diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index ef100a9853..018d70b20c 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1223,10 +1223,8 @@ MIME_TYPES="image/bmp;image/g3fax;image/gif;image/x-fits;image/x-pcx;image/x-por
 # Check for libtiff
 ###################
 
-AC_ARG_WITH(libtiff,  [  --without-libtiff       build without TIFF support])
-
 have_libtiff=no
-if test "x$with_libtiff" != xno && test -z "$TIFF_LIBS"; then
+if test -z "$TIFF_LIBS"; then
   have_libtiff=yes
   AC_CHECK_LIB(tiff, TIFFReadScanline,
     [AC_CHECK_HEADER(tiffio.h,
@@ -1243,18 +1241,12 @@ if test "x$with_libtiff" != xno && test -z "$TIFF_LIBS"; then
       [have_libtiff="no (TIFF library not found)"], -ljpeg -lz -lm)], -ljpeg -lz -lm)], -lm)
 fi
 
-if test "x$with_libtiff" != xno && test -z "$TIFF_LIBS"; then
-  AC_MSG_ERROR([
-*** Checks for TIFF library failed. You can build without it by passing
-*** --without-libtiff to configure but you won't be able to use TIFFs then.])
+if test -z "$TIFF_LIBS"; then
+  AC_MSG_ERROR([Checks for TIFF library failed])
 fi
 
-if test "x$have_libtiff" = xyes; then
-  MIME_TYPES="$MIME_TYPES;image/tiff"
-fi
+MIME_TYPES="$MIME_TYPES;image/tiff"
 
-AC_SUBST(FILE_TIFF_LOAD)
-AC_SUBST(FILE_TIFF_SAVE)
 AC_SUBST(TIFF_LIBS)
 
 
@@ -2306,6 +2298,7 @@ plug-ins/file-ico/Makefile
 plug-ins/file-jpeg/Makefile
 plug-ins/file-psd/Makefile
 plug-ins/file-sgi/Makefile
+plug-ins/file-tiff/Makefile
 plug-ins/flame/Makefile
 plug-ins/fractal-explorer/Makefile
 plug-ins/fractal-explorer/examples/Makefile
@@ -2462,7 +2455,6 @@ Optional Plug-Ins:
   Python 2:            $enable_python
   Script-Fu:           $have_script_fu
   SVG:                 $have_librsvg
-  TIFF:                $have_libtiff
   TWAIN (MacOS X):     $mac_twain_ok
   TWAIN (Win32):       $os_win32
   Webpage:             $have_webkit
diff --git a/plug-ins/Makefile.am b/plug-ins/Makefile.am
index ab304d0c7e..cb7ff14a6d 100644
--- a/plug-ins/Makefile.am
+++ b/plug-ins/Makefile.am
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ SUBDIRS = \
 	file-jpeg		\
 	file-psd		\
 	file-sgi		\
+	file-tiff		\
 	flame			\
 	fractal-explorer	\
 	gfig			\
diff --git a/plug-ins/common/.gitignore b/plug-ins/common/.gitignore
index f661e5c80d..61c986d1cb 100644
--- a/plug-ins/common/.gitignore
+++ b/plug-ins/common/.gitignore
@@ -110,10 +110,6 @@
 /file-svg.exe
 /file-tga
 /file-tga.exe
-/file-tiff-load
-/file-tiff-load.exe
-/file-tiff-save
-/file-tiff-save.exe
 /file-wmf
 /file-wmf.exe
 /file-xbm
diff --git a/plug-ins/common/Makefile.am b/plug-ins/common/Makefile.am
index 899a817e64..f419a3ed38 100644
--- a/plug-ins/common/Makefile.am
+++ b/plug-ins/common/Makefile.am
@@ -98,8 +98,6 @@ libexec_PROGRAMS = \
 	file-sunras \
 	$(FILE_SVG) \
 	file-tga \
-	$(FILE_TIFF_LOAD) \
-	$(FILE_TIFF_SAVE) \
 	$(FILE_WMF) \
 	file-xbm \
 	$(FILE_XMC) \
@@ -148,8 +146,6 @@ EXTRA_PROGRAMS = \
 	file-pdf-save \
 	file-ps \
 	file-svg \
-	file-tiff-load \
-	file-tiff-save \
 	file-wmf \
 	file-xmc \
 	file-xpm \
@@ -1126,44 +1122,6 @@ file_tga_LDADD = \
 	$(INTLLIBS)		\
 	$(file_tga_RC)
 
