diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
index e771d4c8..15f7b705 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
@@ -223,6 +223,9 @@ jobs:
       - name: 🧪 Verify complete packaged resource discovery
         run: bash scripts/package-discovery.test.sh
 
+      - name: 🧪 Verify packaged desired-state file boundaries
+        run: bash scripts/desired-state-boundaries.test.sh
+
       - name: 🧪 Self-test the desired-state digest generator
         # Proves the generator writes exactly what validate-manifests.sh demands — a
         # generator that disagreed with the gate would leave a sync branch just as
diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index 4e2bc661..3e34b754 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -237,6 +237,9 @@ plugin membership) is authored here.
    A plugin may additionally carry ancillary `resources/*.desired-state.json` documents for human
    copy-paste onboarding. They do not satisfy the minimum auto-discovered-resource requirement and must
    be linked from the plugin README; `validate-manifests.sh` enforces their provider-neutral contract.
+   Desired-state files and their `resources/` parents must be regular packaged files and directories,
+   without symlinks. Run `bash scripts/desired-state-boundaries.test.sh` for complete-package refusal
+   cases, including ancillary files outside the canonical onboarding document.
 3. **agentskills.io spec.** Every bundled `SKILL.md` must validate against the
    [`agentskills.io`](https://agentskills.io) spec — CI validates each discovered skill in a matrix.
 4. **Tool-neutral.** Keep names, descriptions, and README framing cross-tool (VS Code / Copilot CLI /
diff --git a/scripts/desired-state-boundaries.test.sh b/scripts/desired-state-boundaries.test.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8a36c345
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/desired-state-boundaries.test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,121 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Exercise the complete package gate before any linked onboarding bytes are read.
+set -euo pipefail
+here=${PACKAGE_SOURCE:-$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)}
+work=$(mktemp -d)
+trap 'rm -rf "$work"' EXIT
+git -C "$here/.." archive HEAD > "$work/package.tar"
+fail=0
+for scenario in healthy empty-resources canonical-internal canonical-external canonical-malformed \
+  canonical-dangling canonical-directory canonical-fifo canonical-parent \
+  optional-internal optional-external optional-dangling optional-directory optional-fifo \
+  optional-parent optional-parent-empty resources-file; do
+  root="$work/$scenario"; mkdir -p "$root"
+  tar -xf "$work/package.tar" -C "$root"
+  canonical="$root/plugins/agentic-engineering/resources/provider-neutral.desired-state.json"
+  candidate="$root/plugins/agentic-engineering/resources/other.desired-state.json"
+  diagnostic='regular packaged desired-state file'
+  expected=reject
+  case "$scenario" in
+    healthy) expected=pass ;;
+    empty-resources) mkdir -p "$root/plugins/go/resources"; expected=pass ;;
+    canonical-internal)
+      mv "$canonical" "$root/plugins/agentic-engineering/original.json"
+      ln -s ../original.json "$canonical" ;;
+    canonical-external|canonical-malformed)
+      cp "$canonical" "$work/$scenario.json"
+      if [ "$scenario" = canonical-malformed ]; then
+        printf '%s\n' '{"kind":"AgenticEngineeringDesiredState","spec":null}' > "$work/$scenario.json"
+      fi
+      rm "$canonical"; ln -s "$work/$scenario.json" "$canonical" ;;
+    canonical-dangling) rm "$canonical"; ln -s absent.json "$canonical" ;;
+    canonical-directory) rm "$canonical"; mkdir "$canonical" ;;
+    canonical-fifo) rm "$canonical"; mkfifo "$canonical" ;;
+    canonical-parent)
+      mv "$root/plugins/agentic-engineering/resources" "$root/original-resources"
+      ln -s "$root/original-resources" "$root/plugins/agentic-engineering/resources"
+      diagnostic='regular packaged resources directory' ;;
+    optional-internal) ln -s provider-neutral.desired-state.json "$candidate" ;;
+    optional-external) cp "$canonical" "$work/$scenario.json"; ln -s "$work/$scenario.json" "$candidate" ;;
+    optional-dangling) ln -s absent.json "$candidate" ;;
+    optional-directory) mkdir "$candidate" ;;
+    optional-fifo) mkfifo "$candidate" ;;
+    optional-parent|optional-parent-empty)
+      mkdir -p "$root/original-resources"
+      if [ "$scenario" = optional-parent ]; then cp "$canonical" "$root/original-resources/other.desired-state.json"; fi
+      ln -s "$root/original-resources" "$root/plugins/go/resources"
+      diagnostic='regular packaged resources directory' ;;
+    resources-file)
+      printf 'not a directory\n' > "$root/plugins/go/resources"
+      diagnostic='regular packaged resources directory' ;;
+  esac
+  rc=0
+  (cd "$root" && bash "$here/validate-manifests.sh") > "$root/out" 2>&1 || rc=$?
