diff --git a/PLUGIN.md b/PLUGIN.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..680a40744
--- /dev/null
+++ b/PLUGIN.md
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+# EMQ X plugins
+
+Starting from EMQ X 5.0, plugins are developed in independent projects.
+
+This is different from EMQ X 4.3 (and later 4.x releases) for which the plugins have to
+be developed inside the emqx.git umbrella project.
+
+## Erlang
+
+### How to build a plugin
+
+Take [emqx-plugin-template](https://github.com/emqx/emqx-plugin-template) for reference.
+
+### How to deploy
+
+TODO
+
+## Elixir
+
+TODO
diff --git a/README-CN.md b/README-CN.md
index 0631a845c..00f997f4a 100644
--- a/README-CN.md
+++ b/README-CN.md
@@ -121,8 +121,7 @@ DIALYZER_ANALYSE_APP=emqx_lwm2m,emqx_authz make dialyzer
 
 ### 插件开发
 
-如果想集成或开发你自己的插件，参考 [lib-extra/README.md](./lib-extra/README.md)
-
+如果想集成或开发你自己的插件，参考 [PLUGIN.md](./PLUGIN.md)
 
 ### 联系我们
 
diff --git a/README-JP.md b/README-JP.md
index 57c9a1809..058a45a95 100644
--- a/README-JP.md
+++ b/README-JP.md
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ DIALYZER_ANALYSE_APP=emqx_lwm2m,emqx_authz make dialyzer
 
 ### 自作プラグイン
 
-プラグインを自作することができます。[lib-extra/README.md](./lib-extra/README.md)をご確認ください。
+プラグインを自作することができます。[PLUGIN.md](./PLUGIN.md) をご確認ください。
 
 
 ## MQTTの仕様について
diff --git a/README-RU.md b/README-RU.md
index 6707ef939..9991f101d 100644
--- a/README-RU.md
+++ b/README-RU.md
@@ -124,8 +124,7 @@ DIALYZER_ANALYSE_APP=emqx_lwm2m,emqx_authz make dialyzer
 
 ### Разработка плагинов
 
-Инструкция по разработке собственных плагинов доступна по ссылке: [lib-extra/README.md](./lib-extra/README.md)
-
+Инструкция по разработке собственных плагинов доступна по ссылке: [PLUGIN.md](./PLUGIN.md)
 
 ## Спецификации стандарта MQTT
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index bf3d93b64..d51a0f350 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -123,8 +123,7 @@ For more organised improvement proposals, you can send pull requests to [EIP](ht
 
 ### Plugin development
 
-To develop your own plugins, see [lib-extra/README.md](./lib-extra/README.md)
-
+See [PLUGIN.md](./PLUGIN.md)
 
