feat(cli): support Open Plugin (plugin.json) manifest standard

Fixes https://github.com/google-gemini/maintainers-gemini-cli/issues/1597

packages/cli/src/config/extension-manager.ts

@@ -11,7 +11,19 @@ import chalk from 'chalk';
 import { ExtensionEnablementManager } from './extensions/extensionEnablement.js';
 import { type MergedSettings, SettingScope } from './settings.js';
 import { createHash, randomUUID } from 'node:crypto';
-import { loadInstallMetadata, type ExtensionConfig } from './extension.js';
+import {
+  loadInstallMetadata,
+  loadGeminiConfig,
+  createGeminiExtension,
+  type ExtensionConfig,
+} from './extension.js';
+import {
+  findManifest,
+  loadOpenPluginConfig,
+  createOpenPlugin,
+  type OpenPluginConfig,
+  OPEN_PLUGIN_NAME_REGEX,
+} from './plugin.js';
 import {
   isWorkspaceTrusted,
   loadTrustedFolders,
@@ -65,7 +77,6 @@ import { maybeRequestConsentOrFail } from './extensions/consent.js';
 import { resolveEnvVarsInObject } from '../utils/envVarResolver.js';
 import { ExtensionStorage } from './extensions/storage.js';
 import {
-  EXTENSIONS_CONFIG_FILENAME,
   INSTALL_METADATA_FILENAME,
   recursivelyHydrateStrings,
   type JsonObject,
@@ -293,6 +304,10 @@ Would you like to attempt to install via "git clone" instead?`,
       try {
         newExtensionConfig = await this.loadExtensionConfig(localSourcePath);
 
+        if (!newExtensionConfig) {
+          throw new Error('Failed to load extension configuration');
+        }
+
         const newExtensionName = newExtensionConfig.name;
         const previousName = previousExtensionConfig?.name ?? newExtensionName;
         const previous = this.getExtensions().find(
@@ -757,23 +772,58 @@ Would you like to attempt to install via "git clone" instead?`,
       effectiveExtensionPath = installMetadata.source;
     }
 
-    try {
+    const manifestInfo = findManifest(effectiveExtensionPath);
-      let config = await this.loadExtensionConfig(effectiveExtensionPath);
+    if (!manifestInfo) {
+      debugLogger.warn(
+        `Warning: Skipping extension in ${effectiveExtensionPath}: No manifest found.`,
+      );
+      return null;
+    }
 
-      const extensionId = getExtensionId(config, installMetadata);
+    try {
+      // Bifurcate loading based on manifest type
+      if (manifestInfo.type === 'open-plugin') {
+        const config = await loadOpenPluginConfig(
+          manifestInfo.path,
+          effectiveExtensionPath,
+          this.workspaceDir,
+        );
+        validateName(config.name);
+        const extensionId = getExtensionId(config, installMetadata);
+        return await createOpenPlugin(
+          effectiveExtensionPath,
+          manifestInfo.path,
+          this.extensionEnablementManager.isEnabled(
+            config.name,
+            this.workspaceDir,
+          ),
+          extensionId,
+          installMetadata,
+        );
+      }
+
+      // Gemini CLI Extension loading path
+      const rawConfig = await loadGeminiConfig(
+        manifestInfo.path,
+        effectiveExtensionPath,
+        this.workspaceDir,
+      );
+      validateName(rawConfig.name);
+
+      const extensionId = getExtensionId(rawConfig, installMetadata);
 
       let userSettings: Record<string, string> = {};
       let workspaceSettings: Record<string, string> = {};
 
       if (this.settings.experimental.extensionConfig) {
         userSettings = await getScopedEnvContents(
-          config,
+          rawConfig,
           extensionId,
           ExtensionSettingScope.USER,
         );
         if (isWorkspaceTrusted(this.settings).isTrusted) {
           workspaceSettings = await getScopedEnvContents(
-            config,
+            rawConfig,
             extensionId,
             ExtensionSettingScope.WORKSPACE,
             this.workspaceDir,
@@ -782,7 +832,8 @@ Would you like to attempt to install via "git clone" instead?`,
       }
 
       const customEnv = { ...userSettings, ...workspaceSettings };
-      config = resolveEnvVarsInObject(config, customEnv);
+      // config is already hydrated in loadGeminiConfig, but we might need to re-hydrate with customEnv
+      const config = resolveEnvVarsInObject(rawConfig, customEnv);
 
       const resolvedSettings: ResolvedExtensionSetting[] = [];
       if (config.settings && this.settings.experimental.extensionConfig) {
@@ -874,6 +925,7 @@ Would you like to attempt to install via "git clone" instead?`,
 
       const hydrationContext: VariableContext = {
         extensionPath: effectiveExtensionPath,
+        PLUGIN_ROOT: effectiveExtensionPath,
         workspacePath: this.workspaceDir,
         '/': path.sep,
         pathSeparator: path.sep,
@@ -957,30 +1009,23 @@ Would you like to attempt to install via "git clone" instead?`,
         );
       }
 
