diff --git a/src/user/user_model.cc b/src/user/user_model.cc
index e01fbc5c..a3e43f45 100644
--- a/src/user/user_model.cc
+++ b/src/user/user_model.cc
@@ -2493,7 +2493,90 @@ void mjCModel::CopyTree(mjModel* m) {
    m->nC = nC = 2 * nOD + nv;
 }
 
+// copy plugin data
+void mjCModel::CopyPlugins(mjModel* m) {
+  // assign plugin slots and copy plugin config attributes
+  {
+    int adr = 0;
+    for (int i = 0; i < nplugin; ++i) {
+      m->plugin[i] = plugins_[i]->plugin_slot;
+      const int size = plugins_[i]->flattened_attributes.size();
+      std::memcpy(m->plugin_attr + adr,
+                  plugins_[i]->flattened_attributes.data(), size);
+      m->plugin_attradr[i] = adr;
+      adr += size;
+    }
+  }
 
+  // query and set plugin-related information
+  {
+    // set actuator_plugin to the plugin instance ID
+    std::vector<std::vector<int>> plugin_to_actuators(nplugin);
+    for (int i = 0; i < nu; ++i) {
+      if (actuators_[i]->plugin.active) {
+        int actuator_plugin = static_cast<mjCPlugin*>(actuators_[i]->plugin.element)->id;
+        m->actuator_plugin[i] = actuator_plugin;
+        plugin_to_actuators[actuator_plugin].push_back(i);
+      } else {
+        m->actuator_plugin[i] = -1;
+      }
+    }
+
+    for (int i = 0; i < nbody; ++i) {
+      if (bodies_[i]->plugin.active) {
+        m->body_plugin[i] = static_cast<mjCPlugin*>(bodies_[i]->plugin.element)->id;
+      } else {
+        m->body_plugin[i] = -1;
+      }
+    }
+
+    for (int i = 0; i < ngeom; ++i) {
+      if (geoms_[i]->plugin.active) {
+        m->geom_plugin[i] = static_cast<mjCPlugin*>(geoms_[i]->plugin.element)->id;
+      } else {
+        m->geom_plugin[i] = -1;
+      }
+    }
+
+    std::vector<std::vector<int>> plugin_to_sensors(nplugin);
+    for (int i = 0; i < nsensor; ++i) {
+      if (sensors_[i]->type == mjSENS_PLUGIN) {
+        int sensor_plugin = static_cast<mjCPlugin*>(sensors_[i]->plugin.element)->id;
+        m->sensor_plugin[i] = sensor_plugin;
+        plugin_to_sensors[sensor_plugin].push_back(i);
+      } else {
+        m->sensor_plugin[i] = -1;
+      }
+    }
+
+    // query plugin->nstate, compute and set plugin_state and plugin_stateadr
+    // for sensor plugins, also query plugin->nsensordata and set nsensordata
+    int stateadr = 0;
+    for (int i = 0; i < nplugin; ++i) {
+      const mjpPlugin* plugin = mjp_getPluginAtSlot(m->plugin[i]);
+      if (!plugin->nstate) {
+        mju_error("`nstate` is null for plugin at slot %d", m->plugin[i]);
+      }
+      int nstate = plugin->nstate(m, i);
+      m->plugin_stateadr[i] = stateadr;
+      m->plugin_statenum[i] = nstate;
+      stateadr += nstate;
+      if (plugin->capabilityflags & mjPLUGIN_SENSOR) {
+        for (int sensor_id : plugin_to_sensors[i]) {
+          if (!plugin->nsensordata) {
+            mju_error("`nsensordata` is null for plugin at slot %d", m->plugin[i]);
+          }
+          int nsensordata = plugin->nsensordata(m, i, sensor_id);
+          sensors_[sensor_id]->dim = nsensordata;
+          sensors_[sensor_id]->needstage =
+              static_cast<mjtStage>(plugin->needstage);
+          this->nsensordata += nsensordata;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    m->npluginstate = stateadr;
+  }
+}
 