 ## MQTT Specifications
 
diff --git a/lib-extra/README.md b/lib-extra/README.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 4127b53bc..000000000
--- a/lib-extra/README.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,86 +0,0 @@
-# EMQ X Extra plugin apps
-
-This directory keeps a `plugins` file which defines all the approved
-external plugins from open-source community.
-
-The (maybe broken) symlinks are keept to help testing plugins
-in this umbrella project.
-
-## Add a plugin to the project
-
-Add `plugin_foo` as a rebar3 dependency in `plugins` file.
-
-e.g. For an Erlang plugin named `plugin_foo`:
-
-```
-{erlang_plugins,
-  [ {plugin_foo, {git, "https://github.com/bar/plugin-foo.git", {tag, "0.1.0"}}}
-  ]
-}.
-```
-
-Note: The `-emqx_plugin(?MODULE)` attribute should be added to
-`<plugin-name>_app.erl` file to indicate that this is an EMQ X Broker plugin.
-
-For example:
-```erlang
-%% plugin_foo_app.erl
--emqx_plugin(?MODULE)
-```
-
-## Build a release
-
-```
-$ export EMQX_EXTRA_PLUGINS=plugin_foo,plugin_bar
-$ make
-```
-
-If all goes as expected, there should be two directories in the release:
-
-```
-_build/emqx/rel/emqx/lib/plugin_foo-<..vsn..>/
-```
-
-## Run your code
-
-Start the node (interactive mode)
-
-```
-./_build/emqx/rel/emqx/bin/emqx console
-```
-
-Load the plugin with command:
-
-```
-./_build/emqx/rel/emqx/bin/emqx_ctl plugins load plugin_foo
-```
-
-## Test the plugin
-
-If the plugin is added as a rebar dependency, it should be cloned
-to `_build/default/lib/plugin_foo`.
-
-Before you can test it, you need to make sure there is a symlink
-in `lib-extra` pointing to the clone. For instance, the `emqx_plugin_template`
-plugin is linked like this
-
-`emqx_plugin_template -> ../_build/default/lib/emqx_plugin_template/`
-
-To run its teste cases:
-
-```bash
-./rebar3 eunit --dir lib-extra/plugin_foo
-mkae lib-extra/plugin_foo-ct
-```
-
-NOTE: we should `depth=1` shallow clone into `_build/` directory,
-for plugins being actively developed, you can place the clone in `lib-extra/`
-
-## Caveats
-
-* Elixir dependency in Erlang is not quite nicely supported as incremental builds,
-  meaning you will not be able to edit the code in this project and get recompiled
-  in the next `make` command.
-
-* To have the plugin enabled/loaded by default, you can include it in the template
-  `data/loaded_plugins.tmpl`
diff --git a/lib-extra/emqx_plugin_template b/lib-extra/emqx_plugin_template
deleted file mode 120000
index 6cf8106d2..000000000
--- a/lib-extra/emqx_plugin_template
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-../_build/default/lib/emqx_plugin_template
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib-extra/plugins b/lib-extra/plugins
deleted file mode 100644
index 6c0f1d9f0..000000000
--- a/lib-extra/plugins
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-{erlang_plugins,
-  [ {emqx_plugin_template, {git, "https://github.com/emqx/emqx-plugin-template", {tag, "4.3.0"}}}
-  ]
-}.
-
-{elixir_plugins,
-  [ {emqx_elixir_plugin, {git, "https://github.com/emqx/emqx-elixir-plugin.git", {branch, "3.0.0"}}}
-  ]
-}.
diff --git a/rebar.config.erl b/rebar.config.erl
index b73a7a740..dbaf9d6a3 100644
--- a/rebar.config.erl
+++ b/rebar.config.erl
@@ -5,9 +5,9 @@
 do(Dir, CONFIG) ->
     case iolist_to_binary(Dir) of
         <<".">> ->
-            {HasElixir, C1} = deps(CONFIG),
+            C1 = deps(CONFIG),
             Config = dialyzer(C1),
-            maybe_dump(Config ++ [{overrides, overrides()}] ++ coveralls() ++ config(HasElixir));
+            maybe_dump(Config ++ [{overrides, overrides()}] ++ coveralls() ++ config());
         _ ->
             CONFIG
     end.
@@ -22,40 +22,13 @@ deps(Config) ->
     {deps, OldDeps} = lists:keyfind(deps, 1, Config),
     MoreDeps = [bcrypt() || provide_bcrypt_dep()] ++
         [quicer() || is_quicer_supported()],
-    {HasElixir, ExtraDeps} = extra_deps(),
-    {HasElixir, lists:keystore(deps, 1, Config, {deps, OldDeps ++ MoreDeps ++ ExtraDeps})}.
-
-extra_deps() ->
-    {ok, Proplist} = file:consult("lib-extra/plugins"),
-    ErlPlugins0 = proplists:get_value(erlang_plugins, Proplist),
-    ExPlugins0 = proplists:get_value(elixir_plugins, Proplist),
-    Filter = string:split(os:getenv("EMQX_EXTRA_PLUGINS", ""), ",", all),
-    ErlPlugins = filter_extra_deps(ErlPlugins0, Filter),
-    ExPlugins = filter_extra_deps(ExPlugins0, Filter),
-    {ExPlugins =/= [], ErlPlugins ++ ExPlugins}.
-
-filter_extra_deps(AllPlugins, ["all"]) ->
-    AllPlugins;
-filter_extra_deps(AllPlugins, Filter) ->
-    filter_extra_deps(AllPlugins, Filter, []).
-filter_extra_deps([], _, Acc) ->
-    lists:reverse(Acc);
-filter_extra_deps([{Plugin, _} = P | More], Filter, Acc) ->
-    case lists:member(atom_to_list(Plugin), Filter) of
-        true ->
-            filter_extra_deps(More, Filter, [P | Acc]);
-        false ->
-            filter_extra_deps(More, Filter, Acc)
-    end.
+    lists:keystore(deps, 1, Config, {deps, OldDeps ++ MoreDeps}).
 
