diff --git a/bin/.gitkeep b/bin/.gitkeep
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29..0000000
diff --git a/bin/compile-plugins.sh b/bin/compile-plugins.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..278bc7c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/compile-plugins.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+#!/usr/bin bash
+
+
+function compile_default_plugins() {
+    makeshift_exe=./makeshift
+    go_exe=go
+
+    # make sure go build tools are installed
+    if command -v $go_exe >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        # make sure that MAKESHIFT_ROOT is set
+        if [[ ! -v MAKESHIFT_ROOT ]]; then
+            # Compile the default external plugins
+            go build
+            $makeshift_exe compile pkg/plugins/jinja2/jinja2.go -o $MAKESHIFT_ROOT/plugins/jinja2.go
+            $makeshift_exe compile pkg/plugins/smd/smd.go -o $MAKESHIFT_ROOT/plugins/smd.so
+            $makeshift_exe compile pkg/plugins/userdata/userdata.go -o $MAKESHIFT_ROOT/plugins/userdata.go
+        else 
+            echo "requires MAKESHIFT_ROOT to be set"
+        fi
+    else 
+        echo "Go build tools must be installed"
+    fi
+}
+
+
+compile_default_plugins
\ No newline at end of file