diff --git a/artifacts/audits/phase1-architecture/capability-reconciliation.json b/artifacts/audits/phase1-architecture/capability-reconciliation.json
index 83fde25..cd4eec9 100644
--- a/artifacts/audits/phase1-architecture/capability-reconciliation.json
+++ b/artifacts/audits/phase1-architecture/capability-reconciliation.json
@@ -530,7 +530,7 @@
         "post_switch_verifier": [
           "python3",
           "-c",
-          "import json; from pathlib import Path; m=json.loads(Path('runtime-manifest.json').read_text()); assert len(m['command_adapters']) == 12; assert all(Path(x['path']).is_file() for x in m['command_adapters']); assert all((Path('skills') / x['alias'] / 'SKILL.md').is_file() for x in m['command_aliases'])"
+          "import json; from pathlib import Path; m=json.loads(Path('runtime-manifest.json').read_text()); assert len(m['command_adapters']) == 12; assert all(Path(x['path']).is_file() for x in m['command_adapters']); assert all((Path('skills') / x['alias'] / 'SKILL.md').is_file() for x in m['command_aliases']); p=json.loads(Path('.claude-plugin/plugin.json').read_text()); assert p['name'] == 'stack' and p['version'].endswith(m['source_commit'][:12])"
         ],
         "runtime": "claude"
       },
diff --git a/config/runtime-targets.json b/config/runtime-targets.json
index 1c8f9f3..ccd413d 100644
--- a/config/runtime-targets.json
+++ b/config/runtime-targets.json
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
       "name": "claude",
       "runtime": "claude",
       "destination": ".claude/skills/stack",
-      "post_switch_verifier": ["python3", "-c", "import json; from pathlib import Path; m=json.loads(Path('runtime-manifest.json').read_text()); assert len(m['command_adapters']) == 12; assert all(Path(x['path']).is_file() for x in m['command_adapters']); assert all((Path('skills') / x['alias'] / 'SKILL.md').is_file() for x in m['command_aliases'])"]
+      "post_switch_verifier": ["python3", "-c", "import json; from pathlib import Path; m=json.loads(Path('runtime-manifest.json').read_text()); assert len(m['command_adapters']) == 12; assert all(Path(x['path']).is_file() for x in m['command_adapters']); assert all((Path('skills') / x['alias'] / 'SKILL.md').is_file() for x in m['command_aliases']); p=json.loads(Path('.claude-plugin/plugin.json').read_text()); assert p['name'] == 'stack' and p['version'].endswith(m['source_commit'][:12])"]
     },
     {
       "name": "codex",
diff --git a/docs/runtime-publication.md b/docs/runtime-publication.md
index f6813a0..ab7ee59 100644
--- a/docs/runtime-publication.md
+++ b/docs/runtime-publication.md
@@ -42,6 +42,14 @@ The live target contract is strict Claude/Codex parity:
 - Claude: `$HOME/.claude/skills/stack`
 - Codex: `$HOME/.codex/skills/stack`
 
+Claude Code discovers skills only one level under `~/.claude/skills/`, so the
+compiler also writes `.claude-plugin/plugin.json` into the Claude target. That
+makes the directory a skills-dir plugin: Claude Code loads it in place, through
+the installer's symlink, as `stack@skills-dir`, and exposes each staged skill,
+command, and agent as `stack:<name>`. Its version is `1.0.0+<source commit>`,
+and the Claude post-switch verifier checks it. No raw skill root, marketplace,
+or plugin store is written; `claude plugin list` shows the loaded state.
+
 From a clean checkout, the durable fresh-machine path is:
 
 ```sh
diff --git a/scripts/compile-runtime.py b/scripts/compile-runtime.py
index 437c592..a457691 100644
--- a/scripts/compile-runtime.py
+++ b/scripts/compile-runtime.py
@@ -599,6 +599,25 @@ def compile_private_overlays(overlay_path: Path, targets: list[dict[str, Any]],
             raise RuntimeError(f"private overlay validation failed for {target['name']}: {error}") from error
 
 
+def write_claude_plugin_manifest(stage: Path, commit: str) -> None:
+    """Make the Claude target a skills-dir plugin.
