diff --git a/src/AcDream.Core/Plugins/LoadedPlugin.cs b/src/AcDream.Core/Plugins/LoadedPlugin.cs
index ee20c14..a3f6d24 100644
--- a/src/AcDream.Core/Plugins/LoadedPlugin.cs
+++ b/src/AcDream.Core/Plugins/LoadedPlugin.cs
@@ -1,11 +1,20 @@
+using System.Runtime.Loader;
 using AcDream.Plugin.Abstractions;
 
 namespace AcDream.Core.Plugins;
 
+/// <summary>
+/// Outcome of a plugin load attempt.
+/// <para>On success, <see cref="Plugin"/> is the instantiated plugin, <see cref="LoadContext"/>
+/// owns its assembly, and <see cref="Error"/> is null.</para>
+/// <para>On failure, <see cref="Plugin"/> and <see cref="LoadContext"/> are null and
+/// <see cref="Error"/> describes what went wrong.</para>
+/// </summary>
 public sealed record LoadedPlugin(
     PluginManifest Manifest,
     IAcDreamPlugin? Plugin,
-    string? Error)
+    AssemblyLoadContext? LoadContext,
+    Exception? Error)
 {
     public bool Success => Plugin is not null && Error is null;
 }
diff --git a/src/AcDream.Core/Plugins/PluginAssemblyLoadContext.cs b/src/AcDream.Core/Plugins/PluginAssemblyLoadContext.cs
index 9fbc42c..6ce3968 100644
--- a/src/AcDream.Core/Plugins/PluginAssemblyLoadContext.cs
+++ b/src/AcDream.Core/Plugins/PluginAssemblyLoadContext.cs
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ namespace AcDream.Core.Plugins;
 /// </summary>
 internal sealed class PluginAssemblyLoadContext : AssemblyLoadContext
 {
+    private const string AbstractionsAssemblyName = "AcDream.Plugin.Abstractions";
+
     private readonly AssemblyDependencyResolver _resolver;
 
     public PluginAssemblyLoadContext(string pluginDirectory, string pluginEntryPath)
@@ -21,7 +23,7 @@ internal sealed class PluginAssemblyLoadContext : AssemblyLoadContext
     protected override Assembly? Load(AssemblyName assemblyName)
     {
         // Share the abstractions assembly with the host — do NOT reload it in the plugin ALC
-        if (assemblyName.Name == "AcDream.Plugin.Abstractions")
+        if (assemblyName.Name == AbstractionsAssemblyName)
             return null;
 
         var path = _resolver.ResolveAssemblyToPath(assemblyName);
diff --git a/src/AcDream.Core/Plugins/PluginLoader.cs b/src/AcDream.Core/Plugins/PluginLoader.cs
index d3743e6..ba2ba07 100644
--- a/src/AcDream.Core/Plugins/PluginLoader.cs
+++ b/src/AcDream.Core/Plugins/PluginLoader.cs
@@ -5,30 +5,56 @@ namespace AcDream.Core.Plugins;
 
 public static class PluginLoader
 {
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Load a plugin DLL from <paramref name="pluginDirectory"/> into a collectible
+    /// <see cref="System.Runtime.Loader.AssemblyLoadContext"/>, find the first type
+    /// implementing <see cref="IAcDreamPlugin"/>, instantiate it, and call its
+    /// <see cref="IAcDreamPlugin.Initialize"/> with the supplied host. Any failure
+    /// is returned as a failed <see cref="LoadedPlugin"/> rather than thrown.
+    /// </summary>
     public static LoadedPlugin Load(string pluginDirectory, PluginManifest manifest, IPluginHost host)
     {
         var dllPath = Path.Combine(pluginDirectory, manifest.EntryDll);
         if (!File.Exists(dllPath))
-            return new LoadedPlugin(manifest, null, $"entry dll not found: {dllPath}");
+            return new LoadedPlugin(
+                manifest,
+                Plugin: null,
+                LoadContext: null,
+                Error: new FileNotFoundException($"entry dll not found: {dllPath}", dllPath));
 
         try
         {
             var alc = new PluginAssemblyLoadContext(pluginDirectory, dllPath);
             var asm = alc.LoadFromAssemblyPath(dllPath);
 
-            var pluginType = asm.GetTypes()
+            IEnumerable<Type> types;
+            try
+            {
+                types = asm.GetTypes();
+            }
+            catch (ReflectionTypeLoadException rtle)
+            {
+                types = rtle.Types.OfType<Type>();
+            }
+
+            var pluginType = types
                 .FirstOrDefault(t => !t.IsAbstract && typeof(IAcDreamPlugin).IsAssignableFrom(t));
 
             if (pluginType is null)
-                return new LoadedPlugin(manifest, null, $"no IAcDreamPlugin implementation found in {manifest.EntryDll}");
+                return new LoadedPlugin(
+                    manifest,
+                    Plugin: null,
+                    LoadContext: null,
+                    Error: new InvalidOperationException(
+                        $"no IAcDreamPlugin implementation found in {manifest.EntryDll}"));
 
             var instance = (IAcDreamPlugin)Activator.CreateInstance(pluginType)!;
             instance.Initialize(host);
-            return new LoadedPlugin(manifest, instance, null);
+            return new LoadedPlugin(manifest, instance, alc, Error: null);
         }
         catch (Exception ex)
         {
-            return new LoadedPlugin(manifest, null, $"{ex.GetType().Name}: {ex.Message}");
+            return new LoadedPlugin(manifest, Plugin: null, LoadContext: null, Error: ex);
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/tests/AcDream.Core.Tests/Plugins/PluginLoaderTests.cs b/tests/AcDream.Core.Tests/Plugins/PluginLoaderTests.cs
index 03a07c7..5947e55 100644
--- a/tests/AcDream.Core.Tests/Plugins/PluginLoaderTests.cs
+++ b/tests/AcDream.Core.Tests/Plugins/PluginLoaderTests.cs
@@ -97,6 +97,6 @@ public class PluginLoaderTests
         var loaded = PluginLoader.Load(coreDllDir, manifest, host);
 
         Assert.False(loaded.Success);
-        Assert.Contains("IAcDreamPlugin", loaded.Error ?? "");
+        Assert.Contains("IAcDreamPlugin", loaded.Error!.Message);
     }
 }