diff --git a/core/lib/patternlab.js b/core/lib/patternlab.js
index 80785662c..cfdc88c0c 100644
--- a/core/lib/patternlab.js
+++ b/core/lib/patternlab.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * patternlab-node - v2.7.2 - 2017
+ * patternlab-node - v2.8.0 - 2017
  *
  * Brian Muenzenmeyer, Geoff Pursell, Raphael Okon, tburny and the web community.
  * Licensed under the MIT license.
@@ -99,6 +99,8 @@ function checkConfiguration(patternlab) {
  * Finds and calls the main method of any found plugins.
  * @param patternlab - global data store
  */
+
+//todo, move this to plugin_manager
 function initializePlugins(patternlab) {
 
   if (!patternlab.config.plugins) { return; }
@@ -178,6 +180,10 @@ var patternlab_engine = function (config) {
     console.log(patternlab.package.version);
   }
 
+  function getSupportedTemplateExtensions(){
+    return patternlab.engines.getSupportedFileExtensions();
+  }
+
   function help() {
 
     console.log('');
@@ -627,6 +633,9 @@ var patternlab_engine = function (config) {
     },
     installplugin: function (pluginName) {
       installPlugin(pluginName);
+    },
+    getSupportedTemplateExtensions: function () {
+      return getSupportedTemplateExtensions();
     }
   };
 };
diff --git a/core/lib/plugin_manager.js b/core/lib/plugin_manager.js
index 136cc7324..3cac4fd69 100644
--- a/core/lib/plugin_manager.js
+++ b/core/lib/plugin_manager.js
@@ -42,10 +42,23 @@ var plugin_manager = function (config, configPath) {
         if (!diskConfig.plugins) {
           diskConfig.plugins = {};
         }
-        diskConfig.plugins[pluginName] = {
-          enabled: true,
-          initialized: false
-        };
+
+        if (!diskConfig.plugins[pluginName]) {
+          diskConfig.plugins[pluginName] = {
+            enabled: true,
+            initialized: false
+          };
+        }
+
+        const pluginPathConfig = path.resolve(pluginPath, 'config.json');
+        try {
+          var pluginConfigJSON = require(pluginPathConfig);
+          if (!diskConfig.plugins[pluginName].options) {
+            diskConfig.plugins[pluginName].options = pluginConfigJSON;
+          }
+        } catch (ex) {
+          //a config.json file is not required at this time
+        }
 
         //write config entry back
         fs.outputFileSync(path.resolve(configPath), JSON.stringify(diskConfig, null, 2));
diff --git a/core/lib/starterkit_manager.js b/core/lib/starterkit_manager.js
index db4153486..77fbf91a2 100644
--- a/core/lib/starterkit_manager.js
+++ b/core/lib/starterkit_manager.js
@@ -36,12 +36,13 @@ var starterkit_manager = function (config) {
           console.log('Overwriting contents of', paths.source.root, 'during starterkit load.');
         }
 
-        fs.copy(kitPath, paths.source.root, function (ex) {
-          if (ex) {
-            console.error(ex);
-          }
-          util.debug('starterkit ' + starterkitName + ' loaded successfully.');
-        });
+        try {
+          fs.copySync(kitPath, paths.source.root);
+        } catch (ex) {
+          util.error(ex);
+          return;
+        }
+        util.debug('starterkit ' + starterkitName + ' loaded successfully.');
       }
     } catch (ex) {
       console.log(ex);
diff --git a/core/lib/ui_builder.js b/core/lib/ui_builder.js
index 22e4357fd..c62ea9193 100644
--- a/core/lib/ui_builder.js
+++ b/core/lib/ui_builder.js
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ var ui_builder = function () {
     }
 
