diff --git a/extension.schema.json b/extension.schema.json
index 7989236ba..7eb2f11c8 100644
--- a/extension.schema.json
+++ b/extension.schema.json
@@ -214,20 +214,20 @@
     },
 
     "type": "object",
-    "required": ["name", "version"],
+    "required": ["$name", "$version"],
     "properties": {
-        "name": {
+        "$name": {
             "description": "Extension name",
             "type": "string"
         },
-        "version": {
+        "$version": {
             "description": "Extension version",
             "type": "string"
         },
-        "description": {
+        "$description": {
             "description": "Brief description on what the extension does"
         },
-        "references": {
+        "$references": {
             "description": "References to external files",
             "type": "array",
             "items": {
diff --git a/src/app/extensions/extension.config.ts b/src/app/extensions/extension.config.ts
index 7c6f3869d..b284a86d0 100644
--- a/src/app/extensions/extension.config.ts
+++ b/src/app/extensions/extension.config.ts
@@ -29,8 +29,10 @@ import { RuleRef } from './rule.extensions';
 import { ActionRef, ContentActionRef } from './action.extensions';
 
 export interface ExtensionConfig {
-    version: string;
-    references?: Array<string>;
+    $name: string;
+    $version: string;
+    $description?: string;
+    $references?: Array<string>;
     rules?: Array<RuleRef>;
     routes?: Array<RouteRef>;
     actions?: Array<ActionRef>;
diff --git a/src/app/extensions/extension.service.spec.ts b/src/app/extensions/extension.service.spec.ts
index eb20d9502..6038ba15d 100644
--- a/src/app/extensions/extension.service.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/extensions/extension.service.spec.ts
@@ -43,10 +43,59 @@ describe('ExtensionService', () => {
         extensions = TestBed.get(ExtensionService);
     });
 
+    describe('configs', () => {
+        it('should merge two arrays based on [id] keys', () => {
+            const left = [
+                {
+                    name: 'item0'
+                },
+                {
+                    id: '#1',
+                    name: 'item1'
+                },
+                {
+                    id: '#2',
+                    name: 'item2'
+                }
+            ];
+
+            const right = [
+                {
+                    name: 'extra-1'
+                },
+                {
+                    id: '#2',
+                    name: 'custom2',
+                    tag: 'extra tag'
+                }
+            ];
+
+            const result = extensions.mergeArrays(left, right);
+            expect(result).toEqual([
+                {
+                    id: '#1',
+                    name: 'item1'
+                },
+                {
+                    id: '#2',
+                    name: 'custom2',
+                    tag: 'extra tag'
+                },
+                {
+                    name: 'item0'
+                },
+                {
+                    name: 'extra-1'
+                },
+            ]);
+        });
+    });
+
     describe('actions', () => {
         beforeEach(() => {
             extensions.setup({
-                version: '1.0.0',
+                $name: 'test',
+                $version: '1.0.0',
                 actions: [
                     {
                         id: 'aca:actions/create-folder',
@@ -179,7 +228,8 @@ describe('ExtensionService', () => {
 
         beforeEach(() => {
             extensions.setup({
-                version: '1.0.0',
+                $name: 'test',
+                $version: '1.0.0',
                 routes: [
                     {
                         id: 'aca:routes/about',
@@ -237,7 +287,8 @@ describe('ExtensionService', () => {
     describe('content actions', () => {
         it('should load content actions from the config', () => {
             extensions.setup({
-                version: '1.0.0',
+                $name: 'test',
+                $version: '1.0.0',
                 features: {
                     content: {
                         actions: [
@@ -263,7 +314,8 @@ describe('ExtensionService', () => {
 
         it('should sort content actions by order', () => {
             extensions.setup({
-                version: '1.0.0',
+                $name: 'test',
+                $version: '1.0.0',
                 features: {
                     content: {
                         actions: [
@@ -297,7 +349,8 @@ describe('ExtensionService', () => {
     describe('open with', () => {
         it('should load [open with] actions for the viewer', () => {
             extensions.setup({
-                version: '1.0.0',
+                $name: 'test',
+                $version: '1.0.0',
                 features: {
                     viewer: {
                         openWith: [
@@ -322,7 +375,8 @@ describe('ExtensionService', () => {
 
         it('should load only enabled [open with] actions for the viewer', () => {
             extensions.setup({
-                version: '1.0.0',
+                $name: 'test',
+                $version: '1.0.0',
                 features: {
                     viewer: {
                         openWith: [
@@ -358,7 +412,8 @@ describe('ExtensionService', () => {
 
         it('should sort [open with] actions by order', () => {
             extensions.setup({
-                version: '1.0.0',
+                $name: 'test',
+                $version: '1.0.0',
                 features: {
                     viewer: {
                         openWith: [
@@ -396,7 +451,8 @@ describe('ExtensionService', () => {
     describe('create', () => {
         it('should load [create] actions from config', () => {
             extensions.setup({
-                version: '1.0.0',
+                $name: 'test',
+                $version: '1.0.0',
                 features: {
                     create: [
                         {
@@ -415,7 +471,8 @@ describe('ExtensionService', () => {
 
         it('should sort [create] actions by order', () => {
             extensions.setup({
-                version: '1.0.0',
+                $name: 'test',
+                $version: '1.0.0',
                 features: {
                     create: [
                         {
diff --git a/src/app/extensions/extension.service.ts b/src/app/extensions/extension.service.ts
index e9db7d14a..3c6292895 100644
--- a/src/app/extensions/extension.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/extensions/extension.service.ts
@@ -74,8 +74,8 @@ export class ExtensionService implements RuleContext {
             this.loadConfig(this.configPath, 0).then(result => {
                 let config = result.config;
 
