diff --git a/.devflow/features/installer-shadowing/KNOWLEDGE.md b/.devflow/features/installer-shadowing/KNOWLEDGE.md
index e4058d80..58acfb57 100644
--- a/.devflow/features/installer-shadowing/KNOWLEDGE.md
+++ b/.devflow/features/installer-shadowing/KNOWLEDGE.md
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 ---
 feature: installer-shadowing
 name: Installer & Skill/Rule Shadowing
-description: "Use when modifying the install pipeline (installViaFileCopy, installAllRules, composeScripts, InstallReport), adding or changing skill/rule shadow override logic, touching uninstall scope (enumerateUserDevFlowContent, removeDevFlowInstallArtifacts, resolveDevflowDirCleanup) or install-artifact cleanup, extending the CLI skills/rules management commands, working with asset directory accessors (rulesDir, skillsDir, commandsDir) and package-root resolution, or modifying the init seeding layer (resolveInitSeed, resolveSeedFeatures, resolveSeedFlags, resolveSeedPlugins, --reset, knownFlags, knownPlugins, readConfigIfPresent, resolveExistingViewMode, getAllCommandNames, applyNonSelectableCarry, proxy). Keywords: installViaFileCopy, installAllRules, composeScripts, InstallReport, RuleInstallOutcome, SkillShadowState, RuleShadowState, shadow, unshadow, validateSkillShadow, validateRuleShadow, seedRuleShadow, prefixSkillName, unprefixSkillName, devflow:, skills, rules, uninstall, EISDIR, enumerateUserDevFlowContent, removeDevFlowInstallArtifacts, resolveDevflowDirCleanup, getPackageRoot, rulesDir, skillsDir, agentsDir, commandsDir, scriptsDir, LEGACY_SKILL_NAMES, LEGACY_AGENT_NAMES, orphan sweep, getAllSkillNames, getAllCommandNames, resolveInitSeed, resolveSeedFeatures, resolveSeedFlags, resolveSeedPlugins, resolveResetGatedInputs, resolveNonSelectableOptionalCarry, applyNonSelectableCarry, applyCliToggles, knownFlags, knownPlugins, readConfigIfPresent, resolveExistingViewMode, resolveFinalViewMode, reset, init-seed, proxy, reapplyAgentMapping, revertExternalAgents, agent-models.json, proxy.json, proxy-routing.json, proxy.pid, applyDisableToSettings, buildRealPreflightDeps."
+description: "Use when modifying the install pipeline (installViaFileCopy, installAllRules, composeScripts, InstallReport), adding or changing skill/rule shadow override logic, touching uninstall scope (enumerateUserDevFlowContent, removeDevFlowInstallArtifacts, resolveDevflowDirCleanup) or install-artifact cleanup, extending the CLI skills/rules management commands, working with asset directory accessors (rulesDir, skillsDir, commandsDir) and package-root resolution, or modifying the init seeding layer (resolveInitSeed, resolveSeedFeatures, resolveSeedFlags, resolveSeedPlugins, --reset, knownFlags, knownPlugins, readConfigIfPresent, resolveExistingViewMode, getAllCommandNames, proxy). Keywords: installViaFileCopy, installAllRules, composeScripts, InstallReport, RuleInstallOutcome, SkillShadowState, RuleShadowState, shadow, unshadow, validateSkillShadow, validateRuleShadow, seedRuleShadow, prefixSkillName, unprefixSkillName, devflow:, skills, rules, uninstall, EISDIR, enumerateUserDevFlowContent, removeDevFlowInstallArtifacts, resolveDevflowDirCleanup, getPackageRoot, rulesDir, skillsDir, agentsDir, commandsDir, scriptsDir, LEGACY_SKILL_NAMES, LEGACY_AGENT_NAMES, orphan sweep, getAllSkillNames, getAllCommandNames, getAllAgentNames, DELETED_PLUGIN_NAMES, EXCLUDED, resolveInitSeed, resolveSeedFeatures, resolveSeedFlags, resolveSeedPlugins, resolveResetGatedInputs, applyCliToggles, knownFlags, knownPlugins, readConfigIfPresent, resolveExistingViewMode, resolveFinalViewMode, reset, init-seed, proxy, reapplyAgentMapping, revertExternalAgents, agent-models.json, proxy.json, proxy-routing.json, proxy.pid, applyDisableToSettings, buildRealPreflightDeps."
 category: architecture
-directories: [src/targets/claude-code/installer.ts, src/targets/claude-code/legacy.ts, src/cli/commands/init.ts, src/cli/commands/init-seed.ts, src/cli/commands/uninstall.ts, src/cli/commands/rules.ts, src/cli/commands/skills.ts, src/core/plugins.ts, src/core/assets.ts, src/core/paths.ts, src/core/manifest.ts, src/core/flags.ts, src/core/feature-config.ts]
+directories: [src/targets/claude-code/installer.ts, src/targets/claude-code/legacy.ts, src/cli/commands/init.ts, src/cli/commands/init-seed.ts, src/cli/commands/uninstall.ts, src/cli/commands/rules.ts, src/cli/commands/skills.ts, src/core/plugins.ts, src/core/assets.ts, src/core/paths.ts, src/core/manifest.ts, src/core/flags.ts, src/core/feature-config.ts, src/core/orphan-sweep.ts]
 created: 2026-07-13
-updated: 2026-07-25
+updated: 2026-08-18
 ---
 
 # Installer & Skill/Rule Shadowing
@@ -57,11 +57,15 @@ All four asset types now **throw** when a declared source is absent — there ar
 
 Shadow paths remain tolerant: invalid/missing shadows warn-and-install-source (applies ADR-010). The hard-error policy applies only to declared Devflow sources.
 
-### Orphan Sweep (full install only)
+### Orphan Sweep
 
-On full (non-partial) install, `installViaFileCopy` reads `~/.claude/skills/` and removes any `devflow:*` directory whose bare name is absent from `getAllSkillNames()` (the live registry). This is the mechanism for cleaning up renamed or deleted skills across upgrades without requiring manual removal.
+`installViaFileCopy` runs three ungated registry-diff sweeps — all run on every install shape, including partial installs:
 
-Bare (pre-namespace) dirs are **not touched** by the sweep — they are handled exclusively by the frozen `LEGACY_SKILLS_*` lists in `legacy.ts` (avoids PF-012). Shadow dirs (`~/.devflow/skills/`) are keyed by bare registry name and are unaffected.
+- **Skills**: reads `~/.claude/skills/` and removes any `devflow:*` directory whose bare name is absent from `getAllSkillNames()`. Bare (pre-namespace) dirs are **not touched** — handled exclusively by the frozen `LEGACY_SKILLS_*` lists in `legacy.ts` (avoids PF-012). Shadow dirs (`~/.devflow/skills/`) are keyed by bare registry name and are unaffected.
+- **Commands**: reads `~/.claude/commands/devflow/` and removes any `.md` file whose command name is absent from `getAllCommandNames()`.
+- **Agents**: reads `~/.claude/agents/devflow/` and removes any `.md` file whose agent name is absent from `getAllAgentNames()`.
+
+All three `knownNames` sets span ALL plugins — not just the selected subset — so assets from uninstalled plugins survive a partial run; only assets that are completely absent from the registry are removed. Separate from the sweeps, `installViaFileCopy` still performs a **full directory wipe** of `commands/devflow/`, `agents/devflow/`, and `rules/devflow/` before reinstalling on full (non-partial) installs. The sweeps handle partial installs cleanly without that wipe.
 
 ### InstallReport
 
@@ -154,16 +158,17 @@ Skills install under `~/.claude/skills/devflow:{name}` (prefixed). The `devflow:
 
 All skills from ALL plugins install regardless of plugin selection. `skillsMap` passed to `installViaFileCopy` is built by `buildFullSkillsMap` which covers every `DEVFLOW_PLUGINS` entry — not just the selected subset. Rules, by contrast, are plugin-scoped (only selected plugins' rules install).
 
-### LEGACY_* Symbol Split
+### LEGACY_* and DELETED_* Symbol Split
 
-Legacy cleanup lists are split across two files:
+Legacy cleanup lists and deleted-plugin tracking are split across two files:
 
 | Symbol | File |
 |--------|------|
 | `LEGACY_AGENT_NAMES`, `LEGACY_SKILL_NAMES` (+ `LEGACY_SKILLS_PRE_V1`, `LEGACY_SKILLS_V2`, `LEGACY_SKILLS_V2X`) | `src/targets/claude-code/legacy.ts` |
 | `LEGACY_PLUGIN_NAMES`, `LEGACY_COMMAND_NAMES`, `LEGACY_RULE_NAMES` | `src/core/plugins.ts` |
+| `DELETED_PLUGIN_NAMES` | `src/core/plugins.ts` |
 
-The split keeps target-specific delete lists separate from the plugin registry consumed by cross-cutting CLI commands. (avoids PF-012)
+`DELETED_PLUGIN_NAMES` is a separate array (not a rename map) for plugins that have been removed entirely with no successor. `resolvePluginList` in `manifest.ts` filters deleted plugin names from prior manifest entries on partial reinstalls — stale entries are silently dropped. The split keeps target-specific delete lists separate from the plugin registry consumed by cross-cutting CLI commands. (avoids PF-012)
 
 ## Component Interactions
 
@@ -218,9 +223,9 @@ Returns `'artifacts-only'` or `'prompt'`:
 - `'artifacts-only'` — non-interactive session, no user content, or precondition guard failure; runs `removeDevFlowInstallArtifacts` only.
 - `'prompt'` — interactive session with user content present; prompt states full scope (listed user-authored items, plus logs and install metadata). Confirm → `fs.rm(devflowDir, {recursive: true, force: true})`; decline OR cancel → falls through to `removeDevFlowInstallArtifacts` (clean end-state — never `process.exit()` here; applies ADR-003, avoids PF-014).
 
