diff --git a/docs/source/backends.rst b/docs/source/backends.rst
index f56aa4f3..2ac97b1c 100644
--- a/docs/source/backends.rst
+++ b/docs/source/backends.rst
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ Backends
     platypush/backend/button.flic.rst
     platypush/backend/camera.pi.rst
     platypush/backend/chat.telegram.rst
-    platypush/backend/file.monitor.rst
     platypush/backend/foursquare.rst
     platypush/backend/github.rst
     platypush/backend/google.fit.rst
@@ -28,7 +27,6 @@ Backends
     platypush/backend/nextcloud.rst
     platypush/backend/nfc.rst
     platypush/backend/nodered.rst
-    platypush/backend/ping.rst
     platypush/backend/pushbullet.rst
     platypush/backend/redis.rst
     platypush/backend/scard.rst
diff --git a/docs/source/platypush/backend/file.monitor.rst b/docs/source/platypush/backend/file.monitor.rst
deleted file mode 100644
index 2ad678c6..00000000
--- a/docs/source/platypush/backend/file.monitor.rst
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-``file.monitor``
-==================================
-
-.. automodule:: platypush.backend.file.monitor
-    :members:
diff --git a/docs/source/platypush/backend/ping.rst b/docs/source/platypush/backend/ping.rst
deleted file mode 100644
index 7733d6d8..00000000
--- a/docs/source/platypush/backend/ping.rst
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-``ping``
-==========================
-
-.. automodule:: platypush.backend.ping
-    :members:
diff --git a/docs/source/platypush/plugins/file.monitor.rst b/docs/source/platypush/plugins/file.monitor.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6e07eb58
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/source/platypush/plugins/file.monitor.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+``file.monitor``
+================
+
+.. automodule:: platypush.plugins.file.monitor
+    :members:
diff --git a/docs/source/platypush/responses/ping.rst b/docs/source/platypush/responses/ping.rst
deleted file mode 100644
index 54379222..00000000
--- a/docs/source/platypush/responses/ping.rst
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-``ping``
-===================================
-
-.. automodule:: platypush.message.response.ping
-    :members:
diff --git a/docs/source/plugins.rst b/docs/source/plugins.rst
index d4f63b1b..1b9a0cd8 100644
--- a/docs/source/plugins.rst
+++ b/docs/source/plugins.rst
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ Plugins
     platypush/plugins/esp.rst
     platypush/plugins/ffmpeg.rst
     platypush/plugins/file.rst
+    platypush/plugins/file.monitor.rst
     platypush/plugins/foursquare.rst
     platypush/plugins/google.calendar.rst
     platypush/plugins/google.drive.rst
diff --git a/docs/source/responses.rst b/docs/source/responses.rst
index fcae85e4..0b929f6b 100644
--- a/docs/source/responses.rst
+++ b/docs/source/responses.rst
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ Responses
     platypush/responses/chat.telegram.rst
     platypush/responses/google.drive.rst
     platypush/responses/pihole.rst
-    platypush/responses/ping.rst
     platypush/responses/printer.cups.rst
     platypush/responses/qrcode.rst
     platypush/responses/ssh.rst
diff --git a/platypush/backend/file/monitor/__init__.py b/platypush/backend/file/monitor/__init__.py
deleted file mode 100644
index b52ad8df..00000000
--- a/platypush/backend/file/monitor/__init__.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,127 +0,0 @@
-from typing import Iterable, Dict, Union, Any
-
-from watchdog.observers import Observer
-
-from platypush.backend import Backend
-from .entities.handlers import EventHandler
-from .entities.resources import MonitoredResource, MonitoredPattern, MonitoredRegex
-
-
-class FileMonitorBackend(Backend):
-    """
-    This backend monitors changes to local files and directories using the Watchdog API.
-    """
-
-    class EventHandlerFactory:
-        """
-        Create a file system event handler from a string, dictionary or ``MonitoredResource`` resource.
-        """
-
-        @staticmethod
-        def from_resource(
-            resource: Union[str, Dict[str, Any], MonitoredResource]
-        ) -> EventHandler:
-            if isinstance(resource, str):
-                resource = MonitoredResource(resource)
-            elif isinstance(resource, dict):
-                if 'regexes' in resource or 'ignore_regexes' in resource:
-                    resource = MonitoredRegex(**resource)
-                elif (
-                    'patterns' in resource
-                    or 'ignore_patterns' in resource
-                    or 'ignore_directories' in resource
-                ):
-                    resource = MonitoredPattern(**resource)
-                else:
-                    resource = MonitoredResource(**resource)
-
-            return EventHandler.from_resource(resource)
-
-    def __init__(
