diff --git a/packages/builder/src/builder.js b/packages/builder/src/builder.js
index 093cf14245..c551da139a 100644
--- a/packages/builder/src/builder.js
+++ b/packages/builder/src/builder.js
@@ -110,9 +110,19 @@ export default class Builder {
           /[^a-zA-Z?\d\s:]/g,
           ''
         )
+
+        if (p.ssr === false) {
+          p.mode = 'client'
+        } else if (p.mode === undefined) {
+          p.mode = 'all'
+        } else if (!['client', 'server'].includes(p.mode)) {
+          consola.warn(`Invalid plugin mode (server/client/all): '${p.mode}'. Falling back to 'all'`)
+          p.mode = 'all'
+        }
+
         return {
           src: this.nuxt.resolver.resolveAlias(p.src),
-          ssr: p.ssr !== false,
+          mode: p.mode,
           name: 'nuxt_plugin_' + pluginBaseName + '_' + hash(p.src)
         }
       }),
@@ -135,6 +145,15 @@ export default class Builder {
         })
       }
 
+      const modes = ['client', 'server']
+      const modernPattern = new RegExp(`\\.(${modes.join('|')})\\.\\w+$`)
+      pluginFiles[0].replace(modernPattern, (_, mode) => {
+        // mode in nuxt.config has higher priority
+        if (p.mode === 'all' && modes.includes(mode)) {
+          p.mode = mode
+        }
+      })
+
       p.src = this.relativeToBuild(p.src)
     }))
   }
diff --git a/packages/core/src/module.js b/packages/core/src/module.js
index 3f244dcf5e..a8581c6e1e 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/module.js
+++ b/packages/core/src/module.js
@@ -63,7 +63,9 @@ export default class ModuleContainer {
     // Add to nuxt plugins
     this.options.plugins.unshift({
       src: path.join(this.options.buildDir, dst),
-      ssr: template.ssr
+      // TODO: remove deprecated option in Nuxt 3
+      ssr: template.ssr,
+      mode: template.mode
     })
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/vue-app/template/index.js b/packages/vue-app/template/index.js
index 7654646f8a..a8469e3f42 100644
--- a/packages/vue-app/template/index.js
+++ b/packages/vue-app/template/index.js
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import { setContext, getLocation, getRouteData, normalizeError } from './utils'
 
 /* Plugins */
 <%= isTest ? '/* eslint-disable camelcase */' : '' %>
-<% plugins.forEach((plugin) => { %>import <%= plugin.name %> from '<%= plugin.name %>' // Source: <%= relativeToBuild(plugin.src) %><%= (plugin.ssr===false) ? ' (ssr: false)' : '' %>
+<% plugins.forEach((plugin) => { %>import <%= plugin.name %> from '<%= plugin.name %>' // Source: <%= relativeToBuild(plugin.src) %> (mode: '<%= plugin.mode %>')
 <% }) %>
 <%= isTest ? '/* eslint-enable camelcase */' : '' %>
 
@@ -168,11 +168,18 @@ async function createApp(ssrContext) {
 
   // Plugin execution
   <%= isTest ? '/* eslint-disable camelcase */' : '' %>
-  <% plugins.filter(p => p.ssr).forEach((plugin) => { %>
+  <% plugins.filter(p => p.mode === 'all').forEach((plugin) => { %>
   if (typeof <%= plugin.name %> === 'function') await <%= plugin.name %>(app.context, inject)<% }) %>
-  <% if (plugins.filter(p => !p.ssr).length) { %>
+
+  <% if (plugins.filter(p => p.mode === 'client').length) { %>
   if (process.client) {
-    <% plugins.filter((p) => !p.ssr).forEach((plugin) => { %>
+    <% plugins.filter(p => p.mode === 'client').forEach((plugin) => { %>
+    if (typeof <%= plugin.name %> === 'function') await <%= plugin.name %>(app.context, inject)<% }) %>
+  }<% } %>
+
+  <% if (plugins.filter(p => p.mode === 'server').length) { %>
+  if (process.server) {
+    <% plugins.filter(p => p.mode === 'server').forEach((plugin) => { %>
     if (typeof <%= plugin.name %> === 'function') await <%= plugin.name %>(app.context, inject)<% }) %>
   }<% } %>
   <%= isTest ? '/* eslint-enable camelcase */' : '' %>
diff --git a/packages/webpack/src/builder.js b/packages/webpack/src/builder.js
index 1f68db3303..d0358f0b5c 100644
--- a/packages/webpack/src/builder.js
+++ b/packages/webpack/src/builder.js
@@ -63,18 +63,17 @@ export class WebpackBundler {
     for (const p of this.context.plugins) {
       // Client config
       if (!clientConfig.resolve.alias[p.name]) {
-        clientConfig.resolve.alias[p.name] = p.src
+        clientConfig.resolve.alias[p.name] = p.mode === 'server' ? './empty.js' : p.src
       }
 