-`enumerateUserDevFlowContent(devflowDir)` checks for: `devflowDir/skills/` (skill shadows), `devflowDir/rules/` (rule shadows), `devflowDir/preference-profile.md`, `devflowDir/learning.json`, and `devflowDir/agent-models.json` (agent model assignments). Returns a human-readable label for each that exists. Pure I/O — no side effects.
+`enumerateUserDevFlowContent(devflowDir)` checks for: `devflowDir/skills/` (skill shadows), `devflowDir/rules/` (rule shadows), `devflowDir/preference-profile.md`, and `devflowDir/learning.json`. Returns a human-readable label for each that exists. Pure I/O — no side effects.
 
-`removeDevFlowInstallArtifacts(devflowDir, verbose)` removes `manifest.json` (install state) plus proxy install artifacts non-fatally: `proxy.json`, `proxy-routing.json`, `proxy.pid`, `.proxy-spawn.lock/` (directory), `logs/proxy.log`, and `cache/models/` (directory — external model catalog cache entries). Before removing `proxy.pid`, it reads the PID and checks process existence via `process.kill(pid, 0)` — if the relay is still running, a warning is emitted with a manual kill hint. **The relay is never killed by uninstall** — informational only. Scripts are already gone via `removeAllDevFlow`. Per-artifact failures are silently ignored (avoids PF-009).
+`removeDevFlowInstallArtifacts(devflowDir, verbose)` removes `manifest.json` (install state), `agent-models.json` (per-agent model overrides — reclassified as an install artifact so stale overrides are cleaned on uninstall without prompting the user), plus proxy install artifacts non-fatally: `proxy.json`, `proxy-routing.json`, `proxy.pid`, `.proxy-spawn.lock/` (directory), `logs/proxy.log`, and `cache/models/` (directory — external model catalog cache entries). Before removing `proxy.pid`, it reads the PID and checks process existence via `process.kill(pid, 0)` — if the relay is still running, a warning is emitted with a manual kill hint. **The relay is never killed by uninstall** — informational only. Scripts are already gone via `removeAllDevFlow`. Per-artifact failures are silently ignored (avoids PF-009).
 
 Settings cleanup in uninstall (the settings read-modify-write pass) calls `applyDisableToSettings(parsedSettings, managedPort)` in a single parse-mutate-serialize pass — the same helper `runDisable` uses — instead of separate `removeProxyHooks` + `stripProxyEnv` calls. `managedPort` is read from `proxy.json` (falling back to `DEFAULT_PROXY_PORT`) so only the `ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL` for Devflow's managed port is stripped; a user's own localhost URL on any other port is left untouched.
 
@@ -246,7 +251,6 @@ A dedicated pure-function module (`src/cli/commands/init-seed.ts`) computes the
 - Old manifest (no `knownPlugins`): split existing into workflow/language buckets, adopt nothing.
 - Re-init with `knownPlugins`: split + adopt newly-added non-optional selectable plugins ∉ knownPlugins.
 
-**Non-selectable optional carry**: `resolveNonSelectableOptionalCarry(manifestPlugins, allPlugins)` identifies optional plugins from the prior manifest (e.g. `devflow-audit-claude`) that are excluded from the selectable buckets by `partitionSelectablePlugins`. Internally uses a name→plugin `Map` for O(1) lookup (was a `.find()`-in-`.filter()` O(n·m) scan). `applyNonSelectableCarry(isPartialInstall, manifestPlugins, pluginsToInstall, allPlugins)` (pure exported helper) encapsulates the `!options.plugin` gate + carry call + dedup-merge loop; `init.ts` delegates to it. Without the carry, a full re-init would silently drop non-selectable optional plugins.
 
 **Reset gate** (`resolveResetGatedInputs`): `--reset` zeroes seedManifest, seedConfig, AND settingsSnapshot (the empty settings string prevents `resolveExistingViewMode` from surfacing an externally-set viewMode and defeating the factory reset). The real manifest/settings are still used for security deny-state detection and `installedAt` preservation.
 
@@ -316,7 +320,7 @@ Exports: `hasRuleShadow(ruleName, devflowDir?)`, `listShadowedRules(devflowDir?)
 
 - **Skills are cleaned before install on every run.** `installViaFileCopy` removes both the legacy unprefixed and current prefixed skill directories for all known skills before reinstalling. Partial installs (via `--plugin`) still clean all skills universally.
 
-- **Orphan sweep runs only on full installs.** The `devflow:*` stale-dir sweep in `~/.claude/skills/` is skipped on partial installs (`isPartialInstall === true`). A partial reinstall does not prune orphaned skills from the registry.
+- **Orphan sweeps (skills, commands, agents) run on every install shape.** All three registry-diff sweeps are ungated — they run on full and partial installs alike. A partial reinstall still prunes assets absent from the full registry. The `knownNames` sets span ALL plugins so assets from plugins not included in the current run are preserved.
 
 - **`seedRuleShadow` tier 2 requires a built package root.** `rulesDir()` calls `getPackageRoot()`, which resolves from `dist/core/paths.js` depth and throws loudly if `package.json` is absent at the resolved root. Running `devflow rules shadow` without a built `dist/` causes a loud throw on tier-2 fallback.
 
@@ -338,12 +342,12 @@ Exports: `hasRuleShadow(ruleName, devflowDir?)`, `listShadowedRules(devflowDir?)
 
 ## Key Files
 
-- `src/targets/claude-code/installer.ts` — `installViaFileCopy`, `installAllRules`, `installRuleFile`, `composeScripts`, `validateSkillShadow`, `validateRuleShadow`, `InstallReport`, `ShadowSkip`, `RuleInstallOutcome`, `SkillShadowState`, `RuleShadowState`, `copyDirectory`, `chmodRecursive`; orphan sweep on full install
+- `src/targets/claude-code/installer.ts` — `installViaFileCopy`, `installAllRules`, `installRuleFile`, `composeScripts`, `validateSkillShadow`, `validateRuleShadow`, `InstallReport`, `ShadowSkip`, `RuleInstallOutcome`, `SkillShadowState`, `RuleShadowState`, `copyDirectory`, `chmodRecursive`; ungated orphan sweeps for skills (`getAllSkillNames`), commands (`getAllCommandNames`), and agents (`getAllAgentNames`) run on every install shape
 - `src/core/assets.ts` — `skillsDir`, `agentsDir`, `rulesDir`, `scriptsDir`, `commandsDir` accessors; single source of truth for all asset source paths
 - `src/core/paths.ts` — `getPackageRoot()` with hard `package.json` assertion; 2-level-up resolution from `dist/core/paths.js`
 - `src/targets/claude-code/legacy.ts` — `LEGACY_AGENT_NAMES`, `LEGACY_SKILL_NAMES` (composed from `LEGACY_SKILLS_PRE_V1`, `LEGACY_SKILLS_V2`, `LEGACY_SKILLS_V2X`); target-specific delete lists for upgrade cleanup
 - `src/cli/commands/init.ts` — consumes `InstallReport` and `InitSeed`; calls `installViaFileCopy`; proxy preflight block using `buildRealPreflightDeps` factory from `proxy.ts` (`swallowSettingsReadError: true`); `reapplyAgentMapping` call (ordering load-bearing, guarded when mapping is empty AND proxy is off); proxy hooks + env in settings mutation pass; exhaustive `ShadowSkipReason` switch with `never` guard
-- `src/cli/commands/init-seed.ts` — pure seeding helpers: `resolveInitSeed`, `resolveSeedFeatures` (proxy in manifest group), `resolveSeedFlags`, `resolveSeedPlugins`, `resolveResetGatedInputs`, `resolveNonSelectableOptionalCarry`, `applyNonSelectableCarry`, `applyCliToggles` (proxy toggle), `FEATURE_DEFAULTS` (proxy: false)
+- `src/cli/commands/init-seed.ts` — pure seeding helpers: `resolveInitSeed`, `resolveSeedFeatures` (proxy in manifest group), `resolveSeedFlags`, `resolveSeedPlugins`, `resolveResetGatedInputs`, `applyCliToggles` (proxy toggle), `FEATURE_DEFAULTS` (proxy: false)
 - `src/cli/commands/uninstall.ts` — `removeAllDevFlow` (internal), `enumerateUserDevFlowContent` (includes agent-models.json), `removeDevFlowInstallArtifacts` (proxy artifacts + relay PID check; `isDir === true` strict equality), `revertExternalAgents` (before removeAllDevFlow), `computeAssetsToRemove`, `resolveSecurityRemovalDecision`, `resolveDevflowDirCleanup`; settings cleanup calls `applyDisableToSettings(settings, managedPort)` (port-scoped, single-pass)
 - `src/cli/commands/proxy.ts` — `applyDisableToSettings` (single-pass hook+env strip used by both runDisable and uninstall), `buildRealPreflightDeps` (factory for init and runEnable preflight deps), `ProxyPreflightDeps`, `addProxyHooks`, `removeProxyHooks`, `applyProxyEnv`, `stripProxyEnv`
 - `src/cli/commands/rules.ts` — `rulesCommand` positional dispatch, `seedRuleShadow` (3-tier), `handleRuleShadow`, `handleRuleUnshadow`, `buildRuleShadowTag`, `printRulesList`, `hasRuleShadow`, `listShadowedRules`
@@ -351,7 +355,7 @@ Exports: `hasRuleShadow(ruleName, devflowDir?)`, `listShadowedRules(devflowDir?)
 - `src/core/manifest.ts` — `ManifestData` (with `knownPlugins`, `features.knownFlags`, `features.proxy`), `readManifest` (self-heals snapshots via `asStringArray`; proxy absent→false), `writeManifest`, `syncManifestFeature`, `resolvePluginList`
 - `src/core/flags.ts` — `FLAG_REGISTRY`, `resolveExistingViewMode`, `resolveFinalViewMode`, `applyFlags`, `stripFlags`, `getDefaultFlags`
 - `src/core/feature-config.ts` — `readConfig`, `readConfigIfPresent`, `writeConfig`, `updateFeature`
-- `src/core/plugins.ts` — `prefixSkillName`, `unprefixSkillName`, `SKILL_NAMESPACE`, `DEVFLOW_PLUGINS`, `buildFullSkillsMap`, `buildRulesMap`, `getAllSkillNames`, `getAllCommandNames`, `partitionSelectablePlugins`, `LEGACY_PLUGIN_NAMES`, `LEGACY_COMMAND_NAMES`, `LEGACY_RULE_NAMES`
+- `src/core/plugins.ts` — `prefixSkillName`, `unprefixSkillName`, `SKILL_NAMESPACE`, `DEVFLOW_PLUGINS`, `buildFullSkillsMap`, `buildRulesMap`, `getAllSkillNames`, `getAllCommandNames`, `getAllAgentNames`, `partitionSelectablePlugins`, `EXCLUDED`, `LEGACY_PLUGIN_NAMES`, `LEGACY_COMMAND_NAMES`, `LEGACY_RULE_NAMES`, `DELETED_PLUGIN_NAMES`
 - `tests/init-proxy.test.ts` — pins the reapply-after-preflight ordering invariant and the empty-mapping guard
 - `tests/uninstall-logic.test.ts` — pins proxy artifact removal, `isDir === true` correctness, live-PID warn-never-kill, stale PID, and per-item non-fatal behavior
 
