diff --git a/plugin/loader/preload.go b/plugin/loader/preload.go
index 2c6d512bf8c..4be60625fc6 100644
--- a/plugin/loader/preload.go
+++ b/plugin/loader/preload.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	pluginflatfs "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/plugin/plugins/flatfs"
 	pluginipldgit "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/plugin/plugins/git"
 	pluginlevelds "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/plugin/plugins/levelds"
+	pluginpeerlog "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/plugin/plugins/peerlog"
 )
 
 // DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
@@ -16,4 +17,5 @@ func init() {
 	Preload(pluginbadgerds.Plugins...)
 	Preload(pluginflatfs.Plugins...)
 	Preload(pluginlevelds.Plugins...)
+	Preload(pluginpeerlog.Plugins...)
 }
diff --git a/plugin/loader/preload_list b/plugin/loader/preload_list
index 509ea5a2201..d648da935c4 100644
--- a/plugin/loader/preload_list
+++ b/plugin/loader/preload_list
@@ -8,3 +8,4 @@ ipldgit github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/plugin/plugins/git *
 badgerds github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/plugin/plugins/badgerds *
 flatfs github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/plugin/plugins/flatfs *
 levelds github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/plugin/plugins/levelds *
+peerlog github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/plugin/plugins/peerlog *
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/plugin/plugins/Rules.mk b/plugin/plugins/Rules.mk
index 12c7cf0b350..334ea449142 100644
--- a/plugin/plugins/Rules.mk
+++ b/plugin/plugins/Rules.mk
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 include mk/header.mk
 
-$(d)_plugins:=$(d)/git $(d)/badgerds $(d)/flatfs $(d)/levelds
+$(d)_plugins:=$(d)/git $(d)/badgerds $(d)/flatfs $(d)/levelds $(d)/peerlog
 $(d)_plugins_so:=$(addsuffix .so,$($(d)_plugins))
 $(d)_plugins_main:=$(addsuffix /main/main.go,$($(d)_plugins))
 
diff --git a/plugin/plugins/peerlog/peerlog.go b/plugin/plugins/peerlog/peerlog.go
index 97f11eee68a..33fb2637220 100644
--- a/plugin/plugins/peerlog/peerlog.go
+++ b/plugin/plugins/peerlog/peerlog.go
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ type plEvent struct {
 //   {"level":"info","ts":"2020-02-10T13:54:59.095Z","logger":"plugin/peerlog","caller":"peerlog/peerlog.go:56","msg":"identified","peer":"QmS2H72gdrekXJggGdE9SunXPntBqdkJdkXQJjuxcH8Cbt","agent":"go-ipfs/0.5.0/"}
 //
 type peerLogPlugin struct {
+	enabled      bool
 	droppedCount uint64
 	events       chan plEvent
 }
@@ -67,8 +68,25 @@ func (*peerLogPlugin) Version() string {
 }
 
 // Init initializes plugin
-func (pl *peerLogPlugin) Init(*plugin.Environment) error {
+func (pl *peerLogPlugin) Init(env *plugin.Environment) error {
 	pl.events = make(chan plEvent, eventQueueSize)
+
+	// plugin is disabled by default, unless Enabled=true
+	if env.Config != nil {
+		mapIface, ok := env.Config.(map[string]interface{})
+		if !ok {
+			return nil
+		}
+		enabledIface, ok := mapIface["Enabled"]
+		if !ok || enabledIface == nil {
+			return nil
+		}
+		enabled, ok := enabledIface.(bool)
+		if !ok {
+			return nil
+		}
+		pl.enabled = enabled
+	}
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -153,6 +171,10 @@ func (pl *peerLogPlugin) emit(evt eventType, p peer.ID) {
 }
 
 func (pl *peerLogPlugin) Start(node *core.IpfsNode) error {
+	if !pl.enabled {
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	// Ensure logs from this plugin get printed regardless of global IPFS_LOGGING value
 	if err := logging.SetLogLevel("plugin/peerlog", "info"); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to set log level: %w", err)
diff --git a/test/sharness/t0280-plugin-peerlog.sh b/test/sharness/t0280-plugin-peerlog.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..f240582b82c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/sharness/t0280-plugin-peerlog.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#
+# Copyright (c) 2017 Jakub Sztandera
+# MIT Licensed; see the LICENSE file in this repository.
+#
+
+test_description="Test peerlog plugin"
+
+. lib/test-lib.sh
+
+test_expect_success "setup testbed" '
+  iptb testbed create -type localipfs -count 2 -force -init
+'
+
+startup_cluster 2
+
+test_expect_success "peerlog is disabled by default" '
+  go-sleep 100ms
+  iptb logs 0 >node0logs
+  test_expect_code 1 grep peerlog node0logs
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'stop iptb' 'iptb stop'
+
+
+
+test_expect_success "setup testbed" '
+  iptb testbed create -type localipfs -count 2 -force -init
+'
+
+test_expect_success "enable peerlog config setting" '
+  iptb run -- ipfs config --json Plugins.Plugins.peerlog.Config.Enabled true
+'
+
+startup_cluster 2
+
+test_expect_success "peerlog plugin is logged" '
+  go-sleep 100ms
+  iptb logs 0 >node0logs
+  grep peerlog node0logs
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'peer id' '
+  PEERID_1=$(iptb attr get 1 id)
+'
+
+test_expect_success "peer id is logged" '
+  iptb logs 0 | grep -q "$PEERID_1"
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'stop iptb' 'iptb stop'
+
+test_done