diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 77088fe..a5d02a0 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -24,20 +24,22 @@ if (MNODE_BUILD_TESTS)
     target_link_libraries(test_mana PRIVATE mana)
 endif()
 
-
 add_library(rxi-logc INTERFACE)
 target_sources(rxi-logc INTERFACE internal/rxi/log.c)
+target_compile_options(rxi-logc INTERFACE -DLOG_USE_COLOR)
 
 add_library(mana-plugin-c-test SHARED mana_plugin_c_test.c)
 target_link_libraries(mana-plugin-c-test PRIVATE rxi-logc)
 
+add_library(mana-plugin-cpp-test SHARED mana_plugin_cpp_test.cc)
+target_link_libraries(mana-plugin-cpp-test PRIVATE rxi-logc)
+
 find_package(ROOT COMPONENTS Hist)
 if (ROOT_FOUND)
     message("-- Using ROOT installation from ${ROOT_USE_FILE}")
     include(${ROOT_USE_FILE})
     add_library(mana-plugin-root-histogram SHARED mana_plugin_root_histogram.cc)
     target_link_libraries(mana-plugin-root-histogram PRIVATE mana mesytec-mnode rxi-logc ${ROOT_LIBRARIES})
-    target_compile_options(mana-plugin-root-histogram PRIVATE -DLOG_USE_COLOR)
 endif()
 
 if (pybind11_FOUND)
diff --git a/src/internal/mana_api.hpp b/src/internal/mana_api.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f9d3ffb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/internal/mana_api.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+#ifndef A042D3CF_5927_42A2_93FF_E49E940B32BD
+#define A042D3CF_5927_42A2_93FF_E49E940B32BD
+
+#include <memory>
+#include <regex>
+#include <string>
+#include <vector>
+
+#include "mana_c_api.h"
+
+namespace mesytec::mnode::mana
+{
+
+class IManaSink
+{
+  public:
+    virtual ~IManaSink() = default;
+
+    virtual void init(int plugin_argc, const char **plugin_argv) = 0;
+    virtual void shutdown() = 0;
+    virtual void begin_run(const char *descriptor_json) = 0;
+    virtual void end_run(const char *descriptor_json) = 0;
+    virtual void process_event(uint16_t eventIndex, mana_offset_array_t *arrays, size_t arrayCount,
+                               size_t totalBytes) = 0;
+
+    virtual void process_system_event(const uint32_t *data, size_t size) = 0;
+
+    template <typename StringHolder> void init(StringHolder args)
+    {
+        std::vector<const char *> cargs(args.size());
+        std::transform(args.begin(), args.end(), cargs.begin(),
+                       [](const std::string &s) { return s.c_str(); });
+        init(cargs.size(), cargs.data());
+    }
+
+  protected:
+    IManaSink() = default;
+
+  private:
+    IManaSink(const IManaSink &) = delete;
+    IManaSink &operator=(const IManaSink &) = delete;
+};
+
+class IManaPlugin
+{
+  public:
+    virtual ~IManaPlugin() = default;
+    virtual std::unique_ptr<IManaSink> makeSink() = 0;
+
+  protected:
+    IManaPlugin() = default;
+
+  private:
+    IManaPlugin(const IManaPlugin &) = delete;
+    IManaPlugin &operator=(const IManaPlugin &) = delete;
+};
+
+} // namespace mesytec::mnode::mana
+
+#define MANA_CPP_PLUGIN extern "C" mana::IManaPlugin *mana_get_plugin
+
+#endif /* A042D3CF_5927_42A2_93FF_E49E940B32BD */
diff --git a/src/internal/mana_lib.hpp b/src/internal/mana_lib.hpp
index 7a81e35..db4074d 100644
--- a/src/internal/mana_lib.hpp
+++ b/src/internal/mana_lib.hpp
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 #ifndef AAB5E4D2_A05B_4F2F_B76A_406A5A569D55
 #define AAB5E4D2_A05B_4F2F_B76A_406A5A569D55
 
