diff --git a/.claude-plugin/plugin.json b/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..19869ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+{
+  "name": "hotdata-cli",
+  "description": "Teach Claude the Hotdata CLI: workspaces, databases, SQL, ingest, search, analytics, and geospatial",
+  "version": "0.43.0",
+  "author": {
+    "name": "Hotdata",
+    "url": "https://www.hotdata.dev"
+  },
+  "homepage": "https://www.hotdata.dev",
+  "repository": "https://github.com/hotdata-dev/hotdata-cli",
+  "license": "MIT"
+}
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index dbd08e9..3164f1e 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ pre-release-replacements = [
   { file = "skills/hotdata/subskills/search/SKILL.md", search = "^version: .+", replace = "version: {{version}}", exactly = 1 },
   { file = "skills/hotdata/subskills/analytics/SKILL.md", search = "^version: .+", replace = "version: {{version}}", exactly = 1 },
   { file = "skills/hotdata/subskills/geospatial/SKILL.md", search = "^version: .+", replace = "version: {{version}}", exactly = 1 },
+  { file = ".claude-plugin/plugin.json", search = "\"version\": \"[^\"]+\"", replace = "\"version\": \"{{version}}\"", exactly = 1 },
   # README.md no longer carries a hardcoded version badge — it tracks GitHub releases.
 ]
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 447a22c..d953b69 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -34,6 +34,21 @@ checks for a new release before API commands and offers to upgrade (set
 `HOTDATA_NO_UPDATE_CHECK=1` to skip). Enable tab completion with
 `hotdata manage completions bash|zsh|fish`.
 
+### Claude Code plugin
+
+To get the agent skill through Claude Code's plugin manager instead, which
+updates it with each release:
+
+```
+/plugin marketplace add hotdata-dev/claude-plugins
+/plugin install hotdata-cli@hotdata
+```
+
+The plugin checks for the CLI when a session starts and offers to install it if
+it's missing. Use either the plugin or the installer's skill, not both: if you
+installed the CLI with the script above, install it with `HOTDATA_NO_SKILLS=1`
+or Claude Code will list the skill twice.
+
 ## Quickstart
 
 ```sh
diff --git a/hooks/check-cli.sh b/hooks/check-cli.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..9ada0cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hooks/check-cli.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# SessionStart hook for the hotdata-cli Claude Code plugin.
+#
+# The plugin ships the skill, not the binary. Stay silent when the CLI is
+# reachable. When it isn't, stdout becomes session context asking Claude to
+# offer the installer rather than run it: piping curl into sh on every session
+# start is not something users agreed to by installing a skill.
+
+set -u
+
+DIST_BIN_DIR="$HOME/.hotdata/cli"
+
+if command -v hotdata >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    exit 0
+fi
+
+# Without Homebrew the installer puts the binary in ~/.hotdata/cli, which is
+# not on PATH until the user's shell profile is reloaded.
+if [ -x "$DIST_BIN_DIR/hotdata" ]; then
+    if [ -n "${CLAUDE_ENV_FILE:-}" ]; then
+        echo "export PATH=\"$DIST_BIN_DIR:\$PATH\"" >> "$CLAUDE_ENV_FILE"
+    fi
+    exit 0
+fi
+
+# HOTDATA_NO_SKILLS=1: the plugin already provides the skill, so the installer
+# must not add a second copy to ~/.claude/skills.
+cat <<'EOF'
+The hotdata CLI is not installed. Before running any hotdata command, tell the
+user and ask whether to install it. If they agree, run:
+
+  curl -fsSL https://hotdata.dev/install | HOTDATA_NO_SKILLS=1 sh
+
+If the binary lands in ~/.hotdata/cli, call it as ~/.hotdata/cli/hotdata for the
+rest of this session.
+EOF
+exit 0
diff --git a/hooks/hooks.json b/hooks/hooks.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..411d41e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hooks/hooks.json
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+{
+  "hooks": {
+    "SessionStart": [
+      {
+        "hooks": [
+          {
+            "type": "command",
+            "command": "\"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}\"/hooks/check-cli.sh"
+          }
+        ]
+      }
+    ]
+  }
+}
diff --git a/scripts/check-skills.sh b/scripts/check-skills.sh
index de84697..6671671 100755
--- a/scripts/check-skills.sh
+++ b/scripts/check-skills.sh
@@ -12,8 +12,9 @@
 #      flag in its --help, must be named in skills/**/*.md, so a new command
 #      or flag cannot ship undocumented. Hidden flags are not in --help and
 #      are not checked.
-#   3. Version: every SKILL.md frontmatter `version:` must equal Cargo.toml
-#      (finish phase only — prepare runs before cargo-release bumps them).
+#   3. Version: every SKILL.md frontmatter `version:`, and the Claude Code
+#      plugin manifest's `version`, must equal Cargo.toml (finish phase only —
+#      prepare runs before cargo-release bumps them).
 #
 # Usage:
 #   scripts/check-skills.sh [--require-version]
@@ -125,6 +126,11 @@ if [ "$REQUIRE_VERSION" = 1 ]; then
             fail=1
         fi
     done
+    pv="$(sed -nE 's/^ *"version": "([^"]+)".*/\1/p' .claude-plugin/plugin.json | head -1)"
+    if [ "$pv" != "$crate" ]; then
+        echo "error: .claude-plugin/plugin.json declares version $pv, Cargo.toml is $crate" >&2
+        fail=1
+    fi
     [ "$fail" = 0 ] && echo "→ skills: version ok ($crate)"
 fi
 
diff --git a/skills/hotdata/SKILL.md b/skills/hotdata/SKILL.md
index 35c5806..f904c1f 100644
--- a/skills/hotdata/SKILL.md
+++ b/skills/hotdata/SKILL.md
@@ -491,10 +491,10 @@ Upgrades the CLI in place to the latest release (`brew upgrade` for Homebrew ins
 If `hotdata` is not installed at all (not on PATH and not at `~/.hotdata/cli/hotdata`), install it with:
 
 ```sh
-curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -LsSf https://github.com/hotdata-dev/hotdata-cli/releases/latest/download/install.sh | sh
+curl -fsSL https://hotdata.dev/install | sh
 ```
 
-The installer uses Homebrew (`brew install hotdata-dev/tap/cli`) when `brew` is present, otherwise it places a prebuilt binary at `~/.hotdata/cli/hotdata`, and then installs this skill. `HOTDATA_NO_BREW=1` forces the prebuilt path; `HOTDATA_NO_SKILLS=1` skips the skill step.
+The installer uses Homebrew (`brew install hotdata-dev/tap/cli`) when `brew` is present, otherwise it places a prebuilt binary at `~/.hotdata/cli/hotdata`, and then installs this skill. `HOTDATA_NO_BREW=1` forces the prebuilt path; `HOTDATA_NO_SKILLS=1` skips the skill step. When this skill came from the `hotdata-cli` Claude Code plugin, always set `HOTDATA_NO_SKILLS=1` (`curl -fsSL https://hotdata.dev/install | HOTDATA_NO_SKILLS=1 sh`) so the installer does not add a second copy.
 
 A newer release can be incompatible with the API, so in an **interactive terminal** the CLI checks for a new release before running any API-touching command and prompts to upgrade. Declining (or `Ctrl-D`) exits without running the command — `hotdata manage upgrade` is then required to continue. The check is a **no-op in non-interactive sessions** (no TTY, `--no-input`, or `HOTDATA_NO_UPDATE_CHECK` set), so typical agent and CI usage is never blocked; set `HOTDATA_NO_UPDATE_CHECK=1` to disable it entirely.