     //this pattern is contained with a directory prefixed with an underscore (a handy way to hide whole directories from the nav
-    isOmitted = pattern.relPath.charAt(0) === '_' || pattern.relPath.indexOf('/_') > -1;
+    isOmitted = pattern.relPath.charAt(0) === '_' || pattern.relPath.indexOf(path.sep + '_') > -1;
     if (isOmitted) {
       if (patternlab.config.debug) {
         console.log('Omitting ' + pattern.patternPartial + ' from styleguide patterns because its contained within an underscored directory.');
@@ -484,8 +484,8 @@ var ui_builder = function () {
     _.forEach(styleguidePatterns.patternGroups, function (patternTypeObj, patternType) {
 
       var p;
-      var typePatterns = [];
-      var styleGuideExcludes = patternlab.config.styleGuideExcludes;
+      var typePatterns = [], styleguideTypePatterns = [];
+      var styleGuideExcludes = patternlab.config.styleGuideExcludes || patternlab.config.styleguideExcludes;
 
       _.forOwn(patternTypeObj, function (patternSubtypes, patternSubtype) {
 
@@ -508,6 +508,19 @@ var ui_builder = function () {
           return pat.isDocPattern;
         });
 
+        //determine if we should omit this subpatterntype completely from the viewall page
+        var omitPatternType = styleGuideExcludes && styleGuideExcludes.length
+          && _.some(styleGuideExcludes, function (exclude) {
+            return exclude === patternType + '/' + patternSubtype;
+          });
+        if (omitPatternType) {
+          if (patternlab.config.debug) {
+            console.log('Omitting ' + patternType + '/' + patternSubtype + ' from  building a viewall page because its patternSubGroup is specified in styleguideExcludes.');
+          }
+        } else {
+          styleguideTypePatterns = styleguideTypePatterns.concat(subtypePatterns);
+        }
+
         typePatterns = typePatterns.concat(subtypePatterns);
 
         var viewAllHTML = buildViewAllHTML(patternlab, subtypePatterns, patternPartial);
@@ -544,7 +557,7 @@ var ui_builder = function () {
           console.log('Omitting ' + patternType + ' from  building a viewall page because its patternGroup is specified in styleguideExcludes.');
         }
       } else {
-        patterns = patterns.concat(typePatterns);
+        patterns = patterns.concat(styleguideTypePatterns);
       }
     });
     return patterns;
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 1788cc398..0f615b509 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "patternlab-node",
   "description": "Pattern Lab is a collection of tools to help you create atomic design systems. This is the node command line interface (CLI).",
-  "version": "2.7.2",
+  "version": "2.8.0",
   "main": "./core/lib/patternlab.js",
   "dependencies": {
     "chalk": "^1.1.3",
diff --git a/test/ui_builder_tests.js b/test/ui_builder_tests.js
index 38137c692..5bf8af416 100644
--- a/test/ui_builder_tests.js
+++ b/test/ui_builder_tests.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ var eol = require('os').EOL;
 var Pattern = require('../core/lib/object_factory').Pattern;
 var extend = require('util')._extend;
 var uiModule = rewire('../core/lib/ui_builder');
+var path = require('path');
 
 //set up a global mocks - we don't want to be writing/rendering any files right now
 var fsMock = {
@@ -80,7 +81,7 @@ tap.test('isPatternExcluded - returns true when pattern within underscored direc
   //arrange
   var patternlab = createFakePatternLab({});
   var pattern = Pattern.createEmpty({
-    relPath: '_hidden/patternsubtype/foo.mustache',
+    relPath: path.sep + '_hidden' + path.sep + 'patternsubtype' + path.sep + 'foo.mustache',
     isPattern: true,
     fileName : 'foo.mustache',
     patternPartial: 'hidden-foo'
@@ -98,7 +99,7 @@ tap.test('isPatternExcluded - returns true when pattern within underscored direc
   //arrange
   var patternlab = createFakePatternLab({});
   var pattern = Pattern.createEmpty({
-    relPath: 'shown/_patternsubtype/foo.mustache',
+    relPath: 'shown' + path.sep + '_patternsubtype' + path.sep + 'foo.mustache',
     isPattern: true,
     fileName : 'foo.mustache',
     patternPartial: 'shown-foo'