diff --git a/src/Orchard.Web/Config/Sample.HostComponents.config b/src/Orchard.Web/Config/Sample.HostComponents.config
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1ece073bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Orchard.Web/Config/Sample.HostComponents.config
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
+<HostComponents>
+  <Components>
+    <Component Type="Orchard.Environment.Extensions.Loaders.DynamicExtensionLoader">
+      <Properties>
+        <Property Name="Disabled" Value="true"/>
+      </Properties>
+    </Component>
+  </Components>
+</HostComponents>
diff --git a/src/Orchard.Web/Orchard.Web.csproj b/src/Orchard.Web/Orchard.Web.csproj
index 006f9822c..d254af564 100644
--- a/src/Orchard.Web/Orchard.Web.csproj
+++ b/src/Orchard.Web/Orchard.Web.csproj
@@ -122,6 +122,9 @@
       <DependentUpon>Global.asax</DependentUpon>
     </Compile>
     <Content Include="Config\log4net.config" />
+    <Content Include="Config\Sample.HostComponents.config">
+      <SubType>Designer</SubType>
+    </Content>
     <None Include="Media\web.config" />
     <Compile Include="Properties\AssemblyInfo.cs" />
   </ItemGroup>
diff --git a/src/Orchard/Environment/HostComponentsConfigModule.cs b/src/Orchard/Environment/HostComponentsConfigModule.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6e7c014d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Orchard/Environment/HostComponentsConfigModule.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,137 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.ComponentModel;
+using System.Linq;
+using System.Reflection;
+using System.Xml.Linq;
+using Autofac;
+using Autofac.Core;
+using Module = Autofac.Module;
+
+namespace Orchard.Environment {
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Alter components instantiations by setting property values defined in a configuration file
+    /// </summary>
+    public class HostComponentsConfigModule : Module {
+        public static class XNames {
+            public const string Xmlns = "";
+            public static readonly XName HostComponents = XName.Get("HostComponents", Xmlns);
+            public static readonly XName Components = XName.Get("Components", Xmlns);
+            public static readonly XName Component = XName.Get("Component", Xmlns);
+            public static readonly XName Properties = XName.Get("Properties", Xmlns);
+            public static readonly XName Property = XName.Get("Property", Xmlns);
+            public static readonly XName Type = XName.Get("Type");
+            public static readonly XName Name = XName.Get("Name");
+            public static readonly XName Value = XName.Get("Value");
+        }
+
+        // component type name => list of [property name, property value]
+        public class PropertyEntry {
+            public string Name { get; set; }
+            public string Value { get; set; }
+        }
+
+        public readonly IDictionary<string, IEnumerable<PropertyEntry>> _config = new Dictionary<string, IEnumerable<PropertyEntry>>();
+
+        public HostComponentsConfigModule() {
+            // Called by the framework, as this class is a "Module"
+        }
+
+        public HostComponentsConfigModule(string fileName) {
+            var doc = XDocument.Load(fileName);
+            foreach (var component in doc.Elements(XNames.HostComponents).Elements(XNames.Components).Elements(XNames.Component)) {
+                var componentType = Attr(component, XNames.Type);
+                if (componentType == null)
+                    continue;
+
+                var properties = component
+                    .Elements(XNames.Properties)
+                    .Elements(XNames.Property)
+                    .Select(property => new PropertyEntry { Name = Attr(property, XNames.Name), Value = Attr(property, XNames.Value) })
+                    .Where(t => !string.IsNullOrEmpty(t.Name) && !string.IsNullOrEmpty(t.Value))
+                    .ToList();
+
+                if (!properties.Any())
+                    continue;
+
+                _config.Add(componentType, properties);
+            }
+        }
+
+        private string Attr(XElement component, XName name) {
+            var attr = component.Attribute(name);
+            if (attr == null)
+                return null;
+            return attr.Value;
+        }
+
+        protected override void AttachToComponentRegistration(IComponentRegistry componentRegistry, IComponentRegistration registration) {
+            var implementationType = registration.Activator.LimitType;
+
+            IEnumerable<PropertyEntry> properties;
