diff --git a/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json b/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json
index 1293baf..aaea0c4 100644
--- a/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json
+++ b/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
       },
       "homepage": "https://gitea.hotserv.cloud/personal-projects/leo-claude-mktplace/src/branch/main/plugins/projman/README.md",
       "repository": "https://gitea.hotserv.cloud/personal-projects/leo-claude-mktplace.git",
-      "mcpServers": ["./.mcp.json"],
       "category": "development",
       "tags": ["sprint", "agile", "gitea", "project-management"],
       "license": "MIT"
@@ -84,7 +83,6 @@
       },
       "homepage": "https://gitea.hotserv.cloud/personal-projects/leo-claude-mktplace/src/branch/main/plugins/cmdb-assistant/README.md",
       "repository": "https://gitea.hotserv.cloud/personal-projects/leo-claude-mktplace.git",
-      "mcpServers": ["./.mcp.json"],
       "category": "infrastructure",
       "tags": ["cmdb", "netbox", "dcim", "ipam", "data-quality", "validation"],
       "license": "MIT"
@@ -145,7 +143,6 @@
       },
       "homepage": "https://gitea.hotserv.cloud/personal-projects/leo-claude-mktplace/src/branch/main/plugins/pr-review/README.md",
       "repository": "https://gitea.hotserv.cloud/personal-projects/leo-claude-mktplace.git",
-      "mcpServers": ["./.mcp.json"],
       "category": "development",
       "tags": ["code-review", "pull-requests", "security", "quality"],
       "license": "MIT"
@@ -161,7 +158,6 @@
       },
       "homepage": "https://gitea.hotserv.cloud/personal-projects/leo-claude-mktplace/src/branch/main/plugins/data-platform/README.md",
       "repository": "https://gitea.hotserv.cloud/personal-projects/leo-claude-mktplace.git",
-      "mcpServers": ["./.mcp.json"],
       "category": "data",
       "tags": ["pandas", "postgresql", "postgis", "dbt", "data-engineering", "etl"],
       "license": "MIT"
@@ -177,7 +173,6 @@
       },
       "homepage": "https://gitea.hotserv.cloud/personal-projects/leo-claude-mktplace/src/branch/main/plugins/viz-platform/README.md",
       "repository": "https://gitea.hotserv.cloud/personal-projects/leo-claude-mktplace.git",
-      "mcpServers": ["./.mcp.json"],
       "category": "visualization",
       "tags": ["dash", "plotly", "mantine", "charts", "dashboards", "theming", "dmc"],
       "license": "MIT"
@@ -193,7 +188,6 @@
       },
       "homepage": "https://gitea.hotserv.cloud/personal-projects/leo-claude-mktplace/src/branch/main/plugins/contract-validator/README.md",
       "repository": "https://gitea.hotserv.cloud/personal-projects/leo-claude-mktplace.git",
-      "mcpServers": ["./.mcp.json"],
       "category": "development",
       "tags": ["validation", "contracts", "compatibility", "agents", "interfaces", "cross-plugin"],
       "license": "MIT"
diff --git a/plugins/cmdb-assistant/.claude-plugin/plugin.json b/plugins/cmdb-assistant/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
index bff85eb..801eb77 100644
--- a/plugins/cmdb-assistant/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
+++ b/plugins/cmdb-assistant/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
@@ -19,6 +19,5 @@
     "data-quality",
     "validation"
   ],
-  "commands": ["./commands/"],
-  "mcpServers": ["./.mcp.json"]
+  "commands": ["./commands/"]
 }
diff --git a/plugins/contract-validator/.claude-plugin/plugin.json b/plugins/contract-validator/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
index d859b8e..e42e775 100644
--- a/plugins/contract-validator/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
+++ b/plugins/contract-validator/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
@@ -18,6 +18,5 @@
     "interfaces",
     "cross-plugin"
   ],
-  "commands": ["./commands/"],
-  "mcpServers": ["./.mcp.json"]
+  "commands": ["./commands/"]
 }
diff --git a/plugins/data-platform/.claude-plugin/plugin.json b/plugins/data-platform/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
index 2d1f223..29e0402 100644
--- a/plugins/data-platform/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
+++ b/plugins/data-platform/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
@@ -19,6 +19,5 @@
     "etl",
     "dataframe"
   ],
-  "commands": ["./commands/"],
-  "mcpServers": ["./.mcp.json"]
+  "commands": ["./commands/"]
 }
diff --git a/plugins/pr-review/.claude-plugin/plugin.json b/plugins/pr-review/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
index 3339a3c..71b6f34 100644
--- a/plugins/pr-review/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
+++ b/plugins/pr-review/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
@@ -17,6 +17,5 @@
     "performance",
     "multi-agent"
   ],
-  "commands": ["./commands/"],
-  "mcpServers": ["./.mcp.json"]
+  "commands": ["./commands/"]
 }
diff --git a/plugins/projman/.claude-plugin/plugin.json b/plugins/projman/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
index 31ab203..9597da0 100644
--- a/plugins/projman/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
+++ b/plugins/projman/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
@@ -17,6 +17,5 @@
     "agile",
     "lessons-learned"
   ],
-  "commands": ["./commands/"],
-  "mcpServers": ["./.mcp.json"]
