diff --git a/datasette/app.py b/datasette/app.py
index 052131d0..e263cc48 100644
--- a/datasette/app.py
+++ b/datasette/app.py
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ import asyncio
 import click
 import collections
 import hashlib
-import importlib
 import itertools
 import os
 import sqlite3
@@ -14,7 +13,6 @@ from concurrent import futures
 from pathlib import Path
 
 from markupsafe import Markup
-import pluggy
 from jinja2 import ChoiceLoader, Environment, FileSystemLoader, PrefixLoader
 from sanic import Sanic, response
 from sanic.exceptions import InvalidUsage, NotFound
@@ -28,7 +26,6 @@ from .views.index import IndexView
 from .views.special import JsonDataView
 from .views.table import RowView, TableView
 
-from . import hookspecs
 from .utils import (
     InterruptedError,
     Results,
@@ -40,26 +37,13 @@ from .utils import (
     to_css_class
 )
 from .inspect import inspect_hash, inspect_views, inspect_tables
+from .plugins import pm
 from .version import __version__
 
-default_plugins = (
-    "datasette.publish.heroku",
-    "datasette.publish.now",
-)
-
 app_root = Path(__file__).parent.parent
 
 connections = threading.local()
 
-pm = pluggy.PluginManager("datasette")
-pm.add_hookspecs(hookspecs)
-pm.load_setuptools_entrypoints("datasette")
-
-# Load default plugins
-for plugin in default_plugins:
-    mod = importlib.import_module(plugin)
-    pm.register(mod, plugin)
-
 
 ConfigOption = collections.namedtuple(
     "ConfigOption", ("name", "default", "help")
diff --git a/datasette/utils.py b/datasette/utils.py
index 8ecd9025..29360b35 100644
--- a/datasette/utils.py
+++ b/datasette/utils.py
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ import shutil
 import urllib
 import numbers
 
-
 # From https://www.sqlite.org/lang_keywords.html
 reserved_words = set((
     'abort action add after all alter analyze and as asc attach autoincrement '
diff --git a/datasette/views/base.py b/datasette/views/base.py
index fbb9b173..f376c327 100644
--- a/datasette/views/base.py
+++ b/datasette/views/base.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ from sanic.exceptions import NotFound
 from sanic.views import HTTPMethodView
 
 from datasette import __version__
+from datasette.plugins import pm
 from datasette.utils import (
     CustomJSONEncoder,
     InterruptedError,
@@ -494,7 +495,6 @@ class BaseView(RenderMixin):
                 for value in row:
                     display_value = value
                     # Let the plugins have a go
-                    from datasette.app import pm
                     plugin_value = pm.hook.render_cell(value=value)
                     if plugin_value is not None:
                         display_value = plugin_value
diff --git a/datasette/views/table.py b/datasette/views/table.py
index 654e60fa..ae71d33d 100644
--- a/datasette/views/table.py
+++ b/datasette/views/table.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import jinja2
 from sanic.exceptions import NotFound
 from sanic.request import RequestParameters
 
+from datasette.plugins import pm
 from datasette.utils import (
     CustomRow,
     Filters,
@@ -22,7 +23,6 @@ from datasette.utils import (
     urlsafe_components,
     value_as_boolean,
 )
-
 from .base import BaseView, DatasetteError, ureg
 
 LINK_WITH_LABEL = '<a href="/{database}/{table}/{link_id}">{label}</a>&nbsp;<em>{id}</em>'
@@ -166,7 +166,11 @@ class RowTableShared(BaseView):
                     # already shown in the link column.
                     continue
 
-                if isinstance(value, dict):
+                # First let the plugins have a go
+                plugin_display_value = pm.hook.render_cell(value=value)
+                if plugin_display_value is not None:
+                    display_value = plugin_display_value
+                elif isinstance(value, dict):
                     # It's an expanded foreign key - display link to other row
                     label = value["label"]
                     value = value["value"]
diff --git a/tests/fixtures.py b/tests/fixtures.py
index 955b155d..ffacfa51 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures.py
+++ b/tests/fixtures.py
@@ -223,6 +223,8 @@ def extra_js_urls():
 @hookimpl
 def render_cell(value):
     # Render {"href": "...", "label": "..."} as link
+    if not isinstance(value, str):
+        return None
     stripped = value.strip()
     if not stripped.startswith("{") and stripped.endswith("}"):
         return None
@@ -230,6 +232,8 @@ def render_cell(value):
         data = json.loads(value)
     except ValueError:
         return None
+    if not isinstance(data, dict):
+        return None
     if set(data.keys()) != {"href", "label"}:
         return None
     href = data["href"]
@@ -389,9 +393,12 @@ INSERT INTO "searchable_fts" (rowid, text1, text2, [name with . and spaces])
 CREATE TABLE [select] (
   [group] text,
   [having] text,
-  [and] text
+  [and] text,
+  [json] text
+);
+INSERT INTO [select] VALUES ('group', 'having', 'and',
+    '{"href": "http://example.com/", "label":"Example"}'
 );
-INSERT INTO [select] VALUES ('group', 'having', 'and');
 
 CREATE TABLE infinity (
     value REAL
diff --git a/tests/test_api.py b/tests/test_api.py
index 8f67a9eb..f76795fe 100644
--- a/tests/test_api.py
+++ b/tests/test_api.py
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ def test_database_page(app_client):
             ],
         },
     }, {
-        'columns': ['group', 'having', 'and'],
+        'columns': ['group', 'having', 'and', 'json'],
         'name': 'select',
         'count': 1,
         'hidden': False,
@@ -599,6 +599,7 @@ def test_table_with_reserved_word_name(app_client):
         'group': 'group',
         'having': 'having',
         'and': 'and',
+        'json': '{"href": "http://example.com/", "label":"Example"}'
     }]