diff --git a/plugins/apitracing/src/lib/ApiTracing.cpp b/plugins/apitracing/src/lib/ApiTracing.cpp
index 5cfa0dcb..ce9fdc2e 100644
--- a/plugins/apitracing/src/lib/ApiTracing.cpp
+++ b/plugins/apitracing/src/lib/ApiTracing.cpp
@@ -99,8 +99,8 @@ namespace ApiTracing
     }
 }
 
-std::unique_ptr<IPlugin>
-VmiCore::Plugin::init(PluginInterface* pluginInterface,
+extern "C" std::unique_ptr<IPlugin>
+VmiCore::Plugin::init_plugin(PluginInterface* pluginInterface,
                       std::shared_ptr<IPluginConfig> config, // NOLINT(performance-unnecessary-value-param)
                       std::vector<std::string> args)
 {
diff --git a/plugins/inmemoryscanner/src/lib/InMemory.cpp b/plugins/inmemoryscanner/src/lib/InMemory.cpp
index f68c626f..5329318c 100644
--- a/plugins/inmemoryscanner/src/lib/InMemory.cpp
+++ b/plugins/inmemoryscanner/src/lib/InMemory.cpp
@@ -66,8 +66,8 @@ namespace InMemoryScanner
     }
 }
 
-std::unique_ptr<IPlugin>
-VmiCore::Plugin::init(PluginInterface* pluginInterface,
+extern "C" std::unique_ptr<IPlugin>
+VmiCore::Plugin::init_plugin(PluginInterface* pluginInterface,
                       std::shared_ptr<IPluginConfig> config, // NOLINT(performance-unnecessary-value-param)
                       std::vector<std::string> args)
 {
diff --git a/plugins/template/src/lib/Template.cpp b/plugins/template/src/lib/Template.cpp
index c2a10465..4ac314f7 100755
--- a/plugins/template/src/lib/Template.cpp
+++ b/plugins/template/src/lib/Template.cpp
@@ -51,10 +51,11 @@ namespace Template
     }
 }
 
-// This is the init function. It is called by VmiCore and is responsible for creating an instance of a plugin.
+// This is the init function. It is linked and called dynamically at runtime by
+// VmiCore and is responsible for creating an instance of a plugin.
 // All plugins have to inherit from IPlugin.
-std::unique_ptr<IPlugin>
-VmiCore::Plugin::init(PluginInterface* pluginInterface,
+extern "C" std::unique_ptr<IPlugin>
+VmiCore::Plugin::init_plugin(PluginInterface* pluginInterface,
                       std::shared_ptr<IPluginConfig> config, // NOLINT(performance-unnecessary-value-param)
                       std::vector<std::string> args)
 {
diff --git a/vmicore/src/include/vmicore/plugins/IPlugin.h b/vmicore/src/include/vmicore/plugins/IPlugin.h
index 9b6aef11..f158db47 100644
--- a/vmicore/src/include/vmicore/plugins/IPlugin.h
+++ b/vmicore/src/include/vmicore/plugins/IPlugin.h
@@ -44,8 +44,8 @@ namespace VmiCore::Plugin
      * @param args Commandline arguments passed to this specific plugin. Elements are whitespace separated.
      * @return An instance of the plugin. Has to implement the IPlugin interface. Lifetime will be managed by VMICore.
      */
-    extern std::unique_ptr<IPlugin>
-    init(PluginInterface* pluginInterface, std::shared_ptr<IPluginConfig> config, std::vector<std::string> args);
+    extern "C" std::unique_ptr<IPlugin>
+    init_plugin(PluginInterface* pluginInterface, std::shared_ptr<IPluginConfig> config, std::vector<std::string> args);
 }
 
 #endif // APITRACING_IPLUGIN_H
diff --git a/vmicore/src/lib/plugins/PluginSystem.cpp b/vmicore/src/lib/plugins/PluginSystem.cpp
index cba1bed3..3a687d57 100644
--- a/vmicore/src/lib/plugins/PluginSystem.cpp
+++ b/vmicore/src/lib/plugins/PluginSystem.cpp
@@ -161,10 +161,8 @@ namespace VmiCore
                                               Plugin::PluginInterface::API_VERSION));
         }
 
-        auto pluginInitFunction = std::bit_cast<decltype(Plugin::init)*>(
-            dlsym(libraryHandle,
-                  "_ZN7VmiCore6Plugin4initEPNS0_15PluginInterfaceENSt3__110shared_ptrINS0_13IPluginConfigEEENS3_"
-                  "6vectorINS3_12basic_stringIcNS3_11char_traitsIcEENS3_9allocatorIcEEEENSB_ISD_EEEE"));
+        auto pluginInitFunction =
+            std::bit_cast<decltype(Plugin::init_plugin)*>(dlsym(libraryHandle, PLUGIN_INIT_FUNCTION.data()));
         dlErrorMessage = dlerror();
         if (dlErrorMessage != nullptr)
         {
@@ -172,6 +170,10 @@ namespace VmiCore
         }
 
         auto plugin = pluginInitFunction(dynamic_cast<Plugin::PluginInterface*>(this), std::move(config), args);
+        if (plugin == nullptr)
+        {
+            throw PluginException(pluginName, "init function returned null");
+        }
 
         plugins.emplace_back(pluginName, std::move(plugin));
     }
diff --git a/vmicore/src/lib/plugins/PluginSystem.h b/vmicore/src/lib/plugins/PluginSystem.h
index c8be60c0..9b8e0b26 100644
--- a/vmicore/src/lib/plugins/PluginSystem.h
+++ b/vmicore/src/lib/plugins/PluginSystem.h
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
 
 namespace VmiCore
 {
+    constexpr std::string_view PLUGIN_INIT_FUNCTION = "init_plugin";
+
     class IPluginSystem : public Plugin::PluginInterface
     {
       public: