diff --git a/bindings/SofaRuntime/src/SofaPython3/SofaRuntime/Module_SofaRuntime.cpp b/bindings/SofaRuntime/src/SofaPython3/SofaRuntime/Module_SofaRuntime.cpp
index 299b8081b..f398049d7 100644
--- a/bindings/SofaRuntime/src/SofaPython3/SofaRuntime/Module_SofaRuntime.cpp
+++ b/bindings/SofaRuntime/src/SofaPython3/SofaRuntime/Module_SofaRuntime.cpp
@@ -114,6 +114,21 @@ PYBIND11_MODULE(SofaRuntime, m) {
         return simpleapi::importPlugin(name);
     }, "import a sofa plugin into the current environment");
 
+    m.def("findPlugin", [](const std::string& name)
+    {
+        auto& pluginManager = sofa::helper::system::PluginManager::getInstance();
+        return pluginManager.findPlugin(name);
+    }, py::arg("name"),
+    "Search the plugin repository for the library of the plugin with the given name, without loading it.\n"
+    "Returns the path to the plugin library if found, an empty string otherwise.");
+
+    m.def("isPluginLoaded", [](const std::string& name)
+    {
+        auto& pluginManager = sofa::helper::system::PluginManager::getInstance();
+        return pluginManager.pluginIsLoaded(name);
+    }, py::arg("name"),
+    "Returns True if the plugin with the given name (or path) is already loaded, False otherwise.");
+
     m.def("unload_plugin", [](const std::string& name)
     {
         auto& pluginManager = sofa::helper::system::PluginManager::getInstance();
diff --git a/bindings/SofaRuntime/tests/SofaRuntime/Base.py b/bindings/SofaRuntime/tests/SofaRuntime/Base.py
index cbdd3985c..5940b9c77 100644
--- a/bindings/SofaRuntime/tests/SofaRuntime/Base.py
+++ b/bindings/SofaRuntime/tests/SofaRuntime/Base.py
@@ -14,3 +14,24 @@ def test_getCategoriesmethod(self):
         t = SofaRuntime.getCategories("MeshOBJLoader")
         self.assertEqual(len(t),1)
         self.assertIsInstance(t, list)
+
+    def test_findPlugin(self):
+        import os
+        import SofaRuntime
+        path = SofaRuntime.findPlugin("Sofa.Component")
+        self.assertIsInstance(path, str)
+        self.assertNotEqual(path, "")
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.isfile(path))
+
+    def test_findPlugin_nonExisting(self):
+        import SofaRuntime
+        name = "ThisPluginDoesNotExist_SofaPython3Test"
+        self.assertEqual(SofaRuntime.findPlugin(name), "")
+        # Searching must not have loaded anything
+        self.assertFalse(SofaRuntime.isPluginLoaded(name))
+
+    def test_isPluginLoaded(self):
+        import SofaRuntime
+        SofaRuntime.importPlugin("Sofa.Component")
+        self.assertTrue(SofaRuntime.isPluginLoaded("Sofa.Component"))
+        self.assertFalse(SofaRuntime.isPluginLoaded("ThisPluginDoesNotExist_SofaPython3Test"))