diff --git a/src/routes/api.js b/src/routes/api.js
index d7b0efb6db..0bd255c5e0 100644
--- a/src/routes/api.js
+++ b/src/routes/api.js
@@ -13,9 +13,7 @@ var path = require('path'),
 	meta = require('./../meta'),
 	plugins = require('./../plugins'),
 	utils = require('./../../public/src/utils'),
-	pkg = require('./../../package.json'),
-
-	customTemplates = [];
+	pkg = require('./../../package.json');
 
 
 function searchTerm(req, res, next) {
@@ -137,7 +135,7 @@ function getModerators(req, res, next) {
 
 function getTemplatesListing(req, res, next) {
 	utils.walk(nconf.get('views_dir'), function (err, data) {
-		data = data.concat(customTemplates)
+		data = data.concat(require('./plugins').getCustomTemplates())
 				.filter(function(value, index, self) {
 					return self.indexOf(value) === index;
 				}).map(function(el) {
@@ -152,8 +150,6 @@ module.exports =  function(app, middleware, controllers) {
 	app.namespace('/api', function () {
 		app.all('*', middleware.updateLastOnlineTime, middleware.prepareAPI);
 
-		customTemplates = app.get_custom_templates();
-
 		app.get('/config', controllers.api.getConfig);
 
 		app.get('/user/uid/:uid', middleware.checkGlobalPrivacySettings, controllers.accounts.getUserByUID);
diff --git a/src/routes/plugins.js b/src/routes/plugins.js
index 7fadbebd98..b4841261f4 100644
--- a/src/routes/plugins.js
+++ b/src/routes/plugins.js
@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@ var	_ = require('underscore'),
 	validator = require('validator'),
 	async = require('async'),
 
-	plugins = require('../plugins');
+	plugins = require('../plugins'),
+
+	pluginRoutes = [];
 
 function setupPluginRoutes(app) {
 	var custom_routes = {
@@ -16,12 +18,6 @@ function setupPluginRoutes(app) {
 		'templates': []
 	};
 
-	app.get_custom_templates = function() {
-		return custom_routes.templates.map(function(tpl) {
-			return tpl.template;
-		});
-	};
-
 	plugins.ready(function() {
 		/*
 		* TO BE DEPRECATED post 0.4x and replaced with something that isn't as complicated as this...
@@ -30,6 +26,8 @@ function setupPluginRoutes(app) {
 			var route,
 				routes = custom_routes.routes;
 
+			pluginRoutes = custom_routes;
+
 			for (route in routes) {
 				if (routes.hasOwnProperty(route)) {
 					(function(route) {
@@ -70,7 +68,6 @@ function setupPluginRoutes(app) {
 					}(route));
 				}
 			}
-
 		});
 	});
 }
@@ -186,4 +183,12 @@ module.exports = function(app, middleware, controllers) {
 
 	setupPluginRoutes(app);
 	setupPluginAdminRoutes(app);
+
+	return {
+		getCustomTemplates: function() {
+			pluginRoutes.templates.map(function(tpl) {
+				return tpl.template;
+			});
+		}
+	};
 };
\ No newline at end of file