diff --git a/gallery_dl/download.py b/gallery_dl/download.py
index f1ba96d6..1292cbe7 100644
--- a/gallery_dl/download.py
+++ b/gallery_dl/download.py
@@ -8,18 +8,15 @@
 
 import os
 import sys
-import re
 import importlib
-
+from . import config, extractor
 from .extractor.common import Message
-from . import config
 
 class DownloadManager():
 
     def __init__(self, opts):
         self.opts = opts
         self.modules = {}
-        self.extractors = ExtractorFinder()
 
     def add(self, url):
         job = DownloadJob(self, url)
@@ -45,7 +42,7 @@ class DownloadJob():
 
     def __init__(self, mngr, url):
         self.mngr = mngr
-        self.extractor, self.info = mngr.extractors.get_for_url(url)
+        self.extractor, self.info = extractor.find(url)
         if self.extractor is None:
             return
         self.directory = mngr.get_base_directory()
@@ -136,62 +133,3 @@ class DownloadJob():
         if tries == 0:
             print("\r", end="")
         print("\r\033[1;32m", path, "\033[0m", sep="")
-
-
-class ExtractorFinder():
-
-    def get_for_url(self, url):
-        """Get an extractor-instance suitable for 'url'"""
-        name, match = self.find_pattern_match(url)
-        if match:
-            module = importlib.import_module(".extractor." + name, __package__)
-            klass = getattr(module, module.info["extractor"])
-            return klass(match), module.info
-        else:
-            print("no suitable extractor found")
-            return None, None
-
-    def find_pattern_match(self, url):
-        """Find a pattern that matches 'url' and return the (category,match) tuple"""
-        for category in config.get(("extractor",)):
-            patterns = config.get(("extractor", category, "pattern"), default=[])
-            for pattern in patterns:
-                match = re.match(pattern, url)
-                if match:
-                    return category, match
-        for category, info in self.extractor_metadata():
-            for pattern in info["pattern"]:
-                match = re.match(pattern, url)
-                if match:
-                    return category, match
-        return None, None
-
-    def extractor_metadata(self):
-        """Yield all extractor-name, -metadata tuples"""
-        path = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "extractor")
-        for name in os.listdir(path):
-            extractor_path = os.path.join(path, name)
-            info = self.get_info_dict(extractor_path)
-            if info is not None:
-                yield os.path.splitext(name)[0], info
-
-    @staticmethod
-    def get_info_dict(extractor_path):
-        """Get info-/metadata-dictionary for an extractor"""
-        try:
-            with open(extractor_path) as file:
-                for _ in range(30):
-                    line = next(file)
-                    if line.startswith("info ="):
-                        break
-                else:
-                    return None
-
-                info = [line[6:]]
-                for line in file:
-                    info.append(line)
-                    if line.startswith("}"):
-                        break
-        except (StopIteration, OSError):
-            return None
-        return eval("".join(info))
diff --git a/gallery_dl/extractor/__init__.py b/gallery_dl/extractor/__init__.py
index 8b137891..7c7426c4 100644
--- a/gallery_dl/extractor/__init__.py
+++ b/gallery_dl/extractor/__init__.py
@@ -1 +1,57 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 
+# Copyright 2015 Mike Fährmann
+#
+# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 as
+# published by the Free Software Foundation.
+
+import re
+import importlib
+from .. import config
+
+modules = [
+    "pixiv",
+    # "exhentai",
+    "gelbooru",
+    "3dbooru",
+    "4chan",
+    "8chan",
+    "batoto",
+    "danbooru",
+    "e621",
+    "imagebam",
+    "imgbox",
+    "imgchili",
+    "mangareader",
+    "nijie",
+    "redhawkscans",
+    "yandere",
+]
+
+def find(url):
+    """Find extractor suitable for handling the given url"""
+    for pattern, module, klass in _list_patterns():
+        match = re.match(pattern, url)
+        if match:
+            return klass(match), module.info
+
+# --------------------------------------------------------------------
+# internals
+
+_cache = []
+_module_iter = iter(modules)
+
+def _list_patterns():
+    """Yield all available (pattern, module, klass) tuples"""
+    for entry in _cache:
+        yield entry
+
+    for module_name in _module_iter:
+        module = importlib.import_module("."+module_name, __package__)
+        klass = getattr(module, module.info["extractor"])
+        userpatterns = config.get(("extractor", module_name, "pattern"), default=[])
+        for pattern in userpatterns + module.info["pattern"]:
+            etuple = (pattern, module, klass)
+            _cache.append(etuple)
+            yield etuple