+
+    Claude Code discovers only ``~/.claude/skills/<name>/SKILL.md`` one level
+    deep, so the nested ``skills/<name>/`` tree is invisible on its own. A
+    plugin manifest at the target root makes Claude Code load the directory
+    in place as ``stack@skills-dir``, exposing every skill, command, and agent
+    as ``stack:<name>`` without touching any raw skill root or plugin store.
+    """
+    manifest = {
+        "name": "stack",
+        "version": f"1.0.0+{commit[:12]}",
+        "description": "Stack: curated design-and-build skills, commands, and agents compiled from thecolormaroun/stack.",
+    }
+    plugin_dir = stage / ".claude-plugin"
+    plugin_dir.mkdir()
+    (plugin_dir / "plugin.json").write_text(canonical_json(manifest), encoding="utf-8")
+
+
 def compile_runtimes(root: Path, catalog_path: Path, targets_path: Path, staging_root: Path, *, source_commit: str | None = None, private_overlay: Path | None = None, private_output_root: Path | None = None, package_cache: Path | None = None) -> dict[str, Path]:
     root = root.resolve()
     catalog_path = catalog_path.resolve()
@@ -709,6 +728,8 @@ def compile_runtimes(root: Path, catalog_path: Path, targets_path: Path, staging
             copy_shared_tree(verification_artifacts, destination, mapping, label="private-overlay verification input")
         rewrite_relative_links(stage, mapping)
         validate_staged_links(stage)
+        if target["runtime"] == "claude":
+            write_claude_plugin_manifest(stage, commit)
         aliases = [
             {"alias": alias, "canonical_target": entry["canonical_name"]}
             for entry in included
diff --git a/tests/test_compile_runtime.py b/tests/test_compile_runtime.py
index 71a44db..b2b9872 100644
--- a/tests/test_compile_runtime.py
+++ b/tests/test_compile_runtime.py
@@ -78,6 +78,33 @@ def test_active_entries_compile_deterministically_and_record_exclusions(self) ->
             self.assertEqual((first["codex"] / "runtime-manifest.json").read_bytes(), (second["codex"] / "runtime-manifest.json").read_bytes())
             self.assertEqual((first["codex"] / "stage-attestation.json").read_bytes(), (second["codex"] / "stage-attestation.json").read_bytes())
 
+    def test_claude_target_is_a_skills_dir_plugin_and_codex_is_not(self) -> None:
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as temporary:
+            root = Path(temporary)
+            self.write_skill(root, "active")
+            entry = capability("active", supported=["claude", "codex"])
+            entry["runtimes"] = {"supported": ["claude", "codex"], "publish_targets": ["claude", "codex"]}
+            self.write_catalog(root, [entry])
+            targets = root / "targets.json"
+            targets.write_text(json.dumps({
+                "schema_version": 1,
+                "catalog_digest": COMPILER.digest_file(root / "registry/capabilities.json"),
+                "targets": [
+                    {"name": "claude", "runtime": "claude", "destination": "installed/claude"},
+                    {"name": "codex", "runtime": "codex", "destination": "installed/codex"},
+                ],
+            }), encoding="utf-8")
+            stages = COMPILER.compile_runtimes(root, root / "registry/capabilities.json", targets, root / "runtime", source_commit="abc123def4567890")
+
+            plugin = json.loads((stages["claude"] / ".claude-plugin/plugin.json").read_text())
+            self.assertEqual(plugin["name"], "stack")
+            self.assertEqual(plugin["version"], "1.0.0+abc123def456")
+            self.assertTrue((stages["claude"] / "skills/active/SKILL.md").is_file())
+            self.assertFalse((stages["codex"] / ".claude-plugin").exists())
+            # The manifest is part of the attested public tree, not a post-hoc addition.
+            attestation = json.loads((stages["claude"] / "stage-attestation.json").read_text())
+            self.assertEqual(attestation["staged_tree_digest"], COMPILER.staged_tree_digest(stages["claude"]))
+
     def test_active_compatibility_alias_compiles_from_canonical_source(self) -> None:
         with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as temporary:
             root = Path(temporary)