 // copy objects outside kinematic tree
 void mjCModel::CopyObjects(mjModel* m) {
@@ -4061,88 +4144,7 @@ void mjCModel::TryCompile(mjModel*& m, mjData*& d, const mjVFS* vfs) {
   CopyNames(m);
   CopyPaths(m);
   CopyTree(m);
-
-  // assign plugin slots and copy plugin config attributes
-  {
-    int adr = 0;
-    for (int i = 0; i < nplugin; ++i) {
-      m->plugin[i] = plugins_[i]->plugin_slot;
-      const int size = plugins_[i]->flattened_attributes.size();
-      std::memcpy(m->plugin_attr + adr,
-                  plugins_[i]->flattened_attributes.data(), size);
-      m->plugin_attradr[i] = adr;
-      adr += size;
-    }
-  }
-
-  // query and set plugin-related information
-  {
-    // set actuator_plugin to the plugin instance ID
-    std::vector<std::vector<int>> plugin_to_actuators(nplugin);
-    for (int i = 0; i < nu; ++i) {
-      if (actuators_[i]->plugin.active) {
-        int actuator_plugin = static_cast<mjCPlugin*>(actuators_[i]->plugin.element)->id;
-        m->actuator_plugin[i] = actuator_plugin;
-        plugin_to_actuators[actuator_plugin].push_back(i);
-      } else {
-        m->actuator_plugin[i] = -1;
-      }
-    }
-
-    for (int i = 0; i < nbody; ++i) {
-      if (bodies_[i]->plugin.active) {
-        m->body_plugin[i] = static_cast<mjCPlugin*>(bodies_[i]->plugin.element)->id;
-      } else {
-        m->body_plugin[i] = -1;
-      }
-    }
-
-    for (int i = 0; i < ngeom; ++i) {
-      if (geoms_[i]->plugin.active) {
-        m->geom_plugin[i] = static_cast<mjCPlugin*>(geoms_[i]->plugin.element)->id;
-      } else {
-        m->geom_plugin[i] = -1;
-      }
-    }
-
-    std::vector<std::vector<int>> plugin_to_sensors(nplugin);
-    for (int i = 0; i < nsensor; ++i) {
-      if (sensors_[i]->type == mjSENS_PLUGIN) {
-        int sensor_plugin = static_cast<mjCPlugin*>(sensors_[i]->plugin.element)->id;
-        m->sensor_plugin[i] = sensor_plugin;
-        plugin_to_sensors[sensor_plugin].push_back(i);
-      } else {
-        m->sensor_plugin[i] = -1;
-      }
-    }
-
-    // query plugin->nstate, compute and set plugin_state and plugin_stateadr
-    // for sensor plugins, also query plugin->nsensordata and set nsensordata
-    int stateadr = 0;
-    for (int i = 0; i < nplugin; ++i) {
-      const mjpPlugin* plugin = mjp_getPluginAtSlot(m->plugin[i]);
-      if (!plugin->nstate) {
-        mju_error("`nstate` is null for plugin at slot %d", m->plugin[i]);
-      }
-      int nstate = plugin->nstate(m, i);
-      m->plugin_stateadr[i] = stateadr;
-      m->plugin_statenum[i] = nstate;
-      stateadr += nstate;
-      if (plugin->capabilityflags & mjPLUGIN_SENSOR) {
-        for (int sensor_id : plugin_to_sensors[i]) {
-          if (!plugin->nsensordata) {
-            mju_error("`nsensordata` is null for plugin at slot %d", m->plugin[i]);
-          }
-          int nsensordata = plugin->nsensordata(m, i, sensor_id);
-          sensors_[sensor_id]->dim = nsensordata;
-          sensors_[sensor_id]->needstage =
-              static_cast<mjtStage>(plugin->needstage);
-          this->nsensordata += nsensordata;
-        }
-      }
-    }
-    m->npluginstate = stateadr;
-  }
+  CopyPlugins(m);
 
   // keyframe compilation needs access to nq, nv, na, nmocap, qpos0
   ResolveKeyframes(m);
diff --git a/src/user/user_model.h b/src/user/user_model.h
index 33341228..41865ac6 100644
--- a/src/user/user_model.h
+++ b/src/user/user_model.h
@@ -322,6 +322,7 @@ class mjCModel : public mjCModel_, private mjSpec {
   void CopyPaths(mjModel*);             // copy paths, compute path addresses
   void CopyObjects(mjModel*);           // copy objects outside kinematic tree
   void CopyTree(mjModel*);              // copy objects inside kinematic tree
+  void CopyPlugins(mjModel*);           // copy plugin data
 
   // objects created here
   std::vector<mjCFlex*>     flexes_;      // list of flexes