       // Server config
       if (serverConfig && !serverConfig.resolve.alias[p.name]) {
-        // Alias to noop for ssr:false plugins
-        serverConfig.resolve.alias[p.name] = p.ssr ? p.src : './empty.js'
+        serverConfig.resolve.alias[p.name] = p.mode === 'client' ? './empty.js' : p.src
       }
 
       // Modern config
       if (modernConfig && !modernConfig.resolve.alias[p.name]) {
-        modernConfig.resolve.alias[p.name] = p.src
+        modernConfig.resolve.alias[p.name] = p.mode === 'client' ? './empty.js' : p.src
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/test/fixtures/with-config/nuxt.config.js b/test/fixtures/with-config/nuxt.config.js
index 13caab9570..95f39ec4c8 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/with-config/nuxt.config.js
+++ b/test/fixtures/with-config/nuxt.config.js
@@ -37,7 +37,9 @@ export default {
   extensions: 'ts',
   plugins: [
     '~/plugins/test',
-    '~/plugins/test.plugin',
+    { src: '~/plugins/test.plugin', mode: 'abc' },
+    '~/plugins/test.client',
+    '~/plugins/test.server',
     { src: '~/plugins/only-client.js', ssr: false }
   ],
   loading: '~/components/loading',
diff --git a/test/fixtures/with-config/plugins/test.client.js b/test/fixtures/with-config/plugins/test.client.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..387e7fc54a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/with-config/plugins/test.client.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+window.__test_plugin_client = 'test_plugin_client'
diff --git a/test/fixtures/with-config/plugins/test.server.js b/test/fixtures/with-config/plugins/test.server.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..94df4661fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/with-config/plugins/test.server.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+global.__test_plugin_server = 'test_plugin_server'
diff --git a/test/fixtures/with-config/with-config.test.js b/test/fixtures/with-config/with-config.test.js
index 6d1b6da61c..a0ab037806 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/with-config/with-config.test.js
+++ b/test/fixtures/with-config/with-config.test.js
@@ -14,12 +14,15 @@ const hooks = [
 
 describe('with-config', () => {
   buildFixture('with-config', () => {
-    expect(consola.warn).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(4)
+    expect(consola.warn).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(5)
     expect(consola.fatal).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0)
     expect(consola.warn.mock.calls).toMatchObject([
       [
         'Unknown mode: unknown. Falling back to universal'
       ],
+      [
+        `Invalid plugin mode (server/client/all): 'abc'. Falling back to 'all'`
+      ],
       [{
         message: 'Found 2 plugins that match the configuration, suggest to specify extension:',
         additional: expect.stringContaining('plugins/test.json')
diff --git a/test/unit/with-config.test.js b/test/unit/with-config.test.js
index 7860deab6e..4bb47d7fec 100644
--- a/test/unit/with-config.test.js
+++ b/test/unit/with-config.test.js
@@ -91,6 +91,8 @@ describe('with-config', () => {
 
     expect(window.__test_plugin).toBe(true)
     expect(window.__test_plugin_ext).toBe(true)
+    expect(window.__test_plugin_client).toBe('test_plugin_client')
+    expect(window.__test_plugin_server).toBeUndefined()
   })
 
   test('/test/about (custom layout)', async () => {