diff --git a/Sofa/framework/Helper/CMakeLists.txt b/Sofa/framework/Helper/CMakeLists.txt
index 0fc3c9d2650..f78ff2917ee 100644
--- a/Sofa/framework/Helper/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/Sofa/framework/Helper/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -263,6 +263,23 @@ target_include_directories(${PROJECT_NAME} SYSTEM PUBLIC "$<BUILD_INTERFACE:${ST
 # DiffLib (header only)
 target_include_directories(${PROJECT_NAME} SYSTEM PUBLIC "$<BUILD_INTERFACE:${difflib_INCLUDE_DIR}>")
 
+set(is_release "$<CONFIG:RELEASE>")
+set(is_debug "$<CONFIG:DEBUG>")
+set(is_relwithdebinfo "$<CONFIG:RELWITHDEBINFO>")
+set(is_minsizerel "$<CONFIG:MINSIZEREL>")
+# set the type of build as preprocessor value
+target_compile_definitions(${PROJECT_NAME} PRIVATE "$<${is_release}:SOFA_BUILD_CONFIGURATION=Release>")
+target_compile_definitions(${PROJECT_NAME} PRIVATE "$<${is_debug}:SOFA_BUILD_CONFIGURATION=Debug>")
+target_compile_definitions(${PROJECT_NAME} PRIVATE "$<${is_relwithdebinfo}:SOFA_BUILD_CONFIGURATION=RelWithDebInfo>")
+target_compile_definitions(${PROJECT_NAME} PRIVATE "$<${is_minsizerel}:SOFA_BUILD_CONFIGURATION=MinSizeRel>")
+## if the type of build is something else (not supported), then SOFA_BUILD_CONFIGURATION wont be defined
+# it could be also useful to know if we are using a multi-config generator
+if(CMAKE_CONFIGURATION_TYPES)
+    target_compile_definitions(${PROJECT_NAME} PRIVATE "SOFA_BUILD_MULTI_CONFIGURATION=1")
+else()
+    target_compile_definitions(${PROJECT_NAME} PRIVATE "SOFA_BUILD_MULTI_CONFIGURATION=0")
+endif()
+
 set_target_properties(${PROJECT_NAME} PROPERTIES FOLDER Sofa.Framework) # IDE folder
 
 sofa_create_package_with_targets(
diff --git a/Sofa/framework/Helper/src/sofa/helper/system/FileRepository.cpp b/Sofa/framework/Helper/src/sofa/helper/system/FileRepository.cpp
index 9fbef88b423..dfd888f7de4 100644
--- a/Sofa/framework/Helper/src/sofa/helper/system/FileRepository.cpp
+++ b/Sofa/framework/Helper/src/sofa/helper/system/FileRepository.cpp
@@ -86,7 +86,6 @@ FileRepository PluginRepository(
     {
         Utils::getSofaPathTo("bin"),
         Utils::getSofaPathTo("plugins"),
-        Utils::getSofaPathTo("collections"),
         Utils::getExecutableDirectory(),
     }
 );
@@ -94,9 +93,8 @@ FileRepository PluginRepository(
 FileRepository PluginRepository(
     "SOFA_PLUGIN_PATH",
     {
-        Utils::getSofaPathTo("plugins"),
-        Utils::getSofaPathTo("collections"),
         Utils::getSofaPathTo("lib"),
+        Utils::getSofaPathTo("plugins"),
     }
 );
 #endif
diff --git a/Sofa/framework/Helper/src/sofa/helper/system/PluginManager.cpp b/Sofa/framework/Helper/src/sofa/helper/system/PluginManager.cpp
index bf4df3e3c7b..2c60200c2bc 100644
--- a/Sofa/framework/Helper/src/sofa/helper/system/PluginManager.cpp
+++ b/Sofa/framework/Helper/src/sofa/helper/system/PluginManager.cpp
@@ -40,6 +40,17 @@ using sofa::helper::system::FileSystem;
 #include <fstream>
 #include <array>
 
+#ifdef SOFA_BUILD_CONFIGURATION
+constexpr std::string_view SOFA_BUILD_CONFIGURATION_STR = sofa_tostring(SOFA_BUILD_CONFIGURATION);
+#else
+constexpr std::string_view SOFA_BUILD_CONFIGURATION_STR = "NONE";
+#endif
+
+constexpr std::string_view GetSofaBuildConfigurationString()
+{
+    return SOFA_BUILD_CONFIGURATION_STR;
+}
+
 namespace sofa::helper::system
 {
 
@@ -469,17 +480,46 @@ std::string PluginManager::findPlugin(const std::string& pluginName, const std::
             }
         }
     }
-
-    // Second try: case-insensitive and recursive
+    
+    // Second try: case-insensitive and non-recursive
+    if (ignoreCase)
+    {
+        const std::string downcaseLibName = helper::downcaseString(libName);
+        
+        for (const auto & dir : searchPaths)
+        {
+            const std::array paths =
+            {
+                dir, // Non-Multi-Config build, install
+                FileSystem::append(dir, GetSofaBuildConfigurationString()) // Multi-Config build
+            };
+                
+            for (const auto & path : paths)
+            {
+                if ( fs::exists(path) )
+                {
+                    for (auto const& dirEntry : std::filesystem::directory_iterator{path})
+                    {
+                        const std::string filename = dirEntry.path().filename().string();
+                        const std::string downcaseFilename = helper::downcaseString(filename);
+                        if (downcaseFilename == downcaseLibName)
+                        {
+                            return FileSystem::cleanPath(dirEntry.path().string());
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    
+    // Last try: case-insensitive and recursive
     if (ignoreCase)
     {
         if(!recursive) maxRecursiveDepth = 0;
         const std::string downcaseLibName = helper::downcaseString(libName);
-
-        for (std::vector<std::string>::iterator i = searchPaths.begin(); i!=searchPaths.end(); i++)
+        
+        for (const auto & dir : searchPaths)
         {
-            const std::string& dir = *i;
-
             fs::recursive_directory_iterator iter(dir);
             fs::recursive_directory_iterator end;