diff --git a/src/plugins/kibana/index.js b/src/plugins/kibana/index.js
index 7958fc35c0f1a..a36b9bd28f829 100644
--- a/src/plugins/kibana/index.js
+++ b/src/plugins/kibana/index.js
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@ module.exports = function (kibana) {
           'visTypes',
           'spyModes',
           'fieldFormats',
-          'navbarExtensions'
+          'navbarExtensions',
+          'settingsSections'
         ],
 
         injectVars: function (server, options) {
diff --git a/src/plugins/kibana/public/kibana.js b/src/plugins/kibana/public/kibana.js
index 8303dd4a5807e..d3704cba58be1 100644
--- a/src/plugins/kibana/public/kibana.js
+++ b/src/plugins/kibana/public/kibana.js
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 // autoloading
 
 // preloading (for faster webpack builds)
-
 import moment from 'moment-timezone';
 import chrome from 'ui/chrome';
 import routes from 'ui/routes';
@@ -13,7 +12,6 @@ import 'plugins/kibana/discover/index';
 import 'plugins/kibana/visualize/index';
 import 'plugins/kibana/dashboard/index';
 import 'plugins/kibana/settings/index';
-import 'plugins/kibana/settings/sections';
 import 'plugins/kibana/doc';
 import 'ui/vislib';
 import 'ui/agg_response';
diff --git a/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/index.js b/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/index.js
index 13da6dd62db31..09f27d9a0aa72 100644
--- a/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/index.js
+++ b/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/index.js
@@ -1,13 +1,17 @@
 import _ from 'lodash';
-import sections from 'plugins/kibana/settings/sections/index';
+import 'plugins/kibana/settings/sections/indices/index';
+import 'plugins/kibana/settings/sections/advanced/index';
+import 'plugins/kibana/settings/sections/objects/index';
+import 'plugins/kibana/settings/sections/status/index';
+import 'plugins/kibana/settings/sections/about/index';
 import 'plugins/kibana/settings/styles/main.less';
 import 'ui/filters/start_from';
 import 'ui/field_editor';
 import 'plugins/kibana/settings/sections/indices/_indexed_fields';
 import 'plugins/kibana/settings/sections/indices/_scripted_fields';
-define(function (require) {
-
+import registry from 'ui/registry/settings_sections';
 
+define(function (require) {
   require('ui/routes')
   .when('/settings', {
     redirectTo: '/settings/indices'
@@ -21,6 +25,7 @@ define(function (require) {
   require('ui/modules')
   .get('apps/settings')
   .directive('kbnSettingsApp', function (Private, $route, timefilter) {
+    const sections = Private(registry);
     return {
       restrict: 'E',
       template: require('plugins/kibana/settings/app.html'),
@@ -30,7 +35,7 @@ define(function (require) {
       },
       link: function ($scope, $el) {
         timefilter.enabled = false;
-        $scope.sections = sections;
+        $scope.sections = sections.inOrder;
         $scope.section = _.find($scope.sections, { name: $scope.sectionName });
 
         $scope.sections.forEach(function (section) {
diff --git a/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/about/index.js b/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/about/index.js
index 6cebf1e650dcf..a82e7aedc903b 100644
--- a/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/about/index.js
+++ b/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/about/index.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import _ from 'lodash';
-define(function (require) {
+import registry from 'ui/registry/settings_sections';
 
+define(function (require) {
   require('ui/routes')
   .when('/settings/about', {
     template: require('plugins/kibana/settings/sections/about/index.html')
@@ -13,10 +14,10 @@ define(function (require) {
     $scope.buildSha = buildSha;
   });
 
-  return {
-    order: Infinity,
+  registry.register(_.constant({
+    order: 1001,
     name: 'about',
     display: 'About',
     url: '#/settings/about'
-  };
+  }));
 });
diff --git a/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/advanced/index.js b/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/advanced/index.js
index ef7895e808f9b..7f531c4d1e0e4 100644
--- a/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/advanced/index.js
+++ b/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/advanced/index.js
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
 import _ from 'lodash';
+import registry from 'ui/registry/settings_sections';
 import toEditableConfig from 'plugins/kibana/settings/sections/advanced/lib/to_editable_config';
 import 'plugins/kibana/settings/sections/advanced/advanced_row';
-define(function (require) {
-
-
 