-      return {
+      return createGeminiExtension(
-        name: config.name,
+        config,
-        version: config.version,
+        effectiveExtensionPath,
-        path: effectiveExtensionPath,
+        this.extensionEnablementManager.isEnabled(
-        contextFiles,
-        installMetadata,
-        migratedTo: config.migratedTo,
-        mcpServers: config.mcpServers,
-        excludeTools: config.excludeTools,
-        hooks,
-        isActive: this.extensionEnablementManager.isEnabled(
           config.name,
           this.workspaceDir,
         ),
-        id: getExtensionId(config, installMetadata),
+        extensionId,
-        settings: config.settings,
+        contextFiles,
         resolvedSettings,
+        installMetadata,
+        hooks,
         skills,
-        agents: agentLoadResult.agents,
+        agentLoadResult.agents,
-        themes: config.themes,
         rules,
         checkers,
-        plan: config.plan,
+      );
-      };
     } catch (e) {
       debugLogger.error(
         `Warning: Skipping extension in ${effectiveExtensionPath}: ${getErrorMessage(
@@ -1013,39 +1058,27 @@ Would you like to attempt to install via "git clone" instead?`,
   }
 
   async loadExtensionConfig(extensionDir: string): Promise<ExtensionConfig> {
-    const configFilePath = path.join(extensionDir, EXTENSIONS_CONFIG_FILENAME);
+    const manifestInfo = findManifest(extensionDir);
-    if (!fs.existsSync(configFilePath)) {
+    if (!manifestInfo) {
-      throw new Error(`Configuration file not found at ${configFilePath}`);
+      throw new Error(`Configuration file not found in ${extensionDir}`);
     }
-    try {
-      const configContent = await fs.promises.readFile(configFilePath, 'utf-8');
-      // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-type-assertion
-      const rawConfig = JSON.parse(configContent) as ExtensionConfig;
-      if (!rawConfig.name || !rawConfig.version) {
-        throw new Error(
-          `Invalid configuration in ${configFilePath}: missing ${!rawConfig.name ? '"name"' : '"version"'}`,
-        );
-      }
-      // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-type-assertion
-      const config = recursivelyHydrateStrings(
-        // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-type-assertion
-        rawConfig as unknown as JsonObject,
-        {
-          extensionPath: extensionDir,
-          workspacePath: this.workspaceDir,
-          '/': path.sep,
-          pathSeparator: path.sep,
-        },
-      ) as unknown as ExtensionConfig;
 
+    if (manifestInfo.type === 'open-plugin') {
+      const config = await loadOpenPluginConfig(
+        manifestInfo.path,
+        extensionDir,
+        this.workspaceDir,
+      );
       validateName(config.name);
       return config;
-    } catch (e) {
+    } else {
-      throw new Error(
+      const config = await loadGeminiConfig(
-        `Failed to load extension config from ${configFilePath}: ${getErrorMessage(
+        manifestInfo.path,
-          e,
+        extensionDir,
-        )}`,
+        this.workspaceDir,
       );
+      validateName(config.name);
+      return config;
     }
   }
 
@@ -1279,9 +1312,9 @@ function getContextFileNames(config: ExtensionConfig): string[] {
 }
 
 function validateName(name: string) {
-  if (!/^[a-zA-Z0-9-]+$/.test(name)) {
+  if (!OPEN_PLUGIN_NAME_REGEX.test(name) && !/^[a-zA-Z0-9-]+$/.test(name)) {
     throw new Error(
-      `Invalid extension name: "${name}". Only letters (a-z, A-Z), numbers (0-9), and dashes (-) are allowed.`,
+      `Invalid extension name: "${name}". Only letters (a-z, A-Z), numbers (0-9), dashes (-), and dots (.) are allowed. Names must start and end with an alphanumeric character.`,
     );
   }
 }
@@ -1326,7 +1359,7 @@ export async function inferInstallMetadata(
 }
 
 export function getExtensionId(
-  config: ExtensionConfig,
+  config: ExtensionConfig | OpenPluginConfig,
   installMetadata?: ExtensionInstallMetadata,
 ): string {
   // IDs are created by hashing details of the installation source in order to

