diff --git a/nikola/nikola.py b/nikola/nikola.py
index 86dc00bbb2..31c9d91c13 100644
--- a/nikola/nikola.py
+++ b/nikola/nikola.py
@@ -1149,7 +1149,8 @@ def init_plugins(self, commands_only=False, load_all=False):
         command_plugins = self._activate_plugins_of_category("Command")
         for plugin_info in command_plugins:
             plugin_info.plugin_object.short_help = plugin_info.description
-            self._commands[plugin_info.name] = plugin_info.plugin_object
+            name = getattr(plugin_info.plugin_object, 'name', plugin_info.name)
+            self._commands[name] = plugin_info.plugin_object
 
         self._activate_plugins_of_category("Task")
         self._activate_plugins_of_category("LateTask")
@@ -1318,7 +1319,8 @@ def _activate_plugins_of_category(self, category):
         # this code duplicated in tests/base.py
         plugins = []
         for plugin_info in self.plugin_manager.getPluginsOfCategory(category):
-            self.plugin_manager.activatePluginByName(plugin_info.name)
+            name = getattr(plugin_info.plugin_object, 'name', plugin_info.name)
+            self.plugin_manager.activatePluginByName(name)
             plugin_info.plugin_object.set_site(self)
             plugins.append(plugin_info)
         return plugins