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 329bb188..87e16d26 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 - **`devflow uninstall`**: Now removes proxy artifacts on uninstall — `ensure-proxy` hook registrations, `ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL` from `settings.json`, and the model discovery cache (`~/.devflow/cache/models/`) — in addition to standard command/agent/skill/rule removal.
 
 ### Removed
+- **`devflow-audit-claude` plugin and `/audit-claude` command** (BREAKING): The CLAUDE.md audit plugin is removed. `--plugin=audit-claude` is now rejected by `devflow init`; stale `devflow-audit-claude` entries in existing manifests are silently pruned by `DELETED_PLUGIN_NAMES` on the next partial reinstall. The `claude-md-auditor` agent and `audit-claude.md` command are deleted; the orphan sweep removes any previously installed copies automatically.
+- **Non-selectable optional carry mechanism**: `resolveNonSelectableOptionalCarry` and `applyNonSelectableCarry` deleted from `init-seed.ts`. The carry was guarding a now-impossible state (the only non-selectable optional plugin was `devflow-audit-claude`). A structural invariant test (`EXCLUDED ∩ optional === ∅`) ensures this state stays impossible. No behavior change for users.
 - **1.x migration registry and helper modules** (BREAKING): all 20 run-once 1.x upgrade migrations removed from `MIGRATIONS`; helper modules `legacy-decisions-purge.ts`, `decisions-ledger-migration.ts`, `marketplace-cleanup.ts`, and `mkdir-lock.ts` deleted. The migration framework stays for future 2.x entries. No 1.x → 2.0 upgrade path.
 - **Native `claude plugin install` path** (BREAKING): the `claude plugin install` code path is removed; `installViaFileCopy` (file copy) is the sole install mechanism for all Devflow assets.
 - **`extraKnownMarketplaces` registration from settings template**: the Devflow marketplace entry is no longer written to `~/.claude/settings.json` on install.
diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index 36992339..0e9a5825 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ Devflow enhances Claude Code with intelligent development workflows. Modificatio
 
 ## Architecture Overview
 
-Registry-driven CLI tool with 23 plugins (12 core + 10 optional language/ecosystem + 1 optional workflow). Plugins are entries in DEVFLOW_PLUGINS in `src/core/plugins.ts` — each entry declares its `commands`, `agents`, `skills`, and `rules` arrays. All assets live once in `src/assets/` and install directly; the only compile step is `.mds` command sources → `dist/commands/` via `npm run build:mds`.
+Registry-driven CLI tool with 22 plugins (12 core + 10 optional). Plugins are entries in DEVFLOW_PLUGINS in `src/core/plugins.ts` — each entry declares its `commands`, `agents`, `skills`, and `rules` arrays. All assets live once in `src/assets/` and install directly; the only compile step is `.mds` command sources → `dist/commands/` via `npm run build:mds`.
 
 | Plugin | Purpose |
 |--------|---------|
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ Registry-driven CLI tool with 23 plugins (12 core + 10 optional language/ecosyst
 | `devflow-bug-analysis` | Proactive bug finding with static and semantic analysis |
 | `devflow-ambient` | Ambient mode — orchestrator charter + plan handoff |
 | `devflow-core-skills` | Auto-activating quality enforcement |
-| `devflow-audit-claude` | Audit CLAUDE.md files (optional) |
 | `devflow-dynamic` | Dynamic workflow recipes — dependency-aware tickets→plan→build delivery pipeline (optional) |
 | `devflow-typescript` | TypeScript language patterns (optional) |
 | `devflow-react` | React framework patterns (optional) |
@@ -84,9 +83,9 @@ devflow/
 │   ├── targets/claude-code/ # Claude Code install target (installer, hooks.ts, post-install, claude-paths, legacy, templates/)
 │   └── assets/             # All installable assets (single source of truth)
 │       ├── skills/         # 41 skills
-│       ├── agents/         # 17 agents (16 shared + 1 plugin-specific claude-md-auditor)
+│       ├── agents/         # 16 agents
 │       ├── rules/          # 13 rules (flat .md files)
-│       ├── commands/       # MDS command sources (14 hosts + 10 partials in _partials/; 2 static .md)
+│       ├── commands/       # MDS command sources (14 hosts + 10 partials in _partials/; 1 static .md)
 │       └── scripts/hooks/  # Capture + memory + learning + ambient + proxy hooks (capture-prompt, capture-turn, capture-question, queue-append, memory-worker, background-memory-update [Stop-hook worker], learning-lock, session-start-memory, session-start-context, session-start-orchestrator, pre-compact-memory, preamble, ensure-proxy [SessionStart+UserPromptSubmit, registered/removed by addProxyHooks/removeProxyHooks], git-marker [sourced git-repo helper], get-mtime, hook-bootstrap, hook-log-init)
 │           └── assets/     # Static prose assets shipped with hooks (orchestrator-charter.md)
 ├── scripts/                # Dev tooling (build-mds.ts, bump-version.ts)
@@ -231,12 +230,9 @@ Per-project runtime files live under `.devflow/`:
 - `/research` — Researcher agents + Skimmer + Synthesizer + Knowledge; multi-type research with trust-aware synthesis
 - `/release` — Git agent + Validator + Synthesizer; adaptive release with learned configuration
 - `/bug-analysis` — BugAnalyzer agents + Git + Synthesizer; proactive bug finding with static and semantic analysis, incremental by default
-- `/audit-claude` — CLAUDE.md audit (optional plugin)
 
 **Shared agents** (16): git, synthesizer, skimmer, simplifier, coder, reviewer, triager, evaluator, tester, scrutinizer, validator, designer, knowledge, researcher, bug-analyzer, learning
 