+  "commands": ["./commands/"]
 }
diff --git a/plugins/viz-platform/.claude-plugin/plugin.json b/plugins/viz-platform/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
index c08b6e0..c343af8 100644
--- a/plugins/viz-platform/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
+++ b/plugins/viz-platform/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
@@ -20,6 +20,5 @@
     "visualization",
     "dmc"
   ],
-  "commands": ["./commands/"],
-  "mcpServers": ["./.mcp.json"]
+  "commands": ["./commands/"]
 }
diff --git a/scripts/validate-marketplace.sh b/scripts/validate-marketplace.sh
index c97249a..f64bba5 100755
--- a/scripts/validate-marketplace.sh
+++ b/scripts/validate-marketplace.sh
@@ -158,9 +158,106 @@ for plugin_dir in "$PLUGINS_DIR"/*/; do
         echo "WARNING: Missing README.md in $plugin_name/"
     fi
 
+    # CRITICAL: Validate file references exist (mcpServers, hooks, commands)
+    # This prevents broken references that silently break plugin loading
+
+    # Check mcpServers references
+    mcp_servers=$(jq -r '.mcpServers // [] | .[]' "$plugin_json" 2>/dev/null)
+    for mcp_ref in $mcp_servers; do
+        mcp_path="$plugin_dir/$mcp_ref"
+        if [[ ! -f "$mcp_path" ]]; then
+            echo "ERROR: BROKEN REFERENCE in $plugin_name/plugin.json"
+            echo "       mcpServers references '$mcp_ref' but file does not exist at:"
+            echo "       $mcp_path"
+            echo ""
+            echo "       FIX: Either create the file or remove the mcpServers entry"
+            exit 1
+        fi
+        echo "  ✓ mcpServers reference: $mcp_ref exists"
+    done
+
+    # Check hooks references (can be array of file paths OR object with handlers)
+    hooks_type=$(jq -r '.hooks | type' "$plugin_json" 2>/dev/null)
+    if [[ "$hooks_type" == "array" ]]; then
+        # Array format: ["./hooks/hooks.json"]
+        hooks=$(jq -r '.hooks[]' "$plugin_json" 2>/dev/null)
+        for hook_ref in $hooks; do
+            hook_path="$plugin_dir/$hook_ref"
+            if [[ ! -f "$hook_path" ]]; then
+                echo "ERROR: BROKEN REFERENCE in $plugin_name/plugin.json"
+                echo "       hooks references '$hook_ref' but file does not exist at:"
+                echo "       $hook_path"
+                echo ""
+                echo "       FIX: Either create the file or remove the hooks entry"
+                exit 1
+            fi
+            echo "  ✓ hooks reference: $hook_ref exists"
+        done
+    elif [[ "$hooks_type" == "object" ]]; then
+        # Object format: { "PostToolUse": [...] } - inline hooks, no file reference to validate
+        echo "  ✓ hooks: inline object format (no file references)"
+    fi
+
+    # Check commands directory references
+    commands=$(jq -r '.commands // [] | .[]' "$plugin_json" 2>/dev/null)
+    for cmd_ref in $commands; do
+        cmd_path="$plugin_dir/$cmd_ref"
+        if [[ ! -d "$cmd_path" ]] && [[ ! -f "$cmd_path" ]]; then
+            echo "ERROR: BROKEN REFERENCE in $plugin_name/plugin.json"
+            echo "       commands references '$cmd_ref' but path does not exist at:"
+            echo "       $cmd_path"
+            echo ""
+            echo "       FIX: Either create the path or remove the commands entry"
+            exit 1
+        fi
+        echo "  ✓ commands reference: $cmd_ref exists"
+    done
+
     echo "✓ $plugin_name valid"
 done
 
+# CRITICAL: Validate marketplace.json file references
+echo ""
+echo "=== Validating Marketplace File References (CRITICAL) ==="
+
+for i in $(seq 0 $((PLUGIN_COUNT - 1))); do
+    PLUGIN_NAME=$(jq -r ".plugins[$i].name" "$MARKETPLACE_JSON")
+    PLUGIN_SOURCE=$(jq -r ".plugins[$i].source" "$MARKETPLACE_JSON")
+    PLUGIN_DIR="$ROOT_DIR/$PLUGIN_SOURCE"
+
+    # Check mcpServers in marketplace.json
+    mcp_servers=$(jq -r ".plugins[$i].mcpServers // [] | .[]" "$MARKETPLACE_JSON" 2>/dev/null)
+    for mcp_ref in $mcp_servers; do
+        mcp_path="$PLUGIN_DIR/$mcp_ref"
+        if [[ ! -f "$mcp_path" ]]; then
+            echo "ERROR: BROKEN REFERENCE in marketplace.json for $PLUGIN_NAME"
+            echo "       mcpServers references '$mcp_ref' but file does not exist at:"
+            echo "       $mcp_path"
+            echo ""
+            echo "       FIX: Either create the file or remove the mcpServers entry from marketplace.json"
+            exit 1
+        fi
+        echo "✓ $PLUGIN_NAME: mcpServers reference $mcp_ref exists"
+    done
+
+    # Check hooks in marketplace.json
+    hooks=$(jq -r ".plugins[$i].hooks // [] | .[]" "$MARKETPLACE_JSON" 2>/dev/null)
+    for hook_ref in $hooks; do
+        hook_path="$PLUGIN_DIR/$hook_ref"
+        if [[ ! -f "$hook_path" ]]; then
+            echo "ERROR: BROKEN REFERENCE in marketplace.json for $PLUGIN_NAME"
+            echo "       hooks references '$hook_ref' but file does not exist at:"
+            echo "       $hook_path"
+            echo ""
+            echo "       FIX: Either create the file or remove the hooks entry from marketplace.json"
+            exit 1
+        fi
+        echo "✓ $PLUGIN_NAME: hooks reference $hook_ref exists"
+    done
+done
+
+echo "✓ All file references validated"
+
 # v5.4.0: Validate agent model fields
 echo ""
 echo "=== Validating Agent Model Fields (v5.4.0+) ==="