diff --git a/api4/plugin.go b/api4/plugin.go
index 519013f2f1..0c2b576a26 100644
--- a/api4/plugin.go
+++ b/api4/plugin.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ package api4
 
 import (
 	"net/http"
+	"net/url"
 
 	"github.com/mattermost/mattermost-server/mlog"
 	"github.com/mattermost/mattermost-server/model"
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ func (api *API) InitPlugin() {
 	api.BaseRoutes.Plugins.Handle("", api.ApiSessionRequired(uploadPlugin)).Methods("POST")
 	api.BaseRoutes.Plugins.Handle("", api.ApiSessionRequired(getPlugins)).Methods("GET")
 	api.BaseRoutes.Plugin.Handle("", api.ApiSessionRequired(removePlugin)).Methods("DELETE")
+	api.BaseRoutes.Plugins.Handle("/install_from_url", api.ApiSessionRequired(installPluginFromUrl)).Methods("POST")
 
 	api.BaseRoutes.Plugins.Handle("/statuses", api.ApiSessionRequired(getPluginStatuses)).Methods("GET")
 	api.BaseRoutes.Plugin.Handle("/enable", api.ApiSessionRequired(enablePlugin)).Methods("POST")
@@ -81,6 +83,58 @@ func uploadPlugin(c *Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	w.Write([]byte(manifest.ToJson()))
 }
 
+func installPluginFromUrl(c *Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+	if !*c.App.Config().PluginSettings.Enable {
+		c.Err = model.NewAppError("installPluginFromUrl", "app.plugin.disabled.app_error", nil, "", http.StatusNotImplemented)
+		return
+	}
+
+	if !c.App.SessionHasPermissionTo(c.App.Session, model.PERMISSION_MANAGE_SYSTEM) {
+		c.SetPermissionError(model.PERMISSION_MANAGE_SYSTEM)
+		return
+	}
+
+	downloadUrl := r.URL.Query().Get("plugin_download_url")
+
+	if !model.IsValidHttpUrl(downloadUrl) {
+		c.Err = model.NewAppError("installPluginFromUrl", "api.plugin.install.invalid_url.app_error", nil, "", http.StatusBadRequest)
+		return
+	}
+
+	u, err := url.ParseRequestURI(downloadUrl)
+	if err != nil {
+		c.Err = model.NewAppError("installPluginFromUrl", "api.plugin.install.invalid_url.app_error", nil, "", http.StatusBadRequest)
+		return
+	}
+
+	if !*c.App.Config().PluginSettings.AllowInsecureDownloadUrl && u.Scheme != "https" {
+		c.Err = model.NewAppError("installPluginFromUrl", "api.plugin.install.insecure_url.app_error", nil, "", http.StatusBadRequest)
+		return
+	}
+
+	client := c.App.HTTPService.MakeClient(true)
+	resp, err := client.Get(downloadUrl)
+	if err != nil {
+		c.Err = model.NewAppError("installPluginFromUrl", "api.plugin.install.download_failed.app_error", nil, err.Error(), http.StatusBadRequest)
+		return
+	}
+	defer resp.Body.Close()
+
+	force := false
+	if r.URL.Query().Get("force") == "true" {
+		force = true
+	}
+	manifest, unpackErr := c.App.InstallPlugin(resp.Body, force)
+
+	if unpackErr != nil {
+		c.Err = unpackErr
+		return
+	}
+
+	w.WriteHeader(http.StatusCreated)
+	w.Write([]byte(manifest.ToJson()))
+}
+
 func getPlugins(c *Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	if !*c.App.Config().PluginSettings.Enable {
 		c.Err = model.NewAppError("getPlugins", "app.plugin.disabled.app_error", nil, "", http.StatusNotImplemented)
diff --git a/api4/plugin_test.go b/api4/plugin_test.go
index e17d96ecea..9b24c579f7 100644
--- a/api4/plugin_test.go
+++ b/api4/plugin_test.go
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"io/ioutil"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"testing"
@@ -26,6 +28,7 @@ func TestPlugin(t *testing.T) {
 	th.App.UpdateConfig(func(cfg *model.Config) {
 		*cfg.PluginSettings.Enable = true
 		*cfg.PluginSettings.EnableUploads = true
+		*cfg.PluginSettings.AllowInsecureDownloadUrl = true
 	})
 