-        self, paths: Iterable[Union[str, Dict[str, Any], MonitoredResource]], **kwargs
-    ):
-        """
-        :param paths: List of paths to monitor. Paths can either be expressed in any of the following ways:
-
-            - Simple strings. In this case, paths will be interpreted as absolute references to a file or a directory
-              to monitor. Example:
-
-              .. code-block:: yaml
-
-                backend.file.monitor:
-                    paths:
-                        # Monitor changes on the /tmp folder
-                        - /tmp
-                        # Monitor changes on /etc/passwd
-                        - /etc/passwd
-
-            - Path with monitoring properties expressed as a key-value object. Example showing the supported attributes:
-
-                .. code-block:: yaml
-
-                    backend.file.monitor:
-                        paths:
-                            # Monitor changes on the /tmp folder and its subfolders
-                            - path: /tmp
-                              recursive: True
-
-            - Path with pattern-based search criteria for the files to monitor and exclude. Example:
-
-                .. code-block:: yaml
-
-                    backend.file.monitor:
-                        paths:
-                            # Recursively monitor changes on the ~/my-project folder that include all
-                            # *.py files, excluding those whose name starts with tmp_ and
-                            # all the files contained in the __pycache__ folders
-                            - path: ~/my-project
-                              recursive: True
-                              patterns:
-                                - "*.py"
-                              ignore_patterns:
-                                - "tmp_*"
-                              ignore_directories:
-                                - "__pycache__"
-
-            - Path with regex-based search criteria for the files to monitor and exclude. Example:
-
-                .. code-block:: yaml
-
-                    backend.file.monitor:
-                        paths:
-                            # Recursively monitor changes on the ~/my-images folder that include all
-                            # the files matching a JPEG extension in case-insensitive mode,
-                            # excluding those whose name starts with tmp_ and
-                            # all the files contained in the __MACOSX folders
-                            - path: ~/my-images
-                              recursive: True
-                              case_sensitive: False
-                              regexes:
-                                - '.*\\.jpe?g$'
-                              ignore_patterns:
-                                - '^tmp_.*'
-                              ignore_directories:
-                                - '__MACOSX'
-
-        """
-
-        super().__init__(**kwargs)
-        self._observer = Observer()
-
-        for path in paths:
-            handler = self.EventHandlerFactory.from_resource(path)
-            self._observer.schedule(
-                handler, handler.resource.path, recursive=handler.resource.recursive
-            )
-
-    def run(self):
-        super().run()
-        self.logger.info('Initializing file monitor backend')
-        self._observer.start()
-        self.wait_stop()
-
-    def on_stop(self):
-        self.logger.info('Stopping file monitor backend')
-        self._observer.stop()
-        self._observer.join()
-        self.logger.info('Stopped file monitor backend')
diff --git a/platypush/backend/file/monitor/entities/__init__.py b/platypush/backend/file/monitor/entities/__init__.py
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29b..00000000
diff --git a/platypush/backend/file/monitor/manifest.yaml b/platypush/backend/file/monitor/manifest.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index b504d5fe..00000000
--- a/platypush/backend/file/monitor/manifest.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,18 +0,0 @@
-manifest:
-  events:
-    platypush.message.event.file.FileSystemCreateEvent: if a resource is created.
-    platypush.message.event.file.FileSystemDeleteEvent: if a resource is removed.
-    platypush.message.event.file.FileSystemModifyEvent: if a resource is modified.
-  install:
-    apk:
-      - py3-watchdog
-    apt:
-      - python3-watchdog
-    dnf:
-      - python-watchdog
-    pacman:
-      - python-watchdog
-    pip:
-      - watchdog
-  package: platypush.backend.file.monitor
-  type: backend
diff --git a/platypush/config/config.yaml b/platypush/config/config.yaml
index 335698bf..c3f295a0 100644
--- a/platypush/config/config.yaml
+++ b/platypush/config/config.yaml
@@ -382,6 +382,30 @@ backend.http:
 #         - https://api.quantamagazine.org/feed/
 ###
 