packages/cli/src/config/extension.test.ts

@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ import {
   INSTALL_METADATA_FILENAME,
 } from './extensions/variables.js';
 import { hashValue, ExtensionManager } from './extension-manager.js';
+import { loadGeminiConfig, createGeminiExtension } from './extension.js';
 import { ExtensionStorage } from './extensions/storage.js';
 import { INSTALL_WARNING_MESSAGE } from './extensions/consent.js';
 import type { ExtensionSetting } from './extensions/extensionSettings.js';
@@ -685,9 +686,7 @@ name = "yolo-checker"
       expect(extensions).toHaveLength(1);
       expect(extensions[0].name).toBe('good-ext');
       expect(consoleSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-        expect.stringContaining(
+        expect.stringContaining(`Warning: Skipping extension in ${badExtDir}:`),
-          `Warning: Skipping extension in ${badExtDir}: Failed to load extension config from ${badConfigPath}`,
-        ),
       );
 
       consoleSpy.mockRestore();
@@ -717,7 +716,7 @@ name = "yolo-checker"
       expect(extensions[0].name).toBe('good-ext');
       expect(consoleSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
         expect.stringContaining(
-          `Warning: Skipping extension in ${badExtDir}: Failed to load extension config from ${badConfigPath}: Invalid configuration in ${badConfigPath}: missing "name"`,
+          `Warning: Skipping extension in ${badExtDir}: Invalid gemini-extension.json:`,
         ),
       );
 
@@ -1195,14 +1194,13 @@ name = "yolo-checker"
     it('should throw an error and cleanup if gemini-extension.json is missing', async () => {
       const sourceExtDir = getRealPath(path.join(tempHomeDir, 'bad-extension'));
       fs.mkdirSync(sourceExtDir, { recursive: true });
-      const configPath = path.join(sourceExtDir, EXTENSIONS_CONFIG_FILENAME);
 
       await expect(
         extensionManager.installOrUpdateExtension({
           source: sourceExtDir,
           type: 'local',
         }),
-      ).rejects.toThrow(`Configuration file not found at ${configPath}`);
+      ).rejects.toThrow(`Configuration file not found in ${sourceExtDir}`);
 
       const targetExtDir = path.join(userExtensionsDir, 'bad-extension');
       expect(fs.existsSync(targetExtDir)).toBe(false);
@@ -1219,7 +1217,7 @@ name = "yolo-checker"
           source: sourceExtDir,
           type: 'local',
         }),
-      ).rejects.toThrow(`Failed to load extension config from ${configPath}`);
+      ).rejects.toThrow();
     });
 
     it('should throw an error for missing name in gemini-extension.json', async () => {
@@ -1239,9 +1237,7 @@ name = "yolo-checker"
           source: sourceExtDir,
           type: 'local',
         }),
-      ).rejects.toThrow(
+      ).rejects.toThrow('Invalid gemini-extension.json:');
-        `Invalid configuration in ${configPath}: missing "name"`,
-      );
     });
 
     it('should install an extension from a git URL', async () => {
@@ -2354,3 +2350,67 @@ function isEnabled(options: { name: string; enabledForPath: string }) {
   const manager = new ExtensionEnablementManager();
   return manager.isEnabled(options.name, options.enabledForPath);
 }
+
+describe('extension.ts - Gemini CLI Extension Loading', () => {
+  let geminiTempDir: string;
+  let geminiManifestPath: string;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    geminiTempDir = fs.mkdtempSync(
+      path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'gemini-extension-test-'),
+    );
+    geminiManifestPath = path.join(geminiTempDir, 'gemini-extension.json');
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    if (fs.existsSync(geminiTempDir)) {
+      fs.rmSync(geminiTempDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('should load a valid gemini-extension.json and hydrate PLUGIN_ROOT', async () => {
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      geminiManifestPath,
+      JSON.stringify({
+        name: 'test-extension',
+        version: '1.0.0',
+        description: 'Uses root: ${PLUGIN_ROOT}',
+      }),
+    );
+
+    const config = await loadGeminiConfig(
+      geminiManifestPath,
+      geminiTempDir,
+      '/tmp/workspace',
+    );
+
+    expect(config.name).toBe('test-extension');
+    expect(config.version).toBe('1.0.0');
+    expect(config.description).toBe(`Uses root: ${geminiTempDir}`);
+    expect(config.manifestType).toBe('gemini');
+  });
+
+  it('should create a GeminiCLIExtension with all fields', () => {
+    const config = {
+      name: 'test-ext',
+      version: '2.0.0',
+      description: 'A test',
+      themes: [],
+    };
+
+    const extension = createGeminiExtension(
+      config,
+      geminiTempDir,
+      true,
+      'ext-id',
+      ['GEMINI.md'],
+      [],
+    );
+
+    expect(extension.name).toBe('test-ext');
+    expect(extension.version).toBe('2.0.0');
+    expect(extension.isActive).toBe(true);
+    expect(extension.manifestType).toBe('gemini');
+    expect(extension.contextFiles).toEqual(['GEMINI.md']);
+  });
+});

