diff --git a/builtin/logical/database/backend_test.go b/builtin/logical/database/backend_test.go
index 2615577fdb..2ece767fcd 100644
--- a/builtin/logical/database/backend_test.go
+++ b/builtin/logical/database/backend_test.go
@@ -11,10 +11,10 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/hashicorp/vault/builtin/logical/database/dbplugin"
-	"github.com/hashicorp/vault/helper/builtinplugins"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/vault/helper/pluginutil"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/vault/http"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/vault/logical"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/vault/plugins/database/postgresql"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/vault/vault"
 	"github.com/lib/pq"
 	"github.com/mitchellh/mapstructure"
@@ -91,8 +91,7 @@ func TestBackend_PluginMain(t *testing.T) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	f, _ := builtinplugins.BuiltinPlugins.Get("postgresql-database-plugin")
-	f()
+	postgresql.Run()
 }
 
 func TestBackend_config_connection(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/builtin/logical/database/dbplugin/plugin.go b/builtin/logical/database/dbplugin/plugin.go
index 61de0fe8ce..9a6691fbab 100644
--- a/builtin/logical/database/dbplugin/plugin.go
+++ b/builtin/logical/database/dbplugin/plugin.go
@@ -33,15 +33,32 @@ type Statements struct {
 // object in a logging and metrics middleware.
 func PluginFactory(pluginName string, sys pluginutil.LookWrapper, logger log.Logger) (DatabaseType, error) {
 	// Look for plugin in the plugin catalog
-	pluginMeta, err := sys.LookupPlugin(pluginName)
+	pluginRunner, err := sys.LookupPlugin(pluginName)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	// create a DatabasePluginClient instance
-	db, err := newPluginClient(sys, pluginMeta)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+	var db DatabaseType
+	if pluginRunner.Builtin {
+		// Plugin is builtin so we can retrieve an instance of the interface
+		// from the pluginRunner. Then cast it to a DatabaseType.
+		dbRaw, err := pluginRunner.BuiltinFactory()
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("error getting plugin type: %s", err)
+		}
+
+		var ok bool
+		db, ok = dbRaw.(DatabaseType)
+		if !ok {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("unsuported database type: %s", pluginName)
+		}
+
+	} else {
+		// create a DatabasePluginClient instance
+		db, err = newPluginClient(sys, pluginRunner)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
 	}
 
 	typeStr, err := db.Type()
diff --git a/cli/commands.go b/cli/commands.go
index e7545ca906..13f7c8b25a 100644
--- a/cli/commands.go
+++ b/cli/commands.go
@@ -331,11 +331,5 @@ func Commands(metaPtr *meta.Meta) map[string]cli.CommandFactory {
 				Ui:          metaPtr.Ui,
 			}, nil
 		},
-
-		"plugin-exec": func() (cli.Command, error) {
-			return &command.PluginExec{
-				Meta: *metaPtr,
-			}, nil
-		},
 	}
 }
diff --git a/command/plugin_exec.go b/command/plugin_exec.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 575be14b7d..0000000000
--- a/command/plugin_exec.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,66 +0,0 @@
-package command
-
-import (
-	"fmt"
-	"strings"
-
-	"github.com/hashicorp/vault/helper/builtinplugins"
-	"github.com/hashicorp/vault/meta"
-)
-
-type PluginExec struct {
-	meta.Meta
-}
-
-func (c *PluginExec) Run(args []string) int {
-	flags := c.Meta.FlagSet("plugin-exec", meta.FlagSetDefault)
-	flags.Usage = func() { c.Ui.Error(c.Help()) }
-	if err := flags.Parse(args); err != nil {
-		return 1
-	}
-
-	args = flags.Args()
-	if len(args) != 1 {
-		flags.Usage()
-		c.Ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf(
-			"\nplugin-exec expects one argument: the plugin to execute."))
-		return 1
-	}
-
-	pluginName := args[0]
-
-	runner, ok := builtinplugins.BuiltinPlugins.Get(pluginName)
-	if !ok {
-		c.Ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf(
-			"No plugin with the name %s found", pluginName))
-		return 1
-	}
-
-	err := runner()
-	if err != nil {
-		c.Ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf(
-			"Error running plugin: %s", err))
-		return 1
-	}
-
-	return 0
-}
-
-func (c *PluginExec) Synopsis() string {
-	return "Runs a builtin plugin. Should only be called by vault."
-}
-
-func (c *PluginExec) Help() string {
-	helpText := `
-Usage: vault plugin-exec type
-
-  Runs a builtin plugin. Should only be called by vault.
-
-  This will execute a plugin for use in a plugable location in vault. If run by
-  a cli user it will print a message indicating it can not be executed by anyone
-  other than vault. For supported plugin types see the vault documentation.
-
-General Options:
-` + meta.GeneralOptionsUsage()
-	return strings.TrimSpace(helpText)
-}
diff --git a/command/server.go b/command/server.go
index 6548aa58ce..ef9e3e3a0c 100644
--- a/command/server.go
+++ b/command/server.go
@@ -1,10 +1,8 @@
 package command
 
 import (
-	"crypto/sha256"
 	"encoding/base64"
 	"fmt"
-	"io"
 	"net"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
@@ -133,33 +131,6 @@ func (c *ServerCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 		dev = true
 	}
 
