Index: trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/preferences/PreferenceTabbedPane.java
===================================================================
--- trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/preferences/PreferenceTabbedPane.java	(revision 10981)
+++ trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/gui/preferences/PreferenceTabbedPane.java	(revision 10982)
@@ -61,5 +61,4 @@
 import org.openstreetmap.josm.plugins.PluginHandler;
 import org.openstreetmap.josm.plugins.PluginInformation;
-import org.openstreetmap.josm.plugins.PluginProxy;
 import org.openstreetmap.josm.tools.CheckParameterUtil;
 import org.openstreetmap.josm.tools.GBC;
@@ -155,7 +154,5 @@
                 // check if plugin dependences can also be loaded
                 Collection<PluginInformation> allPlugins = new HashSet<>(toLoad);
-                for (PluginProxy proxy : PluginHandler.pluginList) {
-                    allPlugins.add(proxy.getPluginInformation());
-                }
+                allPlugins.addAll(PluginHandler.getPlugins());
                 boolean removed;
                 do {
Index: trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/plugins/PluginHandler.java
===================================================================
--- trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/plugins/PluginHandler.java	(revision 10981)
+++ trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/plugins/PluginHandler.java	(revision 10982)
@@ -38,4 +38,5 @@
 import java.util.concurrent.FutureTask;
 import java.util.jar.JarFile;
+import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
 import javax.swing.AbstractAction;
@@ -238,11 +239,10 @@
      * All installed and loaded plugins (resp. their main classes)
      */
-    public static final Collection<PluginProxy> pluginList = new LinkedList<>();
+    protected static final Collection<PluginProxy> pluginList = new LinkedList<>();
 
     /**
      * All exceptions that occured during plugin loading
-     * @since 8938
-     */
-    public static final Map<String, Exception> pluginLoadingExceptions = new HashMap<>();
+     */
+    protected static final Map<String, Exception> pluginLoadingExceptions = new HashMap<>();
 
     /**
@@ -266,4 +266,13 @@
 
     private static PluginDownloadTask pluginDownloadTask;
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the list of currently installed and loaded plugins.
+     * @return the list of currently installed and loaded plugins
+     * @since 10982
+     */
+    public static List<PluginInformation> getPlugins() {
+        return pluginList.stream().map(PluginProxy::getPluginInformation).collect(Collectors.toList());
+    }
 
     public static Collection<ClassLoader> getResourceClassLoaders() {