diff --git a/src/core/qgsproviderregistry.cpp b/src/core/qgsproviderregistry.cpp
index 28eec11992c..3ccce9970b7 100644
--- a/src/core/qgsproviderregistry.cpp
+++ b/src/core/qgsproviderregistry.cpp
@@ -69,6 +69,12 @@ QgsProviderRegistry::QgsProviderRegistry( const QString& pluginPath )
   QString mLibraryDirectory = baseDir + "/lib";
 #endif
   mLibraryDirectory = pluginPath;
+  init();
+}
+
+
+void QgsProviderRegistry::init()
+{
   mLibraryDirectory.setSorting( QDir::Name | QDir::IgnoreCase );
   mLibraryDirectory.setFilter( QDir::Files | QDir::NoSymLinks );
 
@@ -220,7 +226,7 @@ QgsProviderRegistry::QgsProviderRegistry( const QString& pluginPath )
 // typedef for the unload dataprovider function
 typedef void cleanupProviderFunction_t();
 
-QgsProviderRegistry::~QgsProviderRegistry()
+void QgsProviderRegistry::clean()
 {
   QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->removeAllMapLayers();
 
@@ -242,6 +248,11 @@ QgsProviderRegistry::~QgsProviderRegistry()
   }
 }
 
+QgsProviderRegistry::~QgsProviderRegistry()
+{
+  clean();
+}
+
 
 /** Convenience function for finding any existing data providers that match "providerKey"
 
@@ -313,13 +324,13 @@ QString QgsProviderRegistry::pluginList( bool asHTML ) const
   return list;
 }
 
-
 void QgsProviderRegistry::setLibraryDirectory( QDir const & path )
 {
   mLibraryDirectory = path;
+  clean();
+  init();
 }
 
-
 QDir const & QgsProviderRegistry::libraryDirectory() const
 {
   return mLibraryDirectory;
diff --git a/src/core/qgsproviderregistry.h b/src/core/qgsproviderregistry.h
index 9b216c95f6f..1d054b953b4 100644
--- a/src/core/qgsproviderregistry.h
+++ b/src/core/qgsproviderregistry.h
@@ -172,6 +172,9 @@ class CORE_EXPORT QgsProviderRegistry
     /** Ctor private since instance() creates it */
     QgsProviderRegistry( const QString& pluginPath );
 
+    void init();
+    void clean();
+
     /** Associative container of provider metadata handles */
     Providers mProviders;