-	// Record the vault binary's location and SHA-256 checksum for use in
-	// builtin plugins.
-	ex, err := os.Executable()
-	if err != nil {
-		c.Ui.Output(fmt.Sprintf(
-			"Error looking up vault binary: %s", err))
-		return 1
-	}
-
-	file, err := os.Open(ex)
-	if err != nil {
-		c.Ui.Output(fmt.Sprintf(
-			"Error loading vault binary: %s", err))
-		return 1
-	}
-	defer file.Close()
-
-	hash := sha256.New()
-	_, err = io.Copy(hash, file)
-	if err != nil {
-		c.Ui.Output(fmt.Sprintf(
-			"Error checksumming vault binary: %s", err))
-		return 1
-	}
-
-	sha256Value := hash.Sum(nil)
-
 	// Validation
 	if !dev {
 		switch {
@@ -254,23 +225,21 @@ func (c *ServerCommand) Run(args []string) int {
 	}
 
 	coreConfig := &vault.CoreConfig{
-		Physical:            backend,
-		RedirectAddr:        config.Storage.RedirectAddr,
-		HAPhysical:          nil,
-		Seal:                seal,
-		AuditBackends:       c.AuditBackends,
-		CredentialBackends:  c.CredentialBackends,
-		LogicalBackends:     c.LogicalBackends,
-		Logger:              c.logger,
-		DisableCache:        config.DisableCache,
-		DisableMlock:        config.DisableMlock,
-		MaxLeaseTTL:         config.MaxLeaseTTL,
-		DefaultLeaseTTL:     config.DefaultLeaseTTL,
-		ClusterName:         config.ClusterName,
-		CacheSize:           config.CacheSize,
-		PluginDirectory:     config.PluginDirectory,
-		VaultBinaryLocation: ex,
-		VaultBinarySHA256:   sha256Value,
+		Physical:           backend,
+		RedirectAddr:       config.Storage.RedirectAddr,
+		HAPhysical:         nil,
+		Seal:               seal,
+		AuditBackends:      c.AuditBackends,
+		CredentialBackends: c.CredentialBackends,
+		LogicalBackends:    c.LogicalBackends,
+		Logger:             c.logger,
+		DisableCache:       config.DisableCache,
+		DisableMlock:       config.DisableMlock,
+		MaxLeaseTTL:        config.MaxLeaseTTL,
+		DefaultLeaseTTL:    config.DefaultLeaseTTL,
+		ClusterName:        config.ClusterName,
+		CacheSize:          config.CacheSize,
+		PluginDirectory:    config.PluginDirectory,
 	}
 	if dev {
 		coreConfig.DevToken = devRootTokenID
diff --git a/helper/builtinplugins/builtin.go b/helper/builtinplugins/builtin.go
index beedbb15b8..9c51ae4789 100644
--- a/helper/builtinplugins/builtin.go
+++ b/helper/builtinplugins/builtin.go
@@ -5,20 +5,22 @@ import (
 	"github.com/hashicorp/vault/plugins/database/postgresql"
 )
 
+type BuiltinFactory func() (interface{}, error)
+
 var BuiltinPlugins *builtinPlugins = &builtinPlugins{
-	plugins: map[string]func() error{
-		"mysql-database-plugin":      mysql.Run,
-		"postgresql-database-plugin": postgresql.Run,
+	plugins: map[string]BuiltinFactory{
+		"mysql-database-plugin":      mysql.New,
+		"postgresql-database-plugin": postgresql.New,
 	},
 }
 
 // The list of builtin plugins should not be changed by any other package, so we
 // store them in an unexported variable in this unexported struct.
 type builtinPlugins struct {
-	plugins map[string]func() error
+	plugins map[string]BuiltinFactory
 }
 
-func (b *builtinPlugins) Get(name string) (func() error, bool) {
+func (b *builtinPlugins) Get(name string) (BuiltinFactory, bool) {
 	f, ok := b.plugins[name]
 	return f, ok
 }
diff --git a/helper/pluginutil/runner.go b/helper/pluginutil/runner.go
index bbc5ab99b7..95de96a5a8 100644
--- a/helper/pluginutil/runner.go
+++ b/helper/pluginutil/runner.go
@@ -40,11 +40,12 @@ type LookWrapper interface {
 // PluginRunner defines the metadata needed to run a plugin securely with
 // go-plugin.
 type PluginRunner struct {
-	Name    string   `json:"name"`
-	Command string   `json:"command"`
-	Args    []string `json:"args"`
-	Sha256  []byte   `json:"sha256"`
-	Builtin bool     `json:"builtin"`
+	Name           string                      `json:"name"`
+	Command        string                      `json:"command"`
+	Args           []string                    `json:"args"`
+	Sha256         []byte                      `json:"sha256"`
+	Builtin        bool                        `json:"builtin"`
+	BuiltinFactory func() (interface{}, error) `json:"-"`
 }
 
