diff --git a/.changeset/FN-6435-plugin-scaffold-state.md b/.changeset/FN-6435-plugin-scaffold-state.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ef685d3dd1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/FN-6435-plugin-scaffold-state.md
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+---
+"@runfusion/fusion": patch
+---
+
+Fix the standalone `fn plugin new` scaffold so generated plugins include the required `state: "installed"` field and build unedited with `pnpm build`. This also lets the documented `fn plugin dev . --once` path complete its pre-load build step instead of failing TypeScript validation for a missing `FusionPlugin.state`.
+
+Manual end-to-end spot-check for release validation: `npx @runfusion/fusion@<ver> plugin new proof-point-plugin && cd proof-point-plugin && pnpm install && pnpm build && npx @runfusion/fusion@<ver> plugin dev . --once`.
+
+Registry evidence captured for the original failing release: `npm view @runfusion/fusion@0.43.0 dist.integrity` returned `sha512-kvxicT+e8ulc7FDhBVP9NsgaioZv6NDW81N8cXNS/X8M32Eo3Y33xT6JFW2DrSiFXsJmAaib/GnpQE0nYQYApQ==`.
diff --git a/docs/PLUGIN_AUTHORING.md b/docs/PLUGIN_AUTHORING.md
index 9d578e203d..3436b106dd 100644
--- a/docs/PLUGIN_AUTHORING.md
+++ b/docs/PLUGIN_AUTHORING.md
@@ -1547,6 +1547,7 @@ const traits: PluginTraitContribution[] = [
 
 export default definePlugin({
   manifest: { id: "my-plugin", name: "My Plugin", version: "1.0.0" },
+  state: "installed",
   hooks: {},
   traits,
 });
@@ -1666,6 +1667,7 @@ const workflowExtensions: WorkflowExtensionContribution[] = [
 
 export default definePlugin({
   manifest: { id: "my-plugin", name: "My Plugin", version: "1.0.0" },
+  state: "installed",
   workflowExtensions,
 });
 ```
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/__tests__/plugin-scaffold.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/__tests__/plugin-scaffold.test.ts
index 3e16a3849e..b4fcbceef9 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/__tests__/plugin-scaffold.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/__tests__/plugin-scaffold.test.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@ import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
 import { validatePluginManifest } from "@fusion/plugin-sdk";
 import { resolvePluginEntryFile } from "../commands/plugin.js";
 import { runPluginCreate, runPluginNew } from "../commands/plugin-scaffold.js";
+import {
+  standaloneScaffoldPluginFixture,
+  verifyStandaloneScaffoldPluginFixture,
+} from "../type-guards/plugin-scaffold-fusion-plugin.js";
 
 describe("plugin-scaffold", () => {
   const tmpBase = join(tmpdir(), `fn-scaffold-${Date.now()}-${Math.random().toString(36).slice(2)}`);
@@ -16,6 +20,13 @@ describe("plugin-scaffold", () => {
   ];
   const caretRangePattern = /^\^\d+\.\d+\.\d+$/;
 
+  function expectStandaloneIndexInvariants(indexContents: string): void {
+    expect(indexContents).toContain('import { definePlugin } from "@runfusion/fusion/plugin-sdk";');
+    expect(indexContents).toContain('state: "installed"');
+    expect(indexContents).not.toContain("@fusion/");
+    expect(indexContents).not.toContain("workspace:");
+  }
+
   beforeEach(() => {
     mkdirSync(tmpBase, { recursive: true });
   });
@@ -90,8 +101,7 @@ describe("plugin-scaffold", () => {
       const readmeContents = readFileSync(join(outputDir, "README.md"), "utf-8");
       expect(packageContents).not.toContain("@fusion/");
       expect(packageContents).not.toContain("workspace:");
-      expect(indexContents).not.toContain("@fusion/");
-      expect(indexContents).not.toContain("workspace:");
+      expectStandaloneIndexInvariants(indexContents);
       expect(readmeContents).toContain("fn plugin dev .");
       expect(readmeContents).toContain("fn plugin dev . --once");
 
@@ -118,6 +128,14 @@ describe("plugin-scaffold", () => {
       };
       expect(packageJson.name).toBe("@acme/fusion-plugin-scoped-plugin");
       expect(Object.keys(packageJson.devDependencies)).toEqual(standaloneDevDependencyKeys);
+
+      const indexContents = readFileSync(join(outputDir, "src/index.ts"), "utf-8");
+      expectStandaloneIndexInvariants(indexContents);
+    });
+
+    it("keeps the standalone scaffold shape assignable to FusionPlugin", () => {
+      // The runtime identity assertion is intentionally small; the regression value is the tsc guard in the imported fixture.
+      expect(verifyStandaloneScaffoldPluginFixture()).toBe(standaloneScaffoldPluginFixture);
     });
 
     it("rejects invalid plugin names", async () => {
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/plugin-scaffold.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/plugin-scaffold.ts
index 3d102f9c84..4dc61ae4ce 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/plugin-scaffold.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/plugin-scaffold.ts
@@ -257,6 +257,10 @@ export default definePlugin({
 `;
 }
 
+/**
+ * FNXC:PluginScaffold 2026-06-14-01:40:
+ * The published FusionPlugin type requires state: PluginState, so standalone `fn plugin new` output must emit `state: "installed"` and stay in sync with the workspace scaffold plus SDK type surface to build unedited.
+ */
 function generateStandaloneIndexTs(name: string): string {
   const titleCase = toTitleCase(name);
   return `import { definePlugin } from "@runfusion/fusion/plugin-sdk";
@@ -268,6 +272,7 @@ export default definePlugin({
     version: "0.1.0",
     description: "A standalone Fusion plugin",
   },
+  state: "installed",
   hooks: {
     onLoad: async (ctx) => {
       ctx.logger.info("${titleCase} plugin loaded");
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/type-guards/plugin-scaffold-fusion-plugin.ts b/packages/cli/src/type-guards/plugin-scaffold-fusion-plugin.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..831642c716
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/src/type-guards/plugin-scaffold-fusion-plugin.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+import type { FusionPlugin } from "@fusion/core";
+
+function defineScaffoldPluginFixture(plugin: FusionPlugin): FusionPlugin {
+  return plugin;
+}
+
+/**
+ * FNXC:PluginScaffold 2026-06-14-01:48:
+ * This fixture mirrors the standalone scaffold's emitted plugin object so the CLI build fails when the SDK-backed FusionPlugin contract adds a required field that `fn plugin new` must emit.
+ */
+const standaloneScaffoldPluginFixture: FusionPlugin = {
+  manifest: {
+    id: "hello-plugin",
+    name: "Hello Plugin",
+    version: "0.1.0",
+    description: "A standalone Fusion plugin",
+  },
+  state: "installed",
+  hooks: {
+    onLoad: async (ctx) => {
+      ctx.logger.info("Hello Plugin plugin loaded");
+    },
+  },
+};
+
+export function verifyStandaloneScaffoldPluginFixture(): FusionPlugin {
+  return defineScaffoldPluginFixture(standaloneScaffoldPluginFixture);
+}
+
+export { standaloneScaffoldPluginFixture };