+define(function (require) {
   require('ui/routes')
   .when('/settings/advanced', {
     template: require('plugins/kibana/settings/sections/advanced/index.html')
@@ -52,10 +51,10 @@ define(function (require) {
     };
   });
 
-  return {
+  registry.register(_.constant({
     order: 2,
     name: 'advanced',
     display: 'Advanced',
     url: '#/settings/advanced'
-  };
+  }));
 });
diff --git a/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/index.js b/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/index.js
deleted file mode 100644
index c2be1402c526c..0000000000000
--- a/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/index.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-define(function (require) {
-  // each of these private modules returns an object defining that section, their properties
-  // are used to create the nav bar
-  return [
-    require('plugins/kibana/settings/sections/indices/index'),
-    require('plugins/kibana/settings/sections/advanced/index'),
-    require('plugins/kibana/settings/sections/objects/index'),
-    require('plugins/kibana/settings/sections/status/index'),
-    require('plugins/kibana/settings/sections/about/index')
-  ];
-});
diff --git a/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/indices/index.js b/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/indices/index.js
index dfba694eef411..fa9f77c24d1b6 100644
--- a/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/indices/index.js
+++ b/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/indices/index.js
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 import _ from 'lodash';
+import registry from 'ui/registry/settings_sections';
 import 'plugins/kibana/settings/sections/indices/_create';
 import 'plugins/kibana/settings/sections/indices/_edit';
 import 'plugins/kibana/settings/sections/indices/_field_editor';
-define(function (require) {
-
 
+define(function (require) {
   // add a dependency to all of the subsection routes
   require('ui/routes')
   .defaults(/settings\/indices/, {
@@ -43,9 +43,10 @@ define(function (require) {
     };
   });
 
-  return {
+  registry.register(_.constant({
+    order: 1,
     name: 'indices',
     display: 'Indices',
-    url: '#/settings/indices',
-  };
+    url: '#/settings/indices'
+  }));
 });
diff --git a/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/objects/index.js b/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/objects/index.js
index e5f1395451644..38b8758f0e456 100644
--- a/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/objects/index.js
+++ b/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/objects/index.js
@@ -1,16 +1,17 @@
+import _ from 'lodash';
+import registry from 'ui/registry/settings_sections';
 import 'plugins/kibana/settings/sections/objects/_view';
 import 'plugins/kibana/settings/sections/objects/_objects';
 import 'ace';
 import 'ui/directives/confirm_click';
 define(function (require) {
-
-
   // add the module deps to this module
   require('ui/modules').get('apps/settings');
 
-  return {
+  registry.register(_.constant({
+    order: 3,
     name: 'objects',
     display: 'Objects',
     url: '#/settings/objects'
-  };
+  }));
 });
diff --git a/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/status/index.js b/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/status/index.js
index 9dbbf3a1473f7..3f6272af27801 100644
--- a/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/status/index.js
+++ b/src/plugins/kibana/public/settings/sections/status/index.js
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 import _ from 'lodash';
-define(function (require) {
+import registry from 'ui/registry/settings_sections';
 
-  return {
-    order: 3,
+define(function (require) {
+  registry.register(_.constant({
+    order: 1000,
     name: 'status',
     display: 'Status',
     url: '/status'
-  };
+  }));
 });
diff --git a/src/ui/public/registry/settings_sections.js b/src/ui/public/registry/settings_sections.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..b00f1363eb053
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ui/public/registry/settings_sections.js
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+define(function (require) {
+  return require('ui/registry/_registry')({
+    name: 'settingsSections',
+    order: ['order']
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/ui/ui_exports.js b/src/ui/ui_exports.js
index 3b552798b16dd..4bf2d26e6eed0 100644
--- a/src/ui/ui_exports.js
+++ b/src/ui/ui_exports.js
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ class UiExports {
       case 'spyModes':
       case 'chromeNavControls':
       case 'navbarExtensions':
+      case 'settingsSections':
         return (plugin, spec) => {
           this.aliases[type] = _.union(this.aliases[type] || [], spec);
         };