diff --git a/packages/babel-core/src/transformation/file/index.js b/packages/babel-core/src/transformation/file/index.js
index 6268f2aa45..d7270d45bc 100644
--- a/packages/babel-core/src/transformation/file/index.js
+++ b/packages/babel-core/src/transformation/file/index.js
@@ -389,16 +389,25 @@ export default class File extends Store {
 
   transform(): BabelFileResult {
     for (const pluginPairs of this.pluginPasses) {
+      const passPairs = [];
       const passes = [];
       const visitors = [];
 
       for (const [ plugin, pluginOpts ] of pluginPairs.concat(INTERNAL_PLUGINS)) {
-        const pass = new PluginPass(this, plugin, pluginOpts);
+        const pass = new PluginPass(this, plugin.key, pluginOpts);
+
+        passPairs.push([ plugin, pass ]);
         passes.push(pass);
         visitors.push(plugin.visitor);
+
+        if (plugin.pre) plugin.pre.call(pass, this);
+      }
+
+      for (const [ plugin, pass ] of passPairs) {
+        const fn = plugin.pre;
+        if (fn) fn.call(pass, this);
       }
 
-      this.call("pre", passes);
       util.debug(this.opts, "Start transform traverse");
 
       // merge all plugin visitors into a single visitor
@@ -406,7 +415,12 @@ export default class File extends Store {
       traverse(this.ast, visitor, this.scope);
 
       util.debug(this.opts, "End transform traverse");
-      this.call("post", passes);
+
+      for (const [ plugin, pass ] of passPairs) {
+        const fn = plugin.post;
+        if (fn) fn.call(pass, this);
+      }
+
     }
 
     return this.generate();
@@ -459,14 +473,6 @@ export default class File extends Store {
     this.addAst(ast);
   }
 
-  call(key: "pre" | "post", pluginPasses: Array<PluginPass>) {
-    for (const pass of pluginPasses) {
-      const plugin = pass.plugin;
-      const fn = plugin[key];
-      if (fn) fn.call(pass, this);
-    }
-  }
-
   parseInputSourceMap(code: string): string {
     const opts = this.opts;
 
diff --git a/packages/babel-core/src/transformation/file/options/option-manager.js b/packages/babel-core/src/transformation/file/options/option-manager.js
index 2700b94f8b..bf7ace2d22 100644
--- a/packages/babel-core/src/transformation/file/options/option-manager.js
+++ b/packages/babel-core/src/transformation/file/options/option-manager.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import * as context from "../../../index";
-import Plugin from "../../plugin";
+import Plugin from "./plugin";
 import * as messages from "babel-messages";
 import resolvePlugin from "../../../helpers/resolve-plugin";
 import resolvePreset from "../../../helpers/resolve-preset";
diff --git a/packages/babel-core/src/transformation/plugin.js b/packages/babel-core/src/transformation/file/options/plugin.js
similarity index 97%
rename from packages/babel-core/src/transformation/plugin.js
rename to packages/babel-core/src/transformation/file/options/plugin.js
index 86cfa8d4a9..fb637d7cee 100644
--- a/packages/babel-core/src/transformation/plugin.js
+++ b/packages/babel-core/src/transformation/file/options/plugin.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import OptionManager from "./file/options/option-manager";
+import OptionManager from "./option-manager";
 import * as messages from "babel-messages";
 import traverse from "babel-traverse";
 import clone from "lodash/clone";
diff --git a/packages/babel-core/src/transformation/pipeline.js b/packages/babel-core/src/transformation/pipeline.js
index 9bf718a47e..73c2645ec1 100644
--- a/packages/babel-core/src/transformation/pipeline.js
+++ b/packages/babel-core/src/transformation/pipeline.js
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 import fs from "fs";
 
 import normalizeAst from "../helpers/normalize-ast";
-import Plugin from "./plugin";
 import File from "./file";
 import OptionManager from "./file/options/option-manager";
 
@@ -10,7 +9,7 @@ export function analyse(code: string, opts: Object = {}, visitor?: Object): ?Bab
   opts.code = false;
   if (visitor) {
     opts.plugins = opts.plugins || [];
-    opts.plugins.push(new Plugin({ visitor }));
+    opts.plugins.push({ visitor });
   }
   return transform(code, opts).metadata;
 }
diff --git a/packages/babel-core/src/transformation/plugin-pass.js b/packages/babel-core/src/transformation/plugin-pass.js
index 5e7ddb205d..7564d85007 100644
--- a/packages/babel-core/src/transformation/plugin-pass.js
+++ b/packages/babel-core/src/transformation/plugin-pass.js
@@ -1,18 +1,16 @@
-import type Plugin from "./plugin";
 import Store from "../store";
 import File from "./file";
 
 export default class PluginPass extends Store {
-  constructor(file: File, plugin: Plugin, options: Object = {}) {
+  constructor(file: File, key: string, options: Object = {}) {
     super();
-    this.plugin = plugin;
-    this.key = plugin.key;
+
+    this.key = key;
     this.file = file;
     this.opts = options;
   }
 
   key: string;
-  plugin: Plugin;
   file: File;
   opts: Object;
 
diff --git a/packages/babel-core/test/api.js b/packages/babel-core/test/api.js
index 6f345592c5..cb2e991bf1 100644
--- a/packages/babel-core/test/api.js
+++ b/packages/babel-core/test/api.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import * as babel from "../lib/index";
 import buildExternalHelpers from "../lib/tools/build-external-helpers";
 import sourceMap from "source-map";
 import assert from "assert";
-import Plugin from "../lib/transformation/plugin";
+import Plugin from "../lib/transformation/file/options/plugin";
 import generator from "babel-generator";
 
 function assertIgnored(result) {
diff --git a/packages/babel-core/test/path.js b/packages/babel-core/test/path.js
index f84d7eef8e..76270ca3ed 100644
--- a/packages/babel-core/test/path.js
+++ b/packages/babel-core/test/path.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { transform } from "../lib/index";
-import Plugin from "../lib/transformation/plugin";
+import Plugin from "../lib/transformation/file/options/plugin";
 import chai from "chai";
 
 describe("traversal path", function () {