-file_tiff_load_SOURCES = \
-	file-tiff-load.c
-
-file_tiff_load_LDADD = \
-	$(libgimpui)		\
-	$(libgimpwidgets)	\
-	$(libgimpmodule)	\
-	$(libgimp)		\
-	$(libgimpmath)		\
-	$(libgimpconfig)	\
-	$(libgimpcolor)		\
-	$(libgimpbase)		\
-	$(GTK_LIBS)		\
-	$(GEGL_LIBS)		\
-	$(TIFF_LIBS)		\
-	$(RT_LIBS)		\
-	$(INTLLIBS)		\
-	$(file_tiff_load_RC)
-
-file_tiff_save_SOURCES = \
-	file-tiff-save.c
-
-file_tiff_save_LDADD = \
-	$(libgimpui)		\
-	$(libgimpwidgets)	\
-	$(libgimpmodule)	\
-	$(libgimp)		\
-	$(libgimpmath)		\
-	$(libgimpconfig)	\
-	$(libgimpcolor)		\
-	$(libgimpbase)		\
-	$(GTK_LIBS)		\
-	$(GEGL_LIBS)		\
-	$(TIFF_LIBS)		\
-	$(RT_LIBS)		\
-	$(INTLLIBS)		\
-	$(file_tiff_save_RC)
-
 file_wmf_CFLAGS = $(WMF_CFLAGS)
 