packages/cli/src/config/extension.ts

@@ -4,15 +4,24 @@
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
  */
 
-import type {
+import {
-  MCPServerConfig,
+  type MCPServerConfig,
-  ExtensionInstallMetadata,
+  type ExtensionInstallMetadata,
-  CustomTheme,
+  type CustomTheme,
+  type PolicyRule,
+  type SafetyCheckerRule,
+  type GeminiCLIExtension,
+  type ResolvedExtensionSetting,
 } from '@google/gemini-cli-core';
 import * as fs from 'node:fs';
 import * as path from 'node:path';
-import { INSTALL_METADATA_FILENAME } from './extensions/variables.js';
+import { z } from 'zod';
 import type { ExtensionSetting } from './extensions/extensionSettings.js';
+import {
+  INSTALL_METADATA_FILENAME,
+  recursivelyHydrateStrings,
+  type JsonObject,
+} from './extensions/variables.js';
 
 /**
  * Extension definition as written to disk in gemini-extension.json files.
@@ -24,6 +33,14 @@ import type { ExtensionSetting } from './extensions/extensionSettings.js';
 export interface ExtensionConfig {
   name: string;
   version: string;
+  manifestType?: 'gemini' | 'open-plugin';
+  description?: string;
+  author?: string | { name: string; email?: string; url?: string };
+  license?: string;
+  repository?: string | { type: string; url: string; directory?: string };
+  homepage?: string;
+  logo?: string;
+  keywords?: string[];
   mcpServers?: Record<string, MCPServerConfig>;
   contextFileName?: string | string[];
   excludeTools?: string[];
@@ -48,6 +65,47 @@ export interface ExtensionConfig {
   migratedTo?: string;
 }
 
+export const geminiExtensionSchema = z.object({
+  name: z.string().min(1),
+  version: z.string().min(1),
+  description: z.string().optional(),
+  author: z
+    .union([
+      z.string(),
+      z.object({
+        name: z.string(),
+        email: z.string().optional(),
+        url: z.string().optional(),
+      }),
+    ])
+    .optional(),
+  license: z.string().optional(),
+  repository: z
+    .union([
+      z.string(),
+      z.object({
+        type: z.string(),
+        url: z.string(),
+        directory: z.string().optional(),
+      }),
+    ])
+    .optional(),
+  homepage: z.string().url().optional(),
+  logo: z.string().optional(),
+  keywords: z.array(z.string()).optional(),
+  mcpServers: z.record(z.any()).optional(),
+  contextFileName: z.union([z.string(), z.array(z.string())]).optional(),
+  excludeTools: z.array(z.string()).optional(),
+  settings: z.array(z.any()).optional(),
+  themes: z.array(z.any()).optional(),
+  plan: z
+    .object({
+      directory: z.string().optional(),
+    })
+    .optional(),
+  migratedTo: z.string().optional(),
+});
+
 export interface ExtensionUpdateInfo {
   name: string;
   originalVersion: string;
@@ -67,3 +125,87 @@ export function loadInstallMetadata(
     return undefined;
   }
 }
+
+/**
+ * Loads a Gemini CLI extension manifest.
+ */
+export async function loadGeminiConfig(
+  manifestPath: string,
+  extensionDir: string,
+  workspaceDir: string,
+): Promise<ExtensionConfig> {
+  const content = await fs.promises.readFile(manifestPath, 'utf-8');
+  const json = JSON.parse(content) as unknown;
+  const result = geminiExtensionSchema.safeParse(json);
+  if (!result.success) {
+    throw new Error(`Invalid gemini-extension.json: ${result.error.message}`);
+  }
+
+  // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-type-assertion
+  const rawConfig = result.data as unknown as ExtensionConfig;
+
+  // Hydrate strings with basic context
+  // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-type-assertion
+  const config = recursivelyHydrateStrings(
+    // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-type-assertion
+    rawConfig as unknown as JsonObject,
+    {
+      extensionPath: extensionDir,
+      PLUGIN_ROOT: extensionDir,
+      workspacePath: workspaceDir,
+      '/': path.sep,
+      pathSeparator: path.sep,
+    },
+  ) as unknown as ExtensionConfig;
+
+  config.manifestType = 'gemini';
+  return config;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Factory for creating a GeminiCLIExtension from a Gemini config.
+ */
+export function createGeminiExtension(
+  config: ExtensionConfig,
+  extensionDir: string,
+  isActive: boolean,
+  id: string,
+  contextFiles: string[],
+  resolvedSettings: ResolvedExtensionSetting[],
+  installMetadata?: ExtensionInstallMetadata,
+  hooks?: GeminiCLIExtension['hooks'],
+  skills?: GeminiCLIExtension['skills'],
+  agents?: GeminiCLIExtension['agents'],
+  rules?: PolicyRule[],
+  checkers?: SafetyCheckerRule[],
+): GeminiCLIExtension {
+  return {
+    name: config.name,
+    version: config.version,
+    path: extensionDir,
+    isActive,
+    id,
+    installMetadata,
+    manifestType: 'gemini',
+    description: config.description,
+    author: config.author,
+    license: config.license,
+    repository: config.repository ?? config.migratedTo,
+    homepage: config.homepage,
+    logo: config.logo,
+    keywords: config.keywords,
+    contextFiles,
+    mcpServers: config.mcpServers,
+    excludeTools: config.excludeTools,
+    settings: config.settings,
+    resolvedSettings,
+    hooks,
+    skills,
+    agents,
+    themes: config.themes,
+    rules,
+    checkers,
+    plan: config.plan,
+    migratedTo: config.migratedTo,
+  };
+}

