diff --git a/main/src/main/scala/sbt/BuildStructure.scala b/main/src/main/scala/sbt/BuildStructure.scala
index de2ff7763..221d227dd 100644
--- a/main/src/main/scala/sbt/BuildStructure.scala
+++ b/main/src/main/scala/sbt/BuildStructure.scala
@@ -108,16 +108,25 @@ case class DetectedAutoPlugin(val name: String, val value: AutoPlugin, val hasAu
  */
 final class DetectedPlugins(val plugins: DetectedModules[Plugin], val autoPlugins: Seq[DetectedAutoPlugin], val builds: DetectedModules[Build]) {
   /** Sequence of import expressions for the build definition.  This includes the names of the [[Plugin]], [[Build]], and [[AutoImport]] modules, but not the [[AutoPlugin]] modules. */
-  lazy val imports: Seq[String] = BuildUtil.getImports(plugins.names ++ builds.names ++
-    (autoPlugins flatMap {
+  lazy val imports: Seq[String] = BuildUtil.getImports(plugins.names ++ builds.names) ++
+    BuildUtil.importAllRoot(autoImports(autoPluginAutoImports)) ++
+    BuildUtil.importAll(autoImports(topLevelAutoPluginAutoImports)) ++
+    BuildUtil.importNamesRoot(autoPlugins.map(_.name).filter(nonTopLevelPlugin))
+
+  private[this] lazy val (autoPluginAutoImports, topLevelAutoPluginAutoImports) =
+    autoPlugins.flatMap {
       case DetectedAutoPlugin(name, ap, hasAutoImport) =>
-        if (hasAutoImport) Some(name + ".autoImport")
+        if (hasAutoImport) Some(name)
         else None
-    })) ++
-    BuildUtil.importNamesRoot(autoPlugins map { _.name })
+    }.partition(nonTopLevelPlugin)
 
   /** A function to select the right [[AutoPlugin]]s from [[autoPlugins]] for a [[Project]]. */
   lazy val deducePlugins: (Plugins, Logger) => Seq[AutoPlugin] = Plugins.deducer(autoPlugins.toList map { _.value })
+
+  private[this] def autoImports(pluginNames: Seq[String]) = pluginNames.map(_ + ".autoImport")
+
+  private[this] def nonTopLevelPlugin(name: String) = name.contains('.')
+
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/sbt/src/sbt-test/project/auto-plugins/build.sbt b/sbt/src/sbt-test/project/auto-plugins/build.sbt
index 27cdb97cd..5fd1c156a 100644
--- a/sbt/src/sbt-test/project/auto-plugins/build.sbt
+++ b/sbt/src/sbt-test/project/auto-plugins/build.sbt
@@ -15,6 +15,16 @@ lazy val projE = project.enablePlugins(S)
 
 lazy val projF = project
 
+// with X enabled, TopA is loaded automatically
+lazy val projG = project.enablePlugins(X)
+
+// only TopB should be enabled
+lazy val projH = project.enablePlugins(TopB)
+
+// enables TopC, which declares topLevelKeyTest
+lazy val projI = project.enablePlugins(TopC)
+
+
 disablePlugins(plugins.IvyPlugin)
 
 check := {
@@ -49,10 +59,21 @@ check := {
 	same(optInValue, " Q S R", "del in projE in q")
 	val overrideOrgValue = (organization in projE).value
 	same(overrideOrgValue, "S", "organization in projE")
+// tests for top level plugins
+  val topLevelAValueG = (topLevelDemo in projG).value
+  same(topLevelAValueG, "TopA: topLevelDemo project projG", "topLevelDemo in projG")
+  val demoValueG = (demo in projG).value
+  same(demoValueG, "TopA: demo project projG", "demo in projG")
+  val topLevelBValueH = (topLevelDemo in projH).value
+  same(topLevelBValueH, "TopB: topLevelDemo project projH", "topLevelDemo in projH")
+  val hdel = (del in projH).?.value
+  same(hdel, None, "del in projH")
 }
 
 keyTest := "foo"
 
+topLevelKeyTest := "bar"
+
 def same[T](actual: T, expected: T, label: String) {
 	assert(actual == expected, s"Expected '$expected' for `$label`, got '$actual'")
 }
diff --git a/sbt/src/sbt-test/project/auto-plugins/project/A.scala b/sbt/src/sbt-test/project/auto-plugins/project/A.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f28b8bec8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sbt/src/sbt-test/project/auto-plugins/project/A.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+// no package
+// plugins declared within no package should be visible to other plugins in the _root_ package
+
+import sbt._
+import sbt.Keys._
+
+object TopLevelImports {
+  lazy val topLevelDemo = settingKey[String]("A top level demo setting.")
+}
+
+object TopA extends AutoPlugin {
+
+  import TopLevelImports._
+  import sbttest.Imports._
+
+  val autoImport = TopLevelImports
+
+  override def requires = sbttest.X
+
+  override def trigger = AllRequirements
+
+  override def projectSettings: scala.Seq[sbt.Setting[_]] = Seq(
+    topLevelDemo := s"TopA: topLevelDemo project ${name.value}",
+    demo := s"TopA: demo project ${name.value}"
+  )
+
+}
+
+object TopB extends AutoPlugin {
+
+  import TopLevelImports._
+
+  val autoImport = TopLevelImports
+
+  override def projectSettings: Seq[Setting[_]] = Seq(
+    topLevelDemo := s"TopB: topLevelDemo project ${name.value}"
+  )
+
+}
+
+object TopC extends AutoPlugin {
+
+  object autoImport {
+    lazy val topLevelKeyTest = settingKey[String]("A top level setting declared in a plugin.")
+  }
+
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/sbt/src/sbt-test/project/binary-plugin/changes/define/D.scala b/sbt/src/sbt-test/project/binary-plugin/changes/define/D.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e4b47921d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sbt/src/sbt-test/project/binary-plugin/changes/define/D.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+// no package declaration
+
+import sbt._
+
+object D extends AutoPlugin {
+
+  object autoImport {
+    lazy val dKey = settingKey[String]("Test key")
+  }
+
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/sbt/src/sbt-test/project/binary-plugin/test b/sbt/src/sbt-test/project/binary-plugin/test
index 169511975..a8ccb21b4 100644
--- a/sbt/src/sbt-test/project/binary-plugin/test
+++ b/sbt/src/sbt-test/project/binary-plugin/test
@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
 # First we define the plugin project and publish it
 $ copy-file changes/define/build.sbt build.sbt
 $ copy-file changes/define/A.scala A.scala
+$ copy-file changes/define/D.scala D.scala
 
 # reload implied
 > publishLocal
 
 # Now we remove the source code and define a project which uses the build.
-$ delete build.sbt A.scala
+$ delete build.sbt A.scala D.scala
 $ copy-file changes/use/plugins.sbt project/plugins.sbt
 > reload
 > check