diff --git a/components/cli/interface.go b/components/cli/interface.go
index 96d65a428a..00b9adea32 100644
--- a/components/cli/interface.go
+++ b/components/cli/interface.go
@@ -111,8 +111,8 @@ type PluginAPIClient interface {
 	PluginRemove(ctx context.Context, name string, options types.PluginRemoveOptions) error
 	PluginEnable(ctx context.Context, name string, options types.PluginEnableOptions) error
 	PluginDisable(ctx context.Context, name string, options types.PluginDisableOptions) error
-	PluginInstall(ctx context.Context, name string, options types.PluginInstallOptions) error
-	PluginPush(ctx context.Context, name string, registryAuth string) error
+	PluginInstall(ctx context.Context, name string, options types.PluginInstallOptions) (io.ReadCloser, error)
+	PluginPush(ctx context.Context, name string, registryAuth string) (io.ReadCloser, error)
 	PluginSet(ctx context.Context, name string, args []string) error
 	PluginInspectWithRaw(ctx context.Context, name string) (*types.Plugin, []byte, error)
 	PluginCreate(ctx context.Context, createContext io.Reader, options types.PluginCreateOptions) error
diff --git a/components/cli/plugin_install.go b/components/cli/plugin_install.go
index e7b67f2051..b305780cfb 100644
--- a/components/cli/plugin_install.go
+++ b/components/cli/plugin_install.go
@@ -2,73 +2,96 @@ package client
 
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
+	"io"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
 
+	"github.com/docker/distribution/reference"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types"
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"golang.org/x/net/context"
 )
 
 // PluginInstall installs a plugin
-func (cli *Client) PluginInstall(ctx context.Context, name string, options types.PluginInstallOptions) (err error) {
-	// FIXME(vdemeester) name is a ref, we might want to parse/validate it here.
+func (cli *Client) PluginInstall(ctx context.Context, name string, options types.PluginInstallOptions) (rc io.ReadCloser, err error) {
 	query := url.Values{}
-	query.Set("name", name)
+	if _, err := reference.ParseNamed(options.RemoteRef); err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "invalid remote reference")
+	}
+	query.Set("remote", options.RemoteRef)
+
 	resp, err := cli.tryPluginPrivileges(ctx, query, options.RegistryAuth)
 	if resp.statusCode == http.StatusUnauthorized && options.PrivilegeFunc != nil {
+		// todo: do inspect before to check existing name before checking privileges
 		newAuthHeader, privilegeErr := options.PrivilegeFunc()
 		if privilegeErr != nil {
 			ensureReaderClosed(resp)
-			return privilegeErr
+			return nil, privilegeErr
 		}
 		options.RegistryAuth = newAuthHeader
 		resp, err = cli.tryPluginPrivileges(ctx, query, options.RegistryAuth)
 	}
 	if err != nil {
 		ensureReaderClosed(resp)
-		return err
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	var privileges types.PluginPrivileges
 	if err := json.NewDecoder(resp.body).Decode(&privileges); err != nil {
 		ensureReaderClosed(resp)
-		return err
+		return nil, err
 	}
 	ensureReaderClosed(resp)
 
 	if !options.AcceptAllPermissions && options.AcceptPermissionsFunc != nil && len(privileges) > 0 {
 		accept, err := options.AcceptPermissionsFunc(privileges)
 		if err != nil {
-			return err
+			return nil, err
 		}
 		if !accept {
-			return pluginPermissionDenied{name}
+			return nil, pluginPermissionDenied{options.RemoteRef}
 		}
 	}
 
-	_, err = cli.tryPluginPull(ctx, query, privileges, options.RegistryAuth)
+	// set name for plugin pull, if empty should default to remote reference
+	query.Set("name", name)
+
+	resp, err = cli.tryPluginPull(ctx, query, privileges, options.RegistryAuth)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	defer func() {
+	name = resp.header.Get("Docker-Plugin-Name")
+
+	pr, pw := io.Pipe()
+	go func() { // todo: the client should probably be designed more around the actual api
+		_, err := io.Copy(pw, resp.body)
 		if err != nil {
-			delResp, _ := cli.delete(ctx, "/plugins/"+name, nil, nil)
-			ensureReaderClosed(delResp)
+			pw.CloseWithError(err)
+			return
 		}
+		defer func() {
+			if err != nil {
+				delResp, _ := cli.delete(ctx, "/plugins/"+name, nil, nil)
+				ensureReaderClosed(delResp)
+			}
+		}()
+		if len(options.Args) > 0 {
+			if err := cli.PluginSet(ctx, name, options.Args); err != nil {
+				pw.CloseWithError(err)
+				return
+			}
+		}
+
+		if options.Disabled {
+			pw.Close()
+			return
+		}
+
+		err = cli.PluginEnable(ctx, name, types.PluginEnableOptions{Timeout: 0})
+		pw.CloseWithError(err)
 	}()
-
-	if len(options.Args) > 0 {
-		if err := cli.PluginSet(ctx, name, options.Args); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-	}
-
-	if options.Disabled {
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	return cli.PluginEnable(ctx, name, types.PluginEnableOptions{Timeout: 0})
+	return pr, nil
 }
 
 func (cli *Client) tryPluginPrivileges(ctx context.Context, query url.Values, registryAuth string) (serverResponse, error) {
diff --git a/components/cli/plugin_push.go b/components/cli/plugin_push.go
index d83bbdc358..1e5f963251 100644
--- a/components/cli/plugin_push.go
+++ b/components/cli/plugin_push.go
@@ -1,13 +1,17 @@
 package client
 
 import (
+	"io"
+
 	"golang.org/x/net/context"
 )
 
 // PluginPush pushes a plugin to a registry
-func (cli *Client) PluginPush(ctx context.Context, name string, registryAuth string) error {
+func (cli *Client) PluginPush(ctx context.Context, name string, registryAuth string) (io.ReadCloser, error) {
 	headers := map[string][]string{"X-Registry-Auth": {registryAuth}}
 	resp, err := cli.post(ctx, "/plugins/"+name+"/push", nil, nil, headers)
-	ensureReaderClosed(resp)
-	return err
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return resp.body, nil
 }
diff --git a/components/cli/plugin_push_test.go b/components/cli/plugin_push_test.go
index 7b8eb865d6..d9f70cdff8 100644
--- a/components/cli/plugin_push_test.go
+++ b/components/cli/plugin_push_test.go
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ func TestPluginPushError(t *testing.T) {
 		client: newMockClient(errorMock(http.StatusInternalServerError, "Server error")),
 	}
 
-	err := client.PluginPush(context.Background(), "plugin_name", "")
+	_, err := client.PluginPush(context.Background(), "plugin_name", "")
 	if err == nil || err.Error() != "Error response from daemon: Server error" {
 		t.Fatalf("expected a Server Error, got %v", err)
 	}
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ func TestPluginPush(t *testing.T) {
 		}),
 	}
 
-	err := client.PluginPush(context.Background(), "plugin_name", "authtoken")
+	_, err := client.PluginPush(context.Background(), "plugin_name", "authtoken")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}