 	path, _ := fileutils.FindDir("tests")
@@ -34,9 +37,52 @@ func TestPlugin(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	// Successful upload
-	manifest, resp := th.SystemAdminClient.UploadPlugin(bytes.NewReader(tarData))
+	// Install from URL
+	testServer := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(res http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {
+		res.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+		res.Write(tarData)
+	}))
+	defer func() { testServer.Close() }()
+
+	url := testServer.URL
+
+	manifest, resp := th.SystemAdminClient.InstallPluginFromUrl(url, false)
 	CheckNoError(t, resp)
+	assert.Equal(t, "testplugin", manifest.Id)
+
+	_, resp = th.SystemAdminClient.InstallPluginFromUrl(url, false)
+	CheckBadRequestStatus(t, resp)
+
+	manifest, resp = th.SystemAdminClient.InstallPluginFromUrl(url, true)
+	CheckNoError(t, resp)
+	assert.Equal(t, "testplugin", manifest.Id)
+
+	th.App.RemovePlugin(manifest.Id)
+
+	th.App.UpdateConfig(func(cfg *model.Config) { *cfg.PluginSettings.Enable = false })
+
+	_, resp = th.SystemAdminClient.InstallPluginFromUrl(url, false)
+	CheckNotImplementedStatus(t, resp)
+
+	th.App.UpdateConfig(func(cfg *model.Config) { *cfg.PluginSettings.Enable = true })
+
+	_, resp = th.Client.InstallPluginFromUrl(url, false)
+	CheckForbiddenStatus(t, resp)
+
+	_, resp = th.SystemAdminClient.InstallPluginFromUrl("http://nodata", false)
+	CheckBadRequestStatus(t, resp)
+
+	th.App.UpdateConfig(func(cfg *model.Config) { *cfg.PluginSettings.AllowInsecureDownloadUrl = false })
+
+	_, resp = th.SystemAdminClient.InstallPluginFromUrl(url, false)
+	CheckBadRequestStatus(t, resp)
+
+	// Successful upload
+	manifest, resp = th.SystemAdminClient.UploadPlugin(bytes.NewReader(tarData))
+	CheckNoError(t, resp)
+
+	th.App.UpdateConfig(func(cfg *model.Config) { *cfg.PluginSettings.EnableUploads = true })
+
 	manifest, resp = th.SystemAdminClient.UploadPluginForced(bytes.NewReader(tarData))
 	defer os.RemoveAll("plugins/testplugin")
 	CheckNoError(t, resp)
diff --git a/app/diagnostics.go b/app/diagnostics.go
index d7957c4e19..ddf7f456a7 100644
--- a/app/diagnostics.go
+++ b/app/diagnostics.go
@@ -581,6 +581,7 @@ func (a *App) trackConfig() {
 		"enable_zoom":                   pluginActivated(cfg.PluginSettings.PluginStates, "zoom"),
 		"enable":                        *cfg.PluginSettings.Enable,
 		"enable_uploads":                *cfg.PluginSettings.EnableUploads,
+		"allow_insecure_download_url":   *cfg.PluginSettings.AllowInsecureDownloadUrl,
 	})
 
 	a.SendDiagnostic(TRACK_CONFIG_DATA_RETENTION, map[string]interface{}{
diff --git a/i18n/en.json b/i18n/en.json
index dd068ffb3b..9a521b9394 100644
--- a/i18n/en.json
+++ b/i18n/en.json
@@ -1464,6 +1464,18 @@
     "id": "api.outgoing_webhook.disabled.app_error",
     "translation": "Outgoing webhooks have been disabled by the system admin."
   },
+  {
+    "id": "api.plugin.install.download_failed.app_error",
+    "translation": "An error occurred while downloading the plugin."
+  },
+  {
+    "id": "api.plugin.install.insecure_url.app_error",
+    "translation": "An insecure url was given to download the plugin. Please provide a secure url or enable PluginSettings.AllowInsecureDownloadUrl in your configuration."
+  },
+  {
+    "id": "api.plugin.install.invalid_url.app_error",
+    "translation": "An invalid url was given to download the plugin."
+  },
   {
     "id": "api.plugin.upload.array.app_error",
     "translation": "File array is empty in multipart/form request"
diff --git a/model/client4.go b/model/client4.go
index 7bcefc8b30..3eaaa1e198 100644
--- a/model/client4.go
+++ b/model/client4.go
@@ -4263,6 +4263,21 @@ func (c *Client4) uploadPlugin(file io.Reader, force bool) (*Manifest, *Response
 	return ManifestFromJson(rp.Body), BuildResponse(rp)
 }
 
+func (c *Client4) InstallPluginFromUrl(downloadUrl string, force bool) (*Manifest, *Response) {
+	forceStr := "false"
+	if force {
+		forceStr = "true"
+	}
+
+	url := fmt.Sprintf("%s?plugin_download_url=%s&force=%s", c.GetPluginsRoute()+"/install_from_url", url.QueryEscape(downloadUrl), forceStr)
+	r, err := c.DoApiPost(url, "")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, BuildErrorResponse(r, err)
+	}
+	defer closeBody(r)
+	return ManifestFromJson(r.Body), BuildResponse(r)
+}
+
 // GetPlugins will return a list of plugin manifests for currently active plugins.
 // WARNING: PLUGINS ARE STILL EXPERIMENTAL. THIS FUNCTION IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
 func (c *Client4) GetPlugins() (*PluginsResponse, *Response) {
diff --git a/model/config.go b/model/config.go
index 784a309986..addb3d1d0e 100644
--- a/model/config.go
+++ b/model/config.go
@@ -2183,12 +2183,13 @@ type PluginState struct {
 }
 
 type PluginSettings struct {
-	Enable          *bool
-	EnableUploads   *bool   `restricted:"true"`
-	Directory       *string `restricted:"true"`
-	ClientDirectory *string `restricted:"true"`
-	Plugins         map[string]map[string]interface{}
-	PluginStates    map[string]*PluginState
+	Enable                   *bool
+	EnableUploads            *bool   `restricted:"true"`
+	AllowInsecureDownloadUrl *bool   `restricted:"true"`
+	Directory                *string `restricted:"true"`
+	ClientDirectory          *string `restricted:"true"`
+	Plugins                  map[string]map[string]interface{}
+	PluginStates             map[string]*PluginState
 }
 
 func (s *PluginSettings) SetDefaults(ls LogSettings) {
@@ -2200,6 +2201,10 @@ func (s *PluginSettings) SetDefaults(ls LogSettings) {
 		s.EnableUploads = NewBool(false)
 	}
 
+	if s.AllowInsecureDownloadUrl == nil {
+		s.AllowInsecureDownloadUrl = NewBool(false)
+	}
+
 	if s.Directory == nil {
 		s.Directory = NewString(PLUGIN_SETTINGS_DEFAULT_DIRECTORY)
 	}