diff --git a/prog/weaveutil/main.go b/prog/weaveutil/main.go
index 103bd047..bc954761 100644
--- a/prog/weaveutil/main.go
+++ b/prog/weaveutil/main.go
@@ -14,31 +14,32 @@ var commands map[string]func([]string) error
 
 func init() {
 	commands = map[string]func([]string) error{
-		"help":                   help,
-		"netcheck":               netcheck,
-		"docker-tls-args":        dockerTLSArgs,
-		"create-datapath":        createDatapath,
-		"delete-datapath":        deleteDatapath,
-		"check-datapath":         checkDatapath,
-		"add-datapath-interface": addDatapathInterface,
-		"create-plugin-network":  createPluginNetwork,
-		"remove-plugin-network":  removePluginNetwork,
-		"container-addrs":        containerAddrs,
-		"process-addrs":          processAddrs,
-		"attach-container":       attach,
-		"detach-container":       detach,
-		"configure-arp":          configureARP,
-		"check-iface":            checkIface,
-		"del-iface":              delIface,
-		"setup-iface":            setupIface,
-		"list-netdevs":           listNetDevs,
-		"cni-net":                cniNet,
-		"cni-ipam":               cniIPAM,
-		"expose-nat":             exposeNAT,
-		"bridge-ip":              bridgeIP,
-		"unique-id":              uniqueID,
-		"swarm-manager-peers":    swarmManagerPeers,
-		"is-swarm-manager":       isSwarmManager,
+		"help":                     help,
+		"netcheck":                 netcheck,
+		"docker-tls-args":          dockerTLSArgs,
+		"create-datapath":          createDatapath,
+		"delete-datapath":          deleteDatapath,
+		"check-datapath":           checkDatapath,
+		"add-datapath-interface":   addDatapathInterface,
+		"create-plugin-network":    createPluginNetwork,
+		"remove-plugin-network":    removePluginNetwork,
+		"container-addrs":          containerAddrs,
+		"process-addrs":            processAddrs,
+		"attach-container":         attach,
+		"detach-container":         detach,
+		"configure-arp":            configureARP,
+		"check-iface":              checkIface,
+		"del-iface":                delIface,
+		"setup-iface":              setupIface,
+		"list-netdevs":             listNetDevs,
+		"cni-net":                  cniNet,
+		"cni-ipam":                 cniIPAM,
+		"expose-nat":               exposeNAT,
+		"bridge-ip":                bridgeIP,
+		"unique-id":                uniqueID,
+		"swarm-manager-peers":      swarmManagerPeers,
+		"is-swarm-manager":         isSwarmManager,
+		"is-docker-plugin-enabled": isDockerPluginEnabled,
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/prog/weaveutil/plugin_network.go b/prog/weaveutil/plugin_network.go
index 33c3a79a..3d604c5a 100644
--- a/prog/weaveutil/plugin_network.go
+++ b/prog/weaveutil/plugin_network.go
@@ -2,8 +2,10 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"fmt"
 
+	"github.com/docker/docker/client"
 	docker "github.com/fsouza/go-dockerclient"
 
 	"github.com/weaveworks/weave/plugin/net"
@@ -71,6 +73,34 @@ while Weave is not running`, networkName, containers)
 	return nil
 }
 
+// Exits with 0 if the given plugin (v2) is enabled.
+func isDockerPluginEnabled(args []string) error {
+	if len(args) != 1 {
+		cmdUsage("is-docker-plugin-enabled", "<plugin-name>")
+	}
+
+	pluginName := args[0]
+
+	// This is messed up: we are using docker/docker/client instead of
+	// fsouza/go-dockerclient because the latter does not support plugins.
+	c, err := client.NewEnvClient()
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("unable to connect to docker: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	p, _, err := c.PluginInspectWithRaw(ctx, pluginName)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if !p.Enabled {
+		return fmt.Errorf("plugin %q is disabled", pluginName)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 func newDockerClient() (*docker.Client, error) {
 	// API 1.21 is the first version that supports docker network
 	// commands
@@ -82,5 +112,6 @@ func newDockerClient() (*docker.Client, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to connect to docker: %s", err)
 	}
+
 	return c, nil
 }
diff --git a/weave b/weave
index 569a5e0d..d81e5f74 100755
--- a/weave
+++ b/weave
@@ -883,6 +883,24 @@ attach() {
     util_op attach-container $ATTACH_ARGS $CONTAINER $BRIDGE $MTU "$@"
 }
 
