map.insert(typeIdKey, m_settingsTypeId.toSetting());
     map.insert(nameKey, m_name);
     map.insert(idKey, m_id);
     map.insert(enabledKey, m_enabled);
@@ -582,14 +609,19 @@ void LanguageClientSettings::init()
 QList<BaseSettings *> LanguageClientSettings::fromSettings(QSettings *settingsIn)
 {
     settingsIn->beginGroup(settingsGroupKey);
-    auto variants = settingsIn->value(clientsKey).toList();
-    auto settings = Utils::transform(variants, [](const QVariant& var){
-        BaseSettings *settings = new StdIOSettings();
-        settings->fromMap(var.toMap());
-        return settings;
-    });
+    QList<BaseSettings *> result;
+    for (const QVariant& var : settingsIn->value(clientsKey).toList()) {
+        const QMap<QString, QVariant> &map = var.toMap();
+        Utils::Id typeId = Utils::Id::fromSetting(map.value(typeIdKey));
+        if (!typeId.isValid())
+            typeId = Constants::LANGUAGECLIENT_STDIO_SETTINGS_ID;
+        if (BaseSettings *settings = generateSettings(typeId)) {
+            settings->fromMap(var.toMap());
+            result << settings;
+        }
+    }
     settingsIn->endGroup();
-    return settings;
+    return result;
 }
 
 QList<BaseSettings *> LanguageClientSettings::pageSettings()
@@ -602,6 +634,12 @@ QList<BaseSettings *> LanguageClientSettings::changedSettings()
     return settingsPage().changedSettings();
 }
 
+void LanguageClientSettings::registerClientType(const ClientType &type)
+{
+    QTC_ASSERT(!clientTypes().contains(type.id), return);
+    clientTypes()[type.id] = type;
+}
+
 void LanguageClientSettings::addSettings(BaseSettings *settings)
 {
     settingsPage().addSettings(settings);
diff --git a/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientsettings.h b/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientsettings.h
index c9efb78e48d..afd557d7c10 100644
--- a/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientsettings.h
+++ b/src/plugins/languageclient/languageclientsettings.h
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ public:
 
     QString m_name = QString("New Language Server");
     QString m_id = QUuid::createUuid().toString();
+    Utils::Id m_settingsTypeId;
     bool m_enabled = true;
     StartBehavior m_startBehavior = RequiresFile;
     LanguageFilter m_languageFilter;
@@ -137,13 +138,27 @@ protected:
     StdIOSettings &operator=(StdIOSettings &&other) = default;
 };
 
-class LanguageClientSettings
+struct ClientType {
+    Utils::Id id;
+    QString name;
+    using SettingsGenerator = std::function<BaseSettings*()>;
+    SettingsGenerator generator = nullptr;
+};
+
+class LANGUAGECLIENT_EXPORT LanguageClientSettings
 {
+    Q_DECLARE_TR_FUNCTIONS(LanguageClientSettings)
 public:
     static void init();
     static QList<BaseSettings *> fromSettings(QSettings *settings);
     static QList<BaseSettings *> pageSettings();
     static QList<BaseSettings *> changedSettings();
+
+    /**
+     * must be called before the delayed initialize phase
+     * otherwise the settings are not loaded correctly
+     */
+    static void registerClientType(const ClientType &type);
     static void addSettings(BaseSettings *settings);
     static void enableSettings(const QString &id);
     static void toSettings(QSettings *settings, const QList<BaseSettings *> &languageClientSettings);