diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 96e04401a08..b06e6f12536 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ IF (WITH_BINDINGS)
   # as otherwise user has to use PYTHONPATH environemnt variable to add
   # QGIS bindings to package search path
   SET (BINDINGS_GLOBAL_INSTALL FALSE CACHE BOOL "Install bindings to global python directory? (might need root)")
-  SET (WITH_STAGED_PLUGINS TRUE CACHE BOOL "Stage-install core Python plugins to run from build directory? (utilities, console and installer are always staged)")
+  SET (WITH_STAGED_PLUGINS TRUE CACHE BOOL "Stage-install core Python plugins to run from build directory? (utilities and console are always staged)")
   SET (WITH_PY_COMPILE FALSE CACHE BOOL "Determines whether Python modules in staged or installed locations are byte-compiled")
   # concatenate QScintilla2 API files
   SET (WITH_QSCIAPI TRUE CACHE BOOL "Determines whether the QScintilla2 API files will be updated and concatenated")
diff --git a/python/plugins/CMakeLists.txt b/python/plugins/CMakeLists.txt
index eeae287856b..c8ab8688e07 100644
--- a/python/plugins/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/python/plugins/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,29 +1,75 @@
-IF(WITH_PY_COMPILE)
-  ADD_CUSTOM_TARGET(pycompile_staged ALL
-    COMMAND ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} -m compileall -q "${PYTHON_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY}/plugins"
-    WORKING_DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}"
-    COMMENT "Byte-compiling staged Python plugins..."
-  )
-ENDIF(WITH_PY_COMPILE)
+# Python plugins can be staged to PYTHON_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY so plugins
+# will function when app is run from build directory
+
+# When staging all plugins, use the following make targets:
+#   staged_plugins - stage plugins (usually after repo pull/build and project make)
+#   staged_plugins_pyc - stage and byte-compile all Python scripts
+#   clean_staged_plugins - removes the plugins directory and all contents
+#
+# When developing on a plugin, use the following make targets:
+#   staged_[plugin_dir_name] - stage specific plugin, regenerating any changed resources
+#   clean_staged_[plugin_dir_name] - removes the plugin directory and its contents
+#
+# NOTE: regular project 'make install' is unaffected
+
+ADD_CUSTOM_TARGET(staged_plugins)
+
+ADD_CUSTOM_TARGET(staged_plugins_pyc DEPENDS staged_plugins
+  COMMAND ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} -m compileall -q "${PYTHON_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY}/plugins"
+  WORKING_DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}"
+  COMMENT "Byte-compiling staged Python plugins..."
+)
+
+# plugins can also be staged with CMake option at build time
+IF(WITH_STAGED_PLUGINS)
+  IF(WITH_PY_COMPILE)
+    ADD_CUSTOM_TARGET(staged_plugins_on_build ALL DEPENDS staged_plugins_pyc)
+  ELSE(WITH_PY_COMPILE)
+    ADD_CUSTOM_TARGET(staged_plugins_on_build ALL DEPENDS staged_plugins)
+  ENDIF(WITH_PY_COMPILE)
+ENDIF(WITH_STAGED_PLUGINS)
+
+ADD_CUSTOM_TARGET(clean_staged_plugins
+  COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E remove_directory ${PYTHON_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY}/plugins
+)
 
 MACRO (PLUGIN_INSTALL plugin subdir )
+
+  # regular project build's install command and target
   INSTALL(FILES ${ARGN} DESTINATION ${QGIS_DATA_DIR}/python/plugins/${plugin}/${subdir})
   STRING(REPLACE "/" "_" subdir_sane "${subdir}")
-  ADD_CUSTOM_TARGET(${plugin}_${subdir_sane}_stageinstall ALL DEPENDS ${ARGN})
-  IF(WITH_STAGED_PLUGINS OR "${plugin}" STREQUAL "plugin_installer")
-    IF(WITH_PY_COMPILE)
-      ADD_DEPENDENCIES(pycompile_staged ${plugin}_${subdir_sane}_stageinstall)
-    ENDIF(WITH_PY_COMPILE)
-    FOREACH(file ${ARGN})
-      ADD_CUSTOM_COMMAND(TARGET ${plugin}_${subdir_sane}_stageinstall
-        POST_BUILD
-        COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E make_directory ${PYTHON_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY}/plugins/${plugin}/${subdir}
-        COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E copy \"${file}\" ${PYTHON_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY}/plugins/${plugin}/${subdir}
-        WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}
-        #COMMENT "copying ${file} to ${PYTHON_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY}/plugins/${plugin}/${subdir}"
-      )
-    ENDFOREACH(file)
-  ENDIF()
+  IF(WITH_STAGED_PLUGINS)
+    ADD_CUSTOM_TARGET(${plugin}_${subdir_sane} DEPENDS ${ARGN})
+  ELSE(WITH_STAGED_PLUGINS)
+    ADD_CUSTOM_TARGET(${plugin}_${subdir_sane} ALL DEPENDS ${ARGN})
+  ENDIF(WITH_STAGED_PLUGINS)
+
+  # for staged plugin install (to run from build directory)
+  ADD_CUSTOM_TARGET(${plugin}_${subdir_sane}_stageinstall DEPENDS ${ARGN})
+  ADD_CUSTOM_COMMAND(TARGET ${plugin}_${subdir_sane}_stageinstall
+    POST_BUILD
+    COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E make_directory ${PYTHON_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY}/plugins/${plugin}/${subdir}
+    WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}
+  )
+  FOREACH(file ${ARGN})
+    ADD_CUSTOM_COMMAND(TARGET ${plugin}_${subdir_sane}_stageinstall
+      POST_BUILD
+      COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E copy_if_different \"${file}\" ${PYTHON_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY}/plugins/${plugin}/${subdir}
+      WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}
+      #COMMENT "copying ${file} to ${PYTHON_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY}/plugins/${plugin}/${subdir}"
+    )
+  ENDFOREACH(file)
+  ADD_DEPENDENCIES(staged_plugins ${plugin}_${subdir_sane}_stageinstall)
+
+  IF(TARGET staged_${plugin})
+    ADD_DEPENDENCIES(staged_${plugin} ${plugin}_${subdir_sane}_stageinstall)
+  ELSE(TARGET staged_${plugin})
+    ADD_CUSTOM_TARGET(staged_${plugin} DEPENDS ${plugin}_${subdir_sane}_stageinstall)
+    ADD_CUSTOM_TARGET(clean_staged_${plugin}
+      COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E remove_directory ${PYTHON_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY}/plugins/${plugin}
+    )
+  ENDIF(TARGET staged_${plugin})
+
 ENDMACRO (PLUGIN_INSTALL)