diff --git a/pitest-command-line/src/main/java/org/pitest/mutationtest/commandline/PluginFilter.java b/pitest-command-line/src/main/java/org/pitest/mutationtest/commandline/PluginFilter.java
index 2e5d812dd..c794115a0 100644
--- a/pitest-command-line/src/main/java/org/pitest/mutationtest/commandline/PluginFilter.java
+++ b/pitest-command-line/src/main/java/org/pitest/mutationtest/commandline/PluginFilter.java
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ public class PluginFilter implements Predicate<String> {
   public PluginFilter(final PluginServices plugin) {
     FCollection.mapTo(plugin.findClientClasspathPlugins(), classToLocation(),
         this.includedClassPathElement);
+    FCollection.mapTo(plugin.findClientClasspathPluginDescriptors(), fileToLocation(),
+        this.includedClassPathElement);
   }
 
   private static Function<ClientClasspathPlugin, String> classToLocation() {
@@ -41,6 +43,24 @@ private PitError createPitErrorForExceptionOnClass(final Exception ex,
     };
   }
 
+  private static Function<File, String> fileToLocation() {
+    return new Function<File, String>() {
+      @Override
+      public String apply(final File a) {
+        try {
+          return a.getCanonicalPath();
+        } catch (final IOException ex) {
+          throw createPitErrorForExceptionOnClass(ex, a);
+        }
+      }
+
+      private PitError createPitErrorForExceptionOnClass(final Exception ex,
+          final File file) {
+        return new PitError("Error getting location of file " + file, ex);
+      }
+    };
+  }
+
   @Override
   public boolean test(final String a) {
     return this.includedClassPathElement.contains(a);
diff --git a/pitest-entry/src/main/java/org/pitest/mutationtest/config/PluginServices.java b/pitest-entry/src/main/java/org/pitest/mutationtest/config/PluginServices.java
index de35bb627..9283842ec 100644
--- a/pitest-entry/src/main/java/org/pitest/mutationtest/config/PluginServices.java
+++ b/pitest-entry/src/main/java/org/pitest/mutationtest/config/PluginServices.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 import org.pitest.testapi.TestPluginFactory;
 import org.pitest.util.IsolationUtils;
 
+import java.io.File;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -75,6 +76,17 @@ public List<? extends ClientClasspathPlugin> findClientClasspathPlugins() {
     return l;
   }
 
+  public Iterable<? extends File> findClientClasspathPluginDescriptors() {
+    final List<File> l = new ArrayList<>();
+    l.addAll(findMutationEngineDescriptors());
+    l.addAll(findMutationOperatorDescriptors());
+    l.addAll(findTestFrameworkPluginDescriptors());
+    l.addAll(nullPluginDescriptors());
+    l.addAll(loader.findPluginDescriptors(TransformationPlugin.class));
+    l.addAll(loader.findPluginDescriptors(EnvironmentResetPlugin.class));
+    return l;
+  }
+
   public Collection<? extends ConfigurationUpdater> findConfigurationUpdaters() {
     return load(ConfigurationUpdater.class);
   }
@@ -83,10 +95,18 @@ public Collection<? extends MethodMutatorFactory> findMutationOperators() {
     return load(MethodMutatorFactory.class);
   }
 
+  Collection<File> findMutationOperatorDescriptors() {
+    return loader.findPluginDescriptors(MethodMutatorFactory.class);
+  }
+
   Collection<? extends TestPluginFactory> findTestFrameworkPlugins() {
     return load(TestPluginFactory.class);
   }
 
+  Collection<File> findTestFrameworkPluginDescriptors() {
+    return loader.findPluginDescriptors(TestPluginFactory.class);
+  }
+
   Collection<? extends MutationGrouperFactory> findGroupers() {
     return load(MutationGrouperFactory.class);
   }
@@ -99,6 +119,10 @@ Collection<? extends MutationEngineFactory> findMutationEngines() {
     return load(MutationEngineFactory.class);
   }
 
+  Collection<File> findMutationEngineDescriptors() {
+    return loader.findPluginDescriptors(MutationEngineFactory.class);
+  }
+
   Collection<? extends TestPrioritiserFactory> findTestPrioritisers() {
     return load(TestPrioritiserFactory.class);
   }
@@ -107,6 +131,10 @@ private Collection<ClientClasspathPlugin> nullPlugins() {
     return load(ClientClasspathPlugin.class);
   }
 
+  private Collection<File> nullPluginDescriptors() {
+    return loader.findPluginDescriptors(ClientClasspathPlugin.class);
+  }
+
   public Collection<MutationInterceptorFactory> findInterceptors() {
     return load(MutationInterceptorFactory.class);
   }
diff --git a/pitest-entry/src/main/java/org/pitest/mutationtest/config/Services.java b/pitest-entry/src/main/java/org/pitest/mutationtest/config/Services.java
index e82cb56c2..9ef894578 100644
--- a/pitest-entry/src/main/java/org/pitest/mutationtest/config/Services.java
+++ b/pitest-entry/src/main/java/org/pitest/mutationtest/config/Services.java
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 package org.pitest.mutationtest.config;
 
+import java.io.File;
 import java.util.Collection;
 
 public interface Services {
     <S> Collection<S> load(Class<S> ifc);
+    Collection<File> findPluginDescriptors(Class<?> ifc);
 }
diff --git a/pitest-entry/src/main/java/org/pitest/mutationtest/config/ServicesFromClassLoader.java b/pitest-entry/src/main/java/org/pitest/mutationtest/config/ServicesFromClassLoader.java
index cb3ba1aba..f690e0d31 100644
--- a/pitest-entry/src/main/java/org/pitest/mutationtest/config/ServicesFromClassLoader.java
+++ b/pitest-entry/src/main/java/org/pitest/mutationtest/config/ServicesFromClassLoader.java
@@ -1,8 +1,16 @@
 package org.pitest.mutationtest.config;
 
+import org.pitest.util.PitError;
 import org.pitest.util.ServiceLoader;
 
+import java.io.File;
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.net.URISyntaxException;
+import java.net.URL;
+import java.nio.file.Paths;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.Enumeration;
 
 public class ServicesFromClassLoader implements Services {
     private final ClassLoader loader;
@@ -15,4 +23,21 @@ public ServicesFromClassLoader(ClassLoader loader) {
     public <S> Collection<S> load(Class<S> ifc) {
         return ServiceLoader.load(ifc, loader);
     }
+
+    @Override
+    public Collection<File> findPluginDescriptors(Class<?> ifc) {
+        try {
+            final Collection<File> pluginDescriptors = new ArrayList<>();
+            Enumeration<URL> e = this.loader.getResources("META-INF/services/" + ifc.getName());
+            while (e.hasMoreElements()) {
+                URL url = e.nextElement();
+                if ("file".equals(url.getProtocol())) {
+                    pluginDescriptors.add(Paths.get(url.toURI()).getParent().getParent().getParent().toFile());
+                }
+            }
+            return pluginDescriptors;
+        } catch (final IOException | URISyntaxException ex) {
+            throw new PitError("Error finding plugin descriptor for " + ifc.getName(), ex);
+        }
+    }
 }