diff --git a/src/calibre/customize/conversion.py b/src/calibre/customize/conversion.py
index ee8656f0ca..50bceb4def 100644
--- a/src/calibre/customize/conversion.py
+++ b/src/calibre/customize/conversion.py
@@ -91,6 +91,37 @@ class DummyReporter(object):
     def __call__(self, percent, msg=''):
         pass
 
+def gui_configuration_widget(name, parent, get_option_by_name,
+        get_option_help, db, book_id, for_output=True):
+    import importlib
+
+    def widget_factory(cls):
+        return cls(parent, get_option_by_name,
+            get_option_help, db, book_id)
+
+    if for_output:
+        try:
+            output_widget = importlib.import_module(
+                    'calibre.gui2.convert.'+name)
+            pw = output_widget.PluginWidget
+            pw.ICON = I('back.png')
+            pw.HELP = _('Options specific to the output format.')
+            return widget_factory(pw)
+        except ImportError:
+            pass
+    else:
+        try:
+            input_widget = importlib.import_module(
+                    'calibre.gui2.convert.'+name)
+            pw = input_widget.PluginWidget
+            pw.ICON = I('forward.png')
+            pw.HELP = _('Options specific to the input format.')
+            return widget_factory(pw)
+        except ImportError:
+            pass
+    return None
+
+
 class InputFormatPlugin(Plugin):
     '''
     InputFormatPlugins are responsible for converting a document into
@@ -225,6 +256,17 @@ class InputFormatPlugin(Plugin):
         '''
         pass
 
+    def gui_configuration_widget(self, parent, get_option_by_name,
+            get_option_help, db, book_id):
+        '''
+        Called to create the widget used for configuring this plugin in the
+        calibre GUI. The widget must be an instance of the PluginWidget class.
+        See the builting input plugins for examples.
+        '''
+        name = self.name.lower().replace(' ', '_')
+        return gui_configuration_widget(name, parent, get_option_by_name,
+                get_option_help, db, book_id, for_output=False)
+
 
 class OutputFormatPlugin(Plugin):
     '''
@@ -308,4 +350,16 @@ class OutputFormatPlugin(Plugin):
         '''
         pass
 
+    def gui_configuration_widget(self, parent, get_option_by_name,
+            get_option_help, db, book_id):
+        '''
+        Called to create the widget used for configuring this plugin in the
+        calibre GUI. The widget must be an instance of the PluginWidget class.
+        See the builtin output plugins for examples.
+        '''
+        name = self.name.lower().replace(' ', '_')
+        return gui_configuration_widget(name, parent, get_option_by_name,
+                get_option_help, db, book_id, for_output=True)
+
+
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/convert/bulk.py b/src/calibre/gui2/convert/bulk.py
index 5324a83865..3a65a4617e 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/convert/bulk.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/convert/bulk.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ __license__ = 'GPL 3'
 __copyright__ = '2009, John Schember <john@nachtimwald.com>'
 __docformat__ = 'restructuredtext en'
 
-import shutil, importlib
+import shutil
 
 from PyQt4.Qt import QString, SIGNAL
 
@@ -86,17 +86,9 @@ class BulkConfig(Config):
         sd = widget_factory(StructureDetectionWidget)
         toc = widget_factory(TOCWidget)
 
-        output_widget = None
-        name = self.plumber.output_plugin.name.lower().replace(' ', '_')
-        try:
-            output_widget = importlib.import_module(
-                    'calibre.gui2.convert.'+name)
-            pw = output_widget.PluginWidget
-            pw.ICON = I('back.png')
-            pw.HELP = _('Options specific to the output format.')
-            output_widget = widget_factory(pw)
-        except ImportError:
-            pass
+        output_widget = self.plumber.output_plugin.gui_configuration_widget(
+                self.stack, self.plumber.get_option_by_name,
+                self.plumber.get_option_help, self.db)
 
         while True:
             c = self.stack.currentWidget()
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/convert/single.py b/src/calibre/gui2/convert/single.py
index 9160c820bd..4d13ce371b 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/convert/single.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/convert/single.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ __license__   = 'GPL v3'
 __copyright__ = '2009, Kovid Goyal <kovid@kovidgoyal.net>'
 __docformat__ = 'restructuredtext en'
 
-import cPickle, shutil, importlib
+import cPickle, shutil
 
 from PyQt4.Qt import QString, SIGNAL, QAbstractListModel, Qt, QVariant, QFont
 
@@ -187,29 +187,12 @@ class Config(ResizableDialog, Ui_Dialog):
         toc = widget_factory(TOCWidget)
         debug = widget_factory(DebugWidget)
 
-        output_widget = None
-        name = self.plumber.output_plugin.name.lower().replace(' ', '_')
-        try:
-            output_widget = importlib.import_module(
-                    'calibre.gui2.convert.'+name)
-            pw = output_widget.PluginWidget
-            pw.ICON = I('back.png')
-            pw.HELP = _('Options specific to the output format.')
-            output_widget = widget_factory(pw)
-        except ImportError:
-            pass
-        input_widget = None
-        name = self.plumber.input_plugin.name.lower().replace(' ', '_')
-        try:
-            input_widget = importlib.import_module(
-                    'calibre.gui2.convert.'+name)
-            pw = input_widget.PluginWidget
-            pw.ICON = I('forward.png')
-            pw.HELP = _('Options specific to the input format.')
-            input_widget = widget_factory(pw)
-        except ImportError:
-            pass
-
+        output_widget = self.plumber.output_plugin.gui_configuration_widget(
+                self.stack, self.plumber.get_option_by_name,
+                self.plumber.get_option_help, self.db, self.book_id)
+        input_widget = self.plumber.input_plugin.gui_configuration_widget(
+                self.stack, self.plumber.get_option_by_name,
+                self.plumber.get_option_help, self.db, self.book_id)
         while True:
             c = self.stack.currentWidget()
             if not c: break