-                if (config.references && config.references.length > 0) {
-                    const plugins = config.references.map(
+                if (config.$references && config.$references.length > 0) {
+                    const plugins = config.$references.map(
                         (name, idx) => this.loadConfig(`${this.pluginsPath}/${name}`, idx)
                     );
 
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ export class ExtensionService implements RuleContext {
                             .map(entry => entry.config);
 
                         if (configs.length > 0) {
-                            config = this.mergeConfigs(config, ...configs);
+                            config = this.mergeObjects(config, ...configs);
                         }
 
                         this.setup(config);
@@ -411,23 +411,50 @@ export class ExtensionService implements RuleContext {
         return false;
     }
 
-    // todo: requires overwrite support for array entries
-    // todo: overwrite only particular areas, don't touch version or other top-level props
-    protected mergeConfigs(...objects): any {
+    mergeObjects(...objects): any {
         const result = {};
 
         objects.forEach(source => {
             Object.keys(source).forEach(prop => {
-                if (prop in result && Array.isArray(result[prop])) {
-                    result[prop] = result[prop].concat(source[prop]);
-                } else if (prop in result && typeof result[prop] === 'object') {
-                    result[prop] = this.mergeConfigs(result[prop], source[prop]);
-                } else {
-                    result[prop] = source[prop];
+                if (!prop.startsWith('$')) {
+                    if (prop in result && Array.isArray(result[prop])) {
+                        // result[prop] = result[prop].concat(source[prop]);
+                        result[prop] = this.mergeArrays(result[prop], source[prop]);
+                    } else if (prop in result && typeof result[prop] === 'object') {
+                        result[prop] = this.mergeObjects(result[prop], source[prop]);
+                    } else {
+                        result[prop] = source[prop];
+                    }
                 }
             });
         });
 
         return result;
     }
+
+    mergeArrays(left: any[], right: any[]): any[] {
+        const result = [];
+        const map = {};
+
+        (left || []).forEach(entry => {
+            const element = entry;
+            if (element && element.hasOwnProperty('id')) {
+                map[element.id] = element;
+            } else {
+                result.push(element);
+            }
+        });
+
+        (right || []).forEach(entry => {
+            const element = entry;
+            if (element && element.hasOwnProperty('id') && map[element.id]) {
+                const merged = this.mergeObjects(map[element.id], element);
+                map[element.id] = merged;
+            } else {
+                result.push(element);
+            }
+        });
+
+        return Object.values(map).concat(result);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/assets/app.extensions.json b/src/assets/app.extensions.json
index b3f57d5dc..f7df9b1a3 100644
--- a/src/assets/app.extensions.json
+++ b/src/assets/app.extensions.json
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 {
     "$schema": "../../extension.schema.json",
-    "name": "app",
-    "version": "1.0.0",
-
-    "references": [
+    "$name": "app",
+    "$version": "1.0.0",
+    "$references": [
         "plugin1.json",
         "plugin2.json"
     ],
diff --git a/src/assets/plugins/plugin1.json b/src/assets/plugins/plugin1.json
index 184a657b4..031cd9b61 100644
--- a/src/assets/plugins/plugin1.json
+++ b/src/assets/plugins/plugin1.json
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 {
     "$schema": "../../../extension.schema.json",
-    "version": "1.0.0",
-    "name": "plugin1",
-    "description": "demo plugin",
+    "$version": "1.0.0",
+    "$name": "plugin1",
+    "$description": "demo plugin",
 
     "actions": [
         {
@@ -36,6 +36,19 @@
                 }
             ]
         },
+        "navbar": [
+            {
+                "id": "app.navbar.primary",
+                "items": [
+                    {
+                        "id": "app.navbar.personalFiles",
+                        "icon": "extension",
+                        "title": "APP.BROWSE.PERSONAL.SIDENAV_LINK.LABEL",
+                        "route": "personal-files"
+                    }
+                ]
+            }
+        ],
         "content": {
             "actions": [
                 {
diff --git a/src/assets/plugins/plugin2.json b/src/assets/plugins/plugin2.json
index 5bd71d37e..9fcb9069f 100644
--- a/src/assets/plugins/plugin2.json
+++ b/src/assets/plugins/plugin2.json
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 {
     "$schema": "../../../extension.schema.json",
-    "version": "1.0.0",
-    "name": "plugin2",
-    "description": "demo plugin",
+    "$version": "1.0.0",
+    "$name": "plugin2",
+    "$description": "demo plugin",
 
     "routes": [
         {