diff --git a/app/index.template.js b/app/index.template.js
index c80ed36c0c..523ea36d75 100644
--- a/app/index.template.js
+++ b/app/index.template.js
@@ -33,7 +33,9 @@ async function loadComponent(url, scope) {
 async function createModule(scope, module) {
   try {
     const factory = await window._JUPYTERLAB[scope].get(module);
-    return factory();
+    const instance = factory();
+    instance.__scope__ = scope;
+    return instance;
   } catch (e) {
     console.warn(
       `Failed to create module: package: ${scope}; module: ${module}`
@@ -79,6 +81,7 @@ async function main() {
 
   // populate the list of disabled extensions
   const disabled = [];
+  const availablePlugins = [];
 
   /**
    * Iterate over active plugins in an extension.
@@ -98,7 +101,18 @@ async function main() {
 
     let plugins = Array.isArray(exports) ? exports : [exports];
     for (let plugin of plugins) {
-      if (PageConfig.Extension.isDisabled(plugin.id)) {
+      const isDisabled = PageConfig.Extension.isDisabled(plugin.id);
+      availablePlugins.push({
+        id: plugin.id,
+        description: plugin.description,
+        requires: plugin.requires ?? [],
+        optional: plugin.optional ?? [],
+        provides: plugin.provides ?? null,
+        autoStart: plugin.autoStart,
+        enabled: !isDisabled,
+        extension: extension.__scope__
+      });
+      if (isDisabled) {
         disabled.push(plugin.id);
         continue;
       }
@@ -200,7 +214,7 @@ async function main() {
   PageConfig.setOption('allPlugins', '{{{ json notebook_plugins }}}');
 
   const NotebookApp = require('@jupyter-notebook/application').NotebookApp;
-  const app = new NotebookApp({ mimeExtensions });
+  const app = new NotebookApp({ mimeExtensions, availablePlugins });
 
   app.registerPluginModules(mods);
 
diff --git a/app/package.json b/app/package.json
index d0c76187e0..59865f8c09 100644
--- a/app/package.json
+++ b/app/package.json
@@ -163,6 +163,7 @@
     "@jupyterlab/metadataform-extension": "^4.1.0-beta.0",
     "@jupyterlab/notebook-extension": "^4.1.0-beta.0",
     "@jupyterlab/pdf-extension": "^4.1.0-beta.0",
+    "@jupyterlab/pluginmanager-extension": "^4.1.0-beta.0",
     "@jupyterlab/running-extension": "^4.1.0-beta.0",
     "@jupyterlab/settingeditor": "^4.1.0-beta.0",
     "@jupyterlab/settingeditor-extension": "^4.1.0-beta.0",
@@ -284,6 +285,7 @@
           "@jupyterlab/notebook-extension:tracker",
           "@jupyterlab/notebook-extension:widget-factory"
         ],
+        "@jupyterlab/pluginmanager-extension": true,
         "@jupyterlab/shortcuts-extension": true,
         "@jupyterlab/terminal-extension": true,
         "@jupyterlab/theme-light-extension": true,
diff --git a/packages/application-extension/schema/shell.json b/packages/application-extension/schema/shell.json
index 7e0e44f992..00a67f0160 100644
--- a/packages/application-extension/schema/shell.json
+++ b/packages/application-extension/schema/shell.json
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@
       "title": "Customize shell widget positioning",
       "description": "Overrides default widget position in the application layout",
       "default": {
-        "Markdown Preview": { "area": "right" }
+        "Markdown Preview": { "area": "right" },
+        "Plugins": { "area": "left" }
       }
     }
   },
diff --git a/packages/application/src/app.ts b/packages/application/src/app.ts
index 45ec75774f..7d8818b4de 100644
--- a/packages/application/src/app.ts
+++ b/packages/application/src/app.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 // Distributed under the terms of the Modified BSD License.
 
 import {
+  JupyterLab,
   JupyterFrontEnd,
   JupyterFrontEndPlugin,
 } from '@jupyterlab/application';
@@ -40,6 +41,17 @@ export class NotebookApp extends JupyterFrontEnd<INotebookShell> {
       }
     }
 
+    // Create an IInfo dictionary from the options to override the defaults.
+    const info = Object.keys(JupyterLab.defaultInfo).reduce((acc, val) => {
+      if (val in options) {
+        (acc as any)[val] = JSON.parse(JSON.stringify((options as any)[val]));
+      }
+      return acc;
+    }, {} as Partial<JupyterLab.IInfo>);
+
+    // Populate application info.
+    this._info = { ...JupyterLab.defaultInfo, ...info };
+
     this.restored = this.shell.restored;
 
     this.restored.then(() => this._formatter.invoke());
@@ -71,6 +83,13 @@ export class NotebookApp extends JupyterFrontEnd<INotebookShell> {
 
   readonly version = PageConfig.getOption('appVersion') ?? 'unknown';
 
+  /**
+   * The NotebookApp application information dictionary.
+   */
+  get info(): JupyterLab.IInfo {
+    return this._info;
+  }
+
   /**
    * The JupyterLab application paths dictionary.
    */
@@ -149,6 +168,7 @@ export class NotebookApp extends JupyterFrontEnd<INotebookShell> {
     });
   }
 
+  private _info: JupyterLab.IInfo = JupyterLab.defaultInfo;
   private _formatter = new Throttler(() => {
     Private.setFormat(this);
   }, 250);
@@ -173,6 +193,11 @@ export namespace NotebookApp {
      * The mime renderer extensions.
      */
     readonly mimeExtensions: IRenderMime.IExtensionModule[];
+
+    /**
+     * The information about available plugins.
+     */
+    readonly availablePlugins: JupyterLab.IPluginInfo[];
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 519a3b58ff..204b280de7 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -2165,6 +2165,7 @@ __metadata:
     "@jupyterlab/metadataform-extension": ^4.1.0-beta.0
     "@jupyterlab/notebook-extension": ^4.1.0-beta.0
     "@jupyterlab/pdf-extension": ^4.1.0-beta.0
+    "@jupyterlab/pluginmanager-extension": ^4.1.0-beta.0
     "@jupyterlab/running-extension": ^4.1.0-beta.0
     "@jupyterlab/settingeditor": ^4.1.0-beta.0
     "@jupyterlab/settingeditor-extension": ^4.1.0-beta.0
@@ -3898,6 +3899,20 @@ __metadata:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
+"@jupyterlab/pluginmanager-extension@npm:^4.1.0-beta.0":
+  version: 4.1.0-beta.0
+  resolution: "@jupyterlab/pluginmanager-extension@npm:4.1.0-beta.0"
+  dependencies:
+    "@jupyterlab/application": ^4.1.0-beta.0
+    "@jupyterlab/apputils": ^4.2.0-beta.0
+    "@jupyterlab/pluginmanager": ^4.1.0-beta.0
+    "@jupyterlab/translation": ^4.1.0-beta.0
+    "@jupyterlab/ui-components": ^4.1.0-beta.0
+    "@lumino/coreutils": ^2.1.2
+  checksum: 70a2defa672b2e273d304846d5e7a0ca8f9b617787044fc65bc5332403f0d7d3f78ce9e2eee8d7b1d1085f806b084e2f12e3e1e6a9a83f0905e9a927982593e0
+  languageName: node
+  linkType: hard
+
 "@jupyterlab/pluginmanager@npm:^4.1.0-beta.0":
   version: 4.1.0-beta.0
   resolution: "@jupyterlab/pluginmanager@npm:4.1.0-beta.0"