diff --git a/app/plugin_api.go b/app/plugin_api.go
index 04da1e7ce1..790a14da21 100644
--- a/app/plugin_api.go
+++ b/app/plugin_api.go
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
@@ -655,6 +657,19 @@ func (api *PluginAPI) GetPluginStatus(id string) (*model.PluginStatus, *model.Ap
 	return api.app.GetPluginStatus(id)
 }
 
+func (api *PluginAPI) InstallPlugin(file io.Reader, replace bool) (*model.Manifest, *model.AppError) {
+	if !*api.app.Config().PluginSettings.Enable || !*api.app.Config().PluginSettings.EnableUploads {
+		return nil, model.NewAppError("installPlugin", "app.plugin.upload_disabled.app_error", nil, "", http.StatusNotImplemented)
+	}
+
+	fileBuffer, err := ioutil.ReadAll(file)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, model.NewAppError("InstallPlugin", "api.plugin.upload.file.app_error", nil, "", http.StatusBadRequest)
+	}
+
+	return api.app.InstallPlugin(bytes.NewReader(fileBuffer), replace)
+}
+
 // KV Store Section
 
 func (api *PluginAPI) KVSet(key string, value []byte) *model.AppError {
diff --git a/app/plugin_api_test.go b/app/plugin_api_test.go
index d913c03142..34ee7af700 100644
--- a/app/plugin_api_test.go
+++ b/app/plugin_api_test.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/mattermost/mattermost-server/plugin"
 	"github.com/mattermost/mattermost-server/services/mailservice"
 	"github.com/mattermost/mattermost-server/utils"
+	"github.com/mattermost/mattermost-server/utils/fileutils"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
@@ -684,6 +685,43 @@ func TestPluginAPIGetPlugins(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, pluginManifests, plugins)
 }
 
+func TestPluginAPIInstallPlugin(t *testing.T) {
+	th := Setup(t).InitBasic()
+	defer th.TearDown()
+	api := th.SetupPluginAPI()
+
+	path, _ := fileutils.FindDir("tests")
+	tarData, err := ioutil.ReadFile(filepath.Join(path, "testplugin.tar.gz"))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	_, err = api.InstallPlugin(bytes.NewReader(tarData), true)
+	assert.NotNil(t, err, "should not allow upload if upload disabled")
+	assert.Equal(t, err.Error(), "installPlugin: Plugins and/or plugin uploads have been disabled., ")
+
+	th.App.UpdateConfig(func(cfg *model.Config) {
+		*cfg.PluginSettings.Enable = true
+		*cfg.PluginSettings.EnableUploads = true
+	})
+
+	manifest, err := api.InstallPlugin(bytes.NewReader(tarData), true)
+	defer os.RemoveAll("plugins/testplugin")
+	require.Nil(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, "testplugin", manifest.Id)
+
+	// Successfully installed
+	pluginsResp, err := api.GetPlugins()
+	require.Nil(t, err)
+
+	found := false
+	for _, m := range pluginsResp {
+		if m.Id == manifest.Id {
+			found = true
+		}
+	}
+
+	assert.True(t, found)
+}
+
 func TestPluginAPIGetTeamIcon(t *testing.T) {
 	th := Setup(t).InitBasic()
 	defer th.TearDown()
diff --git a/plugin/api.go b/plugin/api.go
index 0bfe69cc84..4a21a331d4 100644
--- a/plugin/api.go
+++ b/plugin/api.go
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 package plugin
 
 import (
+	"io"
+
 	plugin "github.com/hashicorp/go-plugin"
 	"github.com/mattermost/mattermost-server/model"
 )
@@ -557,6 +559,12 @@ type API interface {
 	// Minimum server version: 5.6
 	GetPluginStatus(id string) (*model.PluginStatus, *model.AppError)
 
+	// InstallPlugin will upload another plugin with tar.gz file.
+	// Previous version will be replaced on replace true.
+	//
+	// Minimum server version: 5.18
+	InstallPlugin(file io.Reader, replace bool) (*model.Manifest, *model.AppError)
+
 	// KV Store Section
 
 	// KVSet stores a key-value pair, unique per plugin.
diff --git a/plugin/client_rpc_generated.go b/plugin/client_rpc_generated.go
index e1bd6165ff..43ba11b2f0 100644
--- a/plugin/client_rpc_generated.go
+++ b/plugin/client_rpc_generated.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ package plugin
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"log"
 
 	"github.com/mattermost/mattermost-server/mlog"
@@ -3488,6 +3489,36 @@ func (s *apiRPCServer) GetPluginStatus(args *Z_GetPluginStatusArgs, returns *Z_G
 	return nil
 }
 
+type Z_InstallPluginArgs struct {
+	A io.Reader
+	B bool
+}
+
+type Z_InstallPluginReturns struct {
+	A *model.Manifest
+	B *model.AppError
+}
+
+func (g *apiRPCClient) InstallPlugin(file io.Reader, replace bool) (*model.Manifest, *model.AppError) {
+	_args := &Z_InstallPluginArgs{file, replace}
+	_returns := &Z_InstallPluginReturns{}
+	if err := g.client.Call("Plugin.InstallPlugin", _args, _returns); err != nil {
+		log.Printf("RPC call to InstallPlugin API failed: %s", err.Error())
+	}
+	return _returns.A, _returns.B
+}
+
+func (s *apiRPCServer) InstallPlugin(args *Z_InstallPluginArgs, returns *Z_InstallPluginReturns) error {
+	if hook, ok := s.impl.(interface {
+		InstallPlugin(file io.Reader, replace bool) (*model.Manifest, *model.AppError)
+	}); ok {
+		returns.A, returns.B = hook.InstallPlugin(args.A, args.B)
+	} else {
+		return encodableError(fmt.Errorf("API InstallPlugin called but not implemented."))
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 type Z_KVSetArgs struct {
 	A string
 	B []byte
diff --git a/plugin/plugintest/api.go b/plugin/plugintest/api.go
index e5f92671b2..0ce1dda159 100644
--- a/plugin/plugintest/api.go
+++ b/plugin/plugintest/api.go
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 package plugintest
 
 import (
+	io "io"
+
 	model "github.com/mattermost/mattermost-server/model"
 	mock "github.com/stretchr/testify/mock"
 )
@@ -2783,3 +2785,28 @@ func (_m *API) UploadFile(data []byte, channelId string, filename string) (*mode
 
 	return r0, r1
 }
+
+// InstallPlugin provides a mock function with given fields: file, replace
+func (_m *API) InstallPlugin(file io.Reader, replace bool) (*model.Manifest, *model.AppError) {
+	ret := _m.Called(file, replace)
+
+	var r0 *model.Manifest
+	if rf, ok := ret.Get(0).(func(io.Reader, bool) *model.Manifest); ok {
+		r0 = rf(file, replace)
+	} else {
+		if ret.Get(0) != nil {
+			r0 = ret.Get(0).(*model.Manifest)
+		}
+	}
+
+	var r1 *model.AppError
+	if rf, ok := ret.Get(1).(func(io.Reader, bool) *model.AppError); ok {
+		r1 = rf(file, replace)
+	} else {
+		if ret.Get(1) != nil {
+			r1 = ret.Get(1).(*model.AppError)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return r0, r1
+}