diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 7ba0db3..060d2b7 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 - `TfvcRepository` no longer imports `vscode` directly. The change-event emitter is now passed in via the constructor (`ChangeEmitter` interface — structurally compatible with `vscode.EventEmitter<void>`), so the class can be unit-tested without a vscode runtime. `outputChannel.ts` lazy-loads `vscode` and falls back to `console.error` when it's not available, for the same reason.
 
 ### Added
+- `test/manifest.test.ts` — 36 static-validation cases on `package.json`: every `tfvc.*` command has title + category "TFVC"; every palette-visible command has a matching `onCommand:` activation event (v0.3.2 regression guard); `onStartupFinished` is explicitly disallowed; the `workspaceContains:**/.vscode-tfvc/**` trigger is preserved; every command referenced in `contributes.menus` is declared in `contributes.commands` (catches menu-wiring typos); every configuration property has a non-trivial description.
 - `test-e2e/suite/setPat.test.ts` — 4 cases covering the `tfvc.setPat` command: cancel (undefined input) is a no-op, submitting a value fires the "stored" toast, empty string fires the "removed" toast, and the stored/removed messages are distinct (so a refactor that conflates them gets caught).
 - `test-e2e/suite/notConfigured.test.ts` expanded from 1 case to 14: every palette-invokable `tfvc.*` SCM command (`refresh`, `checkin`, `sync`, `checkout`, `undo`, `undoAll`, `add`, `delete`, `shelve`, `unshelve`, `shelvesets`, `history`) now has a regression test asserting it shows the "configure settings" toast when fired unconfigured. `tfvc.initWorkspace` has its own case (different guard path). `tfvc.setPat` explicitly verifies the "always available" contract. Catches v0.3.3-class regressions in the `wrapSCM → notConfigured()` pipeline.
 - `src/ttlCache.ts` — reusable TTL cache, replacing the ad-hoc `{ content, timestamp }` Map in `TfvcQuickDiffProvider`. Clock injection makes expiry-boundary behaviour testable without real timers. `test/ttlCache.test.ts` adds 9 cases covering hit / miss / boundary / set-resets-window / delete / clear / lazy-eviction contract.
diff --git a/test/manifest.test.ts b/test/manifest.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..892a8cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/manifest.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,155 @@
+/**
+ * Static checks against package.json that catch common manifest bugs:
+ *
+ *   - Every `tfvc.*` command has a `title` and a `category` (palette
+ *     items without a category collapse into a mystery group).
+ *   - Palette-visible commands have a matching `onCommand:tfvc.X`
+ *     entry in `activationEvents`. Without it the extension doesn't
+ *     activate when the user runs the command from the palette — the
+ *     v0.3.2 regression class.
+ *   - Commands that aren't palette-visible (hidden via
+ *     `"commandPalette": [{ "command": "tfvc.X", "when": "false" }]`)
+ *     are allowed to skip the activation-event — menus trigger
+ *     activation via the surfaces they live under.
+ *   - Every command referenced in `contributes.menus` is declared in
+ *     `contributes.commands` (catches typos in menu wiring).
+ *   - Every configuration property has a description.
+ *
+ * Lives as a unit test rather than in the e2e suite because it's pure
+ * JSON parsing — no vscode runtime needed, and fast feedback beats
+ * running under @vscode/test-electron.