+  if { [ "$expected" = pass ] && [ "$rc" -eq 0 ] && grep -Fq '✓ desired state plugins/agentic-engineering/resources/provider-neutral.desired-state.json' "$root/out"; } ||
+     { [ "$expected" = reject ] && [ "$rc" -ne 0 ] && grep -Fq "$diagnostic" "$root/out"; }; then
+    printf 'PASS desired-state-%s\n' "$scenario"
+  else
+    printf 'FAIL desired-state-%s exit=%s\n' "$scenario" "$rc"
+    cat "$root/out"; fail=$((fail+1))
+  fi
+done
+# Producer completion is part of the direct resources-parent census. Plausible
+# first records cannot hide a second parent or an unterminated final record.
+real_find=$(command -v find)
+mkdir -p "$work/bin"
+cat > "$work/bin/find" <<'STUB'
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+if [ "$*" = "plugins -path */resources/*.desired-state.json -print0" ]; then
+  case "$RESOURCE_FIND_MODE" in
+    files-empty) exit 0 ;;
+    files-omitted) printf 'plugins/agentic-engineering/resources/other.desired-state.json\0'; exit 0 ;;
+  esac
+fi
+if [ "$*" != 'plugins -mindepth 2 -maxdepth 2 -name resources -print0' ]; then exec "$RESOURCE_FIND_REAL" "$@"; fi
+case "$RESOURCE_FIND_MODE" in files-*) exec "$RESOURCE_FIND_REAL" "$@" ;; esac
+"$RESOURCE_FIND_REAL" "$@" > "$RESOURCE_FIND_WORK/parents"
+case "$RESOURCE_FIND_MODE" in
+  partial-failure)
+    IFS= read -r -d '' first < "$RESOURCE_FIND_WORK/parents"
+    printf '%s\0' "$first"; exit 1 ;;
+  truncated)
+    while IFS= read -r -d '' record; do printf '%s\0' "$record"; done < "$RESOURCE_FIND_WORK/parents"
+    printf 'plugins/absent/resources' ;;
+  empty-record) cat "$RESOURCE_FIND_WORK/parents"; printf '\0' ;;
+esac
+STUB
+chmod +x "$work/bin/find"
+for mode in partial-failure truncated empty-record; do
+  root="$work/parents-$mode"; mkdir -p "$root"
+  tar -xf "$work/package.tar" -C "$root"
+  mkdir -p "$root/plugins/go/resources"
+  case "$mode" in
+    partial-failure) diagnostic='Could not enumerate desired-state resource parents' ;;
+    truncated) diagnostic='Incomplete record in desired-state resource parents' ;;
+    empty-record) diagnostic='Empty record in desired-state resource parents' ;;
+  esac
+  rc=0
+  (cd "$root" && env PATH="$work/bin:$PATH" RESOURCE_FIND_REAL="$real_find" \
+    RESOURCE_FIND_WORK="$work" RESOURCE_FIND_MODE="$mode" bash "$here/validate-manifests.sh") > "$root/out" 2>&1 || rc=$?
+  if [ "$rc" -ne 0 ] && grep -Fq "$diagnostic" "$root/out"; then printf 'PASS desired-state-parents-%s\n' "$mode"
+  else printf 'FAIL desired-state-parents-%s exit=%s\n' "$mode" "$rc"; cat "$root/out"; fail=$((fail+1)); fi
+done
+for mode in files-empty files-omitted; do
+  root="$work/$mode"; mkdir -p "$root"
+  tar -xf "$work/package.tar" -C "$root"
+  canonical="$root/plugins/agentic-engineering/resources/provider-neutral.desired-state.json"
+  if [ "$mode" = files-empty ]; then
+    printf '%s\n' '{"kind":"AgenticEngineeringDesiredState","spec":null}' > "$canonical"
+  else
+    cp "$canonical" "$root/plugins/agentic-engineering/resources/other.desired-state.json"
+    printf '\n[Other desired state](resources/other.desired-state.json)\n' >> "$root/plugins/agentic-engineering/README.md"
+  fi
+  rc=0
+  (cd "$root" && env PATH="$work/bin:$PATH" RESOURCE_FIND_REAL="$real_find" \
+    RESOURCE_FIND_WORK="$work" RESOURCE_FIND_MODE="$mode" bash "$here/validate-manifests.sh") > "$root/out" 2>&1 || rc=$?
+  if [ "$rc" -ne 0 ] && grep -Fq 'canonical desired-state resource was not enumerated' "$root/out"; then printf 'PASS desired-state-%s\n' "$mode"
+  else printf 'FAIL desired-state-%s exit=%s\n' "$mode" "$rc"; cat "$root/out"; fail=$((fail+1)); fi
+done
+printf 'desired-state boundaries: %s failure(s)\n' "$fail"
+test "$fail" -eq 0
diff --git a/scripts/validate-manifests.sh b/scripts/validate-manifests.sh
index 8bdea563..7db7d63d 100755
--- a/scripts/validate-manifests.sh
+++ b/scripts/validate-manifests.sh
@@ -638,9 +638,20 @@ validate_desired_state_resources() {
   local -a asset_components
   local entrypoint_sha256 actual_entrypoint_sha256
   local portfolio_surveyor_sha256 actual_portfolio_surveyor_sha256
+  # A linked resources parent is invisible to find's non-following traversal.