packages/cli/src/config/extensions/variableSchema.ts

@@ -25,6 +25,10 @@ export const VARIABLE_SCHEMA = {
     type: 'string',
     description: 'The path of the extension in the filesystem.',
   },
+  PLUGIN_ROOT: {
+    type: 'string',
+    description: 'The root path of the plugin (alias for extensionPath).',
+  },
   workspacePath: {
     type: 'string',
     description: 'The absolute path of the current workspace.',

packages/cli/src/config/extensions/variables.ts

@@ -20,6 +20,11 @@ const UNMARSHALL_KEY_IGNORE_LIST: Set<string> = new Set<string>([
 
 export const EXTENSIONS_DIRECTORY_NAME = path.join(GEMINI_DIR, 'extensions');
 export const EXTENSIONS_CONFIG_FILENAME = 'gemini-extension.json';
+export const OPEN_PLUGIN_CONFIG_FILENAME = 'plugin.json';
+export const HIDDEN_OPEN_PLUGIN_CONFIG_FILENAME = path.join(
+  '.plugin',
+  'plugin.json',
+);
 export const INSTALL_METADATA_FILENAME = '.gemini-extension-install.json';
 export const EXTENSION_SETTINGS_FILENAME = '.env';
 

packages/cli/src/config/open-plugin-discovery.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,194 @@
+/**
+ * @license
+ * Copyright 2026 Google LLC
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ */
+
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, vi } from 'vitest';
+import * as fs from 'node:fs';
+import * as os from 'node:os';
+import * as path from 'node:path';
+import { ExtensionManager } from './extension-manager.js';
+import { createTestMergedSettings } from './settings.js';
+import { EXTENSIONS_DIRECTORY_NAME } from './extensions/variables.js';
+
+const mockHomedir = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn(() => '/tmp/mock-home'));
+const mockIntegrityManager = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  verify: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue('verified'),
+  store: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
+}));
+
+vi.mock('os', async (importOriginal) => {
+  const mockedOs = await importOriginal<typeof os>();
+  return {
+    ...mockedOs,
+    homedir: mockHomedir,
+  };
+});
+
+vi.mock('@google/gemini-cli-core', async (importOriginal) => {
+  const actual =
+    await importOriginal<typeof import('@google/gemini-cli-core')>();
+  return {
+    ...actual,
+    homedir: mockHomedir,
+    ExtensionIntegrityManager: vi
+      .fn()
+      .mockImplementation(() => mockIntegrityManager),
+  };
+});
+
+describe('ExtensionManager - Open Plugin Support', () => {
+  let tempHomeDir: string;
+  let tempWorkspaceDir: string;
+  let userExtensionsDir: string;
+  let extensionManager: ExtensionManager;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.clearAllMocks();
+    tempHomeDir = fs.mkdtempSync(
+      path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'gemini-cli-test-home-'),
+    );
+    tempWorkspaceDir = fs.mkdtempSync(
+      path.join(tempHomeDir, 'gemini-cli-test-workspace-'),
+    );
+    mockHomedir.mockReturnValue(tempHomeDir);
+    userExtensionsDir = path.join(tempHomeDir, EXTENSIONS_DIRECTORY_NAME);
+    fs.mkdirSync(userExtensionsDir, { recursive: true });
+
+    extensionManager = new ExtensionManager({
+      settings: createTestMergedSettings(),
+      workspaceDir: tempWorkspaceDir,
+      requestConsent: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(true),
+      requestSetting: null,
+      integrityManager: mockIntegrityManager,
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('should discover a plugin with plugin.json', async () => {
+    const pluginDir = path.join(userExtensionsDir, 'test-plugin');
+    fs.mkdirSync(pluginDir, { recursive: true });
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(pluginDir, 'plugin.json'),
+      JSON.stringify({
+        name: 'hello-world',
+        version: '1.0.0',
+        description: 'An Open Plugin test',
+        author: { name: 'Taylor' },
+        license: 'Apache-2.0',
+      }),
+    );
+
