diff --git a/internal/skill/catalog.go b/internal/skill/catalog.go
index 501503a..d84474a 100644
--- a/internal/skill/catalog.go
+++ b/internal/skill/catalog.go
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ func parseMarketplaceManifest(dir string) (*Catalog, error) {
 		}
 		if len(plugin.Skills) == 0 {
 			pluginCatalog, err := parsePluginManifest(filepath.Join(dir, sourceDir))
-			if err == nil {
+			if err == nil && len(pluginCatalog.Skills) > 0 {
 				for _, entry := range pluginCatalog.Skills {
 					entry.Path = filepath.Join(sourceDir, entry.Path)
 					if !seen[entry.Path] {
@@ -139,6 +139,16 @@ func parseMarketplaceManifest(dir string) (*Catalog, error) {
 						catalog.Skills = append(catalog.Skills, entry)
 					}
 				}
+				continue
+			}
+
+			// A plugin rooted at a skill directory: Claude Code loads the
+			// SKILL.md at the plugin root as the plugin's skill.
+			skillPath := filepath.Clean(sourceDir)
+			info, err := os.Stat(filepath.Join(dir, skillPath, "SKILL.md"))
+			if skillPath != "." && err == nil && info.Mode().IsRegular() && !seen[skillPath] {
+				seen[skillPath] = true
+				catalog.Skills = append(catalog.Skills, entryFromSkillDir(dir, skillPath))
 			}
 			continue
 		}
diff --git a/internal/skill/catalog_test.go b/internal/skill/catalog_test.go
index a0d3f17..533f53f 100644
--- a/internal/skill/catalog_test.go
+++ b/internal/skill/catalog_test.go
@@ -115,6 +115,33 @@ func TestReadCatalogFromMarketplaceSkipsRemoteSources(t *testing.T) {
 	}, catalog.Skills)
 }
 
+func TestReadCatalogFromMarketplaceSkillRootedPlugins(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	writeFile(t, filepath.Join(dir, ".claude-plugin", "marketplace.json"), `{
+  "plugins": [
+    {"name": "alpha", "source": "./skills/alpha"},
+    {"name": "beta", "source": "./skills/cli/beta/"},
+    {"name": "no-skill", "source": "./skills/no-skill"},
+    {"name": "duplicate", "source": "./skills/alpha"}
+  ]
+}`)
+	writeFile(t, filepath.Join(dir, "skills", "alpha", ".claude-plugin", "plugin.json"),
+		`{"name": "alpha", "description": "Alpha plugin", "version": "1.0.0"}`)
+	writeFile(t, filepath.Join(dir, "skills", "alpha", "SKILL.md"), "---\nname: alpha\ndescription: Alpha\n---\n# Alpha")
+	writeFile(t, filepath.Join(dir, "skills", "cli", "beta", "SKILL.md"), "---\nname: beta\n---\n# Beta")
+	writeFile(t, filepath.Join(dir, "skills", "no-skill", "README.md"), "not a skill")
+	writeFile(t, filepath.Join(dir, "skills", "unlisted", "SKILL.md"), "# Unlisted")
+
+	catalog, err := ReadCatalog(dir)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, []Entry{
+		{Name: "alpha", Description: "Alpha", Path: filepath.Join("skills", "alpha")},
+		{Name: "beta", Path: filepath.Join("skills", "cli", "beta")},
+	}, catalog.Skills)
+}
+
 func TestReadCatalogPluginJSONFallbackFromEmptyMarketplace(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()