+###
+# # The file monitor plugin can be used to track modifications to the
+# # filesystem - for example, when a file or a directory is modified, created
+# # or removed.
+#
+# file.monitor:
+#     paths:
+#         # Recursively monitor changes on the
+#         # ~/my-images folder that include all the files
+#         # matching a JPEG extension in case-insensitive
+#         # mode, excluding those whose name starts with
+#         # tmp_ and all the files contained in the
+#         # __MACOSX folders
+#         - path: ~/my-images
+#           recursive: true
+#           case_sensitive: false
+#           regexes:
+#             - '.*\\.jpe?g$'
+#           ignore_patterns:
+#             - '^tmp_.*'
+#           ignore_directories:
+#             - '__MACOSX'
+###
+
 ###
 # # Example configuration of a weather plugin
 #
diff --git a/platypush/plugins/file/monitor/__init__.py b/platypush/plugins/file/monitor/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f8b6411c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/platypush/plugins/file/monitor/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,140 @@
+from typing import Iterable, Dict, Optional, Union, Any
+
+from watchdog.observers import Observer
+
+from platypush.plugins import RunnablePlugin
+
+from .entities.handlers import EventHandler
+from .entities.resources import MonitoredResource, MonitoredPattern, MonitoredRegex
+
+
+def event_handler_from_resource(
+    resource: Union[str, Dict[str, Any], MonitoredResource]
+) -> Optional[EventHandler]:
+    """
+    Create a file system event handler from a string, dictionary or
+    ``MonitoredResource`` resource.
+    """
+
+    if isinstance(resource, str):
+        res = MonitoredResource(resource)
+    elif isinstance(resource, dict):
+        if 'regexes' in resource or 'ignore_regexes' in resource:
+            res = MonitoredRegex(**resource)
+        elif (
+            'patterns' in resource
+            or 'ignore_patterns' in resource
+            or 'ignore_directories' in resource
+        ):
+            res = MonitoredPattern(**resource)
+        else:
+            res = MonitoredResource(**resource)
+    else:
+        return None
+
+    return EventHandler.from_resource(res)
+
+
+class FileMonitorPlugin(RunnablePlugin):
+    """
+    A plugin to monitor changes to files and directories.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(
+        self, paths: Iterable[Union[str, Dict[str, Any], MonitoredResource]], **kwargs
+    ):
+        """
+        :param paths: List of paths to monitor. Paths can either be expressed
+            in any of the following ways:
+
+                - Simple strings. In this case, paths will be interpreted as
+                  absolute references to a file or a directory to monitor.
+                  Example:
+
+                  .. code-block:: yaml
+
+                    file.monitor:
+                        paths:
+                            # Monitor changes on the /tmp folder
+                            - /tmp
+                            # Monitor changes on /etc/passwd
+                            - /etc/passwd
+
+                - Path with monitoring properties expressed as a key-value
+                  object. Example showing the supported attributes:
+
+                    .. code-block:: yaml
+
+                        file.monitor:
+                            paths:
+                                # Monitor changes on the /tmp folder and its
+                                # subfolders
+                                - path: /tmp
+                                  recursive: True
+
+                - Path with pattern-based search criteria for the files to monitor
+                  and exclude. Example:
+
+                    .. code-block:: yaml
+
+                        file.monitor:
+                            paths:
+                                # Recursively monitor changes on the
+                                # ~/my-project folder that include all *.py
+                                # files, excluding those whose name starts with
+                                # tmp_ and all the files contained in the
+                                # __pycache__ folders
+                                - path: ~/my-project
+                                  recursive: True
+                                  patterns:
+                                    - "*.py"
+                                  ignore_patterns:
+                                    - "tmp_*"
+                                  ignore_directories:
+                                    - "__pycache__"
+
+                - Path with regex-based search criteria for the files to
+                  monitor and exclude. Example:
+
+                    .. code-block:: yaml
+
+                        file.monitor:
+                            paths:
+                                # Recursively monitor changes on the
+                                # ~/my-images folder that include all the files
+                                # matching a JPEG extension in case-insensitive
+                                # mode, excluding those whose name starts with
+                                # tmp_ and all the files contained in the
+                                # __MACOSX folders
+                                - path: ~/my-images
+                                  recursive: True
+                                  case_sensitive: False
+                                  regexes:
+                                    - '.*\\.jpe?g$'
+                                  ignore_patterns:
+                                    - '^tmp_.*'
+                                  ignore_directories:
+                                    - '__MACOSX'
+
+        """
+
+        super().__init__(**kwargs)
+        self._observer = Observer()
+
+        for path in paths:
+            handler = event_handler_from_resource(path)
+            if not handler:
+                continue
+
+            self._observer.schedule(
+                handler, handler.resource.path, recursive=handler.resource.recursive
+            )
+
+    def stop(self):
+        self._observer.stop()
+        self._observer.join()
+        super().stop()
+
+    def main(self):
+        self._observer.start()
+        self.wait_stop()
diff --git a/platypush/backend/file/__init__.py b/platypush/plugins/file/monitor/entities/__init__.py
similarity index 100%
rename from platypush/backend/file/__init__.py
rename to platypush/plugins/file/monitor/entities/__init__.py
diff --git a/platypush/backend/file/monitor/entities/handlers.py b/platypush/plugins/file/monitor/entities/handlers.py
similarity index 58%
rename from platypush/backend/file/monitor/entities/handlers.py
rename to platypush/plugins/file/monitor/entities/handlers.py
index ef793031..d49a1a27 100644
--- a/platypush/backend/file/monitor/entities/handlers.py
+++ b/platypush/plugins/file/monitor/entities/handlers.py
@@ -1,17 +1,31 @@
 import os
 import re
 
