diff --git a/src/calibre/customize/__init__.py b/src/calibre/customize/__init__.py
index 2d4e89492b..0d6f041736 100644
--- a/src/calibre/customize/__init__.py
+++ b/src/calibre/customize/__init__.py
@@ -129,18 +129,18 @@ class Plugin(object):
                     zip_safe = False
             if zip_safe:
                 sys.path.insert(0, self.plugin_path)
-                self._sys_insertion_path = self.plugin_path
+                self.sys_insertion_path = self.plugin_path
             else:
                 from calibre.ptempfile import TemporaryDirectory
                 self._sys_insertion_tdir = TemporaryDirectory('plugin_unzip')
-                self._sys_insertion_path = self._sys_insertion_tdir.__enter__(*args)
-                zf.extractall(self._sys_insertion_path)
-                sys.path.insert(0, self._sys_insertion_path)
+                self.sys_insertion_path = self._sys_insertion_tdir.__enter__(*args)
+                zf.extractall(self.sys_insertion_path)
+                sys.path.insert(0, self.sys_insertion_path)
             zf.close()
 
 
     def __exit__(self, *args):
-        ip, it = getattr(self, '_sys_insertion_path', None), getattr(self,
+        ip, it = getattr(self, 'sys_insertion_path', None), getattr(self,
                 '_sys_insertion_tdir', None)
         if ip in sys.path:
             sys.path.remove(ip)
diff --git a/src/calibre/devices/kindle/driver.py b/src/calibre/devices/kindle/driver.py
index 96aa296b5d..3499f3b076 100644
--- a/src/calibre/devices/kindle/driver.py
+++ b/src/calibre/devices/kindle/driver.py
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ class KINDLE(USBMS):
     EBOOK_DIR_CARD_A = 'documents'
     DELETE_EXTS = ['.mbp']
     SUPPORTS_SUB_DIRS = True
+    SUPPORTS_ANNOTATIONS = True
 
     WIRELESS_FILE_NAME_PATTERN = re.compile(
     r'(?P<title>[^-]+)-asin_(?P<asin>[a-zA-Z\d]{10,})-type_(?P<type>\w{4})-v_(?P<index>\d+).*')
@@ -60,6 +61,9 @@ class KINDLE(USBMS):
                                                'replace')
         return mi
 
+    def get_annotations(self, path_map):
+        return {}
+
 
 class KINDLE2(KINDLE):
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/device.py b/src/calibre/gui2/device.py
index 679e86ab48..04219a387f 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/device.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/device.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ from functools import partial
 from binascii import unhexlify
 
 from PyQt4.Qt import QMenu, QAction, QActionGroup, QIcon, SIGNAL, QPixmap, \
-                     Qt
+                     Qt, pyqtSignal
 
 from calibre.customize.ui import available_input_formats, available_output_formats, \
     device_plugins
@@ -218,6 +218,16 @@ class DeviceManager(Thread):
         '''Return callable that returns the list of books on device as two booklists'''
         return self.create_job(self._books, done, description=_('Get list of books on device'))
 
+    def _annotations(self, path_map):
+        return self.device.get_annotations(path_map)
+
+    def annotations(self, path_map, done):
+        '''Return mapping of ids to annotations. Each annotation is of the
+        form (type, location_info, content). path_map is a mapping of
+        ids to paths on the device.'''
+        return self.create_job(self._annotations, done, args=[path_map],
+                description=_('Get annotations from device'))
+
     def _sync_booklists(self, booklists):
         '''Sync metadata to device'''
         self.device.sync_booklists(booklists, end_session=False)
@@ -298,6 +308,8 @@ class DeviceAction(QAction):
 
 class DeviceMenu(QMenu):
 
+    fetch_annotations = pyqtSignal()
+
     def __init__(self, parent=None):
         QMenu.__init__(self, parent)
         self.group = QActionGroup(self)
@@ -389,10 +401,16 @@ class DeviceMenu(QMenu):
 
         self.connect(self.group, SIGNAL('triggered(QAction*)'),
                 self.change_default_action)
-        self.enable_device_actions(False)
         if opts.accounts:
             self.addSeparator()
             self.addMenu(self.email_to_menu)
+        self.addSeparator()
+        annot = self.addAction(_('Fetch annotations (experimental)'))
+        annot.setEnabled(False)
+        annot.triggered.connect(lambda x :
+                self.fetch_annotations.emit())
+        self.annotation_action = annot
+        self.enable_device_actions(False)
 
     def change_default_action(self, action):
         config['default_send_to_device_action'] = repr(action)
@@ -409,7 +427,8 @@ class DeviceMenu(QMenu):
                 self.action_triggered(action)
                 break
 
-    def enable_device_actions(self, enable, card_prefix=(None, None)):
+    def enable_device_actions(self, enable, card_prefix=(None, None),
+            device=None):
         for action in self.actions:
             if action.dest in ('main:', 'carda:0', 'cardb:0'):
                 if not enable:
@@ -428,6 +447,9 @@ class DeviceMenu(QMenu):
                         else:
                             action.setEnabled(False)
 
+        annot_enable = enable and getattr(device, 'SUPPORTS_ANNOTATIONS', False)
+        self.annotation_action.setEnabled(annot_enable)
+
 
 class Emailer(Thread):
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/ui.py b/src/calibre/gui2/ui.py
index abafd4e58c..888600ebb2 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/ui.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/ui.py
@@ -617,6 +617,7 @@ class Main(MainWindow, Ui_MainWindow, DeviceGUI):
                 self.dispatch_sync_event)
         self.connect(self.action_sync, SIGNAL('triggered(bool)'),
                 self._sync_menu.trigger_default)
+        self._sync_menu.fetch_annotations.connect(self.fetch_annotations)
 
     def add_spare_server(self, *args):
         self.spare_servers.append(Server(limit=int(config['worker_limit']/2.0)))
@@ -855,7 +856,9 @@ class Main(MainWindow, Ui_MainWindow, DeviceGUI):
                 self.device_manager.device.__class__.get_gui_name()+\
                         _(' detected.'), 3000)
             self.device_connected = True
-            self._sync_menu.enable_device_actions(True, self.device_manager.device.card_prefix())
+            self._sync_menu.enable_device_actions(True,
+                    self.device_manager.device.card_prefix(),
+                    self.device_manager.device)
             self.location_view.model().device_connected(self.device_manager.device)
         else:
             self.save_device_view_settings()
@@ -918,7 +921,26 @@ class Main(MainWindow, Ui_MainWindow, DeviceGUI):
         self.sync_catalogs()
     ############################################################################
 
+    ######################### Fetch annotations ################################
 
+    def fetch_annotations(self, *args):
+        #current_device = self.device_manager.device
+        path_map = {}
+        # code to calculate path_map
+        self.device_manager.annotations(Dispatcher(self.annotations_fetched),
+                path_map)
+
+    def annotations_fetched(self, annotation_map):
+        if not annotation_map: return
+        from calibre.gui2.dialogs.progress import ProgressDialog
+        pd = ProgressDialog(_('Adding annotations'),
+                _('Annotations will be saved in the comments field'),
+                min=0, max=0, parent=self)
+        # code to add annotations to database should run in a separate
+        # thread as it could potentially take a long time
+        pd.exec_()
+
+    ############################################################################
 
     ################################# Add books ################################