diff --git a/claude-plugins/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json b/claude-plugins/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json
index 1cc8a964..1ada195c 100644
--- a/claude-plugins/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json
+++ b/claude-plugins/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json
@@ -7,9 +7,9 @@
   },
   "plugins": [
     {
-      "name": "state-hygiene",
-      "description": "Read-before-write discipline and dated-archive convention for durable agent notes/state files - use before archiving, overwriting, or pruning any notes/state file.",
-      "source": "./plugins/state-hygiene",
+      "name": "base",
+      "description": "hyperhive's base plugin - skills every agent needs, regardless of role. Currently: state-hygiene (read-before-write discipline and dated-archive convention for durable agent notes/state files). Add a new skill here (not a new plugin) if it applies to all agents; give it its own specialized plugin if it doesn't.",
+      "source": "./plugins/base",
       "category": "productivity"
     }
   ]
diff --git a/claude-plugins/plugins/base/.claude-plugin/plugin.json b/claude-plugins/plugins/base/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bb267b49
--- /dev/null
+++ b/claude-plugins/plugins/base/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+{
+  "name": "base",
+  "description": "hyperhive's base plugin - skills every agent needs, regardless of role.",
+  "author": {
+    "name": "hyperhive"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/claude-plugins/plugins/state-hygiene/skills/state-hygiene/SKILL.md b/claude-plugins/plugins/base/skills/state-hygiene/SKILL.md
similarity index 100%
rename from claude-plugins/plugins/state-hygiene/skills/state-hygiene/SKILL.md
rename to claude-plugins/plugins/base/skills/state-hygiene/SKILL.md
diff --git a/claude-plugins/plugins/state-hygiene/.claude-plugin/plugin.json b/claude-plugins/plugins/state-hygiene/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 44486683..00000000
--- a/claude-plugins/plugins/state-hygiene/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "name": "state-hygiene",
-  "description": "Read-before-write discipline and dated-archive convention for durable agent notes/state files.",
-  "author": {
-    "name": "hyperhive"
-  }
-}
diff --git a/nix/agent-modules/claude-settings.nix b/nix/agent-modules/claude-settings.nix
index 997e476e..f946839d 100644
--- a/nix/agent-modules/claude-settings.nix
+++ b/nix/agent-modules/claude-settings.nix
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ in
     type = lib.types.listOf lib.types.str;
     default = [
       "skill-creator@claude-plugins-official"
-      "state-hygiene@hyperhive"
+      "base@hyperhive"
     ];
     example = [
       "formatter@my-marketplace"
@@ -283,16 +283,20 @@ in
 
       Defaults to Anthropic's `skill-creator` (teaches an agent to
       write, refine, and evaluate its own skills) plus hyperhive's own
-      `state-hygiene` skill (read-before-write + dated-archive
-      discipline for durable notes/state files) — agents get both out
-      of the box, matching the default marketplaces above.
+      `base` plugin — one plugin bundling every skill that applies to
+      *all* agents regardless of role (currently just `state-hygiene`,
+      read-before-write + dated-archive discipline for durable
+      notes/state files; more all-agent skills land as additional
+      skills inside this same plugin, not new plugins — a skill that
+      only some agents need gets its own specialized plugin instead).
+      Agents get both out of the box, matching the default
+      marketplaces above.
 
       Note that a per-agent definition REPLACES this default rather
       than extending it (ordinary NixOS list-option semantics, same as
       `claudeMarketplaces`). An agent that wants extra plugins AND the
-      defaults should list both
-      `skill-creator@claude-plugins-official` and
-      `state-hygiene@hyperhive` alongside them.
+      defaults should list both `skill-creator@claude-plugins-official`
+      and `base@hyperhive` alongside them.
     '';
   };