diff --git a/lib/discourse_plugin_registry.rb b/lib/discourse_plugin_registry.rb
index d85eba6a5..4b0402eae 100644
--- a/lib/discourse_plugin_registry.rb
+++ b/lib/discourse_plugin_registry.rb
@@ -68,6 +68,34 @@ class DiscoursePluginRegistry
     Archetype.register(name, options)
   end
 
+  def self.register_asset(asset, opts=nil)
+    if asset =~ /\.js$|\.js\.erb$|\.js\.es6$/
+      if opts == :admin
+        self.admin_javascripts << asset
+      else
+        if opts == :server_side
+          self.server_side_javascripts << asset
+        end
+        self.javascripts << asset
+      end
+    elsif asset =~ /\.css$|\.scss$/
+      if opts == :mobile
+        self.mobile_stylesheets << asset
+      elsif opts == :desktop
+        self.desktop_stylesheets << asset
+      elsif opts == :variables
+        self.sass_variables << asset
+      else
+        self.stylesheets << asset
+      end
+
+    elsif asset =~ /\.hbs$/
+      self.handlebars << asset
+    elsif asset =~ /\.js\.handlebars$/
+      self.handlebars << asset
+    end
+  end
+
   def javascripts
     self.class.javascripts
   end
@@ -106,6 +134,17 @@ class DiscoursePluginRegistry
     self.handlebars = nil
   end
 
+  def self.reset!
+    javascripts.clear
+    admin_javascripts.clear
+    server_side_javascripts.clear
+    stylesheets.clear
+    mobile_stylesheets.clear
+    desktop_stylesheets.clear
+    sass_variables.clear
+    serialized_current_user_fields
+  end
+
   def self.setup(plugin_class)
     registry = DiscoursePluginRegistry.new
     plugin = plugin_class.new(registry)
diff --git a/lib/plugin/instance.rb b/lib/plugin/instance.rb
index 0fe6f0dc8..c33d04058 100644
--- a/lib/plugin/instance.rb
+++ b/lib/plugin/instance.rb
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ class Plugin::Instance
         register_asset(relative)
       end
     end
-
   end
 
   def name
@@ -186,7 +185,6 @@ class Plugin::Instance
       Rails.configuration.assets.paths << File.dirname(path) + "/assets"
     end
 
-
     public_data = File.dirname(path) + "/public"
     if Dir.exists?(public_data)
       target = Rails.root.to_s + "/public/plugins/"
@@ -243,31 +241,7 @@ class Plugin::Instance
 
   def register_assets!
     assets.each do |asset, opts|
-      if asset =~ /\.js$|\.js\.erb$|\.js\.es6$/
-        if opts == :admin
-          DiscoursePluginRegistry.admin_javascripts << asset
-        else
-          if opts == :server_side
-            DiscoursePluginRegistry.server_side_javascripts << asset
-          end
-          DiscoursePluginRegistry.javascripts << asset
-        end
-      elsif asset =~ /\.css$|\.scss$/
-        if opts == :mobile
-          DiscoursePluginRegistry.mobile_stylesheets << asset
-        elsif opts == :desktop
-          DiscoursePluginRegistry.desktop_stylesheets << asset
-        elsif opts == :variables
-          DiscoursePluginRegistry.sass_variables << asset
-        else
-          DiscoursePluginRegistry.stylesheets << asset
-        end
-
-      elsif asset =~ /\.hbs$/
-        DiscoursePluginRegistry.handlebars << asset
-      elsif asset =~ /\.js\.handlebars$/
-        DiscoursePluginRegistry.handlebars << asset
-      end
+      DiscoursePluginRegistry.register_asset(asset, opts)
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/spec/components/discourse_plugin_registry_spec.rb b/spec/components/discourse_plugin_registry_spec.rb
index f3942e912..b4d0cdbf4 100644
--- a/spec/components/discourse_plugin_registry_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/components/discourse_plugin_registry_spec.rb
@@ -82,4 +82,65 @@ describe DiscoursePluginRegistry do
     end
   end
 
