diff --git a/dist/plugins-cfg/plugins.def.cfg b/dist/plugins-cfg/plugins.def.cfg
index 5268424f17..a194abac0c 100644
--- a/dist/plugins-cfg/plugins.def.cfg
+++ b/dist/plugins-cfg/plugins.def.cfg
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ arch.v850
 arch.vax
 arch.ws
 anal.x86_cs
-anal.xcore_cs
+arch.xcore_cs
 arch.xtensa
 arch.z80
 arch.amd29k
diff --git a/dist/plugins-cfg/plugins.mingw.cfg b/dist/plugins-cfg/plugins.mingw.cfg
index cbbd17566f..4bcddc67f6 100644
--- a/dist/plugins-cfg/plugins.mingw.cfg
+++ b/dist/plugins-cfg/plugins.mingw.cfg
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ arch.ws
 arch.xap
 anal.x86_cs
 arch.m68k_gnu
-anal.xcore_cs
+arch.xcore_cs
 arch.z80
 arch.v810
 arch.vax
diff --git a/dist/plugins-cfg/plugins.nogpl.cfg b/dist/plugins-cfg/plugins.nogpl.cfg
index 0b9a4ff5d9..adf8055d41 100644
--- a/dist/plugins-cfg/plugins.nogpl.cfg
+++ b/dist/plugins-cfg/plugins.nogpl.cfg
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ anal.tms320
 arch.v850
 arch.ws
 anal.x86_cs
-anal.xcore_cs
+arch.xcore_cs
 arch.null
 arch.i4004
 esil.dummy
diff --git a/dist/plugins-cfg/plugins.static.cfg b/dist/plugins-cfg/plugins.static.cfg
index 228a9fa380..273c5556fd 100644
--- a/dist/plugins-cfg/plugins.static.cfg
+++ b/dist/plugins-cfg/plugins.static.cfg
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ arch.lanai
 arch.ws
 arch.xap
 anal.x86_cs
-anal.xcore_cs
+arch.xcore_cs
 arch.z80
 arch.vax
 arch.6502
diff --git a/dist/plugins-cfg/plugins.static.nogpl.cfg b/dist/plugins-cfg/plugins.static.nogpl.cfg
index 95fb384e44..7f038d6a4e 100644
--- a/dist/plugins-cfg/plugins.static.nogpl.cfg
+++ b/dist/plugins-cfg/plugins.static.nogpl.cfg
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ arch.s390_cs
 arch.ws
 arch.xap
 anal.x86_cs
-anal.xcore_cs
+arch.xcore_cs
 arch.lh5801
 arch.6502
 arch.snes
diff --git a/dist/plugins-cfg/plugins.termux.cfg b/dist/plugins-cfg/plugins.termux.cfg
index 4f4dcfc9ec..8425c98893 100644
--- a/dist/plugins-cfg/plugins.termux.cfg
+++ b/dist/plugins-cfg/plugins.termux.cfg
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ anal.sparc_cs
 arch.sparc_gnu
 arch.v850
 anal.x86_cs
-anal.xcore_cs
+arch.xcore_cs
 arch.z80
 arch.mcore
 arch.vax
diff --git a/libr/anal/meson.build b/libr/anal/meson.build
index fc62b42180..d3c6b0a9f0 100644
--- a/libr/anal/meson.build
+++ b/libr/anal/meson.build
