diff --git a/src/extensions/example-extension/example-extension.ts b/src/extensions/example-extension/example-extension.ts
index f76533813a..e9ddd2c27f 100644
--- a/src/extensions/example-extension/example-extension.ts
+++ b/src/extensions/example-extension/example-extension.ts
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
-import { LensExtension, LensRendererRuntimeEnv } from "@lens/extensions"; // fixme: map to generated types from "extension-api.d.ts"
+import { LensExtension } from "@lens/extensions"; // fixme: map to generated types from "extension-api.d.ts"
 
 export default class ExampleExtension extends LensExtension {
-  async activate(runtime: LensRendererRuntimeEnv): Promise<any> {
-    await super.activate(runtime);
-    console.log('Example extension: activate');
+  async activate(): Promise<any> {
+    await super.activate();
+    console.warn('EXAMPLE EXTENSION: ACTIVATE'.padStart(10, "-"));
   }
 
   async deactivate(): Promise<any> {
-    console.log('Example extension: deactivate')
+    console.warn('EXAMPLE EXTENSION: DEACTIVATE'.padStart(10, "-"))
     await super.deactivate();
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/extensions/extension-api.ts b/src/extensions/extension-api.ts
index 1e2a5ab8c2..6271a974ba 100644
--- a/src/extensions/extension-api.ts
+++ b/src/extensions/extension-api.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 // Lens-extensions api developer's kit
 
 export type { LensRendererRuntimeEnv } from "./extension-api.runtime";
+
 export * from "./extension"
diff --git a/src/extensions/extension-store.ts b/src/extensions/extension-store.ts
index 81eea358ee..8f561b7a89 100644
--- a/src/extensions/extension-store.ts
+++ b/src/extensions/extension-store.ts
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ export interface InstalledExtension<T extends ExtensionModel = any> {
   manifest: ExtensionManifest;
   extensionModule: {
     [name: string]: any;
-    default: new (model: T, manifest?: ExtensionManifest) => LensExtension
+    default: new (model: ExtensionModel, manifest?: ExtensionManifest) => LensExtension
   }
 }
 
@@ -75,6 +75,13 @@ export class ExtensionStore extends BaseStore<ExtensionStoreModel> {
   async loadInstalledExtensions() {
     const extensions = await this.loadExtensions(this.folderPath);
     this.installed.replace(extensions.map(ext => [ext.manifestPath, ext]));
+
+    // todo: remove
+    extensions.forEach(({ extensionModule, manifest }) => {
+      const LensExtension = extensionModule.default;
+      const instance = new LensExtension({ ...manifest }, manifest);
+      instance.activate();
+    })
   }
 
   async loadExtensions(folderPath: string): Promise<InstalledExtension[]> {
diff --git a/src/extensions/extension.ts b/src/extensions/extension.ts
index b008528bf0..bc9b3d4aab 100644
--- a/src/extensions/extension.ts
+++ b/src/extensions/extension.ts
@@ -38,14 +38,12 @@ export class LensExtension implements ExtensionModel {
     }
   }
 
-  async activate(params: LensRendererRuntimeEnv) {
+  async activate() {
     logger.info(`[EXTENSION]: activate ${this.name}@${this.version}`, this.getMeta());
-    this.runtime = params;
   }
 
   async deactivate() {
     logger.info(`[EXTENSION]: deactivate ${this.name}@${this.version}`, this.getMeta());
-    this.runtime = null;
   }
 
   async enable() {