diff --git a/plinth/__main__.py b/plinth/__main__.py
index c362e6858..c192d6c07 100644
--- a/plinth/__main__.py
+++ b/plinth/__main__.py
@@ -96,9 +96,6 @@ def setup_server():
               'tools.staticdir.dir': '.'}}
     cherrypy.tree.mount(None, django.conf.settings.STATIC_URL, config)
 
-    # TODO: our modules are mimicking django apps. It'd be better to convert
-    # our modules to Django apps instead of reinventing the wheel.
-    # (we'll still have to serve the static files with cherrypy though)
     for module_name in module_loader.loaded_modules:
         module = importlib.import_module(module_name)
         module_path = os.path.dirname(module.__file__)
@@ -163,7 +160,12 @@ def configure_django():
             }
         }
 
-    template_directories = module_loader.get_template_directories()
+    applications = ['bootstrapform',
+                    'django.contrib.auth',
+                    'django.contrib.contenttypes',
+                    'django.contrib.messages',
+                    'plinth']
+    applications += module_loader.get_modules_to_load()
     sessions_directory = os.path.join(cfg.data_dir, 'sessions')
     django.conf.settings.configure(
         ALLOWED_HOSTS=['127.0.0.1', 'localhost'],
@@ -173,11 +175,7 @@ def configure_django():
                    {'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.sqlite3',
                     'NAME': cfg.store_file}},
         DEBUG=cfg.debug,
-        INSTALLED_APPS=['bootstrapform',
-                        'django.contrib.auth',
-                        'django.contrib.contenttypes',
-                        'django.contrib.messages',
-                        'plinth'],
+        INSTALLED_APPS=applications,
         LOGGING=logging_configuration,
         LOGIN_URL='lib:login',
         LOGIN_REDIRECT_URL='apps:index',
@@ -195,12 +193,10 @@ def configure_django():
         SESSION_ENGINE='django.contrib.sessions.backends.file',
         SESSION_FILE_PATH=sessions_directory,
         STATIC_URL='/'.join([cfg.server_dir, 'static/']).replace('//', '/'),
-        TEMPLATE_CONTEXT_PROCESSORS=context_processors,
-        TEMPLATE_DIRS=template_directories)
+        TEMPLATE_CONTEXT_PROCESSORS=context_processors)
     django.setup()
 
-    LOGGER.info('Configured Django')
-    LOGGER.info('Template directories - %s', template_directories)
+    LOGGER.info('Configured Django with applications - %s', applications)
 
     LOGGER.info('Creating or adding new tables to data file')
     django.core.management.call_command('syncdb', interactive=False)
diff --git a/plinth/module_loader.py b/plinth/module_loader.py
index f32370f4d..20507de10 100644
--- a/plinth/module_loader.py
+++ b/plinth/module_loader.py
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ from plinth.signals import pre_module_loading, post_module_loading
 LOGGER = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 loaded_modules = []
+_modules_to_load = None
 
 
 def load_modules():
@@ -41,17 +42,7 @@ def load_modules():
     """
     pre_module_loading.send_robust(sender="module_loader")
     modules = {}
-    module_directory = os.path.join(cfg.config_dir, 'modules-enabled')
-    for file_name in os.listdir(module_directory):
-        full_file_name = os.path.join(module_directory, file_name)
-        with open(full_file_name, 'r') as file:
-            for line in file:
-                line = re.sub('#.*', '', line)
-                line = line.strip()
-                if line:
-                    modules[line] = None
-
-    for module_name in modules:
+    for module_name in get_modules_to_load():
         LOGGER.info('Importing %s', module_name)
         try:
             modules[module_name] = importlib.import_module(module_name)
@@ -143,14 +134,22 @@ def _initialize_module(module):
             raise
 
 
-def get_template_directories():
-    """Return the list of template directories"""
-    directory = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
-    core_directory = os.path.join(directory, 'templates')
+def get_modules_to_load():
+    """Get the list of modules to be loaded"""
+    global _modules_to_load
+    if _modules_to_load is not None:
+        return _modules_to_load
 
-    directories = set((core_directory,))
+    modules = []
     module_directory = os.path.join(cfg.config_dir, 'modules-enabled')
-    for name in os.listdir(module_directory):
-        directories.add(os.path.join(directory, 'modules', name, 'templates'))
+    for file_name in os.listdir(module_directory):
+        full_file_name = os.path.join(module_directory, file_name)
+        with open(full_file_name, 'r') as file:
+            for line in file:
+                line = re.sub('#.*', '', line)
+                line = line.strip()
+                if line:
+                    modules.append(line)
 
-    return directories
+    _modules_to_load = modules
+    return modules