 file_wmf_SOURCES = \
diff --git a/plug-ins/common/gimprc.common b/plug-ins/common/gimprc.common
index 10456424ae..0ff328dbe8 100644
--- a/plug-ins/common/gimprc.common
+++ b/plug-ins/common/gimprc.common
@@ -52,8 +52,6 @@ file_raw_data_RC = file-raw-data.rc.o
 file_sunras_RC = file-sunras.rc.o
 file_svg_RC = file-svg.rc.o
 file_tga_RC = file-tga.rc.o
-file_tiff_load_RC = file-tiff-load.rc.o
-file_tiff_save_RC = file-tiff-save.rc.o
 file_wmf_RC = file-wmf.rc.o
 file_xbm_RC = file-xbm.rc.o
 file_xmc_RC = file-xmc.rc.o
diff --git a/plug-ins/common/plugin-defs.pl b/plug-ins/common/plugin-defs.pl
index a4020650dd..f18418c80e 100644
--- a/plug-ins/common/plugin-defs.pl
+++ b/plug-ins/common/plugin-defs.pl
@@ -53,8 +53,6 @@
     'file-sunras' => { ui => 1, gegl => 1 },
     'file-svg' => { ui => 1, optional => 1, libs => 'SVG_LIBS', cflags => 'SVG_CFLAGS' },
     'file-tga' => { ui => 1, gegl => 1 },
-    'file-tiff-load' => { ui => 1, gegl => 1, optional => 1, libs => 'TIFF_LIBS' },
-    'file-tiff-save' => { ui => 1, gegl => 1, optional => 1, libs => 'TIFF_LIBS' },
     'file-wmf' => { ui => 1, gegl => 1, optional => 1, libs => 'WMF_LIBS', cflags => 'WMF_CFLAGS' },
     'file-xbm' => { ui => 1, gegl => 1 },
     'file-xmc' => { ui => 1, gegl => 1, optional => 1, libs => 'XMC_LIBS' },
diff --git a/plug-ins/file-tiff/.gitignore b/plug-ins/file-tiff/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5936c50c65
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plug-ins/file-tiff/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+/Makefile.in
+/Makefile
+/.deps
+/_libs
+/.libs
+/file-tiff-load
+/file-tiff-load.exe
+/file-tiff-save
+/file-tiff-save.exe
diff --git a/plug-ins/file-tiff/Makefile.am b/plug-ins/file-tiff/Makefile.am
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0fa9dd1994
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plug-ins/file-tiff/Makefile.am
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+## Process this file with automake to produce Makefile.in
+
+libgimpui = $(top_builddir)/libgimp/libgimpui-$(GIMP_API_VERSION).la
+libgimpconfig = $(top_builddir)/libgimpconfig/libgimpconfig-$(GIMP_API_VERSION).la
+libgimpwidgets = $(top_builddir)/libgimpwidgets/libgimpwidgets-$(GIMP_API_VERSION).la
+libgimp = $(top_builddir)/libgimp/libgimp-$(GIMP_API_VERSION).la
+libgimpcolor = $(top_builddir)/libgimpcolor/libgimpcolor-$(GIMP_API_VERSION).la
+libgimpbase = $(top_builddir)/libgimpbase/libgimpbase-$(GIMP_API_VERSION).la
+libgimpmath = $(top_builddir)/libgimpmath/libgimpmath-$(GIMP_API_VERSION).la
+
+if OS_WIN32
+mwindows = -mwindows
+endif
+
+if HAVE_WINDRES
+include $(top_srcdir)/build/windows/gimprc-plug-ins.rule
+file_tiff_load_RC = file-tiff-load.rc.o
+file_tiff_save_RC = file-tiff-save.rc.o
+endif
+
+AM_LDFLAGS = $(mwindows)
+
+libexecdir = $(gimpplugindir)/plug-ins
+
+AM_CPPFLAGS = \
+	-I$(top_srcdir)		\
+	$(GTK_CFLAGS)		\
+	$(EXIF_CFLAGS)		\
+	$(LCMS_CFLAGS)		\
+	$(GEGL_CFLAGS)		\
+	$(GEXIV2_CFLAGS)	\
+	-I$(includedir)
+
+libexec_PROGRAMS = file-tiff-load file-tiff-save
+
+file_tiff_load_SOURCES = \
+	file-tiff-load.c
+
+file_tiff_save_SOURCES = \
+	file-tiff-save.c
+
+ldadd = \
+	$(libgimpui)		\
+	$(libgimpwidgets)	\
+	$(libgimpconfig)	\
+	$(libgimp)		\
+	$(libgimpcolor)		\
+	$(libgimpmath)		\
+	$(libgimpbase)		\
+	$(TIFF_LIBS)		\
+	$(GTK_LIBS)		\
+	$(GEGL_LIBS)		\
+	$(RT_LIBS)		\
+	$(INTLLIBS)
+
+file_tiff_load_LDADD = \
+	$(ldadd)		\
+	$(file_tiff_load_RC)
+
+file_tiff_save_LDADD = \
+	$(ldadd)		\
+	$(file_tiff_load_RC)
diff --git a/plug-ins/common/file-tiff-load.c b/plug-ins/file-tiff/file-tiff-load.c
similarity index 100%
rename from plug-ins/common/file-tiff-load.c
rename to plug-ins/file-tiff/file-tiff-load.c
diff --git a/plug-ins/common/file-tiff-save.c b/plug-ins/file-tiff/file-tiff-save.c
similarity index 100%
rename from plug-ins/common/file-tiff-save.c
rename to plug-ins/file-tiff/file-tiff-save.c
diff --git a/po-plug-ins/POTFILES.in b/po-plug-ins/POTFILES.in
index 27c70eb48d..081a81c884 100644
--- a/po-plug-ins/POTFILES.in
+++ b/po-plug-ins/POTFILES.in
@@ -57,8 +57,6 @@ plug-ins/common/file-raw-data.c
 plug-ins/common/file-sunras.c
 plug-ins/common/file-svg.c
 plug-ins/common/file-tga.c
-plug-ins/common/file-tiff-load.c
-plug-ins/common/file-tiff-save.c
 plug-ins/common/file-wmf.c
 plug-ins/common/file-xbm.c
 plug-ins/common/file-xmc.c
@@ -119,6 +117,8 @@ plug-ins/file-psd/psd-thumb-load.c
 plug-ins/file-psd/psd-util.c
 plug-ins/file-psd/psd.c
 plug-ins/file-sgi/sgi.c
+plug-ins/file-tiff/file-tiff-load.c
+plug-ins/file-tiff/file-tiff-save.c
 plug-ins/flame/flame.c
 plug-ins/fractal-explorer/fractal-explorer-dialogs.c
 plug-ins/fractal-explorer/fractal-explorer.c