+  # Retain the direct parent census independently, including non-directories.
+  capture_nul_inventory resource-parents 'desired-state resource parents' \
+    find plugins -mindepth 2 -maxdepth 2 -name resources -print0 || return 1
+  while IFS= read -r -d '' resource; do
+    if [ ! -d "$resource" ] || [ -L "$resource" ]; then
+      echo "::error::$resource: must be a regular packaged resources directory"
+      return 1
+    fi
+  done < "$inventory_dir/resource-parents"
   capture_nul_inventory desired-state 'desired-state resources' \
-    find plugins -type f -path '*/resources/*.desired-state.json' -print0 || return 1
+    find plugins -path '*/resources/*.desired-state.json' -print0 || return 1
   local canonical_resource="plugins/agentic-engineering/resources/provider-neutral.desired-state.json"
+  local canonical_seen=0
   local delivery_guardrail="Write-capable roles own selected engineering work from claim through exact-head review and merge; issue-only handoff is allowed only for a named external blocker or missing authority."
   local version_controlled_delivery="Version-controlled definition surfaces are delivered by draft pull request and owned through exact-head review and merge."
   local runtime_local_delivery="Runtime-local definition surfaces are delivered in place: back up the current state, apply the change, validate it, and record the reversible before/after evidence."
@@ -665,9 +676,12 @@ validate_desired_state_resources() {
   local portfolio_survey_classifier_argv_contract="**Invoke the classifier only in its flag form, by its resolved installed path:** \`<installed plugin>/scripts/classify-default-branch-ci-runs.sh --repo OWNER/REPO --branch BRANCH --head-sha FULL_SHA\`. The helper and the read-only guard accept nothing else: the guard admits only that exact installed sibling path — never a bare basename, a \`PATH\` lookup, or a relative \`../scripts/\` form — and a positional \`OWNER/REPO BRANCH SHA\` is denied as \`not the guarded remote-mode shape\` while the helper itself exits 2 on it, so every executable invocation must carry the resolved path and all three flags."
 
   if [ -d plugins/agentic-engineering ]; then
-    if [ ! -f "$canonical_resource" ]; then
+    if [ ! -e "$canonical_resource" ] && [ ! -L "$canonical_resource" ]; then
       echo "::error::$canonical_resource: missing canonical agentic desired-state resource"
       failed=1
+    elif ! regular_packaged_file "$canonical_resource"; then
+      echo "::error::$canonical_resource: must be a regular packaged desired-state file"
+      failed=1
     elif jq -e . "$canonical_resource" > /dev/null 2>&1 \
       && ! jq -e '.kind == "AgenticEngineeringDesiredState"' "$canonical_resource" > /dev/null; then
       echo "::error::$canonical_resource: canonical agentic desired-state resource must use kind AgenticEngineeringDesiredState"
@@ -677,6 +691,12 @@ validate_desired_state_resources() {
 
   while IFS= read -r -d '' resource; do
     resource_failed=0
+    if [ "$resource" = "$canonical_resource" ]; then canonical_seen=1; fi
+    if ! regular_packaged_file "$resource"; then
+      echo "::error::$resource: must be a regular packaged desired-state file"
+      failed=1
+      continue
+    fi
     if ! json_object_unique "$resource"; then
       echo "::error::$resource: not valid JSON"
       failed=1
@@ -1522,6 +1542,10 @@ validate_desired_state_resources() {
       echo "✓ desired state $resource"
     fi
   done < "$inventory_dir/desired-state"
+  if [ -d plugins/agentic-engineering ] && [ "$canonical_seen" -ne 1 ]; then
+    echo "::error::$canonical_resource: canonical desired-state resource was not enumerated"
+    failed=1
+  fi
   return "$failed"
 }
 
diff --git a/scripts/validate-manifests.test.sh b/scripts/validate-manifests.test.sh
index 37d83b12..e8602d92 100755
--- a/scripts/validate-manifests.test.sh
+++ b/scripts/validate-manifests.test.sh
@@ -1943,8 +1943,8 @@ exec "$REAL_GREP" "$@"
 EOF
 cat > "$WORK/inventory-bin/find" <<'EOF'
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
-case "$INVENTORY_SCOPE:${5:-}" in
-  desired-state:'*/resources/*.desired-state.json'|provenance:'*/skills/*/SKILL.md')
+case "$INVENTORY_SCOPE:${3:-}:${5:-}" in
+  desired-state:'*/resources/*.desired-state.json':*|desired-state:*:'*/resources/*.desired-state.json'|provenance:*:'*/skills/*/SKILL.md')
     "$REAL_FIND" "$@" > "$INVENTORY_CAPTURE.full" || exit 8
     if [ "$INVENTORY_OUTPUT" = partial ]; then
       # The current guard requests NUL records; preserve the original guard's