diff --git a/src/node/hooks/express/adminplugins.js b/src/node/hooks/express/adminplugins.js
index 7e221cf1e..85bf2108b 100644
--- a/src/node/hooks/express/adminplugins.js
+++ b/src/node/hooks/express/adminplugins.js
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ exports.socketio = function (hook_name, args, cb) {
     socket.on("checkUpdates", function() {
       socket.emit("progress", {progress:0, message:'Checking for plugin updates...'});
       // Check plugins for updates
-      installer.search({offset: 0, pattern: '', limit: 500}, /*useCache:*/true, function(data) { // hacky
+      installer.search({offset: 0, pattern: '', limit: 500}, /*maxCacheAge:*/60*10, function(data) { // hacky
         if (!data.results) return;
         var updatable = _(plugins.plugins).keys().filter(function(plugin) {
           if(!data.results[plugin]) return false;
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ exports.socketio = function (hook_name, args, cb) {
 
     socket.on("search", function (query) {
       socket.emit("progress", {progress:0, message:'Fetching results...'});
-        installer.search(query, true, function (progress) {
+        installer.search(query, /*maxCacheAge:*/60*10, function (progress) {
         if (progress.results)
           socket.emit("search-result", progress);
         socket.emit("progress", progress);
diff --git a/src/static/js/admin/plugins.js b/src/static/js/admin/plugins.js
index a973875ce..d7f94d2cf 100644
--- a/src/static/js/admin/plugins.js
+++ b/src/static/js/admin/plugins.js
@@ -163,8 +163,10 @@ $(document).ready(function () {
     }
     updateHandlers();
 
-    socket.emit('checkUpdates');
-    tasks++;
+    setTimeout(function() {
+      socket.emit('checkUpdates');
+      tasks++;
+    }, 5000)
   });
   
   socket.on('updatable', function(data) {
diff --git a/src/static/js/pluginfw/installer.js b/src/static/js/pluginfw/installer.js
index 15d879409..14a3b7be5 100644
--- a/src/static/js/pluginfw/installer.js
+++ b/src/static/js/pluginfw/installer.js
@@ -71,12 +71,13 @@ exports.install = function(plugin_name, cb) {
 };
 
 exports.searchCache = null;
+var cacheTimestamp = 0;
 
-exports.search = function(query, cache, cb) {
+exports.search = function(query, maxCacheAge, cb) {
   withNpm(
     function (cb) {
       var getData = function (cb) {
-        if (cache && exports.searchCache) {
+        if (maxCacheAge && exports.searchCache && Math.round(+new Date/1000)-cacheTimestamp < maxCacheAge) {
           cb(null, exports.searchCache);
         } else {
           registry.get(
@@ -84,6 +85,7 @@ exports.search = function(query, cache, cb) {
             function (er, data) {
               if (er) return cb(er);
               exports.searchCache = data;
+              cacheTimestamp = Math.round(+new Date/1000)
               cb(er, data);
             }
           );