-**Plugin-specific agents** (1): claude-md-auditor
-
 ## Key Conventions
 
 ### Skills
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 832ae8e2..a17836fa 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -25,9 +25,9 @@ After setup, Devflow commands (`/code-review`, `/implement`, etc.) are available
 ```
 devflow/
 ├── src/assets/skills/   # 41 skills (single source of truth)
-├── src/assets/agents/   # 17 agents (single source of truth)
+├── src/assets/agents/   # 16 agents (single source of truth)
 ├── src/assets/rules/    # 13 rules (single source of truth, flat .md files)
-├── src/assets/commands/ # Command sources (.mds + 2 static .md; partials in _partials/)
+├── src/assets/commands/ # Command sources (.mds + 1 static .md; partials in _partials/)
 ├── src/assets/scripts/hooks/  # Working Memory + ambient hooks
 ├── src/core/            # Shared CLI logic (DEVFLOW_PLUGINS registry, paths, flags, …)
 ├── src/cli/             # TypeScript CLI command modules (init, list, uninstall, …)
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 08f57884..eeacf1b3 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ you: add rate limiting to the /api/upload endpoint
 
 **Full lifecycle.** `/devflow:plan` takes a feature idea through codebase exploration, gap analysis, design review, and outputs a plan document ready for `/devflow:implement`. `/devflow:implement` accepts that plan document (or an issue or task description directly) and drives it through coding, validation, and refinement to a PR. `/devflow:debug` investigates bugs with competing hypotheses in parallel. `/devflow:self-review` runs Simplifier + Scrutinizer quality passes.
 
-**Everything is composable.** 23 plugins (12 core + 10 language/ecosystem + 1 optional workflow recipes). Install only what you need.
+**Everything is composable.** 22 plugins (12 core + 10 optional). Install only what you need.
 
 **HUD.** A persistent status line updates on every prompt — project, branch, diff stats, context usage, model, cost with weekly/monthly totals, quota reset timers, and configuration counts at a glance.
 
diff --git a/docs/cli-reference.md b/docs/cli-reference.md
index cb8f3596..f9a28820 100644
--- a/docs/cli-reference.md
+++ b/docs/cli-reference.md
@@ -60,7 +60,6 @@ npx devflow-kit init --plugin=implement,code-review  # Install multiple
 | `devflow-bug-analysis` | Core | Proactive bug finding with static and semantic analysis |
 | `devflow-ambient` | Core | Ambient mode (orchestrator charter + plan handoff) |
 | `devflow-core-skills` | Core | Auto-activating quality skills |
-| `devflow-audit-claude` | Optional | CLAUDE.md file audit |
 | `devflow-typescript` | Language | TypeScript patterns |
 | `devflow-react` | Language | React patterns |
 | `devflow-accessibility` | Language | Web accessibility patterns |
diff --git a/docs/reference/agent-design.md b/docs/reference/agent-design.md
index 7fd18fef..f57ac2e8 100644
--- a/docs/reference/agent-design.md
+++ b/docs/reference/agent-design.md
@@ -124,4 +124,4 @@ npx devflow-kit agents --reset --yes                    # Skip confirmation prom
 
 All agents live in `src/assets/agents/` — there is no separate per-plugin agent directory. For an agent used by only one plugin, add it to `src/assets/agents/` and declare it in only that plugin's `agents` array in DEVFLOW_PLUGINS.
 
-**Note:** `src/assets/agents/` is the single source of truth for all agents (e.g., `git.md`, `coder.md`, `designer.md`, `claude-md-auditor.md`). No build step distributes agents — they install directly at `node dist/cli.js init` time.
+**Note:** `src/assets/agents/` is the single source of truth for all agents (e.g., `git.md`, `coder.md`, `designer.md`). No build step distributes agents — they install directly at `node dist/cli.js init` time.
diff --git a/docs/reference/file-organization.md b/docs/reference/file-organization.md
index 592f8dfd..45a8965d 100644
--- a/docs/reference/file-organization.md
+++ b/docs/reference/file-organization.md
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ devflow/
 │       │   │   └── references/
 │       │   ├── software-design/
 │       │   └── ...
-│       ├── agents/                   # 17 agents (16 shared + claude-md-auditor)
+│       ├── agents/                   # 16 agents
 │       │   ├── git.md
 │       │   ├── synthesizer.md
 │       │   ├── coder.md
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ devflow/
 │       │   └── ...
 │       ├── commands/                 # Command sources
 │       │   ├── *.mds                 # 14 MDS host files (compiled to dist/commands/ by build:mds)
-│       │   ├── *.md                  # 2 static command files
+│       │   ├── *.md                  # 1 static command file
 │       │   └── _partials/            # 10 MDS partial files (no output-dir:, never compiled directly)
 │       └── scripts/hooks/            # Capture + memory + learning + ambient hooks
 │           ├── capture-prompt        # UserPromptSubmit hook: appends user turn to memory + learning queues (independently gated)
@@ -151,10 +151,9 @@ Assets live once in `src/assets/` and install directly to the user's `~/.claude/
 2. Add agent name to the plugin entry's `agents` array in DEVFLOW_PLUGINS
 3. Run `node dist/cli.js init` to install
 
-### Shared vs Plugin-Specific Agents
+### Agents
 
-- **Shared** (16): `git`, `synthesizer`, `skimmer`, `simplifier`, `coder`, `reviewer`, `triager`, `evaluator`, `tester`, `scrutinizer`, `validator`, `designer`, `knowledge`, `researcher`, `bug-analyzer`, `learning`
-- **Plugin-specific** (1): `claude-md-auditor` — committed directly in `src/assets/agents/`
+All 16 agents (`git`, `synthesizer`, `skimmer`, `simplifier`, `coder`, `reviewer`, `triager`, `evaluator`, `tester`, `scrutinizer`, `validator`, `designer`, `knowledge`, `researcher`, `bug-analyzer`, `learning`) are shared — committed directly in `src/assets/agents/`.
 
 ## Settings Override
 
diff --git a/scripts/build-mds.ts b/scripts/build-mds.ts
index 41f817a4..d943e72a 100644
--- a/scripts/build-mds.ts
+++ b/scripts/build-mds.ts
@@ -257,9 +257,8 @@ async function main(): Promise<void> {
     process.exit(1);
   }
 
-  // Copy 2 hand-authored command files verbatim into dist/commands/
+  // Copy 1 hand-authored command file verbatim into dist/commands/
   const handAuthored = [
-    path.join(ROOT, 'src', 'assets', 'commands', 'audit-claude.md'),
     path.join(ROOT, 'src', 'assets', 'commands', 'release.md'),
   ];
   const commandsDest = path.join(ROOT, 'dist', 'commands');
diff --git a/src/assets/agents/claude-md-auditor.md b/src/assets/agents/claude-md-auditor.md
deleted file mode 100644
index b133d8ac..00000000
--- a/src/assets/agents/claude-md-auditor.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,134 +0,0 @@
----
-name: claude-md-auditor
-description: Audits CLAUDE.md files against Anthropic best practices for size, structure, and content quality
-model: sonnet
-allowed-tools: Read, Grep, Glob
----
-
-# CLAUDE.md Auditor
-
-You are a strict auditor that evaluates CLAUDE.md files against Anthropic's official guidance. You find issues that waste tokens, confuse Claude, or belong in other locations. You never soften findings.
-
-## Input Context
-
-- `file_path`: Absolute path to the CLAUDE.md file
-- `location_context`: root | subdirectory | global
-- `tech_stack`: Detected project technologies (optional)
-
-## Audit Rubric
-
-Run all 8 checks against the file. Every finding needs: severity, category tag, line reference, explanation, and fix suggestion.
-
-### 1. Size Limits [SIZE]
-
-| Context | Line Limit | Token Estimate |
-|---------|-----------|----------------|
-| Root CLAUDE.md | < 300 | ~5KB |
-| Subdirectory CLAUDE.md | < 150 | ~2.5KB |
-| Global ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md | < 200 | ~3.5KB |
-
-- Count total lines (excluding blank lines at end)
-- Estimate tokens: word_count * 1.3
-- Flag sections exceeding 50 lines
-- **Critical** if file exceeds limit. **Medium** if any section exceeds 50 lines.
-
-### 2. Required Sections [MISSING]
-
-For root CLAUDE.md, check for presence of:
-- Project overview / purpose (what this project does)
-- Tech stack (languages, frameworks, key dependencies)
-- Project structure (directory layout or key files)
-- Development commands (build, test, run)
-- Key conventions (naming, patterns, gotchas)
-
-**High** if tech stack or project overview is missing. **Medium** for others.
-
-### 3. Anti-Pattern Detection [ANTI-PATTERN]
-
-Flag these content types — they belong elsewhere:
-- **Code style rules** (indentation, semicolons, quotes) — belongs in `.editorconfig` / ESLint / Prettier
-- **Procedural runbooks** (step-by-step release processes, deploy scripts) — belongs in `docs/` or scripts
-- **Reference catalogs** (full API lists, complete type inventories, exhaustive pattern tables) — belongs in `docs/reference/`
-- **Aspirational / motivational content** ("Remember: quality matters!") — provides no operational value
-- **Generic advice** ("test thoroughly", "write clean code") — Claude already knows this
-- **Duplicated content** — information already in skills, agents, or other config files
-
-**High** for procedural runbooks and reference catalogs. **Medium** for others.
-
-### 4. Structure Quality [STRUCTURE]
-
-- Headers should be scannable (clear hierarchy, descriptive names)
-- Maximum 3 heading levels (`#`, `##`, `###`) — deeper nesting hurts readability
-- Sections should use progressive disclosure: brief summary with pointer to detailed doc
-- Code blocks should be minimal — only include code that prevents mistakes
-
-**Medium** for nesting violations. **Low** for style issues.
