diff --git a/docs/plugin-authoring.md b/docs/plugin-authoring.md
index 0c15a46..a9965fa 100644
--- a/docs/plugin-authoring.md
+++ b/docs/plugin-authoring.md
@@ -99,6 +99,8 @@ the native Convax file picker; a Pet surface never receives a filesystem path.
 Convax accepts one current-format transparent 1536×1872 PNG or WebP atlas, stores a
 managed copy, and serves it through `convax-pet-asset:`. Legacy Goku folders,
 `pet.json`, remote assets, and arbitrary file reads are not supported.
+Pet Plugins that do not offer custom collection management omit this optional
+grant while retaining the three required activity and preference capabilities.
 
 The settings and overlay pages run with no Node, Electron, remote network, native
 path, or arbitrary IPC access. Their surface-scoped `convax.pet-host/1` ports expose
diff --git a/docs/registry-spec.md b/docs/registry-spec.md
index 3f0b91e..b9fa403 100644
--- a/docs/registry-spec.md
+++ b/docs/registry-spec.md
@@ -62,9 +62,10 @@ One Pet feature Plugin is a `convax.plugin/5` capability published through the
 normal Plugin Registry item. Its complete embedded manifest contains
 `contributes.pet` with package-relative `library`, `overlay`, and `settings` paths
 plus `protocol: "convax.pet-host/1"`. It requests exactly `pet.activity.read`,
-`pet.activity.open`, `pet.preferences.write`, and `pet.custom.manage`, and has no
-runtime or companion executable. The `convax.plugin-capability/1` compatibility
-label remains the transport-neutral admission contract.
+`pet.activity.open`, and `pet.preferences.write`, may additionally request the
+exact `pet.custom.manage` grant, and has no runtime or companion executable.
+Convax Pet 0.2.2 requests all four. The `convax.plugin-capability/1`
+compatibility label remains the transport-neutral admission contract.
 
 Clients validate both static surface entries, the strict `convax.pet-library/1`
 document, and every referenced atlas before activation. Installation does not
diff --git a/registry/config.json b/registry/config.json
index 5093618..ee53e88 100644
--- a/registry/config.json
+++ b/registry/config.json
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 {
-  "sequence": 31,
+  "sequence": 32,
   "yanked": []
 }
diff --git a/schemas/convax-plugin-manifest-v5.schema.json b/schemas/convax-plugin-manifest-v5.schema.json
index 337e5d7..82a3675 100644
--- a/schemas/convax-plugin-manifest-v5.schema.json
+++ b/schemas/convax-plugin-manifest-v5.schema.json
@@ -151,13 +151,20 @@
         "required": ["capabilities"],
         "properties": {
           "capabilities": {
-            "minItems": 4,
+            "minItems": 3,
             "maxItems": 4,
+            "items": {
+              "enum": [
+                "pet.activity.read",
+                "pet.activity.open",
+                "pet.preferences.write",
+                "pet.custom.manage"
+              ]
+            },
             "allOf": [
               { "contains": { "const": "pet.activity.read" } },
               { "contains": { "const": "pet.activity.open" } },
-              { "contains": { "const": "pet.preferences.write" } },
-              { "contains": { "const": "pet.custom.manage" } }
+              { "contains": { "const": "pet.preferences.write" } }
             ]
           }
         },
diff --git a/tooling/lib.mjs b/tooling/lib.mjs
index 19079d1..47cba09 100644
--- a/tooling/lib.mjs
+++ b/tooling/lib.mjs
@@ -800,15 +800,13 @@ function parsePluginManifestV5(value, label) {
     ? undefined
     : parsePetV5(value.contributes.pet, `${label} pet`)
   if (pet !== undefined) {
-    const requiredPetCapabilities = [
-      "pet.activity.read",
-      "pet.activity.open",
-      "pet.preferences.write",
-      "pet.custom.manage",
-    ]
-    if (capabilities.length !== requiredPetCapabilities.length ||
-        requiredPetCapabilities.some((capability) => !capabilities.includes(capability))) {
-      error(label, "pet capabilities must be exactly pet.activity.read, pet.activity.open, pet.preferences.write, and pet.custom.manage")
+    const requiredPetCapabilities = ["pet.activity.read", "pet.activity.open", "pet.preferences.write"]
+    const allowedPetCapabilities = new Set([...requiredPetCapabilities, "pet.custom.manage"])
+    if (capabilities.length < requiredPetCapabilities.length ||
+        capabilities.length > allowedPetCapabilities.size ||
+        requiredPetCapabilities.some((capability) => !capabilities.includes(capability)) ||
+        capabilities.some((capability) => !allowedPetCapabilities.has(capability))) {
+      error(label, "pet capabilities must be exactly pet.activity.read, pet.activity.open, and pet.preferences.write, with optional pet.custom.manage")
     }
     if (hasRuntime) error(label, "pet feature cannot declare an executable runtime")
   }
diff --git a/tooling/plugin-v5.test.js b/tooling/plugin-v5.test.js
index 6c5f8df..a5c7047 100644
--- a/tooling/plugin-v5.test.js
+++ b/tooling/plugin-v5.test.js
@@ -193,6 +193,12 @@ describe("convax.plugin/5 transport-neutral and pet contributions", () => {
 
   test("requires the exact pet capabilities and forbids executable runtimes", () => {
     expect(() => parsePluginManifest({ ...petManifest(), capabilities: [] })).toThrow("pet capabilities")
+    expect(() =>
+      parsePluginManifest({
+        ...petManifest(),
+        capabilities: [...petManifest().capabilities, "projects.read"],
+      }),
+    ).toThrow("pet capabilities")
     expect(() =>
       parsePluginManifest({
         ...petManifest(),
@@ -202,6 +208,19 @@ describe("convax.plugin/5 transport-neutral and pet contributions", () => {
     ).toThrow("pet feature")
   })
 
+  test("keeps historical Pet manifests valid when custom management is absent", () => {
+    const historical = petManifest({
+      version: "0.2.1",
+      capabilities: petManifest().capabilities.filter((capability) => capability !== "pet.custom.manage"),
+    })
+
+    expect(parsePluginManifest(historical).capabilities).toEqual([
+      "pet.activity.read",
+      "pet.activity.open",
+      "pet.preferences.write",
+    ])
+  })
+
   test("validates every packaged pet library atlas", () => {
     const manifest = parsePluginManifest(petManifest())
     const comet = {