+    const extensions = await extensionManager.loadExtensions();
+    const plugin = extensions.find((ext) => ext.name === 'hello-world');
+
+    expect(plugin).toBeDefined();
+    expect(plugin?.version).toBe('1.0.0');
+    expect(plugin?.description).toBe('An Open Plugin test');
+    expect(plugin?.manifestType).toBe('open-plugin');
+    expect(plugin?.author).toEqual({ name: 'Taylor' });
+    expect(plugin?.license).toBe('Apache-2.0');
+  });
+
+  it('should discover a plugin with .plugin/plugin.json', async () => {
+    const pluginDir = path.join(userExtensionsDir, 'hidden-plugin-dir');
+    const hiddenDir = path.join(pluginDir, '.plugin');
+    fs.mkdirSync(hiddenDir, { recursive: true });
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(hiddenDir, 'plugin.json'),
+      JSON.stringify({
+        name: 'hidden-plugin',
+        version: '2.0.0',
+      }),
+    );
+
+    const extensions = await extensionManager.loadExtensions();
+    const plugin = extensions.find((ext) => ext.name === 'hidden-plugin');
+
+    expect(plugin).toBeDefined();
+    expect(plugin?.version).toBe('2.0.0');
+    expect(plugin?.manifestType).toBe('open-plugin');
+  });
+
+  it('should support PLUGIN_ROOT variable alias in metadata', async () => {
+    const pluginDir = path.join(userExtensionsDir, 'var-plugin');
+    fs.mkdirSync(pluginDir, { recursive: true });
+
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(pluginDir, 'plugin.json'),
+      JSON.stringify({
+        name: 'var-plugin',
+        version: '1.0.0',
+        description: 'Uses root: ${PLUGIN_ROOT}',
+      }),
+    );
+
+    const extensions = await extensionManager.loadExtensions();
+    const plugin = extensions.find((ext) => ext.name === 'var-plugin');
+
+    expect(plugin).toBeDefined();
+    expect(plugin?.description).toBe(`Uses root: ${pluginDir}`);
+  });
+
+  it('should NOT load skills or context files for Open Plugins in v1', async () => {
+    const pluginDir = path.join(userExtensionsDir, 'feature-plugin');
+    fs.mkdirSync(pluginDir, { recursive: true });
+    const skillsDir = path.join(pluginDir, 'skills', 'test');
+    fs.mkdirSync(skillsDir, { recursive: true });
+
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(pluginDir, 'plugin.json'),
+      JSON.stringify({
+        name: 'feature-plugin',
+        version: '1.0.0',
+      }),
+    );
+
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(skillsDir, 'SKILL.md'),
+      `---
+  name: test-skill
+  description: "Test"
+  ---
+  Body`,
+    );
+
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(pluginDir, 'GEMINI.md'), '# Context');
+
+    const extensions = await extensionManager.loadExtensions();
+    const plugin = extensions.find((ext) => ext.name === 'feature-plugin');
+
+    expect(plugin).toBeDefined();
+    expect(plugin?.skills).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(plugin?.contextFiles).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it('should prioritize gemini-extension.json over plugin.json', async () => {
+    const pluginDir = path.join(userExtensionsDir, 'dual-manifest-plugin');
+    fs.mkdirSync(pluginDir, { recursive: true });
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(pluginDir, 'gemini-extension.json'),
+      JSON.stringify({
+        name: 'gemini-plugin',
+        version: '1.1.1',
+      }),
+    );
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(pluginDir, 'plugin.json'),
+      JSON.stringify({
+        name: 'open-plugin',
+        version: '2.2.2',
+      }),
+    );
+
+    const extensions = await extensionManager.loadExtensions();
+    const plugin = extensions.find((ext) => ext.name === 'gemini-plugin');
+
+    expect(plugin).toBeDefined();
+    expect(plugin?.version).toBe('1.1.1');
+    expect(plugin?.manifestType).toBe('gemini');
+
+    const openPlugin = extensions.find((ext) => ext.name === 'open-plugin');
+    expect(openPlugin).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+});

