diff --git a/apps/cli/cli_common.c b/apps/cli/cli_common.c
index e32509f2..24ed0d3c 100644
--- a/apps/cli/cli_common.c
+++ b/apps/cli/cli_common.c
@@ -1320,3 +1320,33 @@ cli_help(clicon_handle h, cvec *vars, cvec *argv)
     return cligen_help(ch, stdout, pt);
 }
 
+/*! CLI support function for restarting a plugin
+ *
+ * @param[in] h      Clicon handle
+ * @param[in] cvv    Not used
+ * @param[in] arg    A string with <database>  
+ * @code
+ * restart("comment") , cli_restart_plugin("myplugin", "restart"); 
+ * @endcode
+ */
+int 
+cli_restart_plugin(clicon_handle h,
+		   cvec         *cvv,
+	    cvec         *argv)
+{
+    int     retval = -1;
+    cg_var *cv;
+    char   *plugin;
+
+    if ((cv = cvec_find_var(cvv, "plugin")) == NULL){
+	if (cvec_len(argv) != 1){
+	    clicon_err(OE_PLUGIN, EINVAL, "Requires plugin variable");
+	    goto done;
+	}
+	cv = cvec_i(argv, 0);
+    }
+    plugin = cv_string_get(cv);
+    retval = clicon_rpc_restart_plugin(h, plugin);    
+ done:
+    return retval;
+}
diff --git a/example/main/example_cli.cli b/example/main/example_cli.cli
index 76b2b7d8..f0a118ce 100644
--- a/example/main/example_cli.cli
+++ b/example/main/example_cli.cli
@@ -105,4 +105,5 @@ rpc("example rpc") <a:string>("routing instance"), example_client_rpc("");
 notify("Get notifications from backend"), cli_notify("EXAMPLE", "1", "text");
 no("Negate") notify("Get notifications from backend"), cli_notify("EXAMPLE", "0", "xml");
 lock,cli_lock("candidate");
-unlock,cli_unlock("candidate");
\ No newline at end of file
+unlock,cli_unlock("candidate");
+restart <plugin:string>, cli_restart_plugin();
diff --git a/lib/clixon/clixon_proto_client.h b/lib/clixon/clixon_proto_client.h
index 666c52e1..d350c379 100644
--- a/lib/clixon/clixon_proto_client.h
+++ b/lib/clixon/clixon_proto_client.h
@@ -69,5 +69,6 @@ int clicon_rpc_create_subscription(clicon_handle h, char *stream, char *filter,
 int clicon_rpc_debug(clicon_handle h, int level);
 int clicon_rpc_restconf_debug(clicon_handle h, int level);
 int clicon_hello_req(clicon_handle h, uint32_t *id);
+int clicon_rpc_restart_plugin(clicon_handle h, char *plugin);
 
 #endif  /* _CLIXON_PROTO_CLIENT_H_ */
diff --git a/lib/src/clixon_proto_client.c b/lib/src/clixon_proto_client.c
index 8e982e46..735f0599 100644
--- a/lib/src/clixon_proto_client.c
+++ b/lib/src/clixon_proto_client.c
@@ -1424,3 +1424,50 @@ clicon_hello_req(clicon_handle h,
 	xml_free(xret);
     return retval;
 }
+
+/*! Send a restart plugin request to backend server
+ * @param[in] h        CLICON handle
+ * @param[in] level    Debug level
+ * @retval    0        OK
+ * @retval   -1        Error and logged to syslog
+ */
+int
+clicon_rpc_restart_plugin(clicon_handle h, 
+			  char         *plugin)
+{
+    int                retval = -1;
+    struct clicon_msg *msg = NULL;
+    cxobj             *xret = NULL;
+    cxobj             *xerr;
+    char              *username;
+    uint32_t           session_id;
+    
+    if (session_id_check(h, &session_id) < 0)
+	goto done;
+    username = clicon_username_get(h);
+    if ((msg = clicon_msg_encode(session_id,
+				 "<rpc xmlns=\"%s\" username=\"%s\" %s><restart-plugin xmlns=\"%s\"><plugin>%s</plugin></restart-plugin></rpc>",
+				 NETCONF_BASE_NAMESPACE,
+				 username?username:"",
+				 NETCONF_MESSAGE_ID_ATTR,
+				 CLIXON_LIB_NS,
+				 plugin)) == NULL)
+	goto done;
+    if (clicon_rpc_msg(h, msg, &xret) < 0)
+	goto done;
+    if ((xerr = xpath_first(xret, NULL, "//rpc-error")) != NULL){
+	clixon_netconf_error(xerr, "Debug", NULL);
+	goto done;
+    }
+    if (xpath_first(xret, NULL, "//rpc-reply/ok") == NULL){
+	clicon_err(OE_XML, 0, "rpc error"); /* XXX extract info from rpc-error */
+	goto done;
+    }
+    retval = 0;
+ done:
+    if (msg)
+	free(msg);
+    if (xret)
+	xml_free(xret);
+    return retval;
+}