-
-### 5. Content Quality [CONTENT]
-
-For each line, apply the test: "Would removing this cause Claude to make mistakes?"
-- If no: flag for removal
-- Flag vague instructions ("be careful", "use best practices")
-- Flag obvious statements that any model already follows
-- Prefer specific, actionable instructions over general guidance
-
-**Medium** for removable content. **Low** for vagueness.
-
-### 6. Hierarchical Usage [HIERARCHY]
-
-- Root CLAUDE.md: project-wide guidance only
-- Subdirectory CLAUDE.md: module-specific overrides only
-- Global CLAUDE.md: cross-project preferences only
-- No duplicated content across hierarchy levels
-
-**High** if global file contains project-specific content. **Medium** for duplication.
-
-### 7. Integration Opportunities [INTEGRATION]
-
-Flag content that should be:
-- A **skill** (auto-activating pattern enforcement)
-- A **hook** (pre-commit, post-save automation)
-- A **linter config** (.editorconfig, ESLint, Prettier)
-- A **CI check** (automated enforcement)
-- A **script** (repeatable procedures)
-
-**Medium** for clear integration opportunities.
-
-### 8. Claude Code Specifics [CLAUDE-SPECIFIC]
-
-Flag if file contains:
-- Re-documentation of skill contents (skills auto-load)
-- Plugin manifest details (Claude reads plugin.json directly)
-- Build process internals (belongs in docs/reference/)
-- Agent implementation details (belongs in agent definitions)
-
-**High** for skill/agent re-documentation. **Medium** for build/manifest details.
-
-## Output Format
-
-Return findings as structured markdown:
-
-```markdown
-### File: {file_path} ({line_count} lines, ~{token_estimate} tokens)
-
-#### CRITICAL
-- [{CATEGORY}] {description}. **Fix**: {suggestion}.
-
-#### HIGH
-- [{CATEGORY}] Lines {start}-{end}: {description}. **Fix**: {suggestion}.
-
-#### MEDIUM
-- [{CATEGORY}] {description}. **Fix**: {suggestion}.
-
-#### LOW
-- [{CATEGORY}] {description}. **Fix**: {suggestion}.
-```
-
-Omit severity sections that have no findings. Always include the file summary line with line count and token estimate.
-
-## Boundaries
-
-- **Read-only**: Never modify CLAUDE.md files
-- **No false positives**: Only flag issues you're confident about
-- **Severity accuracy**: Don't inflate severity to seem thorough
-- **Escalate**: If file structure is so unusual you can't assess it, say so
diff --git a/src/assets/commands/audit-claude.md b/src/assets/commands/audit-claude.md
deleted file mode 100644
index c3080c19..00000000
--- a/src/assets/commands/audit-claude.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,96 +0,0 @@
----
-description: Audit CLAUDE.md files against Anthropic best practices
----
-
-# Command: /audit-claude
-
-## Description
-
-Audit CLAUDE.md files against Anthropic's best practices. Finds oversized files, anti-patterns, missing sections, and content that belongs elsewhere. Reports issues with severity levels and fix suggestions.
-
-## Usage
-
-`/audit-claude [path]`
-
-- No argument: audits all CLAUDE.md files in project + `~/.claude/CLAUDE.md`
-- With path: audits the specific file
-
-## Implementation
-
-### Phase 1: Discovery
-
-**Produces:** CLAUDE_FILES
-
-Find all CLAUDE.md files to audit:
-
-```bash
-# Project CLAUDE.md files
-CLAUDE_FILES=$(find . -name "CLAUDE.md" -not -path "*/node_modules/*" -not -path "*/.git/*" 2>/dev/null)
-
-# Global CLAUDE.md
-GLOBAL_CLAUDE="$HOME/.claude/CLAUDE.md"
-if [ -f "$GLOBAL_CLAUDE" ]; then
-  CLAUDE_FILES="$CLAUDE_FILES $GLOBAL_CLAUDE"
-fi
-```
-
-If a specific path argument was provided, use only that file.
-
-### Phase 2: Analysis
-
-**Produces:** AUDIT_RESULTS
-**Requires:** CLAUDE_FILES
-
-For each discovered file, spawn a `claude-md-auditor` agent:
-
-```
-Task(
-  subagent_type: "claude-md-auditor",
-  prompt: "Audit this CLAUDE.md file: {file_path}
-    File location context: {root|subdirectory|global}
-    Project tech stack: {detected from package.json, go.mod, etc.}
-
-    Return your findings as structured markdown."
-)
-```
-
-Run agents in parallel when multiple files are found.
-
-### Phase 3: Report
-
-**Requires:** AUDIT_RESULTS
-
-Combine all agent outputs into a single report:
-
-```markdown
-## CLAUDE.md Audit Report
-
-### File: ./CLAUDE.md ({line_count} lines, ~{token_estimate} tokens)
-
-#### CRITICAL
-- [{CATEGORY}] {description}. {fix suggestion}.
-
-#### HIGH
-- [{CATEGORY}] Lines {start}-{end}: {description}. {fix suggestion}.
-
-#### MEDIUM
-- [{CATEGORY}] {description}. {fix suggestion}.
-
-#### LOW
-- [{CATEGORY}] {description}. {fix suggestion}.
-
-### Summary
-- {N} Critical, {N} High, {N} Medium, {N} Low
-- Estimated reducible lines: ~{N} (move to docs/reference/)
-- Estimated token cost per session: ~{N} tokens
-```
-
-Present the report directly to the user. Do NOT write to `.devflow/docs/` — this is a diagnostic command.
-
-## Output Format
-
-Findings grouped by severity (Critical > High > Medium > Low), each with:
-- **Category tag** in brackets: SIZE, MISSING, ANTI-PATTERN, STRUCTURE, CONTENT, HIERARCHY, INTEGRATION, CLAUDE-SPECIFIC
-- **Line reference** when applicable
-- **Explanation** of why it's an issue
-- **Fix suggestion** with concrete action
diff --git a/src/cli/commands/init-seed.ts b/src/cli/commands/init-seed.ts
index 36ef09a5..357e1276 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/init-seed.ts
+++ b/src/cli/commands/init-seed.ts
@@ -155,9 +155,8 @@ export function resolveSeedFlags(
  *   - Otherwise → split + adopt newly-added non-optional selectable plugins
  *     whose name is ∉ knownPlugins and ∉ manifestPlugins
  *
- * Always-installed plugins (devflow-core-skills, devflow-ambient) and
- * non-selectable optional plugins (devflow-audit-claude) are filtered out by
- * partitionSelectablePlugins and never appear in the returned buckets.
+ * Always-installed plugins (devflow-core-skills, devflow-ambient) are filtered
+ * out by partitionSelectablePlugins and never appear in the returned buckets.
  */
 export function resolveSeedPlugins(
   manifestPlugins: string[] | null,
@@ -268,85 +267,6 @@ export function resolveResetGatedInputs(
   return { seedManifest: manifest, seedConfig: projectConfig, seedSettings: settingsJson };
 }
 
-/**
- * Identify non-selectable optional plugins from the prior manifest that should be
- * carried forward on a plugin-less full re-init.
- *
- * Non-selectable optional plugins (e.g. devflow-audit-claude) are excluded from
- * the init prompt buckets by partitionSelectablePlugins and therefore never appear
- * in the seed's workflowPlugins/languagePlugins. Without an explicit carry, a
- * plugin-less full re-init would silently drop them — violating the
- * "re-init preserves all existing state" acceptance criterion.
- *
- * Rules:
- *   - null manifestPlugins (fresh install OR --reset) → empty carry set
- *   - Otherwise: carry set = manifestPlugins ∩ optional ∩ not-in-selectable-buckets
- *   - Unknown/stale names (not in allPlugins) are excluded
- *
- * The caller is responsible for injecting the carry set into pluginsToInstall only
- * on full (plugin-less) re-inits. Partial installs (--plugin flag) already merge
- * via resolvePluginList. --reset produces null seedManifest → null manifestPlugins
- * so the carry is empty by construction (factory reset drops them, as intended).
- *
- * Pure function — no I/O, no side effects.
- */
-export function resolveNonSelectableOptionalCarry(
-  manifestPlugins: string[] | null,
-  allPlugins: PluginDefinition[],
-): string[] {
-  if (manifestPlugins === null || manifestPlugins.length === 0) return [];
-
-  const { workflow, language } = partitionSelectablePlugins(allPlugins);
-  const selectableNames = new Set([
-    ...workflow.map(p => p.name),
-    ...language.map(p => p.name),
-  ]);
-
-  // Build a name→plugin Map for O(1) lookup, replacing an O(n·m) find-in-filter.
-  const pluginMap = new Map(allPlugins.map(p => [p.name, p]));
-
-  // Carry only OPTIONAL non-selectable plugins that exist in the registry.
-  // Non-optional always-installed plugins (core-skills, ambient) are excluded —
-  // they are guaranteed to be in pluginsToInstall by other mechanisms.
-  return manifestPlugins.filter(name => {
-    const plugin = pluginMap.get(name);
-    return plugin !== undefined && plugin.optional && !selectableNames.has(name);
-  });
-}
-
-/**
- * Apply the non-selectable optional plugin carry on a full (plugin-less) re-init.
- *
- * Encapsulates the `!options.plugin` gate + resolveNonSelectableOptionalCarry call
- * + dedup-merge loop from initAction, extracted as a pure function to make the
- * carry wiring independently testable without spinning up the full init action.
- *
- * @param isPartialInstall - true when --plugin was passed (carry is skipped)
- * @param manifestPlugins  - Plugin list from seedManifest (null on fresh/--reset)
- * @param pluginsToInstall - Current install list (not mutated; returns new array)
- * @param allPlugins       - Full plugin registry
- * @returns Updated plugin list with carry plugins merged in (deduped, order preserved)
- *
- * Pure function — no I/O, no side effects.
- */
-export function applyNonSelectableCarry(
-  isPartialInstall: boolean,
-  manifestPlugins: string[] | null,
-  pluginsToInstall: PluginDefinition[],
-  allPlugins: PluginDefinition[],
-): PluginDefinition[] {
-  if (isPartialInstall) return pluginsToInstall;
-  const carryNames = resolveNonSelectableOptionalCarry(manifestPlugins, allPlugins);
-  const result = [...pluginsToInstall];
-  for (const name of carryNames) {
-    const plugin = allPlugins.find(p => p.name === name);
-    if (plugin && !result.includes(plugin)) {
-      result.push(plugin);