+check_not_running_v2_plugin() {
+    if is_docker_plugin_enabled $PLUGIN_V2_NAME; then
+        echo "Docker plugin \"$PLUGIN_V2_NAME\" is already running." >&2
+        return 1
+    fi
+}
+
+# Docker Plugin V2
+is_docker_plugin_enabled() {
+    util_op is-docker-plugin-enabled $PLUGIN_V2_NAME 2>/dev/null
+}
+
+# Docker Plugin (part of weaver process, so V2 or V1).
+# Assumes that plugin is running inside Docker container.
+is_plugin_enabled() {
+    docker inspect -f '{{.Config.Cmd}}' $CONTAINER_NAME | grep -q -- "--plugin"
+}
+
 ######################################################################
 # functions for interacting with containers
 ######################################################################
@@ -1206,21 +1224,6 @@ check_running() {
     fi
 }
 
-check_not_running_v2_plugin() {
-    is_docker_plugin_enabled "$1" && echo "$1 is already running." >&2 && return 1
-}
-
-# Docker Plugin V2
-is_docker_plugin_enabled() {
-    [ "$(docker plugin inspect -f '{{ .Enabled }}' "$1" 2>/dev/null)" = "true" ]
-}
-
-# Docker Plugin (part of weaver process, so V2 or V1).
-# Assumes that plugin is running inside Docker container.
-is_plugin_enabled() {
-    docker inspect -f '{{.Config.Cmd}}' $CONTAINER_NAME | grep -q -- "--plugin"
-}
-
 # Execute $@ only if the weave container is running
 when_weave_running() {
     ! check_running $CONTAINER_NAME 2>/dev/null || "$@"
@@ -1981,7 +1984,7 @@ EOF
         deprecation_warnings "$@"
         check_not_running router $CONTAINER_NAME        $BASE_IMAGE
         check_not_running proxy  $PROXY_CONTAINER_NAME  $BASE_EXEC_IMAGE
-        check_not_running_v2_plugin "$PLUGIN_V2_NAME"
+        check_not_running_v2_plugin
         COMMON_ARGS=$(common_launch_args "$@")
         launch_router --plugin "$@"
         launch_proxy  $COMMON_ARGS
@@ -1989,7 +1992,7 @@ EOF
     launch-router)
         deprecation_warnings "$@"
         check_not_running router $CONTAINER_NAME $BASE_IMAGE
-        check_not_running_v2_plugin "$PLUGIN_V2_NAME"
+        check_not_running_v2_plugin
         launch_router "$@"
         echo $ROUTER_CONTAINER
         ;;
@@ -2007,7 +2010,7 @@ EOF
     launch-proxy)
         deprecation_warnings "$@"
         check_not_running proxy $PROXY_CONTAINER_NAME $BASE_EXEC_IMAGE
-        check_not_running_v2_plugin "$PLUGIN_V2_NAME"
+        check_not_running_v2_plugin
         launch_proxy "$@"
         echo $PROXY_CONTAINER
         ;;
@@ -2052,7 +2055,7 @@ EOF
             echo "        Service: proxy"
             echo "        Address: $PROXY_ADDRS"
         fi
-        if [ -z "$SUB_STATUS" ] && ( is_docker_plugin_enabled "$PLUGIN_V2_NAME" || is_plugin_enabled ) ; then
+        if [ -z "$SUB_STATUS" ] && ( is_docker_plugin_enabled || is_plugin_enabled ) ; then
             echo
             echo "        Service: plugin"
             echo "     DriverName: weave"