 overrides() ->
     [ {add, [ {extra_src_dirs, [{"etc", [{recursive,true}]}]}
             , {erl_opts, [{compile_info, [{emqx_vsn, get_vsn()}]}]}
             ]}
-    ] ++ snabbkaffe_overrides() ++ community_plugin_overrides().
-
-community_plugin_overrides() ->
-    [{add, App, [ {erl_opts, [{i, "include"}]}]} || App <- relx_plugin_apps_extra()].
+    ] ++ snabbkaffe_overrides().
 
 %% Temporary workaround for a rebar3 erl_opts duplication
 %% bug. Ideally, we want to set this define globally
@@ -63,13 +36,10 @@ snabbkaffe_overrides() ->
     Apps = [snabbkaffe, ekka, mria],
     [{add, App, [{erl_opts, [{d, snk_kind, msg}]}]} || App <- Apps].
 
-config(HasElixir) ->
+config() ->
     [ {cover_enabled, is_cover_enabled()}
     , {profiles, profiles()}
-    , {plugins, plugins(HasElixir)}
-    | [ {provider_hooks, [ {pre,  [{compile, {mix, find_elixir_libs}}]}
-                         , {post, [{compile, {mix, consolidate_protocols}}]}
-                         ]} || HasElixir ]
+    , {plugins, plugins()}
     ].
 
 is_cover_enabled() ->
@@ -107,13 +77,12 @@ project_app_dirs(Edition) ->
         false -> []
     end.
 
-plugins(HasElixir) ->
+plugins() ->
     [ {relup_helper,{git,"https://github.com/emqx/relup_helper", {tag, "2.0.0"}}}
     , {er_coap_client, {git, "https://github.com/emqx/er_coap_client", {tag, "v1.0.4"}}}
       %% emqx main project does not require port-compiler
       %% pin at root level for deterministic
     , {pc, {git, "https://github.com/emqx/port_compiler.git", {tag, "v1.11.1"}}}
-    | [ {rebar_mix, "0.5.1"} || HasElixir ]
     ]
     %% test plugins are concatenated to default profile plugins
     %% otherwise rebar3 test profile runs are super slow
@@ -333,8 +302,7 @@ is_app(Name) ->
 
 relx_plugin_apps(ReleaseType, Edition) ->
     relx_plugin_apps_per_rel(ReleaseType)
-    ++ relx_plugin_apps_enterprise(Edition)
-    ++ relx_plugin_apps_extra().
+    ++ relx_plugin_apps_enterprise(Edition).
 
 relx_plugin_apps_per_rel(cloud) ->
     [];
@@ -346,10 +314,6 @@ relx_plugin_apps_enterprise(ee) ->
                         filelib:is_dir(filename:join(["lib-ee", A]))];
 relx_plugin_apps_enterprise(ce) -> [].
 
-relx_plugin_apps_extra() ->
-    {_HasElixir, ExtraDeps} = extra_deps(),
-    [Plugin || {Plugin, _} <- ExtraDeps].
-
 relx_overlay(ReleaseType, Edition) ->
     [ {mkdir, "log/"}
     , {mkdir, "data/"}
diff --git a/scripts/find-apps.sh b/scripts/find-apps.sh
index 003ffbc5e..7d7e5d33c 100755
--- a/scripts/find-apps.sh
+++ b/scripts/find-apps.sh
@@ -12,8 +12,3 @@ find_app() {
 
 find_app 'apps'
 find_app 'lib-ee'
-
-## find directories in lib-extra
-find_app 'lib-extra'
-## find symlinks in lib-extra
-find 'lib-extra' -mindepth 1 -maxdepth 1 -type l -exec test -e {} \; -print