-    }
-  }
-  return result;
-}
-
 /**
  * Apply CLI-explicit feature toggles on top of a seed's features.
  *
diff --git a/src/cli/commands/init.ts b/src/cli/commands/init.ts
index 407bd445..c35de7b0 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/init.ts
+++ b/src/cli/commands/init.ts
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ import { applyFlags, stripFlags, applyViewMode, stripViewMode, FLAG_REGISTRY, Vi
 import { addContextHook, removeContextHook, hasContextHook } from './context.js';
 import { writeFileAtomicExclusive } from '../../core/fs-atomic.js';
 import { writeConfig, readConfigIfPresent, type FeatureConfig } from '../../core/feature-config.js';
-import { resolveInitSeed, applyCliToggles, resolveResetGatedInputs, applyNonSelectableCarry } from './init-seed.js';
+import { resolveInitSeed, applyCliToggles, resolveResetGatedInputs } from './init-seed.js';
 import { getPendingTurnsPath, getPendingTurnsProcessingPath } from '../../core/project-paths.js';
 import * as os from 'os';
 
@@ -1050,23 +1050,6 @@ export const initCommand = new Command('init')
       pluginsToInstall.push(ambientPlugin);
     }
 
-    // Carry non-selectable optional plugins (e.g. devflow-audit-claude) from the prior
-    // install on full re-inits. These plugins are excluded from the init prompt buckets
-    // by partitionSelectablePlugins, so they never appear in selectedPlugins and would
-    // otherwise be silently dropped on any plugin-less re-init.
-    //
-    // --reset: seedManifest is null (resolveResetGatedInputs zeros it) → carry is empty.
-    //   Factory reset correctly drops non-selectable optional plugins.
-    // --plugin X partial install: resolvePluginList already merges the full manifest list
-    //   at the manifest-write step; physical dirs are preserved (no full wipe on partial).
-    //   Skip carry here to avoid force-reinstalling plugins the user didn't target.
-    pluginsToInstall = applyNonSelectableCarry(
-      !!options.plugin,
-      seedManifest?.plugins ?? null,
-      pluginsToInstall,
-      DEVFLOW_PLUGINS,
-    );
-
     // Skills: install ALL from ALL plugins (skills are tiny markdown files;
     // commands need skills from other plugins to function)
     const skillsMap = buildFullSkillsMap();
diff --git a/src/core/manifest.ts b/src/core/manifest.ts
index c818e6cc..98646637 100644
--- a/src/core/manifest.ts
+++ b/src/core/manifest.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { promises as fs } from 'fs';
 import * as path from 'path';
-import { LEGACY_PLUGIN_NAMES } from './plugins.js';
+import { LEGACY_PLUGIN_NAMES, DELETED_PLUGIN_NAMES } from './plugins.js';
 import { VIEW_MODES, ViewMode } from './flags.js';
 
 /**
@@ -228,7 +228,10 @@ export function resolvePluginList(
   isPartialInstall: boolean,
 ): string[] {
   if (existingManifest && isPartialInstall) {
-    const cleaned = existingManifest.plugins.map(p => LEGACY_PLUGIN_NAMES[p] ?? p);
+    const deletedSet = new Set(DELETED_PLUGIN_NAMES);
+    const cleaned = existingManifest.plugins
+      .filter(p => !deletedSet.has(p))
+      .map(p => LEGACY_PLUGIN_NAMES[p] ?? p);
     return mergeManifestPlugins(cleaned, installedPluginNames);
   }
   return installedPluginNames;
diff --git a/src/core/plugins.ts b/src/core/plugins.ts
index 5cc838cc..76a1df53 100644
--- a/src/core/plugins.ts
+++ b/src/core/plugins.ts
@@ -181,15 +181,6 @@ export const DEVFLOW_PLUGINS: PluginDefinition[] = [
     ],
     rules: [],
   },
-  {
-    name: 'devflow-audit-claude',
-    description: 'Audit CLAUDE.md files against Anthropic best practices',
-    commands: ['/audit-claude'],
-    agents: ['claude-md-auditor'],
-    skills: [],
-    optional: true,
-    rules: [],
-  },
   {
     name: 'devflow-dynamic',
     description: 'Dynamic workflow recipes - dependency-aware tickets→plan→build delivery pipeline',
@@ -292,6 +283,16 @@ export const LEGACY_PLUGIN_NAMES: Record<string, string> = {
   'devflow-specify': 'devflow-plan',
 };
 
+/**
+ * Plugin names that have been deleted from the registry.
+ * Used during init to prune stale entries from users' manifests on partial
+ * reinstalls — the full-reinstall path writes installedPluginNames directly
+ * and cannot carry a deleted name. Entries can be removed after 2 major versions.
+ */
+export const DELETED_PLUGIN_NAMES: string[] = [
+  'devflow-audit-claude',
+];
+
 /**
  * Parse a comma-separated plugin selection string into normalized plugin names.
  * Validates against known plugins; returns invalid names as errors.
@@ -462,17 +463,29 @@ export const LEGACY_RULE_NAMES: string[] = [];
 /**
  * Canonical display order for workflow commands shown at end of init.
  * Mirrors the user-facing pipeline: research → explore → plan → implement →
- * code-review → resolve → self-review → bug-analysis → debug → release → audit-claude →
+ * code-review → resolve → self-review → bug-analysis → debug → release →
  * dynamic pipeline (dynamic-tickets → dynamic-plan → dynamic-build → dynamic-wave → dynamic-profile).
  * Export so init.ts can import it rather than keeping a local copy.
  */
 export const WORKFLOW_ORDER: string[] = [
   '/research', '/explore', '/plan', '/implement',
   '/code-review', '/resolve', '/self-review', '/bug-analysis',
-  '/debug', '/release', '/audit-claude',
+  '/debug', '/release',
   '/dynamic-tickets', '/dynamic-plan', '/dynamic-build', '/dynamic-wave', '/dynamic-profile',
 ];
 
+/**
+ * Plugin names excluded from the init multiselect buckets.
+ * These are always installed regardless of user selection:
+ *   - devflow-core-skills  (always installed, non-optional)
+ *   - devflow-ambient      (always installed, non-optional)
+ *
+ * Invariant: EXCLUDED ∩ optional === ∅ — no optional plugin may be excluded from
+ * the init UI without a re-init carry mechanism to preserve it across full reinstalls.
+ * Guarded by the structural invariant test in tests/plugins.test.ts.
+ */
+export const EXCLUDED: ReadonlySet<string> = new Set(['devflow-core-skills', 'devflow-ambient']);
+
 /**
  * Partition the selectable plugins into workflow (command-bearing) and language
  * (command-less, optional language/ecosystem) buckets for the two-step init UI.
@@ -480,7 +493,6 @@ export const WORKFLOW_ORDER: string[] = [
  * Excluded from both buckets (not selectable at init):
  *   - devflow-core-skills  (always installed)
  *   - devflow-ambient      (always installed)
- *   - devflow-audit-claude (installable via --plugin only)
  *
  * Pure function — does not mutate the input array; preserves DEVFLOW_PLUGINS
  * ordering within each bucket; deterministic; no I/O.
@@ -489,7 +501,6 @@ export function partitionSelectablePlugins(plugins: PluginDefinition[]): {
   workflow: PluginDefinition[];
   language: PluginDefinition[];
 } {
-  const EXCLUDED = new Set(['devflow-core-skills', 'devflow-ambient', 'devflow-audit-claude']);
   const workflow: PluginDefinition[] = [];
   const language: PluginDefinition[] = [];
 
diff --git a/tests/agent-frontmatter.test.ts b/tests/agent-frontmatter.test.ts
index f1ed3fdc..4cfb8441 100644
--- a/tests/agent-frontmatter.test.ts
+++ b/tests/agent-frontmatter.test.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
  * Protocol: RED → GREEN → REFACTOR.
  *
  * Coverage:
- *  - All 17 real shipped agent files (verbatim round-trips)
+ *  - All 16 real shipped agent files (verbatim round-trips)
  *  - Synthetic edge cases: CRLF, missing frontmatter, unterminated frontmatter,
  *    model: in body, duplicate model lines, effort add/replace/remove
  */
@@ -32,10 +32,9 @@ async function readAgent(name: string): Promise<string> {
 // Real agent files — verbatim round-trips
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-describe('rewriteAgentFrontmatter — all 17 real agent files', () => {
+describe('rewriteAgentFrontmatter — all 16 real agent files', () => {
   const AGENTS = [
     'bug-analyzer.md',
-    'claude-md-auditor.md',
     'coder.md',
     'designer.md',
     'evaluator.md',
diff --git a/tests/build-mds.test.ts b/tests/build-mds.test.ts
index d2773778..1f541a1d 100644
--- a/tests/build-mds.test.ts
+++ b/tests/build-mds.test.ts
@@ -406,14 +406,14 @@ describe('expected-command-set guard (C2)', () => {
     }
   });
 
-  it('dist/commands/ contains exactly 16 .md files (14 compiled + 2 hand-authored)', async () => {
-    // The 2 hand-authored files are audit-claude.md and release.md, copied verbatim by build-mds.ts.
+  it('dist/commands/ contains exactly 15 .md files (14 compiled + 1 hand-authored)', async () => {
+    // The 1 hand-authored file is release.md, copied verbatim by build-mds.ts.
     const files = await fs.readdir(path.join(ROOT, 'dist', 'commands'));
     const mdFiles = files.filter(f => f.endsWith('.md'));
     expect(
       mdFiles.length,
-      `Expected 16 .md files in dist/commands/ (14 compiled + 2 hand-authored), got ${mdFiles.length}: ${mdFiles.sort().join(', ')}`,
-    ).toBe(16);
+      `Expected 15 .md files in dist/commands/ (14 compiled + 1 hand-authored), got ${mdFiles.length}: ${mdFiles.sort().join(', ')}`,
+    ).toBe(15);
   });
 });
 
diff --git a/tests/init-nonselectable-carry.test.ts b/tests/init-nonselectable-carry.test.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 1040b5e2..00000000
--- a/tests/init-nonselectable-carry.test.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,127 +0,0 @@
-import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
-import { applyNonSelectableCarry } from '../src/cli/commands/init-seed.js';
-import { DEVFLOW_PLUGINS } from '../src/core/plugins.js';
-import { type PluginDefinition } from '../src/core/plugins.js';
-
