diff --git a/app/src/main/java/ch/blinkenlights/android/vanilla/PlaybackActivity.java b/app/src/main/java/ch/blinkenlights/android/vanilla/PlaybackActivity.java
index 73d5b583..923b8357 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/ch/blinkenlights/android/vanilla/PlaybackActivity.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/ch/blinkenlights/android/vanilla/PlaybackActivity.java
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Set;
 
+import android.annotation.SuppressLint;
 import android.app.Activity;
 import android.app.AlertDialog;
 import android.content.BroadcastReceiver;
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ import android.os.HandlerThread;
 import android.os.Looper;
 import android.os.Message;
 import android.os.Process;
+import android.util.Log;
 import android.view.ContextMenu;
 import android.view.KeyEvent;
 import android.view.Menu;
@@ -70,6 +72,12 @@ public abstract class PlaybackActivity extends Activity
 	           View.OnClickListener,
 	           CoverView.Callback
 {
+	/**
+	 * This constant is unavailable on Android < N.
+	 * For newer versions the constant is {@link Intent.FLAG_RECEIVER_INCLUDE_BACKGROUND}
+	 */
+	private static final int FLAG_RECEIVER_INCLUDE_BACKGROUND = 0x01000000;
+
 	private Action mUpAction;
 	private Action mDownAction;
 
@@ -733,12 +741,14 @@ public abstract class PlaybackActivity extends Activity
 	 *
 	 * @param songIntent intent containing song id as {@link Long} in its "id" extra.
 	 */
+	@SuppressLint("WrongConstant") // flag is ignored on Android < 7.0
 	protected void queryPluginsForIntent(Intent songIntent) {
 		// obtain list of plugins anew - some plugins may be installed/deleted
 		mPlugins.clear();
 		mLastRequestedCtx = songIntent;
 		Intent requestPlugins = new Intent(PluginUtils.ACTION_REQUEST_PLUGIN_PARAMS);
 		requestPlugins.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_INCLUDE_STOPPED_PACKAGES);
+		requestPlugins.addFlags(FLAG_RECEIVER_INCLUDE_BACKGROUND);
 		sendBroadcast(requestPlugins);
 	}
 
@@ -793,7 +803,11 @@ public abstract class PlaybackActivity extends Activity
 							request.putExtra(PluginUtils.EXTRA_PARAM_SONG_TITLE, resolved.title);
 							request.putExtra(PluginUtils.EXTRA_PARAM_SONG_ARTIST, resolved.artist);
 							request.putExtra(PluginUtils.EXTRA_PARAM_SONG_ALBUM, resolved.album);
-							startService(request);
+							if (request.resolveActivity(getPackageManager()) != null) {
+								startActivity(request);
+							} else {
+								Log.e("PluginSystem", "Couldn't start plugin activity for " + request);
+							}
 						}
 
 						mLastRequestedCtx = null;
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/ch/blinkenlights/android/vanilla/PluginUtils.java b/app/src/main/java/ch/blinkenlights/android/vanilla/PluginUtils.java
index 2cd57044..97af14fe 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/ch/blinkenlights/android/vanilla/PluginUtils.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/ch/blinkenlights/android/vanilla/PluginUtils.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (C) 2016 Oleg Chernovskiy <adonai@xaker.ru>
+ * Copyright (C) 2016-2018 Oleg Chernovskiy <adonai@xaker.ru>
  *
  * This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
  * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
@@ -18,7 +18,9 @@ package ch.blinkenlights.android.vanilla;
 
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.content.Intent;
+import android.content.pm.PackageManager;
 import android.content.pm.ResolveInfo;
+import android.widget.Toast;
 
 import java.util.List;
 
@@ -52,16 +54,28 @@ public class PluginUtils {
     static final String EXTRA_PLUGIN_MAP = "ch.blinkenlights.android.vanilla.internal.extra.PLUGIN_MAP";
 
     public static boolean checkPlugins(Context ctx) {
-        List<ResolveInfo> resolved = ctx.getPackageManager().queryBroadcastReceivers(new Intent(ACTION_REQUEST_PLUGIN_PARAMS), 0);
-        if(!resolved.isEmpty()) {
-            // If plugin is just installed, Android will not deliver intents to its receiver
-            // until it's started at least one time
+        PackageManager pm = ctx.getPackageManager();
+        List<ResolveInfo> resolved = pm.queryBroadcastReceivers(new Intent(ACTION_REQUEST_PLUGIN_PARAMS), 0);
+        if (!resolved.isEmpty()) {
+            // If plugin is just installed, Android will not deliver intents
+            // to its receiver until it's started at least one time
+            boolean hasPlugins = false;
             for (ResolveInfo ri : resolved) {
                 Intent awaker = new Intent(ACTION_WAKE_PLUGIN);
                 awaker.setPackage(ri.activityInfo.packageName);
-                ctx.startService(awaker);
+
+                // all plugins must have respective activity that can handle ACTION_WAKE_PLUGIN
+                if (awaker.resolveActivity(pm) != null) {
+                    hasPlugins = true;
+                    ctx.startActivity(awaker);
+                } else {
+                    // need to upgrade the plugin from service-based plugin system to activity-based
+                    CharSequence pluginName = ri.loadLabel(pm);
+                    String error = String.format(ctx.getString(R.string.plugin_needs_upgrade), pluginName);
+                    Toast.makeText(ctx, error, Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
+                }
             }
-            return true;
+            return hasPlugins;
         }
 
         return false;
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/values/translatable.xml b/app/src/main/res/values/translatable.xml
index e9a1b356..b8778c66 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/values/translatable.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/values/translatable.xml
@@ -381,6 +381,7 @@ THE SOFTWARE.
 	<string name="folder_neutral">Neutral</string>
 	<!-- Plugin system -->
 	<string name="plugins">Plugins</string>
+	<string name="plugin_needs_upgrade">Please upgrade plugin %s to the latest version</string>
 
 	<!-- Theme names -->
 	<string name="theme_name_standard_light">Standard</string>