diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse-plugins/index.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse-plugins/index.js
index d2bff2ae3e8..0c719a9cafd 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse-plugins/index.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse-plugins/index.js
@@ -78,43 +78,79 @@ module.exports = {
     return pluginDirectories.map((directory) => {
       const name = directory.name;
       const jsDirectory = path.resolve(root, name, "assets/javascripts");
+      const adminJsDirectory = path.resolve(
+        root,
+        name,
+        "admin/assets/javascripts"
+      );
       const testDirectory = path.resolve(root, name, "test/javascripts");
       const hasJs = fs.existsSync(jsDirectory);
+      const hasAdminJs = fs.existsSync(adminJsDirectory);
       const hasTests = fs.existsSync(testDirectory);
-      return { name, jsDirectory, testDirectory, hasJs, hasTests };
+      return {
+        name,
+        jsDirectory,
+        adminJsDirectory,
+        testDirectory,
+        hasJs,
+        hasAdminJs,
+        hasTests,
+      };
     });
   },
 
   generatePluginsTree() {
     const appTree = this._generatePluginAppTree();
     const testTree = this._generatePluginTestTree();
-    return mergeTrees([appTree, testTree]);
+    const adminTree = this._generatePluginAdminTree();
+    return mergeTrees([appTree, testTree, adminTree]);
   },
 
   _generatePluginAppTree() {
     const trees = this.pluginInfos()
       .filter((p) => p.hasJs)
-      .map(({ name, jsDirectory }) => {
-        let tree = new WatchedDir(jsDirectory);
-
-        tree = fixLegacyExtensions(tree);
-        tree = unColocateConnectors(tree);
-        tree = namespaceModules(tree, name);
-
-        tree = RawHandlebarsCompiler(tree);
-        tree = this.compileTemplates(tree);
-
-        tree = this.processedAddonJsFiles(tree);
-
-        return concat(mergeTrees([tree]), {
-          inputFiles: ["**/*.js"],
+      .map(({ name, jsDirectory }) =>
+        this._buildAppTree({
+          directory: jsDirectory,
+          pluginName: name,
           outputFile: `assets/plugins/${name}.js`,
-          allowNone: true,
-        });
-      });
+        })
+      );
     return mergeTrees(trees);
   },
 
+  _generatePluginAdminTree() {
+    const trees = this.pluginInfos()
+      .filter((p) => p.hasAdminJs)
+      .map(({ name, adminJsDirectory }) =>
+        this._buildAppTree({
+          directory: adminJsDirectory,
+          pluginName: name,
+          outputFile: `assets/plugins/${name}_admin.js`,
+        })
+      );
+    return mergeTrees(trees);
+  },
+
+  _buildAppTree({ directory, pluginName, outputFile }) {
+    let tree = new WatchedDir(directory);
+
+    tree = fixLegacyExtensions(tree);
+    tree = unColocateConnectors(tree);
+    tree = namespaceModules(tree, pluginName);
+
+    tree = RawHandlebarsCompiler(tree);
+    tree = this.compileTemplates(tree);
+
+    tree = this.processedAddonJsFiles(tree);
+
+    return concat(mergeTrees([tree]), {
+      inputFiles: ["**/*.js"],
+      outputFile,
+      allowNone: true,
+    });
+  },
+
   _generatePluginTestTree() {
     const trees = this.pluginInfos()
       .filter((p) => p.hasTests)
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/lib/bootstrap-json/index.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/lib/bootstrap-json/index.js
index 38d273fd5da..a95655cbf37 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/lib/bootstrap-json/index.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/lib/bootstrap-json/index.js
@@ -386,7 +386,7 @@ module.exports = {
           .findAddonByName("discourse-plugins")
           .pluginInfos();
 
-        for (const { name, hasJs } of pluginInfos) {
+        for (const { name, hasJs, hasAdminJs } of pluginInfos) {
           if (hasJs) {
             scripts.push({ src: `plugins/${name}.js`, name });
           }
@@ -394,16 +394,19 @@ module.exports = {
           if (fs.existsSync(`../plugins/${name}_extras.js.erb`)) {
             scripts.push({ src: `plugins/${name}_extras.js`, name });
           }
+
+          if (hasAdminJs) {
+            scripts.push({ src: `plugins/${name}_admin.js`, name });
+          }
         }
       } else {
         scripts.push({
           src: "discourse/tests/active-plugins.js",
           name: "_all",
         });
+        scripts.push({ src: "admin-plugins.js", name: "_admin" });
       }
 
-      scripts.push({ src: "admin-plugins.js", name: "_admin" });
-
       return scripts
         .map(
           ({ src, name }) =>
diff --git a/lib/discourse.rb b/lib/discourse.rb
index 526f6b8ee35..3abaafaa7b3 100644
--- a/lib/discourse.rb
+++ b/lib/discourse.rb
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ module Discourse
 
   def self.find_plugin_js_assets(args)
     plugins = self.find_plugins(args).select do |plugin|
-      plugin.js_asset_exists? || plugin.extra_js_asset_exists?
+      plugin.js_asset_exists? || plugin.extra_js_asset_exists? || plugin.admin_js_asset_exists?
     end
 
     plugins = apply_asset_filters(plugins, :js, args[:request])
@@ -391,6 +391,8 @@ module Discourse
       assets = []
       assets << "plugins/#{plugin.directory_name}" if plugin.js_asset_exists?
       assets << "plugins/#{plugin.directory_name}_extra" if plugin.extra_js_asset_exists?
+      # TODO: make admin asset only load for admins
+      assets << "plugins/#{plugin.directory_name}_admin" if plugin.admin_js_asset_exists?
       assets
     end
   end
diff --git a/lib/plugin/instance.rb b/lib/plugin/instance.rb
index 05d3685b296..011a7423f02 100644
--- a/lib/plugin/instance.rb
+++ b/lib/plugin/instance.rb
@@ -862,6 +862,15 @@ class Plugin::Instance
     EmberCli.plugin_assets? && File.exist?(extra_js_file_path)
   end
 
+  def admin_js_asset_exists?
+    if EmberCli.plugin_assets?
+      # If this directory exists, ember-cli will output a .js file
+      File.exist?("#{File.dirname(@path)}/admin/assets/javascripts")
+    else
+      false
+    end
+  end
+
   # Receives an array with two elements:
   # 1. A symbol that represents the name of the value to filter.
   # 2. A Proc that takes the existing ActiveRecord::Relation and the value received from the front-end.