diff --git a/plugins/reaction-plugin-virtual/src/main.rs b/plugins/reaction-plugin-virtual/src/main.rs
index ee551ec..3b06cbc 100644
--- a/plugins/reaction-plugin-virtual/src/main.rs
+++ b/plugins/reaction-plugin-virtual/src/main.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 use std::collections::{BTreeMap, BTreeSet};
 
 use reaction_plugin::{
-    ActionImpl, Exec, Hello, Line, Manifest, PluginInfo, RemoteResult, StreamImpl, Value,
+    ActionImpl, Exec, Hello, Line, Manifest, PersistData, PluginInfo, RemoteResult, StreamImpl,
+    Value,
 };
 use remoc::{rch::mpsc, rtc};
 
@@ -18,7 +19,7 @@ struct Plugin {
 }
 
 impl PluginInfo for Plugin {
-    async fn manifest(&self) -> Result<Manifest, rtc::CallError> {
+    async fn manifest(&mut self, _data: PersistData) -> Result<Manifest, rtc::CallError> {
         Ok(Manifest {
             hello: Hello::hello(),
             streams: BTreeSet::from(["virtual".into()]),
diff --git a/plugins/reaction-plugin/src/lib.rs b/plugins/reaction-plugin/src/lib.rs
index fcf8950..036f43b 100644
--- a/plugins/reaction-plugin/src/lib.rs
+++ b/plugins/reaction-plugin/src/lib.rs
@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@ use std::{
 };
 
 use remoc::{
-    Connect, rch,
+    Connect,
+    rch::{self, mpsc},
     rtc::{self, Server},
 };
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
@@ -46,7 +47,7 @@ use tokio::io::{stdin, stdout};
 #[rtc::remote]
 pub trait PluginInfo {
     /// Return the manifest of the plugin.
-    async fn manifest(&self) -> Result<Manifest, rtc::CallError>;
+    async fn manifest(&mut self, data: PersistData) -> Result<Manifest, rtc::CallError>;
 
     /// Return one stream of a given type if it exists
     async fn stream_impl(
@@ -158,6 +159,16 @@ pub enum Value {
     Object(BTreeMap<String, Value>),
 }
 
+/// Data persisted by reaction for the plugin.
+/// This is persisted as a single JSON file by reaction, so it is not suitable for big sizes of data.
+#[derive(Serialize, Deserialize)]
+pub struct PersistData {
+    /// Data persisted by the plugin in a previous run
+    pub persisted_data: Value,
+    /// Sender of data to be persisted by the plugin for a previous run
+    pub persist_data: mpsc::Sender<Value>,
+}
+
 #[derive(Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct StreamImpl {
     pub stream: rch::mpsc::Receiver<Line>,
diff --git a/src/concepts/plugin.rs b/src/concepts/plugin.rs
index 4884046..fa9b7fb 100644
--- a/src/concepts/plugin.rs
+++ b/src/concepts/plugin.rs
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ impl Plugin {
             }
             Command::new(&self.path)
         };
+        command.arg("serve");
         debug!(
             "plugin {}: running command: {:?}",
             self.name,