packages/cli/src/config/plugin.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,209 @@
+/**
+ * @license
+ * Copyright 2026 Google LLC
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ */
+
+import * as fs from 'node:fs';
+import * as path from 'node:path';
+import { z } from 'zod';
+import type {
+  ExtensionInstallMetadata,
+  GeminiCLIExtension,
+  CustomTheme,
+} from '@google/gemini-cli-core';
+import {
+  EXTENSIONS_CONFIG_FILENAME,
+  HIDDEN_OPEN_PLUGIN_CONFIG_FILENAME,
+  OPEN_PLUGIN_CONFIG_FILENAME,
+  recursivelyHydrateStrings,
+  type JsonObject,
+} from './extensions/variables.js';
+import type { ExtensionConfig } from './extension.js';
+import type { ExtensionSetting } from './extensions/extensionSettings.js';
+
+/**
+ * Open Plugin manifest (plugin.json) v1.0.0
+ * Based on https://open-plugins.com/plugin-builders/specification
+ */
+export interface OpenPluginConfig {
+  name: string;
+  version?: string;
+  description?: string;
+  author?: string | { name: string; email?: string; url?: string };
+  license?: string;
+  repository?: string | { type: string; url: string; directory?: string };
+  homepage?: string;
+  logo?: string;
+  keywords?: string[];
+  // Component fields (parsed but currently ignored during execution per v1 plan)
+  skills?: string[] | Record<string, unknown>;
+  agents?: string[] | Record<string, unknown>;
+  hooks?: string[] | Record<string, unknown>;
+  mcpServers?: string[] | Record<string, unknown>;
+  lspServers?: string[] | Record<string, unknown>;
+  rules?: string[] | Record<string, unknown>;
+  // For Gemini CLI compatibility
+  settings?: ExtensionSetting[];
+  themes?: CustomTheme[];
+}
+
+export const OPEN_PLUGIN_NAME_REGEX = /^[a-z0-9]([a-z0-9.-]*[a-z0-9])?$/;
+
+export const openPluginSchema = z.object({
+  name: z.string().min(1).max(64).regex(OPEN_PLUGIN_NAME_REGEX),
+  version: z.string().optional(),
+  description: z.string().optional(),
+  author: z
+    .union([
+      z.string(),
+      z.object({
+        name: z.string(),
+        email: z.string().optional(),
+        url: z.string().optional(),
+      }),
+    ])
+    .optional(),
+  license: z.string().optional(),
+  repository: z
+    .union([
+      z.string(),
+      z.object({
+        type: z.string(),
+        url: z.string(),
+        directory: z.string().optional(),
+      }),
+    ])
+    .optional(),
+  homepage: z.string().url().optional(),
+  logo: z.string().optional(),
+  keywords: z.array(z.string()).optional(),
+  skills: z.union([z.array(z.string()), z.record(z.any())]).optional(),
+  agents: z.union([z.array(z.string()), z.record(z.any())]).optional(),
+  hooks: z.union([z.array(z.string()), z.record(z.any())]).optional(),
+  mcpServers: z.union([z.array(z.string()), z.record(z.any())]).optional(),
+  lspServers: z.union([z.array(z.string()), z.record(z.any())]).optional(),
+  rules: z.union([z.array(z.string()), z.record(z.any())]).optional(),
+  settings: z.array(z.any()).optional(),
+  themes: z.array(z.any()).optional(),
+});
+
+export interface ManifestInfo {
+  type: 'gemini' | 'open-plugin';
+  path: string;
+}
+
+export function findManifest(extensionDir: string): ManifestInfo | undefined {
+  const geminiPath = path.join(extensionDir, EXTENSIONS_CONFIG_FILENAME);
+  if (fs.existsSync(geminiPath)) {
+    return { type: 'gemini', path: geminiPath };
+  }
+
+  const openPluginPath = path.join(extensionDir, OPEN_PLUGIN_CONFIG_FILENAME);
+  if (fs.existsSync(openPluginPath)) {
+    return { type: 'open-plugin', path: openPluginPath };
+  }
+
+  const hiddenOpenPluginPath = path.join(
+    extensionDir,
+    HIDDEN_OPEN_PLUGIN_CONFIG_FILENAME,
+  );
+  if (fs.existsSync(hiddenOpenPluginPath)) {
+    return { type: 'open-plugin', path: hiddenOpenPluginPath };
+  }
+
+  return undefined;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Loads an Open Plugin manifest and maps it to ExtensionConfig.
+ */
+export async function loadOpenPluginConfig(
+  manifestPath: string,
+  extensionDir: string,
+  workspaceDir: string,
+): Promise<ExtensionConfig> {
+  const content = await fs.promises.readFile(manifestPath, 'utf-8');
+  const json = JSON.parse(content) as unknown;
+  const result = openPluginSchema.safeParse(json);
+  if (!result.success) {
+    throw new Error(`Invalid plugin.json: ${result.error.message}`);
+  }
+
+  const rawConfig = result.data as OpenPluginConfig;
+
+  // Hydrate metadata fields
+  // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-type-assertion
+  const hydratedConfig = recursivelyHydrateStrings(
+    // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-type-assertion
+    rawConfig as unknown as JsonObject,
+    {
+      extensionPath: extensionDir,
+      PLUGIN_ROOT: extensionDir,
+      workspacePath: workspaceDir,
+      '/': path.sep,
+      pathSeparator: path.sep,
+    },
+  ) as unknown as OpenPluginConfig;
+
+  return {
+    name: hydratedConfig.name,
+    version: hydratedConfig.version ?? '0.0.0',
+    manifestType: 'open-plugin',
+    description: hydratedConfig.description,
+    author: hydratedConfig.author,
+    license: hydratedConfig.license,
+    repository: hydratedConfig.repository,
+    homepage: hydratedConfig.homepage,
+    logo: hydratedConfig.logo,
+    keywords: hydratedConfig.keywords,
+    settings: hydratedConfig.settings,
+    themes: hydratedConfig.themes,
+    // Features are explicitly NOT mapped here for v1 plugins
+  };
+}
+
+/**
+ * Creates a GeminiCLIExtension from an Open Plugin directory.
+ * v1: Does not enable skills, mcp servers, context files, or settings.
+ */
+export async function createOpenPlugin(
+  pluginDir: string,
+  manifestPath: string,
+  isActive: boolean,
+  id: string,
+  installMetadata?: ExtensionInstallMetadata,
+): Promise<GeminiCLIExtension> {
+  // Use loadOpenPluginConfig to get standard mapping
+  const config = await loadOpenPluginConfig(
+    manifestPath,
+    pluginDir,
+    process.cwd(),
+  );
+
+  return {
+    name: config.name,
+    version: config.version,
+    path: pluginDir,
+    isActive,
+    id,
+    installMetadata,
+    manifestType: 'open-plugin',
+    description: config.description,
+    author: config.author,
+    license: config.license,
+    repository: config.repository,
+    homepage: config.homepage,
+    logo: config.logo,
+    keywords: config.keywords,
+    // v1: Features disabled
+    contextFiles: [],
+    mcpServers: undefined,
+    excludeTools: undefined,
+    settings: undefined,
+    resolvedSettings: undefined,
+    skills: undefined,
+    agents: undefined,
+    themes: config.themes,
+  };
+}