 // Run takes a wrapper instance, and the go-plugin paramaters and executes a
diff --git a/plugins/database/mysql/mysql.go b/plugins/database/mysql/mysql.go
index ea14a6782b..e7e2a8aea9 100644
--- a/plugins/database/mysql/mysql.go
+++ b/plugins/database/mysql/mysql.go
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ type MySQL struct {
 	credsutil.CredentialsProducer
 }
 
-func New() *MySQL {
+func New() (interface{}, error) {
 	connProducer := &connutil.SQLConnectionProducer{}
 	connProducer.Type = mySQLTypeName
 
@@ -37,14 +37,17 @@ func New() *MySQL {
 		CredentialsProducer: credsProducer,
 	}
 
-	return dbType
+	return dbType, nil
 }
 
 // Run instantiates a MySQL object, and runs the RPC server for the plugin
 func Run() error {
-	dbType := New()
+	dbType, err := New()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
-	dbplugin.NewPluginServer(dbType)
+	dbplugin.NewPluginServer(dbType.(*MySQL))
 
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/plugins/database/mysql/mysql_test.go b/plugins/database/mysql/mysql_test.go
index 2b1f272918..c86f9c2f6b 100644
--- a/plugins/database/mysql/mysql_test.go
+++ b/plugins/database/mysql/mysql_test.go
@@ -66,7 +66,8 @@ func TestMySQL_Initialize(t *testing.T) {
 		"connection_url": connURL,
 	}
 
-	db := New()
+	dbRaw, _ := New()
+	db := dbRaw.(*MySQL)
 	connProducer := db.ConnectionProducer.(*connutil.SQLConnectionProducer)
 
 	err := db.Initialize(connectionDetails, true)
@@ -92,7 +93,8 @@ func TestMySQL_CreateUser(t *testing.T) {
 		"connection_url": connURL,
 	}
 
-	db := New()
+	dbRaw, _ := New()
+	db := dbRaw.(*MySQL)
 
 	err := db.Initialize(connectionDetails, true)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -127,7 +129,8 @@ func TestMySQL_RevokeUser(t *testing.T) {
 		"connection_url": connURL,
 	}
 
-	db := New()
+	dbRaw, _ := New()
+	db := dbRaw.(*MySQL)
 
 	err := db.Initialize(connectionDetails, true)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/plugins/database/postgresql/postgresql.go b/plugins/database/postgresql/postgresql.go
index b8449f5498..5781b6c3d1 100644
--- a/plugins/database/postgresql/postgresql.go
+++ b/plugins/database/postgresql/postgresql.go
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@ import (
 
 const postgreSQLTypeName string = "postgres"
 
-func New() *PostgreSQL {
+// New implements builtinplugins.BuiltinFactory
+func New() (interface{}, error) {
 	connProducer := &connutil.SQLConnectionProducer{}
 	connProducer.Type = postgreSQLTypeName
 
@@ -30,14 +31,17 @@ func New() *PostgreSQL {
 		CredentialsProducer: credsProducer,
 	}
 
-	return dbType
+	return dbType, nil
 }
 
 // Run instatiates a PostgreSQL object, and runs the RPC server for the plugin
 func Run() error {
-	dbType := New()
+	dbType, err := New()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
-	dbplugin.NewPluginServer(dbType)
+	dbplugin.NewPluginServer(dbType.(*PostgreSQL))
 
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/plugins/database/postgresql/postgresql_test.go b/plugins/database/postgresql/postgresql_test.go
index c7ccc8ee8f..79391dc56e 100644
--- a/plugins/database/postgresql/postgresql_test.go
+++ b/plugins/database/postgresql/postgresql_test.go
@@ -66,7 +66,9 @@ func TestPostgreSQL_Initialize(t *testing.T) {
 		"connection_url": connURL,
 	}
 
-	db := New()
+	dbRaw, _ := New()
+	db := dbRaw.(*PostgreSQL)
+
 	connProducer := db.ConnectionProducer.(*connutil.SQLConnectionProducer)
 
 	err := db.Initialize(connectionDetails, true)
@@ -92,7 +94,8 @@ func TestPostgreSQL_CreateUser(t *testing.T) {
 		"connection_url": connURL,
 	}
 