-from watchdog.events import FileSystemEventHandler, PatternMatchingEventHandler, RegexMatchingEventHandler
+from watchdog.events import (
+    FileSystemEventHandler,
+    PatternMatchingEventHandler,
+    RegexMatchingEventHandler,
+)
 
-from platypush.backend.file.monitor.entities.resources import MonitoredResource, MonitoredPattern, MonitoredRegex
 from platypush.context import get_bus
-from platypush.message.event.file import FileSystemModifyEvent, FileSystemCreateEvent, FileSystemDeleteEvent
+from platypush.message.event.file import (
+    FileSystemModifyEvent,
+    FileSystemCreateEvent,
+    FileSystemDeleteEvent,
+)
+
+from .resources import (
+    MonitoredResource,
+    MonitoredPattern,
+    MonitoredRegex,
+)
 
 
 class EventHandler(FileSystemEventHandler):
     """
     Base class for Watchdog event handlers.
     """
+
     def __init__(self, resource: MonitoredResource, **kwargs):
         super().__init__(**kwargs)
         resource.path = os.path.expanduser(resource.path)
@@ -20,7 +34,8 @@ class EventHandler(FileSystemEventHandler):
     def _should_ignore_event(self, event) -> bool:
         ignore_dirs = [
             os.path.expanduser(
-                _dir if os.path.expanduser(_dir).strip('/').startswith(self.resource.path)
+                _dir
+                if os.path.expanduser(_dir).strip('/').startswith(self.resource.path)
                 else os.path.join(self.resource.path, _dir)
             )
             for _dir in getattr(self.resource, 'ignore_directories', [])
@@ -30,19 +45,18 @@ class EventHandler(FileSystemEventHandler):
         ignore_regexes = getattr(self.resource, 'ignore_regexes', None)
 
