diff -r 0f439c53f704 wp-activate.php
--- a/wp-activate.php	Sat Jun 02 16:57:10 2012 +0000
+++ b/wp-activate.php	Mon Jun 04 11:04:13 2012 +0000
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 <?php
 define( 'WP_INSTALLING', true );
+// defined to let enable plugin loading ( so plugin hooks and widgets can work.. )
+define( 'WP_USER_ACTIVATION', true );
+
 
 /** Sets up the WordPress Environment. */
 require( dirname(__FILE__) . '/wp-load.php' );
diff -r 0f439c53f704 wp-includes/load.php
--- a/wp-includes/load.php	Sat Jun 02 16:57:10 2012 +0000
+++ b/wp-includes/load.php	Mon Jun 04 11:04:13 2012 +0000
@@ -485,8 +485,8 @@
 		_deprecated_file( 'my-hacks.php', '1.5' );
 		array_unshift( $plugins, ABSPATH . 'my-hacks.php' );
 	}
-
-	if ( empty( $active_plugins ) || defined( 'WP_INSTALLING' ) )
+	// if user activation, should continue loading plugins.
+	if ( empty( $active_plugins ) || ( defined( 'WP_INSTALLING' ) && !defined('WP_USER_ACTIVATION') )  )
 		return $plugins;
 
 	$network_plugins = is_multisite() ? wp_get_active_network_plugins() : false;