-	db := New()
+	dbRaw, _ := New()
+	db := dbRaw.(*PostgreSQL)
 	err := db.Initialize(connectionDetails, true)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
@@ -136,7 +139,8 @@ func TestPostgreSQL_RenewUser(t *testing.T) {
 		"connection_url": connURL,
 	}
 
-	db := New()
+	dbRaw, _ := New()
+	db := dbRaw.(*PostgreSQL)
 	err := db.Initialize(connectionDetails, true)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
@@ -176,7 +180,8 @@ func TestPostgreSQL_RevokeUser(t *testing.T) {
 		"connection_url": connURL,
 	}
 
-	db := New()
+	dbRaw, _ := New()
+	db := dbRaw.(*PostgreSQL)
 	err := db.Initialize(connectionDetails, true)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %s", err)
diff --git a/vault/core.go b/vault/core.go
index ef99741bfd..01ab49f752 100644
--- a/vault/core.go
+++ b/vault/core.go
@@ -335,12 +335,6 @@ type Core struct {
 	// pluginDirectory is the location vault will look for plugin binaries
 	pluginDirectory string
 
-	// vaultBinaryLocation is used to run builtin plugins in secure mode
-	vaultBinaryLocation string
-
-	// vaultBinarySHA256 is used to run builtin plugins in secure mode
-	vaultBinarySHA256 []byte
-
 	// pluginCatalog is used to manage plugin configurations
 	pluginCatalog *PluginCatalog
 
@@ -389,9 +383,7 @@ type CoreConfig struct {
 
 	EnableUI bool `json:"ui" structs:"ui" mapstructure:"ui"`
 
-	PluginDirectory     string `json:"plugin_directory" structs:"plugin_directory" mapstructure:"plugin_directory"`
-	VaultBinaryLocation string `json:"vault_binary_location" structs:"vault_binary_location" mapstructure:"vault_binary_location"`
-	VaultBinarySHA256   []byte `json:"vault_binary_sha256" structs:"vault_binary_sha256" mapstructure:"vault_binary_sha256"`
+	PluginDirectory string `json:"plugin_directory" structs:"plugin_directory" mapstructure:"plugin_directory"`
 
 	ReloadFuncs     *map[string][]ReloadFunc
 	ReloadFuncsLock *sync.RWMutex
@@ -449,8 +441,6 @@ func NewCore(conf *CoreConfig) (*Core, error) {
 		clusterName:                      conf.ClusterName,
 		clusterListenerShutdownCh:        make(chan struct{}),
 		clusterListenerShutdownSuccessCh: make(chan struct{}),
-		vaultBinaryLocation:              conf.VaultBinaryLocation,
-		vaultBinarySHA256:                conf.VaultBinarySHA256,
 		disableMlock:                     conf.DisableMlock,
 	}
 
diff --git a/vault/plugin_catalog.go b/vault/plugin_catalog.go
index b89224780c..598a16fac5 100644
--- a/vault/plugin_catalog.go
+++ b/vault/plugin_catalog.go
@@ -23,20 +23,16 @@ var (
 // to be registered to the catalog before they can be used in backends. Builtin
 // plugins are automatically detected and included in the catalog.
 type PluginCatalog struct {
-	catalogView  *BarrierView
-	directory    string
-	vaultCommand string
-	vaultSHA256  []byte
+	catalogView *BarrierView
+	directory   string
 
 	lock sync.RWMutex
 }
 
 func (c *Core) setupPluginCatalog() error {
 	c.pluginCatalog = &PluginCatalog{
-		catalogView:  c.systemBarrierView.SubView(pluginCatalogPrefix),
-		directory:    c.pluginDirectory,
-		vaultCommand: c.vaultBinaryLocation,
-		vaultSHA256:  c.vaultBinarySHA256,
+		catalogView: c.systemBarrierView.SubView(pluginCatalogPrefix),
+		directory:   c.pluginDirectory,
 	}
 
 	return nil
@@ -64,17 +60,15 @@ func (c *PluginCatalog) Get(name string) (*pluginutil.PluginRunner, error) {
 	}
 
 	// Look for builtin plugins
-	if _, ok := builtinplugins.BuiltinPlugins.Get(name); !ok {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("no plugin found with name: %s", name)
+	if factory, ok := builtinplugins.BuiltinPlugins.Get(name); ok {
+		return &pluginutil.PluginRunner{
+			Name:           name,
+			Builtin:        true,
+			BuiltinFactory: factory,
+		}, nil
 	}
 
-	return &pluginutil.PluginRunner{
-		Name:    name,
-		Command: c.vaultCommand,
-		Args:    []string{"plugin-exec", name},
-		Sha256:  c.vaultSHA256,
-		Builtin: true,
-	}, nil
+	return nil, fmt.Errorf("no plugin found with name: %s", name)
 }
 
 // Set registers a new external plugin with the catalog, or updates an existing