         if ignore_dirs and any(
-                event.src_path.startswith(ignore_dir) for ignore_dir in ignore_dirs
+            event.src_path.startswith(ignore_dir) for ignore_dir in ignore_dirs
         ):
             return True
 
         if ignore_patterns and any(
-                re.match(r'^{}$'.format(pattern.replace('*', '.*')), event.src_path)
-                for pattern in ignore_patterns
+            re.match(r'^{}$'.format(pattern.replace('*', '.*')), event.src_path)
+            for pattern in ignore_patterns
         ):
             return True
 
         if ignore_regexes and any(
-                re.match(regex, event.src_path)
-                for regex in ignore_patterns
+            re.match(regex, event.src_path) for regex in (ignore_patterns or [])
         ):
             return True
 
@@ -51,7 +65,9 @@ class EventHandler(FileSystemEventHandler):
     def _on_event(self, event, output_event_type):
         if self._should_ignore_event(event):
             return
-        get_bus().post(output_event_type(path=event.src_path, is_directory=event.is_directory))
+        get_bus().post(
+            output_event_type(path=event.src_path, is_directory=event.is_directory)
+        )
 
     def on_created(self, event):
         self._on_event(event, FileSystemCreateEvent)
@@ -62,7 +78,7 @@ class EventHandler(FileSystemEventHandler):
     def on_modified(self, event):
         self._on_event(event, FileSystemModifyEvent)
 
-    def on_moved(self, event):
+    def on_moved(self, _):
         pass
 
     @classmethod
@@ -78,21 +94,27 @@ class PatternEventHandler(EventHandler, PatternMatchingEventHandler):
     """
     Event handler for file patterns.
     """
+
     def __init__(self, resource: MonitoredPattern):
-        super().__init__(resource=resource,
-                         patterns=resource.patterns,
-                         ignore_patterns=resource.ignore_patterns,
-                         ignore_directories=resource.ignore_directories,
-                         case_sensitive=resource.case_sensitive)
+        super().__init__(
+            resource=resource,
+            patterns=resource.patterns,
+            ignore_patterns=resource.ignore_patterns,
+            ignore_directories=resource.ignore_directories,
+            case_sensitive=resource.case_sensitive,
+        )
 
 
 class RegexEventHandler(EventHandler, RegexMatchingEventHandler):
     """
     Event handler for regex-based file patterns.
     """
+
     def __init__(self, resource: MonitoredRegex):
-        super().__init__(resource=resource,
-                         regexes=resource.regexes,
-                         ignore_regexes=resource.ignore_regexes,
-                         ignore_directories=resource.ignore_directories,
-                         case_sensitive=resource.case_sensitive)
+        super().__init__(
+            resource=resource,
+            regexes=resource.regexes,
+            ignore_regexes=resource.ignore_regexes,
+            ignore_directories=resource.ignore_directories,
+            case_sensitive=resource.case_sensitive,
+        )
diff --git a/platypush/backend/file/monitor/entities/resources.py b/platypush/plugins/file/monitor/entities/resources.py
similarity index 100%
rename from platypush/backend/file/monitor/entities/resources.py
rename to platypush/plugins/file/monitor/entities/resources.py
diff --git a/platypush/plugins/file/monitor/manifest.yaml b/platypush/plugins/file/monitor/manifest.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bcaf299c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/platypush/plugins/file/monitor/manifest.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+manifest:
+  events:
+    - platypush.message.event.file.FileSystemCreateEvent
+    - platypush.message.event.file.FileSystemDeleteEvent
+    - platypush.message.event.file.FileSystemModifyEvent
+  install:
+    apk:
+      - py3-watchdog
+    apt:
+      - python3-watchdog
+    dnf:
+      - python-watchdog
+    pacman:
+      - python-watchdog
+    pip:
+      - watchdog
+  package: platypush.plugins.file.monitor
+  type: plugin