diff --git a/packages/opentelemetry-node/package.json b/packages/opentelemetry-node/package.json
index e2eb356c3da..2cc60af0691 100644
--- a/packages/opentelemetry-node/package.json
+++ b/packages/opentelemetry-node/package.json
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@opentelemetry/context-base": "^0.7.0",
+    "@opentelemetry/plugin-http": "^0.7.0",
     "@opentelemetry/resources": "^0.7.0",
     "@types/mocha": "^7.0.0",
     "@types/node": "^12.6.8",
diff --git a/packages/opentelemetry-node/src/NodeTracerProvider.ts b/packages/opentelemetry-node/src/NodeTracerProvider.ts
index 11a0874e5e8..29eb6edad04 100644
--- a/packages/opentelemetry-node/src/NodeTracerProvider.ts
+++ b/packages/opentelemetry-node/src/NodeTracerProvider.ts
@@ -39,7 +39,12 @@ export class NodeTracerProvider extends BasicTracerProvider {
     super(config);
 
     this._pluginLoader = new PluginLoader(this, this.logger);
-    this._pluginLoader.load(config.plugins || DEFAULT_INSTRUMENTATION_PLUGINS);
+
+    // Shallow-merge default plugins with user supplied config
+    this._pluginLoader.load({
+      ...DEFAULT_INSTRUMENTATION_PLUGINS,
+      ...config.plugins,
+    });
   }
 
   stop() {
diff --git a/packages/opentelemetry-node/test/NodeTracerProvider.test.ts b/packages/opentelemetry-node/test/NodeTracerProvider.test.ts
index 1cd0298e622..397b423e12f 100644
--- a/packages/opentelemetry-node/test/NodeTracerProvider.test.ts
+++ b/packages/opentelemetry-node/test/NodeTracerProvider.test.ts
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ describe('NodeTracerProvider', () => {
       assert.ok(provider instanceof NodeTracerProvider);
     });
 
-    it('should load user configured plugins', () => {
+    it('should load user configured and default plugins that have been shallowly merged', () => {
       provider = new NodeTracerProvider({
         logger: new NoopLogger(),
         plugins: {
@@ -103,6 +103,8 @@ describe('NodeTracerProvider', () => {
       assert.strictEqual(pluginLoader['_plugins'].length, 1);
       require('supported-module');
       assert.strictEqual(pluginLoader['_plugins'].length, 2);
+      require('http');
+      assert.strictEqual(pluginLoader['_plugins'].length, 3);
     });
 
     it('should construct an instance with default attributes', () => {