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ r_anal_sources = [
   'p/anal_tms320.c',
   # join_paths('arch/whitespace/wsdis.c'),
   'p/anal_x86_cs.c',
-  'p/anal_xcore_cs.c',
+  '../arch/p/xcore_cs/plugin.c',
   #join_paths('arch','gb','meta_gb_cmt.c'),
   '../arch/p/msp430/plugin.c',
   '../arch/p/msp430/msp430_disas.c',
diff --git a/libr/anal/p/xcore_cs.mk b/libr/anal/p/xcore_cs.mk
deleted file mode 100644
index 11b53ede2c..0000000000
--- a/libr/anal/p/xcore_cs.mk
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-OBJ_XCORE_CS=anal_xcore_cs.o
-
-include p/capstone.mk
-
-STATIC_OBJ+=${OBJ_XCORE_CS}
-TARGET_XCORE_CS=anal_xcore_cs.${EXT_SO}
-
-ALL_TARGETS+=${TARGET_XCORE_CS}
-
-${TARGET_XCORE_CS}: ${OBJ_XCORE_CS}
-	${CC} ${CFLAGS} $(call libname,anal_xcore_cs) $(CS_CFLAGS) \
-		-o anal_xcore_cs.${EXT_SO} ${OBJ_XCORE_CS} $(CS_LDFLAGS)
diff --git a/libr/arch/meson.build b/libr/arch/meson.build
index 9d1cec48f5..87fb627234 100644
--- a/libr/arch/meson.build
+++ b/libr/arch/meson.build
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ r_arch_sources = [
   'p/msp430/msp430_disas.c',
   'p/h8300/plugin.c',
   'p/h8300/h8300_disas.c',
+  'p/xcore_cs/plugin.c',
   # python
   'p/pyc/plugin.c',
   'p/pyc/opcode_all.c',
diff --git a/libr/arch/p/xcore_cs.mk b/libr/arch/p/xcore_cs.mk
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7ed7da5723
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libr/arch/p/xcore_cs.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+OBJ_XCORE_CS=p/xcore_cs/plugin.o
+
+include p/capstone.mk
+
+STATIC_OBJ+=${OBJ_XCORE_CS}
+TARGET_XCORE_CS=xcore_cs.${EXT_SO}
+
+ALL_TARGETS+=${TARGET_XCORE_CS}
+
+${TARGET_XCORE_CS}: ${OBJ_XCORE_CS}
+	${CC} ${CFLAGS} $(call libname,xcore_cs) $(CS_CFLAGS) \
+		-o xcore_cs.${EXT_SO} ${OBJ_XCORE_CS} $(CS_LDFLAGS)
diff --git a/libr/anal/p/anal_xcore_cs.c b/libr/arch/p/xcore_cs/plugin.c
similarity index 63%
rename from libr/anal/p/anal_xcore_cs.c
rename to libr/arch/p/xcore_cs/plugin.c
index 089472c5bb..bc748a9320 100644
--- a/libr/anal/p/anal_xcore_cs.c
+++ b/libr/arch/p/xcore_cs/plugin.c
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@
 #define CSINC XCORE
 #define CSINC_MODE \
 	CS_MODE_BIG_ENDIAN \
-	| (a->config->cpu != NULL && ((!strcmp (a->config->cpu, "v9"))) ? CS_MODE_V9 : 0)
-#include "capstone.inc"
+	| (as->config->cpu != NULL && ((!strcmp (as->config->cpu, "v9"))) ? CS_MODE_V9 : 0)
+#include "../capstone.inc"
 
