diff --git a/src/plugins/lua/luaengine.cpp b/src/plugins/lua/luaengine.cpp
index 253a488bf11..d75d47ac7df 100644
--- a/src/plugins/lua/luaengine.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/lua/luaengine.cpp
@@ -88,34 +88,10 @@ expected_str<LuaPluginSpec *> LuaEngine::loadPlugin(const Utils::FilePath &path)
 
     sol::state lua;
 
-    // TODO: Only open libraries requested by the plugin
-    lua.open_libraries(sol::lib::base,
-                       sol::lib::package,
-                       sol::lib::coroutine,
-                       sol::lib::string,
-                       sol::lib::os,
-                       sol::lib::math,
-                       sol::lib::table,
-                       sol::lib::debug,
-                       sol::lib::bit32,
-                       sol::lib::io);
-
     lua["print"] = [prefix = path.fileName()](sol::variadic_args va) {
         qDebug().noquote() << "[" << prefix << "]" << variadicToStringList(va).join("\t");
     };
 
-    for (const auto &[name, func] : d->m_providers.asKeyValueRange()) {
-        lua["package"]["preload"][name.toStdString()] = [func = func](const sol::this_state &s) {
-            return func(s);
-        };
-    }
-
-    for (const auto &func : d->m_autoProviders)
-        func(lua);
-
-    const QString searchPath = (path.parentDir() / "?.lua").toUserOutput();
-    lua["package"]["path"] = searchPath.toStdString();
-
     auto result = lua.safe_script(
         std::string_view(contents->data(), contents->size()),
         sol::script_pass_on_error,
@@ -135,6 +111,43 @@ expected_str<LuaPluginSpec *> LuaEngine::loadPlugin(const Utils::FilePath &path)
     return LuaPluginSpec::create(path, std::move(lua), pluginInfo);
 }
 
+expected_str<void> LuaEngine::prepareSetup(
+    sol::state_view &lua, const LuaPluginSpec &pluginSpec, sol::optional<sol::table> hookTable)
+{
+    // TODO: Only open libraries requested by the plugin
+    lua.open_libraries(
+        sol::lib::base,
+        sol::lib::bit32,
+        sol::lib::coroutine,
+        sol::lib::debug,
+        sol::lib::io,
+        sol::lib::math,
+        sol::lib::os,
+        sol::lib::package,
+        sol::lib::string,
+        sol::lib::table,
+        sol::lib::utf8);
+
+    const QString searchPath
+        = (FilePath::fromUserInput(pluginSpec.filePath()).parentDir() / "?.lua").toUserOutput();
+    lua["package"]["path"] = searchPath.toStdString();
+
+    // TODO: only register what the plugin requested
+    for (const auto &[name, func] : d->m_providers.asKeyValueRange()) {
+        lua["package"]["preload"][name.toStdString()] = [func = func](const sol::this_state &s) {
+            return func(s);
+        };
+    }
+
+    for (const auto &func : d->m_autoProviders)
+        func(lua);
+
+    if (hookTable)
+        return LuaEngine::connectHooks(lua, *hookTable);
+
+    return {};
+}
+
 bool LuaEngine::isCoroutine(lua_State *state)
 {
     bool ismain = lua_pushthread(state) == 1;
diff --git a/src/plugins/lua/luaengine.h b/src/plugins/lua/luaengine.h
index 0ea78e0211a..b0e34eb4169 100644
--- a/src/plugins/lua/luaengine.h
+++ b/src/plugins/lua/luaengine.h
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ public:
     static LuaEngine &instance();
 
     Utils::expected_str<LuaPluginSpec *> loadPlugin(const Utils::FilePath &path);
+    Utils::expected_str<void> prepareSetup(
+        sol::state_view &lua, const LuaPluginSpec &pluginSpec, sol::optional<sol::table> hookTable);
 
     static void registerProvider(const QString &packageName, const PackageProvider &provider);
     static void autoRegister(const std::function<void(sol::state_view)> &registerFunction);
diff --git a/src/plugins/lua/luapluginspec.cpp b/src/plugins/lua/luapluginspec.cpp
index 44f260bea04..dfbb54a41d2 100644
--- a/src/plugins/lua/luapluginspec.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/lua/luapluginspec.cpp
@@ -94,14 +94,15 @@ bool LuaPluginSpec::loadLibrary()
 }
 bool LuaPluginSpec::initializePlugin()
 {
-    std::optional<sol::table> hookTable = d->pluginTable.get<std::optional<sol::table>>("hooks");
-    if (hookTable) {
-        auto res = LuaEngine::connectHooks(d->lua, *hookTable);
-        if (!res) {
-            setError(Lua::Tr::tr("Failed to connect hooks: %1").arg(res.error()));
-            return false;
-        }
+    expected_str<void> setupResult
+        = LuaEngine::instance()
+              .prepareSetup(d->lua, *this, d->pluginTable.get<sol::optional<sol::table>>("hooks"));
+
+    if (!setupResult) {
+        setError(Lua::Tr::tr("Failed to prepare plugin setup: %1").arg(setupResult.error()));
+        return false;
     }
+
     auto result = d->setupFunction.call();
 
     if (result.get_type() == sol::type::boolean && result.get<bool>() == false) {