Plastids play a central role in a variety of biosynthetic activities such as photosynthesis, amino acid synthesis, and oil production. Many of these activities depend on the compartmentʼs ability to adapt appropriately to the ever-changing environment of a plant cell. The pressure to adapt can arise from both internal and external sources. The complex nature of these adaptation activities is likely to be mirrored in the diversity of proteins being transported in a given situation. This diversity can be manifested at all molecular levels of the proteins, from different transit signal-bearing preproteins to different structural versions of the same preprotein. Unanticipated changes can also arise spontaneously upon exposing the population of translocating proteins to environmental stress, for example heat or cold. It is therefore important for plastids to maintain a responsive and efficient protein transport process to accommodate all situations, immediately or for the longer-term. By drawing on existing evidence, this review explores specific structural features or schemes for adapting the plastid protein delivery process and speculates on other adaptation possibilities for future consideration.