+            if (!_config.TryGetValue(implementationType.FullName, out properties))
+                return;
+
+            // build an array of actions on this type to assign loggers to member properties
+            var injectors = BuildPropertiesInjectors(implementationType, properties).ToArray();
+
+            // if there are no logger properties, there's no reason to hook the activated event
+            if (!injectors.Any())
+                return;
+
+            // otherwise, whan an instance of this component is activated, inject the loggers on the instance
+            registration.Activated += (s, e) => {
+                foreach (var injector in injectors)
+                    injector(e.Context, e.Instance);
+            };
+        }
+
+        private IEnumerable<Action<IComponentContext, object>> BuildPropertiesInjectors(Type componentType, IEnumerable<PropertyEntry> properties) {
+            // Look for settable properties with name in "properties"
+            var settableProperties = componentType
+                .GetProperties(BindingFlags.SetProperty | BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.Instance)
+                .Select(p => new {
+                    PropertyInfo = p,
+                    IndexParameters = p.GetIndexParameters(),
+                    Accessors = p.GetAccessors(false),
+                    PropertyEntry = properties.Where(t => t.Name == p.Name).FirstOrDefault()
+                })
+                .Where(x => x.PropertyEntry != null) // Must be present in "properties"
+                .Where(x => x.IndexParameters.Count() == 0) // must not be an indexer
+                .Where(x => x.Accessors.Length != 1 || x.Accessors[0].ReturnType == typeof(void)); //must have get/set, or only set
+
+            // Return an array of actions that assign the property value
+            foreach (var entry in settableProperties) {
+                var propertyInfo = entry.PropertyInfo;
+                var propertyEntry = entry.PropertyEntry;
+
+                yield return (ctx, instance) => {
+                                 object value;
+                                 if (ChangeToCompatibleType(propertyEntry.Value, propertyInfo.PropertyType, out value))
+                                     propertyInfo.SetValue(instance, value, null);
+                             };
+            }
+        }
+
+        public static bool ChangeToCompatibleType(string value, Type destinationType, out object result) {
+            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(value)) {
+                result = null;
+                return false;
+            }
+
+            if (destinationType.IsAssignableFrom(value.GetType())) {
+                result = value;
+                return true;
+            }
+
+            try {
+                result = TypeDescriptor.GetConverter(destinationType).ConvertFrom(value);
+                return true;
+            }
+            catch {
+                result = null;
+                return false;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Orchard/Environment/OrchardStarter.cs b/src/Orchard/Environment/OrchardStarter.cs
index 95110dc03..30988def7 100644
--- a/src/Orchard/Environment/OrchardStarter.cs
+++ b/src/Orchard/Environment/OrchardStarter.cs
@@ -108,6 +108,10 @@ namespace Orchard.Environment {
             if (File.Exists(optionalHostConfig))
                 builder.RegisterModule(new ConfigurationSettingsReader(ConfigurationSettingsReader.DefaultSectionName, optionalHostConfig));
 
+            var optionalComponentsConfig = HostingEnvironment.MapPath("~/Config/HostComponents.config");
+            if (File.Exists(optionalComponentsConfig))
+                builder.RegisterModule(new HostComponentsConfigModule(optionalComponentsConfig));
+
 
             var container = builder.Build();
 
diff --git a/src/Orchard/Orchard.Framework.csproj b/src/Orchard/Orchard.Framework.csproj
index bd01f5099..f608e1d30 100644
--- a/src/Orchard/Orchard.Framework.csproj
+++ b/src/Orchard/Orchard.Framework.csproj
@@ -169,6 +169,7 @@
     <Compile Include="Environment\Extensions\Loaders\RawThemeExtensionLoader.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Environment\Features\FeatureManager.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Environment\IAssemblyLoader.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Environment\HostComponentsConfigModule.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Environment\ViewsBackgroundCompilation.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Environment\WorkContextImplementation.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Environment\WorkContextModule.cs" />