-// ── Fixtures ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-
-/** Minimal plugin stubs for wiring tests that don't need the full registry. */
-function makePlugin(name: string, optional = false): PluginDefinition {
-  return { name, description: '', commands: [], agents: [], skills: [], rules: [], optional };
-}
-
-// Grab the real audit-claude entry from the registry (non-selectable optional plugin).
-const auditClaude = DEVFLOW_PLUGINS.find(p => p.name === 'devflow-audit-claude')!;
-const implement = DEVFLOW_PLUGINS.find(p => p.name === 'devflow-implement')!;
-
-// ── applyNonSelectableCarry wiring ────────────────────────────────────────────
-
-describe('applyNonSelectableCarry wiring', () => {
-  // ── Gate: partial install (--plugin) skips carry ──────────────────────────
-
-  it('isPartialInstall=true → carry gate skips, returns same list unchanged', () => {
-    const list = [implement];
-    const result = applyNonSelectableCarry(
-      true,
-      ['devflow-implement', 'devflow-audit-claude'],
-      list,
-      DEVFLOW_PLUGINS,
-    );
-    // Reference equality: same array instance returned (no carry applied)
-    expect(result).toBe(list);
-  });
-
-  it('isPartialInstall=true → audit-claude NOT added even when in manifest', () => {
-    const result = applyNonSelectableCarry(
-      true,
-      ['devflow-implement', 'devflow-audit-claude'],
-      [implement],
-      DEVFLOW_PLUGINS,
-    );
-    expect(result.map(p => p.name)).not.toContain('devflow-audit-claude');
-  });
-
-  // ── Full re-init with null manifest (fresh install / --reset) ─────────────
-
-  it('isPartialInstall=false, manifestPlugins=null → carry empty, list unchanged', () => {
-    const list = [implement];
-    const result = applyNonSelectableCarry(false, null, list, DEVFLOW_PLUGINS);
-    expect(result).toEqual(list);
-    expect(result.map(p => p.name)).not.toContain('devflow-audit-claude');
-  });
-
-  // ── Full re-init: audit-claude in prior manifest → carried ────────────────
-
-  it('isPartialInstall=false, audit-claude in manifest → appended to install list', () => {
-    const result = applyNonSelectableCarry(
-      false,
-      ['devflow-implement', 'devflow-audit-claude'],
-      [implement],
-      DEVFLOW_PLUGINS,
-    );
-    expect(result.map(p => p.name)).toContain('devflow-audit-claude');
-    // Original entries preserved
-    expect(result.map(p => p.name)).toContain('devflow-implement');
-  });
-
-  // ── Deduplication: already-present plugin not added twice ────────────────
-
-  it('isPartialInstall=false, audit-claude already in install list → not duplicated', () => {
-    const result = applyNonSelectableCarry(
-      false,
-      ['devflow-implement', 'devflow-audit-claude'],
-      [implement, auditClaude],
-      DEVFLOW_PLUGINS,
-    );
-    const names = result.map(p => p.name);
-    const auditCount = names.filter(n => n === 'devflow-audit-claude').length;
-    expect(auditCount).toBe(1);
-  });
-
-  // ── Unknown name in manifest → safely excluded ───────────────────────────
-
-  it('isPartialInstall=false, stale/unknown plugin name in manifest → excluded', () => {
-    const result = applyNonSelectableCarry(
-      false,
-      ['devflow-implement', 'devflow-obsolete-2024'],
-      [implement],
-      DEVFLOW_PLUGINS,
-    );
-    expect(result.map(p => p.name)).not.toContain('devflow-obsolete-2024');
-  });
-
-  // ── Input list not mutated (immutable-return contract) ───────────────────
-
-  it('does not mutate the pluginsToInstall argument', () => {
-    const list = [implement];
-    const before = [...list];
-    applyNonSelectableCarry(
-      false,
-      ['devflow-implement', 'devflow-audit-claude'],
-      list,
-      DEVFLOW_PLUGINS,
-    );
-    expect(list).toEqual(before);
-  });
-
-  // ── Isolated stub-registry: verifies gate + merge loop independently ──────
-
-  it('isolated registry: carries optional non-selectable plugin, skips selectable optional', () => {
-    // Build a minimal registry: one selectable optional, one non-selectable optional.
-    // partitionSelectablePlugins filters by presence of commands — non-selectable
-    // optional plugins (like audit-claude) have no entry in the selectable buckets.
-    // Use the real DEVFLOW_PLUGINS but limit manifestPlugins to known names.
-    const result = applyNonSelectableCarry(
-      false,
-      // include a selectable optional (e.g. devflow-typescript) + audit-claude
-      ['devflow-typescript', 'devflow-audit-claude', 'devflow-implement'],
-      [implement],
-      DEVFLOW_PLUGINS,
-    );
-    const names = result.map(p => p.name);
-    // audit-claude is non-selectable optional → carried
-    expect(names).toContain('devflow-audit-claude');
-    // devflow-typescript is selectable optional → NOT carried (excluded by carry helper)
-    expect(names).not.toContain('devflow-typescript');
-  });
-});
diff --git a/tests/init-seed.test.ts b/tests/init-seed.test.ts
index 147d3086..ea84ac08 100644
--- a/tests/init-seed.test.ts
+++ b/tests/init-seed.test.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import {
   resolveInitSeed,
   applyCliToggles,
   resolveResetGatedInputs,
-  resolveNonSelectableOptionalCarry,
   FEATURE_DEFAULTS,
   type FeatureSeed,
 } from '../src/cli/commands/init-seed.js';
@@ -216,12 +215,11 @@ describe('resolveSeedPlugins', () => {
     expect(workflowPlugins).toContain('devflow-implement');
   });
 
-  it('fresh never includes excluded always-installed plugins (core-skills, ambient, audit-claude)', () => {
+  it('fresh never includes excluded always-installed plugins (core-skills, ambient)', () => {
     const { workflowPlugins, languagePlugins } = resolveSeedPlugins(null, undefined, DEVFLOW_PLUGINS);
     const all = [...workflowPlugins, ...languagePlugins];
     expect(all).not.toContain('devflow-core-skills');
     expect(all).not.toContain('devflow-ambient');
-    expect(all).not.toContain('devflow-audit-claude');
   });
 
   it('knownPlugins === undefined → split existing into buckets, adopt nothing', () => {
@@ -508,70 +506,6 @@ describe('resolveResetGatedInputs', () => {
   });
 });
 
-// ── resolveNonSelectableOptionalCarry ─────────────────────────────────────────
-
-describe('resolveNonSelectableOptionalCarry', () => {
-  it('null manifestPlugins (fresh install) → empty carry', () => {
-    const carry = resolveNonSelectableOptionalCarry(null, DEVFLOW_PLUGINS);
-    expect(carry).toEqual([]);
-  });
-
-  it('null manifestPlugins (--reset simulation via resolveResetGatedInputs) → empty carry', () => {
-    // --reset sets seedManifest to null; callers pass seedManifest?.plugins ?? null
-    const carry = resolveNonSelectableOptionalCarry(null, DEVFLOW_PLUGINS);
-    expect(carry).toEqual([]);
-  });
-
-  it('devflow-audit-claude in manifest → carried (non-selectable optional plugin preserved)', () => {
-    const manifestPlugins = ['devflow-implement', 'devflow-code-review', 'devflow-audit-claude'];
-    const carry = resolveNonSelectableOptionalCarry(manifestPlugins, DEVFLOW_PLUGINS);
-    expect(carry).toContain('devflow-audit-claude');
-  });
-
-  it('only selectable plugins in manifest → empty carry', () => {
-    const manifestPlugins = ['devflow-implement', 'devflow-code-review', 'devflow-typescript'];
-    const carry = resolveNonSelectableOptionalCarry(manifestPlugins, DEVFLOW_PLUGINS);
-    expect(carry).toEqual([]);
-  });
-
-  it('devflow-core-skills (non-optional always-installed) → not in carry', () => {
-    // core-skills is excluded from selection buckets but it is NOT optional — should not be carried
-    const manifestPlugins = ['devflow-core-skills', 'devflow-implement'];
-    const carry = resolveNonSelectableOptionalCarry(manifestPlugins, DEVFLOW_PLUGINS);
-    expect(carry).not.toContain('devflow-core-skills');
-  });
-
-  it('devflow-ambient (non-optional always-installed) → not in carry', () => {
-    const manifestPlugins = ['devflow-ambient', 'devflow-implement'];
-    const carry = resolveNonSelectableOptionalCarry(manifestPlugins, DEVFLOW_PLUGINS);
-    expect(carry).not.toContain('devflow-ambient');
-  });
-
-  it('carry contains only devflow-audit-claude when both selectable and non-selectable plugins present', () => {
-    const manifestPlugins = [
-      'devflow-implement',
-      'devflow-code-review',
-      'devflow-typescript',
-      'devflow-core-skills',
-      'devflow-ambient',
-      'devflow-audit-claude',
-    ];
-    const carry = resolveNonSelectableOptionalCarry(manifestPlugins, DEVFLOW_PLUGINS);
-    expect(carry).toEqual(['devflow-audit-claude']);
-  });
-
-  it('unknown/stale plugin name in manifest → excluded from carry', () => {
-    const manifestPlugins = ['devflow-implement', 'devflow-obsolete-plugin'];
-    const carry = resolveNonSelectableOptionalCarry(manifestPlugins, DEVFLOW_PLUGINS);
-    expect(carry).not.toContain('devflow-obsolete-plugin');
-  });
-
-  it('empty manifestPlugins array → empty carry', () => {
-    const carry = resolveNonSelectableOptionalCarry([], DEVFLOW_PLUGINS);
-    expect(carry).toEqual([]);
-  });
-});
-
 // ── proxy seeding (resolveSeedFeatures + applyCliToggles) ─────────────────────
 
 describe('proxy seeding', () => {
diff --git a/tests/packaging.test.ts b/tests/packaging.test.ts
index 3464f6f1..e1d15680 100644
--- a/tests/packaging.test.ts
+++ b/tests/packaging.test.ts
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ describe('Guard 5 (files[] coverage): package.json includes required directories
  * AC-C3: The published tarball must:
  *  (a) Contain no plugins/ or shared/ source-tree paths — these directories
  *      only exist in the git repo and must never be published.
