diff --git a/build.gradle.kts b/build.gradle.kts
index 682eb08..b740de5 100644
--- a/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/build.gradle.kts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import java.io.IOException
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeoutException
 
 plugins {
     java
@@ -12,7 +13,11 @@ fun String.runCommand(): String = ProcessBuilder(split("\\s(?=(?:[^'\"`]*(['\"`]
     .redirectOutput(ProcessBuilder.Redirect.PIPE)
     .redirectError(ProcessBuilder.Redirect.PIPE)
     .start()
-    .apply { waitFor(60, TimeUnit.SECONDS) }
+    .apply {
+        if (!waitFor(10, TimeUnit.SECONDS)) {
+            throw TimeoutException("Failed to execute command: '" + this@runCommand + "'")
+        }
+    }
     .run {
         val error = errorStream.bufferedReader().readText().trim()
         if (error.isNotEmpty()) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/de/bluecolored/bluemap/api/BlueMapAPI.java b/src/main/java/de/bluecolored/bluemap/api/BlueMapAPI.java
index 4bf24ad..d715ffe 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/bluecolored/bluemap/api/BlueMapAPI.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/bluecolored/bluemap/api/BlueMapAPI.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import com.google.gson.Gson;
 import com.google.gson.JsonElement;
 import com.google.gson.JsonObject;
 import de.bluecolored.bluemap.api.debug.DebugDump;
+import de.bluecolored.bluemap.api.plugin.Plugin;
 
 import java.io.InputStream;
 import java.io.InputStreamReader;
@@ -87,6 +88,13 @@ public abstract class BlueMapAPI {
     @DebugDump
     public abstract WebApp getWebApp();
 
+    /**
+     * Getter for the {@link Plugin}
+     * @return the {@link Plugin}
+     */
+    @DebugDump
+    public abstract Plugin getPlugin();
+
     /**
      * Getter for all {@link BlueMapMap}s loaded by BlueMap.
      * @return an unmodifiable collection of all loaded {@link BlueMapMap}s
diff --git a/src/main/java/de/bluecolored/bluemap/api/plugin/PlayerIconFactory.java b/src/main/java/de/bluecolored/bluemap/api/plugin/PlayerIconFactory.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..429a233
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/de/bluecolored/bluemap/api/plugin/PlayerIconFactory.java
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+package de.bluecolored.bluemap.api.plugin;
+
+import java.awt.image.BufferedImage;
+import java.util.UUID;
+import java.util.function.BiFunction;
+
+@FunctionalInterface
+public interface PlayerIconFactory extends BiFunction<UUID, BufferedImage, BufferedImage> {
+
+    /**
+     * Takes a players UUID and skin-image and creates an icon
+     * @param playerUuid the players UUID
+     * @param playerSkin the input image
+     * @return a <b>new</b> {@link BufferedImage} generated based on the input image
+     */
+    BufferedImage apply(UUID playerUuid, BufferedImage playerSkin);
+
+}
diff --git a/src/main/java/de/bluecolored/bluemap/api/plugin/Plugin.java b/src/main/java/de/bluecolored/bluemap/api/plugin/Plugin.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3aa11e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/de/bluecolored/bluemap/api/plugin/Plugin.java
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+package de.bluecolored.bluemap.api.plugin;
+
+import de.bluecolored.bluemap.api.debug.DebugDump;
+
+public interface Plugin {
+
+    /**
+     * Get the {@link SkinProvider} that bluemap is using to fetch player-skins
+     * @return the {@link SkinProvider} instance bluemap is using
+     */
+    @DebugDump
+    SkinProvider getSkinProvider();
+
+    /**
+     * Sets the {@link SkinProvider} that bluemap will use to fetch new player-skins.
+     * @param skinProvider The new {@link SkinProvider} bluemap should use
+     */
+    void setSkinProvider(SkinProvider skinProvider);
+
+    /**
+     * Get the {@link PlayerIconFactory} that bluemap is using to convert a player-skin into the icon-image that is used
+     * for the Player-Markers
+     * @return The {@link PlayerIconFactory} bluemap uses to convert skins into player-marker icons
+     */
+    @DebugDump
+    PlayerIconFactory getPlayerMarkerIconFactory();
+
+    /**
+     * Set the {@link PlayerIconFactory} that bluemap will use to convert a player-skin into the icon-image that is used
+     * for the Player-Markers
+     * @param playerMarkerIconFactory The {@link PlayerIconFactory} bluemap uses to convert skins into player-marker icons
+     */
+    void setPlayerMarkerIconFactory(PlayerIconFactory playerMarkerIconFactory);
+
+}
diff --git a/src/main/java/de/bluecolored/bluemap/api/plugin/SkinProvider.java b/src/main/java/de/bluecolored/bluemap/api/plugin/SkinProvider.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7b9a81f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/de/bluecolored/bluemap/api/plugin/SkinProvider.java
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+package de.bluecolored.bluemap.api.plugin;
+
+import java.awt.image.BufferedImage;
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.Optional;
+import java.util.UUID;
+
+/**
+ * A skin-provider capable of loading minecraft player-skins for a given UUID
+ */
+@FunctionalInterface
+public interface SkinProvider {
+
+    /**
+     * Attempts to load a minecraft-skin from this skin-provider.
+     * @return an {@link Optional} containing a {@link BufferedImage} with the skin-image or an empty Optional if there is no
+     * skin for this UUID
+     * @throws IOException if something went wrong trying to load the skin
+     */
+    Optional<BufferedImage> load(UUID playerUUID) throws IOException;
+
+}