diff --git a/hera-core/src/main/java/org/synyx/hera/core/OrderAwarePluginRegistry.java b/hera-core/src/main/java/org/synyx/hera/core/OrderAwarePluginRegistry.java
index 4508210..b8d984e 100644
--- a/hera-core/src/main/java/org/synyx/hera/core/OrderAwarePluginRegistry.java
+++ b/hera-core/src/main/java/org/synyx/hera/core/OrderAwarePluginRegistry.java
@@ -29,12 +29,30 @@ public class OrderAwarePluginRegistry<T extends Plugin<S>, S> extends
      * @param <S>
      * @return
      */
-    public static <S, T extends Plugin<S>> OrderAwarePluginRegistry<T, S> create() {
+    public static <S, T extends Plugin<S>> PluginRegistry<T, S> create() {
 
         return new OrderAwarePluginRegistry<T, S>();
     }
 
 
+    /**
+     * Creates a new {@link OrderAwarePluginRegistry} with the given plugins.
+     * 
+     * @param <S>
+     * @param <T>
+     * @param plugins
+     * @return
+     */
+    public static <S, T extends Plugin<S>> PluginRegistry<T, S> create(
+            List<T> plugins) {
+
+        PluginRegistry<T, S> registry = create();
+        registry.setPlugins(plugins);
+
+        return registry;
+    }
+
+
     /*
      * (non-Javadoc)
      * 
diff --git a/hera-core/src/main/java/org/synyx/hera/core/PluginRegistry.java b/hera-core/src/main/java/org/synyx/hera/core/PluginRegistry.java
index c9c0073..4208678 100644
--- a/hera-core/src/main/java/org/synyx/hera/core/PluginRegistry.java
+++ b/hera-core/src/main/java/org/synyx/hera/core/PluginRegistry.java
@@ -29,6 +29,14 @@ public interface PluginRegistry<T extends Plugin<S>, S> extends Iterable<T> {
     void addPlugin(T plugin);
 
 
+    /**
+     * Removes a given plugin from the registry.
+     * 
+     * @param plugin
+     */
+    boolean removePlugin(T plugin);
+
+
     /**
      * Returns the first plugin found for the given originating system. Thus,
      * further configured plugins are ignored.
@@ -107,4 +115,12 @@ public interface PluginRegistry<T extends Plugin<S>, S> extends Iterable<T> {
      */
     int countPlugins();
 
+
+    /**
+     * Returns whether the registry contains a given plugin.
+     * 
+     * @param plugin
+     * @return
+     */
+    boolean contains(T plugin);
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/hera-core/src/main/java/org/synyx/hera/core/SimplePluginRegistry.java b/hera-core/src/main/java/org/synyx/hera/core/SimplePluginRegistry.java
index 3e8d27c..bf9dbe5 100644
--- a/hera-core/src/main/java/org/synyx/hera/core/SimplePluginRegistry.java
+++ b/hera-core/src/main/java/org/synyx/hera/core/SimplePluginRegistry.java
@@ -58,6 +58,23 @@ public class SimplePluginRegistry<T extends Plugin<S>, S> implements
     }
 
 
+    /**
+     * Creates a new {@link SimplePluginRegistry}.
+     * 
+     * @param <T>
+     * @param <S>
+     * @return
+     */
+    public static <S, T extends Plugin<S>> PluginRegistry<T, S> create(
+            List<T> plugins) {
+
+        PluginRegistry<T, S> registry = create();
+        registry.setPlugins(plugins);
+
+        return registry;
+    }
+
+
     /*
      * (non-Javadoc)
      * 
@@ -81,6 +98,19 @@ public class SimplePluginRegistry<T extends Plugin<S>, S> implements
     }
 
 
+    /*
+     * (non-Javadoc)
+     * 
+     * @see
+     * org.synyx.hera.core.PluginRegistry#removePlugin(org.synyx.hera.core.Plugin
+     * )
+     */
+    public boolean removePlugin(T plugin) {
+
+        return this.plugins.remove(plugin);
+    }
+
+
     /*
      * (non-Javadoc)
      * 
@@ -206,6 +236,18 @@ public class SimplePluginRegistry<T extends Plugin<S>, S> implements
     }
 
 
+    /*
+     * (non-Javadoc)
+     * 
+     * @see
+     * org.synyx.hera.core.PluginRegistry#contains(org.synyx.hera.core.Plugin)
+     */
+    public boolean contains(T plugin) {
+
+        return this.plugins.contains(plugin);
+    }
+
+
     /*
      * (non-Javadoc)
      * 
diff --git a/hera-core/src/test/java/org/synyx/hera/core/SimplePluginRegistryUnitTest.java b/hera-core/src/test/java/org/synyx/hera/core/SimplePluginRegistryUnitTest.java
index b52689d..2c7ee7a 100644
--- a/hera-core/src/test/java/org/synyx/hera/core/SimplePluginRegistryUnitTest.java
+++ b/hera-core/src/test/java/org/synyx/hera/core/SimplePluginRegistryUnitTest.java
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ import org.junit.Test;
  */
 public class SimplePluginRegistryUnitTest {
 
-    private SamplePlugin provider;
+    private SamplePlugin plugin;
 
     private PluginRegistry<SamplePlugin, String> registry;
 
@@ -43,10 +43,22 @@ public class SimplePluginRegistryUnitTest {
     @Before
     public void setUp() {
 
-        provider = new SamplePluginImplementation();
+        plugin = new SamplePluginImplementation();
 
-        registry = new SimplePluginRegistry<SamplePlugin, String>();
-        registry.setPlugins(Arrays.asList(provider));
+        registry = SimplePluginRegistry.create(Arrays.asList(plugin));
+    }
+
+
+    /**
+     * Asserts that the registry contains the plugin it was initialized with.
+     * 
+     * @throws Exception
+     */
+    @Test
+    public void assertRegistryInitialized() throws Exception {
+
+        assertEquals(1, registry.countPlugins());
+        assertTrue(registry.contains(plugin));
     }