diff --git a/lib/core/include/irods/getRodsEnv.h b/lib/core/include/irods/getRodsEnv.h
index 263ed82ba0..bcf0248224 100644
--- a/lib/core/include/irods/getRodsEnv.h
+++ b/lib/core/include/irods/getRodsEnv.h
@@ -55,13 +55,19 @@ typedef struct RodsEnvironment {
 
     // =-=-=-=-=-=-=-
     // override of plugin installation directory
-    char irodsPluginHome[MAX_NAME_LEN];
+    __attribute__((deprecated("Use irodsPluginDirectory"))) char irodsPluginHome[MAX_NAME_LEN];
+    // TODO Hmm, adding a new member will result in an ABI break. Users will have to
+    // recompile their C/C++ clients. If we don't add the new member, then users can't
+    // migrate their clients to the new variable.
 
     // =-=-=-=-=-=-=-
     // TCP keepalive configurations
     int tcp_keepalive_intvl;
     int tcp_keepalive_probes;
     int tcp_keepalive_time;
+
+    // TODO This will result in an ABI break.
+    char irodsPluginDirectory[MAX_NAME_LEN];
 } rodsEnv;
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
diff --git a/lib/core/include/irods/irods_configuration_keywords.hpp b/lib/core/include/irods/irods_configuration_keywords.hpp
index 35eb6ad789..baad199fd6 100644
--- a/lib/core/include/irods/irods_configuration_keywords.hpp
+++ b/lib/core/include/irods/irods_configuration_keywords.hpp
@@ -168,7 +168,8 @@ namespace irods
     extern const char* const KW_CFG_SERVICE_ROLE_CONSUMER;
     extern const char* const KW_CFG_SERVICE_ROLE_PROXY;
 
-    extern const char* const KW_CFG_IRODS_PLUGINS_HOME;
+    [[deprecated("Use KW_CFG_PLUGIN_CONFIGURATION")]] extern const char* const KW_CFG_IRODS_PLUGINS_HOME;
+    extern const char* const KW_CFG_IRODS_PLUGIN_DIRECTORY;
 
     extern const char* const KW_CFG_PLUGIN_CONFIGURATION;
 
diff --git a/lib/core/src/getRodsEnv.cpp b/lib/core/src/getRodsEnv.cpp
index c6677f0dec..c6ecb587af 100644
--- a/lib/core/src/getRodsEnv.cpp
+++ b/lib/core/src/getRodsEnv.cpp
@@ -348,8 +348,13 @@ extern "C" {
             irods::KW_CFG_IRODS_CONNECTION_POOL_REFRESH_TIME,
             _env->irodsConnectionPoolRefreshTime );
 
-        // NOLINTNEXTLINE(cppcoreguidelines-pro-bounds-array-to-pointer-decay)
-        capture_string_property(irods::KW_CFG_IRODS_PLUGINS_HOME, _env->irodsPluginHome, MAX_NAME_LEN);
+        capture_string_property(irods::KW_CFG_IRODS_PLUGIN_DIRECTORY, _env->irodsPluginHome, MAX_NAME_LEN);
+
+        // If the "plugin_directory" is configured, ignore "plugins_home".
+        if (std::strlen(_env->irodsPluginHome) == 0) {
+            // NOLINTNEXTLINE(cppcoreguidelines-pro-bounds-array-to-pointer-decay)
+            capture_string_property(irods::KW_CFG_IRODS_PLUGINS_HOME, _env->irodsPluginHome, MAX_NAME_LEN);
+        }
 
         // If the configuration is not set for the TCP keepalive options, set the value to something invalid. This
         // indicates that we should not set the option on the socket, which will allow the socket to use the kernel
@@ -642,10 +647,14 @@ extern "C" {
             env_var,
             _env->irodsTransBufferSizeForParaTrans );
 
-        env_var = irods::KW_CFG_IRODS_PLUGINS_HOME;
-        capture_string_env_var(
-            env_var,
-            _env->irodsPluginHome );
+        env_var = irods::KW_CFG_IRODS_PLUGIN_DIRECTORY;
+        capture_string_env_var(env_var, _env->irodsPluginHome);
+
+        // If the "plugin_directory" is configured, ignore "plugins_home".
+        if (std::strlen(_env->irodsPluginHome) == 0) {
+            env_var = irods::KW_CFG_IRODS_PLUGINS_HOME;
+            capture_string_env_var(env_var, _env->irodsPluginHome);
+        }
 
         capture_integer_env_var(irods::KW_CFG_IRODS_TCP_KEEPALIVE_INTVL_IN_SECONDS, _env->tcp_keepalive_intvl);
         capture_integer_env_var(irods::KW_CFG_IRODS_TCP_KEEPALIVE_PROBES, _env->tcp_keepalive_probes);
diff --git a/lib/core/src/irods_configuration_keywords.cpp b/lib/core/src/irods_configuration_keywords.cpp
index 05f04e0774..91081cfaaf 100644
--- a/lib/core/src/irods_configuration_keywords.cpp
+++ b/lib/core/src/irods_configuration_keywords.cpp
@@ -165,6 +165,7 @@ namespace irods
     const char* const KW_CFG_SERVICE_ROLE_PROXY{"proxy"};
 
     const char* const KW_CFG_IRODS_PLUGINS_HOME{"irods_plugins_home"};
+    const char* const KW_CFG_IRODS_PLUGIN_DIRECTORY{"irods_plugin_directory"};
 
     const char* const KW_CFG_PLUGIN_CONFIGURATION{"plugin_configuration"};
 
diff --git a/schemas/configuration/v4/service_account_environment.json.in b/schemas/configuration/v4/service_account_environment.json.in
index 22c9f5240a..ed818de9f7 100644
--- a/schemas/configuration/v4/service_account_environment.json.in
+++ b/schemas/configuration/v4/service_account_environment.json.in
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
         "irods_match_hash_policy": {"type": "string"},
         "irods_maximum_size_for_single_buffer_in_megabytes": {"type": "integer"},
         "irods_plugins_home": {"type": "string"},
+        "irods_plugin_directory": {"type": "string"},
         "irods_server_control_plane_encryption_algorithm": {"type": "string"},
         "irods_server_control_plane_encryption_num_hash_rounds": {"type": "integer"},
         "irods_server_control_plane_key": {"type": "string"},