+ */
+
+import * as assert from 'assert';
+import * as fs from 'fs';
+import * as path from 'path';
+import { describe, it } from 'node:test';
+
+interface ManifestCommand {
+    command: string;
+    title?: string;
+    category?: string;
+    icon?: string;
+}
+
+interface MenuEntry {
+    command?: string;
+    group?: string;
+    when?: string;
+}
+
+interface Manifest {
+    activationEvents: string[];
+    contributes: {
+        commands: ManifestCommand[];
+        menus: Record<string, MenuEntry[]>;
+        configuration: {
+            properties: Record<string, { description?: string; type?: string }>;
+        };
+    };
+}
+
+function loadManifest(): Manifest {
+    const repoRoot = path.resolve(__dirname, '..', '..');
+    const raw = fs.readFileSync(path.join(repoRoot, 'package.json'), 'utf8');
+    return JSON.parse(raw) as Manifest;
+}
+
+describe('manifest: contributes.commands', () => {
+    const manifest = loadManifest();
+    const tfvcCommands = manifest.contributes.commands.filter(c => c.command.startsWith('tfvc.'));
+
+    it('there is at least one tfvc.* command (guards against accidental removal)', () => {
+        assert.ok(tfvcCommands.length > 0, 'no tfvc.* commands found — did contributes.commands get clobbered?');
+    });
+
+    for (const cmd of (manifest.contributes?.commands ?? []).filter(c => c.command?.startsWith('tfvc.'))) {
+        it(`${cmd.command} has title and category`, () => {
+            assert.ok(cmd.title, `${cmd.command} is missing title`);
+            assert.strictEqual(cmd.category, 'TFVC', `${cmd.command} should have category "TFVC"`);
+        });
+    }
+});
+
+describe('manifest: activationEvents', () => {
+    const manifest = loadManifest();
+
+    /** Commands explicitly hidden from the palette via `"when": "false"`. */
+    function paletteHiddenCommands(): Set<string> {
+        const hidden = new Set<string>();
+        const paletteEntries = manifest.contributes.menus.commandPalette ?? [];
+        for (const entry of paletteEntries) {
+            if (entry.command && entry.when === 'false') {
+                hidden.add(entry.command);
+            }
+        }
+        return hidden;
+    }
+
+    it('does not use the broad "onStartupFinished" trigger (v0.3.2 fix)', () => {
+        // Pre-v0.3.2 the extension loaded in every VS Code window by
+        // declaring onStartupFinished. That's the specific regression we're
+        // guarding against — if someone re-adds it, users get the extension
+        // booting in unrelated projects.
+        assert.ok(
+            !manifest.activationEvents.includes('onStartupFinished'),
+            'activationEvents should not contain "onStartupFinished" — use per-command triggers instead',
+        );
+    });
+
+    it('every palette-visible tfvc.* command has a matching onCommand activation event', () => {
+        const tfvcCommands = manifest.contributes.commands.filter(c => c.command.startsWith('tfvc.'));
+        const hidden = paletteHiddenCommands();
+        const activationCommands = new Set(
+            manifest.activationEvents
+                .filter(e => e.startsWith('onCommand:'))
+                .map(e => e.slice('onCommand:'.length)),
+        );
+
+        const missing = tfvcCommands
+            .map(c => c.command)
+            .filter(id => !hidden.has(id) && !activationCommands.has(id));
+
+        assert.deepStrictEqual(
+            missing, [],
+            `palette-visible commands missing onCommand activation: ${missing.join(', ')}`,
+        );
+    });
+
+    it('keeps a workspaceContains trigger for auto-activation in TFVC projects', () => {
+        // Without this, users opening a folder with .vscode-tfvc/ have to
+        // manually run a command to wake the extension up. The check is
+        // coarse: any workspaceContains entry referencing .vscode-tfvc/.
+        const hasWorkspaceContains = manifest.activationEvents.some(e =>
+            e.startsWith('workspaceContains:') && e.includes('.vscode-tfvc'),
+        );
+        assert.ok(hasWorkspaceContains, 'missing workspaceContains:**/.vscode-tfvc/** activation event');
+    });
+});
+
+describe('manifest: contributes.menus', () => {
+    const manifest = loadManifest();
+
+    it('every command referenced in a menu is declared in contributes.commands', () => {
+        const declared = new Set(manifest.contributes.commands.map(c => c.command));
+        const referenced = new Set<string>();
+        for (const entries of Object.values(manifest.contributes.menus)) {
+            for (const entry of entries) {
+                if (entry.command) { referenced.add(entry.command); }
+            }
+        }
+        const dangling = [...referenced].filter(id => !declared.has(id));
+        assert.deepStrictEqual(dangling, [], `menu references undeclared commands: ${dangling.join(', ')}`);
+    });
+});
+
+describe('manifest: contributes.configuration', () => {
+    const manifest = loadManifest();
+
+    for (const [key, prop] of Object.entries(manifest.contributes.configuration.properties)) {
+        it(`${key} has a description`, () => {
+            assert.ok(prop.description, `${key}: configuration property must have a description`);
+            assert.ok(prop.description!.length >= 10, `${key}: description too short (${prop.description!.length} chars)`);
+        });
+    }
+});