 static void opex(RStrBuf *buf, csh handle, cs_insn *insn) {
 	int i;
@@ -59,10 +59,20 @@ static void opex(RStrBuf *buf, csh handle, cs_insn *insn) {
 	pj_free (pj);
 }
 
-static int analop(RAnal *a, RAnalOp *op, ut64 addr, const ut8 *buf, int len, RAnalOpMask mask) {
-	csh handle = init_capstone (a);
+static csh cs_handle_for_session(RArchSession *as) {
+	r_return_val_if_fail (as && as->data, 0);
+	CapstonePluginData *pd = as->data;
+	return pd->cs_handle;
+}
+
+static bool decode(RArchSession *as, RAnalOp *op, RAnalOpMask mask) {
+	const ut64 addr = op->addr;
+	const ut8 *buf = op->bytes;
+	const int len = op->size;
+
+	csh handle = cs_handle_for_session (as);
 	if (handle == 0) {
-		return -1;
+		return false;
 	}
 
 	cs_insn *insn;
@@ -117,25 +127,60 @@ static int analop(RAnal *a, RAnalOp *op, ut64 addr, const ut8 *buf, int len, RAn
 		}
 		cs_free (insn, n);
 	}
-	return op->size;
+	return op->size > 0;
 }
 
-RAnalPlugin r_anal_plugin_xcore_cs = {
+static int archinfo(RArchSession *as, ut32 q) {
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static char *mnemonics(RArchSession *as, int id, bool json) {
+	CapstonePluginData *cpd = as->data;
+	return r_arch_cs_mnemonics (as, cpd->cs_handle, id, json);
+}
+
+static bool init(RArchSession *as) {
+	r_return_val_if_fail (as, false);
+	if (as->data) {
+		R_LOG_WARN ("Already initialized");
+		return false;
+	}
+	as->data = R_NEW0 (CapstonePluginData);
+	CapstonePluginData *cpd = (CapstonePluginData*)as->data;
+	if (!r_arch_cs_init (as, &cpd->cs_handle)) {
+		R_LOG_ERROR ("Cannot initialize capstone");
+		R_FREE (as->data);
+		return false;
+	}
+	return true;
+}
+
+static bool fini(RArchSession *as) {
+	r_return_val_if_fail (as, false);
+	CapstonePluginData *cpd = as->data;
+	cs_close (&cpd->cs_handle);
+	R_FREE (as->data);
+	return true;
+}
+
+RArchPlugin r_arch_plugin_xcore_cs = {
 	.name = "xcore",
 	.desc = "Capstone XCORE analysis",
 	.license = "BSD",
-	.esil = false,
 	.arch = "xcore",
-	.bits = 32,
-	.op = &analop,
-	//.set_reg_profile = &set_reg_profile,
-	.mnemonics = cs_mnemonics,
+	.bits = R_SYS_BITS_PACK1 (32),
+	.decode = decode,
+	.info = archinfo,
+	//.regs = regs,
+	.mnemonics = mnemonics,
+	.init = init,
+	.fini = fini,
 };
 
 #ifndef R2_PLUGIN_INCORE
 R_API RLibStruct radare_plugin = {
-	.type = R_LIB_TYPE_ANAL,
-	.data = &r_anal_plugin_xcore_cs,
+	.type = R_LIB_TYPE_ARCH,
+	.data = &r_arch_plugin_xcore_cs,
 	.version = R2_VERSION
 };
 #endif
diff --git a/libr/include/r_anal.h b/libr/include/r_anal.h
index 933e7e23c3..13c58bb4e5 100644
--- a/libr/include/r_anal.h
+++ b/libr/include/r_anal.h
@@ -1584,7 +1584,6 @@ extern RAnalPlugin r_anal_plugin_x86_cs;
 extern RAnalPlugin r_anal_plugin_x86_im;
 extern RAnalPlugin r_anal_plugin_x86_simple;
 extern RAnalPlugin r_anal_plugin_x86_udis;
-extern RAnalPlugin r_anal_plugin_xcore_cs;
 extern RAnalPlugin r_anal_plugin_pickle;
 extern RAnalPlugin r_anal_plugin_evm_cs;
 
diff --git a/libr/include/r_arch.h b/libr/include/r_arch.h
index 26c7b66938..9939d8cc4b 100644
--- a/libr/include/r_arch.h
+++ b/libr/include/r_arch.h
@@ -340,6 +340,7 @@ extern RArchPlugin r_arch_plugin_ppc_gnu;
 extern RArchPlugin r_arch_plugin_loongarch_gnu;
 extern RArchPlugin r_arch_plugin_6502_cs;
 extern RArchPlugin r_arch_plugin_m680x_cs;
+extern RArchPlugin r_arch_plugin_xcore_cs;
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
diff --git a/libr/meson.build b/libr/meson.build
index 9abd96ad6e..78093a9ba4 100644
--- a/libr/meson.build
+++ b/libr/meson.build
@@ -169,7 +169,6 @@ anal_plugins += [
   'sparc_cs',
   'tms320',
   'x86_cs',
-  'xcore_cs'
 ]
 
 arch_plugins += [
@@ -178,6 +177,7 @@ arch_plugins += [
   's390_cs',
   'm68k_cs',
   'm680x_cs',
+  'xcore_cs'
 ]
 
 if no_user_plugins