diff --git a/mo2.cmake b/mo2.cmake
index ff8f0b8..70220c7 100644
--- a/mo2.cmake
+++ b/mo2.cmake
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ set(QT_TARGETS_FOLDER autogen)
 
 include(${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/mo2_cpp.cmake)
 include(${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/mo2_python.cmake)
+include(${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/mo2_extension.cmake)
 
 # mark as included
 set(MO2_DEFINED true)
diff --git a/mo2_cpp.cmake b/mo2_cpp.cmake
index b8fc1e1..b787999 100644
--- a/mo2_cpp.cmake
+++ b/mo2_cpp.cmake
@@ -327,12 +327,7 @@ endfunction()
 function(mo2_install_plugin TARGET)
 	cmake_parse_arguments(MO2 "FOLDER" "" "" ${ARGN})
 
-	if (${MO2_FOLDER})
-		install(TARGETS ${TARGET} RUNTIME DESTINATION ${MO2_INSTALL_BIN}/plugins/$<TARGET_FILE_BASE_NAME:${TARGET}>)
-	else()
-		install(TARGETS ${TARGET} RUNTIME DESTINATION bin/extensions/${CMAKE_PROJECT_NAME}/plugins)
-	endif()
-
+	install(TARGETS ${TARGET} RUNTIME DESTINATION ${MO2_INSTALL_BIN}/extensions/${MO2_EXTENSION_ID}/plugins)
 	if (NOT MO2_INSTALL_IS_BIN)
 		install(TARGETS ${TARGET} ARCHIVE DESTINATION lib)
 		# install PDB if possible
diff --git a/mo2_extension.cmake b/mo2_extension.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a277b96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mo2_extension.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.16)
+
+#! mo2_configure_extension : configure a MO2 extension
+#
+# this function read the extension identifier from the metadata.json file and
+# expose it as a ${extension_identifier} variable
+#
+# this function also trigger the installation of the metadata file to the
+# extension directory
+#
+function(mo2_configure_extension)
+    set(METADATA_FILE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/metadata.json)
+
+    if(NOT (EXISTS ${METADATA_FILE}))
+        message(ERROR "metadata file ${METADATA_FILE} not found")
+    endif()
+
+    file(READ ${METADATA_FILE} JSON_METADATA)
+    string(JSON extension_identifier GET ${JSON_METADATA} id)
+
+    set(MO2_EXTENSION_ID ${extension_identifier} PARENT_SCOPE)
+
+    install(FILES ${METADATA_FILE}
+        DESTINATION ${MO2_INSTALL_BIN}/extensions/${extension_identifier}/)
+endfunction()
diff --git a/mo2_python.cmake b/mo2_python.cmake
index 1ef8419..bb6883b 100644
--- a/mo2_python.cmake
+++ b/mo2_python.cmake
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ function(mo2_configure_python_module TARGET)
 			FILES "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/plugin-requirements.txt")
 	endif()
 
-    set(install_dir "${MO2_INSTALL_BIN}/plugins/${TARGET}")
+    set(install_dir "${MO2_INSTALL_PATH}/bin/extensions/${MO2_EXTENSION_ID}/plugins/${TARGET}")
 
 	# directories that go in bin/plugins/${name}
 	install(