+  context '#register_asset' do
+    let(:registry) { DiscoursePluginRegistry }
+
+    after do
+      registry.reset!
+    end
+
+    it "does register general css properly" do
+      registry.register_asset("test.css")
+      registry.register_asset("test2.css")
+
+      registry.mobile_stylesheets.count.should == 0
+      registry.stylesheets.count.should == 2
+    end
+
+    it "registers desktop css properly" do
+      registry.register_asset("test.css", :desktop)
+
+      registry.mobile_stylesheets.count.should == 0
+      registry.desktop_stylesheets.count.should == 1
+      registry.stylesheets.count.should == 0
+    end
+
+    it "registers mobile css properly" do
+      registry.register_asset("test.css", :mobile)
+
+      registry.mobile_stylesheets.count.should == 1
+      registry.stylesheets.count.should == 0
+    end
+
+    it "registers desktop css properly" do
+      registry.register_asset("test.css", :desktop)
+
+      registry.desktop_stylesheets.count.should == 1
+      registry.stylesheets.count.should == 0
+    end
+
+    it "registers sass variable properly" do
+      registry.register_asset("test.css", :variables)
+
+      registry.sass_variables.count.should == 1
+      registry.stylesheets.count.should == 0
+    end
+
+    it "registers admin javascript properly" do
+      registry.register_asset("my_admin.js", :admin)
+
+      registry.admin_javascripts.count.should == 1
+      registry.javascripts.count.should == 0
+      registry.server_side_javascripts.count.should == 0
+    end
+
+    it "registers server side javascript properly" do
+      registry.register_asset("my_admin.js", :server_side)
+
+      registry.server_side_javascripts.count.should == 1
+      registry.javascripts.count.should == 1
+      registry.admin_javascripts.count.should == 0
+    end
+  end
+
 end
diff --git a/spec/components/plugin/instance_spec.rb b/spec/components/plugin/instance_spec.rb
index a97113906..95d9f8533 100644
--- a/spec/components/plugin/instance_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/components/plugin/instance_spec.rb
@@ -4,14 +4,7 @@ require_dependency 'plugin/instance'
 describe Plugin::Instance do
 
   after do
-    DiscoursePluginRegistry.javascripts.clear
-    DiscoursePluginRegistry.admin_javascripts.clear
-    DiscoursePluginRegistry.server_side_javascripts.clear
-    DiscoursePluginRegistry.stylesheets.clear
-    DiscoursePluginRegistry.mobile_stylesheets.clear
-    DiscoursePluginRegistry.desktop_stylesheets.clear
-    DiscoursePluginRegistry.sass_variables.clear
-    DiscoursePluginRegistry.serialized_current_user_fields
+    DiscoursePluginRegistry.reset!
   end
 
   context "find_all" do
@@ -31,7 +24,7 @@ describe Plugin::Instance do
   end
 
   context "register asset" do
-    it "does register general css properly" do
+    it "populates the DiscoursePluginRegistry" do
       plugin = Plugin::Instance.new nil, "/tmp/test.rb"
       plugin.register_asset("test.css")
       plugin.register_asset("test2.css")
@@ -41,71 +34,8 @@ describe Plugin::Instance do
       DiscoursePluginRegistry.mobile_stylesheets.count.should == 0
       DiscoursePluginRegistry.stylesheets.count.should == 2
     end
-
-    it "registers desktop css properly" do
-      plugin = Plugin::Instance.new nil, "/tmp/test.rb"
-      plugin.register_asset("test.css", :desktop)
-      plugin.send :register_assets!
-
-      DiscoursePluginRegistry.mobile_stylesheets.count.should == 0
-      DiscoursePluginRegistry.desktop_stylesheets.count.should == 1
-      DiscoursePluginRegistry.stylesheets.count.should == 0
-    end
-
-    it "registers mobile css properly" do
-      plugin = Plugin::Instance.new nil, "/tmp/test.rb"
-      plugin.register_asset("test.css", :mobile)
-      plugin.send :register_assets!
-
-      DiscoursePluginRegistry.mobile_stylesheets.count.should == 1
-      DiscoursePluginRegistry.stylesheets.count.should == 0
-    end
-
-    it "registers desktop css properly" do
-      plugin = Plugin::Instance.new nil, "/tmp/test.rb"
-      plugin.register_asset("test.css", :desktop)
-      plugin.send :register_assets!
-
-      DiscoursePluginRegistry.desktop_stylesheets.count.should == 1
-      DiscoursePluginRegistry.stylesheets.count.should == 0
-    end
-
-
-    it "registers sass variable properly" do
-      plugin = Plugin::Instance.new nil, "/tmp/test.rb"
-      plugin.register_asset("test.css", :variables)
-      plugin.send :register_assets!
-
-      DiscoursePluginRegistry.sass_variables.count.should == 1
-      DiscoursePluginRegistry.stylesheets.count.should == 0
-    end
-
-
-    it "registers admin javascript properly" do
-      plugin = Plugin::Instance.new nil, "/tmp/test.rb"
-      plugin.register_asset("my_admin.js", :admin)
-
-      plugin.send :register_assets!
-
-      DiscoursePluginRegistry.admin_javascripts.count.should == 1
-      DiscoursePluginRegistry.javascripts.count.should == 0
-      DiscoursePluginRegistry.server_side_javascripts.count.should == 0
-    end
-
-    it "registers server side javascript properly" do
-      plugin = Plugin::Instance.new nil, "/tmp/test.rb"
-      plugin.register_asset("my_admin.js", :server_side)
-
-      plugin.send :register_assets!
-
-      DiscoursePluginRegistry.server_side_javascripts.count.should == 1
-      DiscoursePluginRegistry.javascripts.count.should == 1
-      DiscoursePluginRegistry.admin_javascripts.count.should == 0
-    end
-
   end
 
-
   context "activate!" do
     it "can activate plugins correctly" do
       plugin = Plugin::Instance.new