diff --git a/lib/ansible/constants.py b/lib/ansible/constants.py
index 861dd5325c..d00712bcad 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/constants.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/constants.py
@@ -86,6 +86,9 @@ def shell_expand_path(path):
         path = os.path.expanduser(os.path.expandvars(path))
     return path
 
+def get_plugin_paths(path):
+    return ':'.join([os.path.join(x, path) for x in [os.path.expanduser('~/.ansible/plugins/'), '/usr/share/ansible_plugins/']])
+
 p = load_config_file()
 
 active_user   = pwd.getpwuid(os.geteuid())[0]
@@ -135,13 +138,13 @@ DEFAULT_SU_USER           = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'su_user', 'ANSIBLE_SU_USER'
 DEFAULT_ASK_SU_PASS       = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'ask_su_pass', 'ANSIBLE_ASK_SU_PASS', False, boolean=True)
 DEFAULT_GATHERING         = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'gathering', 'ANSIBLE_GATHERING', 'implicit').lower()
 
-DEFAULT_ACTION_PLUGIN_PATH     = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'action_plugins',     'ANSIBLE_ACTION_PLUGINS', '/usr/share/ansible_plugins/action_plugins')
-DEFAULT_CACHE_PLUGIN_PATH      = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'cache_plugins',      'ANSIBLE_CACHE_PLUGINS', '/usr/share/ansible_plugins/cache_plugins')
-DEFAULT_CALLBACK_PLUGIN_PATH   = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'callback_plugins',   'ANSIBLE_CALLBACK_PLUGINS', '/usr/share/ansible_plugins/callback_plugins')
-DEFAULT_CONNECTION_PLUGIN_PATH = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'connection_plugins', 'ANSIBLE_CONNECTION_PLUGINS', '/usr/share/ansible_plugins/connection_plugins')
-DEFAULT_LOOKUP_PLUGIN_PATH     = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'lookup_plugins',     'ANSIBLE_LOOKUP_PLUGINS', '/usr/share/ansible_plugins/lookup_plugins')
-DEFAULT_VARS_PLUGIN_PATH       = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'vars_plugins',       'ANSIBLE_VARS_PLUGINS', '/usr/share/ansible_plugins/vars_plugins')
-DEFAULT_FILTER_PLUGIN_PATH     = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'filter_plugins',     'ANSIBLE_FILTER_PLUGINS', '/usr/share/ansible_plugins/filter_plugins')
+DEFAULT_ACTION_PLUGIN_PATH     = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'action_plugins',     'ANSIBLE_ACTION_PLUGINS', get_plugin_paths('action_plugins'))
+DEFAULT_CACHE_PLUGIN_PATH      = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'cache_plugins',      'ANSIBLE_CACHE_PLUGINS', get_plugin_paths('cache_plugins'))
+DEFAULT_CALLBACK_PLUGIN_PATH   = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'callback_plugins',   'ANSIBLE_CALLBACK_PLUGINS', get_plugin_paths('callback_plugins'))
+DEFAULT_CONNECTION_PLUGIN_PATH = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'connection_plugins', 'ANSIBLE_CONNECTION_PLUGINS', get_plugin_paths('connection_plugins'))
+DEFAULT_LOOKUP_PLUGIN_PATH     = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'lookup_plugins',     'ANSIBLE_LOOKUP_PLUGINS', get_plugin_paths('lookup_plugins'))
+DEFAULT_VARS_PLUGIN_PATH       = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'vars_plugins',       'ANSIBLE_VARS_PLUGINS', get_plugin_paths('vars_plugins'))
+DEFAULT_FILTER_PLUGIN_PATH     = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'filter_plugins',     'ANSIBLE_FILTER_PLUGINS', get_plugin_paths('filter_plugins'))
 DEFAULT_LOG_PATH               = shell_expand_path(get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'log_path',           'ANSIBLE_LOG_PATH', ''))
 
 CACHE_PLUGIN                   = get_config(p, DEFAULTS, 'fact_caching', 'ANSIBLE_CACHE_PLUGIN', 'memory')