diff --git a/lib/classes/plugin_manager.php b/lib/classes/plugin_manager.php
index 757b21985e1..09096d8729b 100644
--- a/lib/classes/plugin_manager.php
+++ b/lib/classes/plugin_manager.php
@@ -878,6 +878,35 @@ class core_plugin_manager {
         return false;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns list of available updates for the given component.
+     *
+     * This method should be considered as internal API and is supposed to be
+     * called by {@link \core\plugininfo\base::available_updates()} only
+     * to lazy load the data once they are first requested.
+     *
+     * @param string $component frankenstyle name of the plugin
+     * @return null|array array of \core\update\info objects or null
+     */
+    public function load_available_updates_for_plugin($component) {
+        global $CFG;
+
+        $provider = \core\update\checker::instance();
+
+        if (!$provider->enabled() or during_initial_install()) {
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        if (isset($CFG->updateminmaturity)) {
+            $minmaturity = $CFG->updateminmaturity;
+        } else {
+            // This can happen during the very first upgrade to 2.3.
+            $minmaturity = MATURITY_STABLE;
+        }
+
+        return $provider->get_update_info($component, array('minmaturity' => $minmaturity));
+    }
+
     /**
      * Check to see if the given plugin folder can be removed by the web server process.
      *
diff --git a/lib/classes/plugininfo/base.php b/lib/classes/plugininfo/base.php
index fae917a6153..cb80f29b253 100644
--- a/lib/classes/plugininfo/base.php
+++ b/lib/classes/plugininfo/base.php
@@ -405,33 +405,6 @@ abstract class base {
         return isset($enabled[$this->name]);
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Populates the property {@link $availableupdates}
-     *
-     * This is supposed to be called by {@link self::available_updates()} only
-     * to lazy load the data once they are first requested.
-     */
-    protected function load_available_updates() {
-        global $CFG;
-
-        $provider = \core\update\checker::instance();
-
-        if (!$provider->enabled() or during_initial_install()) {
-            $this->availableupdates = array();
-            return;
-        }
-
-        if (isset($CFG->updateminmaturity)) {
-            $minmaturity = $CFG->updateminmaturity;
-        } else {
-            // This can happen during the very first upgrade to 2.3.
-            $minmaturity = MATURITY_STABLE;
-        }
-
-        $this->availableupdates = $provider->get_update_info($this->component,
-            array('minmaturity' => $minmaturity));
-    }
-
     /**
      * If there are updates for this plugin available, returns them.
      *
@@ -439,16 +412,20 @@ abstract class base {
      * is available. Returns null if there is no update available or if the update
      * availability is unknown.
      *
+     * Populates the property {@link $availableupdates} on first call (lazy
+     * loading).
+     *
      * @return array|null
      */
     public function available_updates() {
 
         if ($this->availableupdates === null) {
             // Lazy load the information about available updates.
-            $this->load_available_updates();
+            $this->availableupdates = $this->pluginman->load_available_updates_for_plugin($this->component);
         }
 
         if (empty($this->availableupdates) or !is_array($this->availableupdates)) {
+            $this->availableupdates = array();
             return null;
         }
 
diff --git a/lib/tests/fixtures/testable_plugin_manager.php b/lib/tests/fixtures/testable_plugin_manager.php
index 847bff43ab9..26975b80e53 100644
--- a/lib/tests/fixtures/testable_plugin_manager.php
+++ b/lib/tests/fixtures/testable_plugin_manager.php
@@ -35,4 +35,40 @@ class testable_core_plugin_manager extends core_plugin_manager {
 
     /** @var testable_core_plugin_manager holds the singleton instance */
     protected static $singletoninstance;
+
+    /**
+     * Mockup implementation of loading available updates info.
+     *
+     * This testable implementation does not actually use
+     * {@link \core\update\checker}. Instead, it provides hard-coded list of
+     * fictional available updates for some standard plugin.
+     *
+     * @param string $component
+     * @return array|null array of \core\update\info objects or null
+     */
+    public function load_available_updates_for_plugin($component) {
+
+        if ($component === 'mod_forum') {
+            $updates = array();
+
+            $updates[] = new \core\update\info($component, array(
+                'version' => '2002073008',
+                'release' => 'Forum 0.1',
+                'maturity' => MATURITY_ALPHA,
+                'url' => 'https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moodle',
+                'download' => 'https://moodle.org/plugins/pluginversion.php?id=1',
+                'downloadmd5' => md5('I can not think of anything funny to type here'),
+            ));
+
+            $updates[] = new \core\update\info($component, array(
+                'version' => '2999122400',
+                'release' => 'Forum NG',
+                'maturity' => MATURITY_BETA,
+            ));
+
+            return $updates;
+        }
+
+        return null;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/lib/tests/plugin_manager_test.php b/lib/tests/plugin_manager_test.php
index 3926e3de607..b17e3d75cdc 100644
--- a/lib/tests/plugin_manager_test.php
+++ b/lib/tests/plugin_manager_test.php
@@ -263,4 +263,29 @@ class core_plugin_manager_testcase extends advanced_testcase {
             }
         }
     }
+
+    public function test_plugin_available_updates() {
+
+        $pluginman = testable_core_plugin_manager::instance();
+
+        foreach ($pluginman->get_plugins() as $type => $infos) {
+            foreach ($infos as $name => $info) {
+                $updates = $info->available_updates();
+                if ($info->component != 'mod_forum') {
+                    $this->assertNull($updates);
+                } else {
+                    $this->assertEquals(1, count($updates));
+                    $update = array_shift($updates);
+                    $this->assertInstanceOf('\core\update\info', $update);
+                    $this->assertEquals('mod_forum', $update->component);
+                    $this->assertEquals('2999122400', $update->version);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    public function test_some_plugins_updatable() {
+        $pluginman = testable_core_plugin_manager::instance();
+        $this->assertTrue($pluginman->some_plugins_updatable());
+    }
 }