- *  (b) Contain exactly 16 dist/commands/*.md files — one per registered command.
+ *  (b) Contain exactly 15 dist/commands/*.md files — one per registered command.
  *      If the count changes, this guard forces an intentional update.
  *
  * Per PF-008: assert on parsed `npm pack --dry-run --json` output (structured
@@ -320,15 +320,15 @@ describe('Guard 6 (tarball contents): npm pack --dry-run output excludes source
     ).toHaveLength(0);
   });
 
-  it('tarball contains exactly 16 dist/commands/*.md files (AC-C3)', () => {
+  it('tarball contains exactly 15 dist/commands/*.md files (AC-C3)', () => {
     const files = getPackFiles();
     if (files.length === 0) return; // pre-build: skip
     const commandMds = files.filter(f => /^dist\/commands\/[^/]+\.md$/.test(f));
     expect(
       commandMds,
-      `Expected 16 dist/commands/*.md files in tarball, got ${commandMds.length}.\n` +
+      `Expected 15 dist/commands/*.md files in tarball, got ${commandMds.length}.\n` +
       `Files found: ${commandMds.join(', ')}\n` +
       `If a command was added or removed, update this count intentionally.`,
-    ).toHaveLength(16);
+    ).toHaveLength(15);
   });
 });
diff --git a/tests/plugins.test.ts b/tests/plugins.test.ts
index 92c7c12a..67239ee7 100644
--- a/tests/plugins.test.ts
+++ b/tests/plugins.test.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ import {
   partitionSelectablePlugins,
   prefixSkillName,
   WORKFLOW_ORDER,
+  EXCLUDED,
+  DELETED_PLUGIN_NAMES,
+  LEGACY_PLUGIN_NAMES,
   type PluginDefinition,
 } from '../src/core/plugins.js';
 import {
@@ -177,8 +180,8 @@ describe('optional plugin flag', () => {
     }
   });
 
-  it('non-language plugins do not have optional: true (except audit-claude, dynamic, compliance)', () => {
-    const allowedOptional = new Set([...languagePluginNames, 'devflow-audit-claude', 'devflow-dynamic', 'devflow-compliance']);
+  it('non-language plugins do not have optional: true (except dynamic, compliance)', () => {
+    const allowedOptional = new Set([...languagePluginNames, 'devflow-dynamic', 'devflow-compliance']);
     for (const plugin of DEVFLOW_PLUGINS) {
       if (!allowedOptional.has(plugin.name)) {
         expect(plugin.optional, `${plugin.name} should not be optional`).toBeFalsy();
@@ -193,15 +196,6 @@ describe('optional plugin flag', () => {
     }
   });
 
-  it('audit-claude is excluded from init multiselect choices', () => {
-    // partitionSelectablePlugins excludes devflow-audit-claude from both buckets
-    const { workflow, language } = partitionSelectablePlugins(DEVFLOW_PLUGINS);
-    const selectableNames = [...workflow, ...language].map(pl => pl.name);
-    expect(selectableNames).not.toContain('devflow-audit-claude');
-    // But it still exists in the registry (installable via --plugin=audit-claude)
-    expect(DEVFLOW_PLUGINS.find(p => p.name === 'devflow-audit-claude')).toBeDefined();
-  });
-
   it('devflow-ambient declares review/resolve skill dependencies', () => {
     const ambient = DEVFLOW_PLUGINS.find(p => p.name === 'devflow-ambient');
     expect(ambient).toBeDefined();
@@ -287,6 +281,37 @@ describe('optional plugin flag', () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe('DELETED_PLUGIN_NAMES consistency', () => {
+  // DELETED_PLUGIN_NAMES is a PRUNING manifest, not an install-naming list:
+  // resolvePluginList drops every listed name from the user's manifest.plugins on
+  // partial reinstall. A LIVE plugin name listed here is therefore silently erased
+  // from the user's recorded selection, and resolveSeedPlugins then omits it from
+  // the next re-init seed — a plugin the user chose disappears with no error.
+  // Same misread class as PF-012 (deletion manifest that reads like a naming list);
+  // guarded here because the state-aware-init contract forbids it. applies ADR-014
+  it('contains no name that is still a live plugin in the registry', () => {
+    const liveNames = new Set(DEVFLOW_PLUGINS.map(p => p.name));
+    expect(liveNames.size, 'registry must be non-empty or this guard is vacuous').toBeGreaterThan(0);
+
+    const stillLive = DELETED_PLUGIN_NAMES.filter(name => liveNames.has(name));
+    expect(
+      stillLive,
+      'DELETED_PLUGIN_NAMES lists a plugin that still exists in DEVFLOW_PLUGINS — ' +
+      'it would be pruned from every user manifest on partial reinstall and dropped from the re-init seed',
+    ).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it('does not overlap LEGACY_PLUGIN_NAMES keys (deletion would pre-empt the rename)', () => {
+    // resolvePluginList filters deleted names BEFORE applying the rename map, so a
+    // name in both lists is dropped rather than migrated to its new name.
+    const overlap = DELETED_PLUGIN_NAMES.filter(name => name in LEGACY_PLUGIN_NAMES);
+    expect(
+      overlap,
+      'a name cannot be both renamed and deleted — the delete filter runs first and the rename would never apply',
+    ).toEqual([]);
+  });
+});
+
 describe('LEGACY_AGENT_NAMES consistency', () => {
   it('no legacy agent name appears in any current plugin agents array', () => {
     const currentAgents = getAllAgentNames();
@@ -334,7 +359,24 @@ describe('LEGACY_SKILL_NAMES consistency', () => {
 });
 
 describe('partitionSelectablePlugins', () => {
-  const EXCLUDED = new Set(['devflow-core-skills', 'devflow-ambient', 'devflow-audit-claude']);
+  // Independent oracle. Every other test in this describe derives its expectation
+  // from the imported EXCLUDED, so they move with production and cannot detect a
+  // change to the excluded set itself (dropping devflow-ambient leaves them green
+  // while exposing an always-installed plugin as an uncheckable-by-accident entry
+  // in the init language multiselect). This literal is the only assertion that
+  // pins WHICH plugins are excluded, so a deliberate change must land here. avoids PF-018
+  it('EXCLUDED pins exactly the always-installed plugins (independent oracle)', () => {
+    expect([...EXCLUDED].sort()).toEqual(['devflow-ambient', 'devflow-core-skills']);
+  });
+
+  it('EXCLUDED ∩ optional === ∅ — no optional plugin is non-selectable (structural invariant)', () => {
+    // This invariant ensures that every optional plugin is reachable via the init UI.
+    // Adding an optional plugin to EXCLUDED would silently drop it on full re-inits
+    // without a carry mechanism. Guards the structural requirement.
+    const optionalNames = new Set(DEVFLOW_PLUGINS.filter(p => p.optional).map(p => p.name));
+    const intersection = [...EXCLUDED].filter(name => optionalNames.has(name));
+    expect(intersection, 'EXCLUDED contains an optional plugin — add a re-init carry mechanism to preserve it across full reinstalls').toEqual([]);
+  });
 
   it('command-bearing plugins land in workflow bucket', () => {
     const { workflow } = partitionSelectablePlugins(DEVFLOW_PLUGINS);
@@ -439,8 +481,7 @@ describe('WORKFLOW_ORDER', () => {
   });
 
   it('every WORKFLOW_ORDER entry corresponds to a real command in the registry (reverse regression guard)', () => {
-    // Build the full set of all commands across ALL plugins (including excluded ones like
-    // devflow-audit-claude, which owns /audit-claude and is intentionally in WORKFLOW_ORDER).
+    // Build the full set of all commands across ALL plugins.
     const allCommands = new Set(DEVFLOW_PLUGINS.flatMap(pl => pl.commands));
     for (const cmd of WORKFLOW_ORDER) {
       expect(
diff --git a/tests/registry-integrity.test.ts b/tests/registry-integrity.test.ts
index b259dc93..aa354325 100644
--- a/tests/registry-integrity.test.ts
+++ b/tests/registry-integrity.test.ts
@@ -265,8 +265,8 @@ describe('Guard 5 (build-gated): spawned agents ↔ plugin agent declarations',
 
   /**
    * Normalize an agent name for comparison across naming conventions:
-   *   - Registry uses filenames:   bug-analyzer, claude-md-auditor
-   *   - subagent_type uses frontmatter name field: BugAnalyzer, claude-md-auditor
+   *   - Registry uses filenames:   bug-analyzer, coder
+   *   - subagent_type uses frontmatter name field: BugAnalyzer, Coder
    * Strip hyphens and lowercase so both representations collapse to the same key.
    */
   const normalize = (name: string) => name.replace(/-/g, '').toLowerCase();
diff --git a/tests/skill-references.test.ts b/tests/skill-references.test.ts
index ae8fd6e5..5c450f18 100644
--- a/tests/skill-references.test.ts
+++ b/tests/skill-references.test.ts
@@ -135,7 +135,6 @@ const COMMAND_REFS = new Set([
   'debug',
   'implement',
   'self-review',
-  'audit-claude',
   'plan',
   'review',
   'pipeline',
@@ -184,16 +183,11 @@ describe('Format 2: Agent frontmatter skills', () => {
   });
 
   it('every shared agent declares at least one skill in frontmatter', () => {
-    // Agents from plugins with skills: [] legitimately have no skills to declare.
-    // These are simple, fully self-contained agents whose logic is inline.
-    const AGENTS_WITHOUT_SKILLS = new Set(['claude-md-auditor']);
-
     const agentFiles = readdirSync(path.join(ROOT, 'src', 'assets', 'agents')).filter(f => f.endsWith('.md'));
 
-    for (const file of agentFiles) {
-      const name = file.replace(/\.md$/, '');
-      if (AGENTS_WITHOUT_SKILLS.has(name)) continue;
+    expect(agentFiles.length, 'agent corpus must be non-empty — a rename emptying the directory would pass vacuously').toBeGreaterThan(0);
 
+    for (const file of agentFiles) {
       const filePath = path.join(ROOT, 'src', 'assets', 'agents', file);
       const content = readFileSync(filePath, 'utf-8');
       const skillNames = parseFrontmatterSkills(content);