+#include "mana_api.hpp"
 #include "mana_arena.h"
-#include "mana_c_api.h"
 #include <cassert>
 #include <chrono>
 #include <mesytec-mnode/mnode_cpp_types.h>
@@ -128,36 +128,6 @@ inline nlohmann::json make_array_descriptor(const std::string &name, const std::
     return make_array_descriptor(name, mana_float, size, bits);
 }
 
-class IManaSink
-{
-  public:
-    virtual ~IManaSink() = default;
-
-    virtual void init(int plugin_argc, const char **plugin_argv) = 0;
-    virtual void shutdown() = 0;
-    virtual void begin_run(const char *descriptor_json) = 0;
-    virtual void end_run(const char *descriptor_json) = 0;
-    virtual void process_event(uint16_t eventIndex, mana_offset_array_t *arrays, size_t arrayCount,
-                               size_t totalBytes) = 0;
-
-    virtual void process_system_event(const uint32_t *data, size_t size) = 0;
-
-    template <typename StringHolder> void init(StringHolder args)
-    {
-        std::vector<const char *> cargs(args.size());
-        std::transform(args.begin(), args.end(), cargs.begin(),
-                       [](const std::string &s) { return s.c_str(); });
-        init(cargs.size(), cargs.data());
-    }
-
-  protected:
-    IManaSink() = default;
-
-  private:
-    IManaSink(const IManaSink &) = delete;
-    IManaSink &operator=(const IManaSink &) = delete;
-};
-
 #if 0
 class ManaSinkProxy: public IManaSink
 {
diff --git a/src/mana_plugin_cpp_test.cc b/src/mana_plugin_cpp_test.cc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4902b1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/mana_plugin_cpp_test.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+#include "internal/mana_api.hpp"
+#include "internal/rxi/log.hpp"
+
+using namespace mesytec::mnode;
+using namespace mesytec::mnode::mana;
+
+class Sink: public IManaSink
+{
+  public:
+    void init(int plugin_argc, const char **plugin_argv) override
+    {
+        (void)plugin_argc;
+        (void)plugin_argv;
+        log_set_level(LOG_INFO);
+        log_info("init: this=%p", this);
+    }
+
+    void shutdown() override { log_info("shutdown: this=%p", this); }
+
+    void begin_run(const char *descriptor_json) override
+    {
+        (void)descriptor_json;
+        log_info("begin_run: this=%p", this);
+    }
+
+    void end_run(const char *descriptor_json) override
+    {
+        (void)descriptor_json;
+        log_info("end_run: this=%p", this);
+    }
+
+    void process_event(uint16_t eventIndex, mana_offset_array_t *arrays, size_t arrayCount,
+                       size_t totalBytes) override
+    {
+        log_trace("event: this=%p, eventIndex=%d, arrayCount=%zu, totalBytes=%zu", this, eventIndex,
+                  arrayCount, totalBytes);
+    }
+
+    void process_system_event(const uint32_t *data, size_t size) override
+    {
+        log_debug("system_event: this=%p, size=%zu", this, size);
+    }
+};
+
+class Plugin: public IManaPlugin
+{
+  public:
+    std::unique_ptr<IManaSink> makeSink() override { return std::make_unique<Sink>(); }
+};
+
+MANA_CPP_PLUGIN() { return new Plugin; }
diff --git a/src/mana_plugin_root_histogram.cc b/src/mana_plugin_root_histogram.cc
index 11fdea0..684d11c 100644
--- a/src/mana_plugin_root_histogram.cc
+++ b/src/mana_plugin_root_histogram.cc
@@ -6,11 +6,7 @@
 #include <vector>
 
 #include "internal/mana_lib.hpp"
-
-extern "C"
-{
-#include "internal/rxi/log.h"
-}
+#include "internal/rxi/log.hpp"
 
 using namespace mesytec::mnode;