packages/cli/src/ui/components/views/ExtensionsList.tsx

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import { useUIState } from '../../contexts/UIStateContext.js';
 import { ExtensionUpdateState } from '../../state/extensions.js';
 import { debugLogger, type GeminiCLIExtension } from '@google/gemini-cli-core';
 import { getFormattedSettingValue } from '../../../commands/extensions/utils.js';
+import { theme } from '../../semantic-colors.js';
 
 interface ExtensionsList {
   extensions: readonly GeminiCLIExtension[];
@@ -61,11 +62,29 @@ export const ExtensionsList: React.FC<ExtensionsList> = ({ extensions }) => {
 
           return (
             <Box key={ext.name} flexDirection="column" marginBottom={1}>
-              <Text>
+              <Box flexDirection="row">
-                <Text color="cyan">{`${ext.name} (v${ext.version})`}</Text>
+                <Text>
-                <Text color={activeColor}>{` - ${activeString}`}</Text>
+                  <Text color="cyan">{`${ext.name} (v${ext.version})`}</Text>
-                {<Text color={stateColor}>{` (${stateText})`}</Text>}
+                  <Text color={activeColor}>{` - ${activeString}`}</Text>
-              </Text>
+                  <Text color={stateColor}>{` (${stateText})`}</Text>
+                </Text>
+                {ext.manifestType === 'open-plugin' && (
+                  <Box marginLeft={1}>
+                    <Text
+                      backgroundColor={theme.ui.dark}
+                      color={theme.text.secondary}
+                    >
+                      {' '}
+                      Plugin{' '}
+                    </Text>
+                  </Box>
+                )}
+              </Box>
+              {ext.description && (
+                <Box paddingLeft={2}>
+                  <Text color="gray">{ext.description}</Text>
+                </Box>
+              )}
               {ext.resolvedSettings && ext.resolvedSettings.length > 0 && (
                 <Box flexDirection="column" paddingLeft={2}>
                   <Text>settings:</Text>

packages/core/src/config/config.ts

@@ -348,6 +348,14 @@ export interface GeminiCLIExtension {
   isActive: boolean;
   path: string;
   installMetadata?: ExtensionInstallMetadata;
+  manifestType?: 'gemini' | 'open-plugin';
+  description?: string;
+  author?: string | { name: string; email?: string; url?: string };
+  license?: string;
+  repository?: string | { type: string; url: string; directory?: string };
+  homepage?: string;
+  logo?: string;
+  keywords?: string[];
   mcpServers?: Record<string, MCPServerConfig>;
   contextFiles: string[];
   excludeTools?: string[];