diff --git a/src/plugin_system/store_manager.py b/src/plugin_system/store_manager.py
index b2398611..12e74212 100644
--- a/src/plugin_system/store_manager.py
+++ b/src/plugin_system/store_manager.py
@@ -53,6 +53,17 @@ class PluginStoreManager:
     # "..", "../x") into a filesystem path that purge_uninstalled_plugins
     # would delete — an empty id resolves to the plugins root itself.
     _PLUGIN_ID_RE = re.compile(r"^[A-Za-z0-9][A-Za-z0-9._-]*$")
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def is_plugin_entry(entry) -> bool:
+        """Whether a registry entry is a plugin core can install.
+
+        A missing ``type`` means plugin. Anything else (registries used to
+        carry ``"type": "skin"`` entries, and a custom registry still can) is
+        hidden from the store and refused at install, rather than being
+        unpacked into the plugins directory as if it were a plugin.
+        """
+        return isinstance(entry, dict) and (entry.get('type') or 'plugin') == 'plugin'
     
     def __init__(self, plugins_dir: str = "plugins",
                  uninstalled_registry_path: Optional[str] = None):
@@ -1314,6 +1325,10 @@ class PluginStoreManager:
         if not plugin_info:
             self.logger.error(f"Plugin not found in registry: {plugin_id}")
             return False
+        if not self.is_plugin_entry(plugin_info):
+            self.logger.error(f"Not installing {plugin_id}: registry entry type "
+                              f"{plugin_info.get('type')!r} is not a plugin")
+            return False
 
         repo_url = plugin_info.get('repo')
         if not repo_url:
diff --git a/test/test_store_non_plugin_entries.py b/test/test_store_non_plugin_entries.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..af2195a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_store_non_plugin_entries.py
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+"""Registry entries that aren't plugins are hidden and refused.
+
+The official registry no longer lists skins, but a custom registry (added
+from the Plugin Store) can still carry ``"type": "skin"`` entries. With the
+skin system removed, installing one as a plugin would unpack it into the
+plugins directory, so the store hides such entries and refuses them at install.
+"""
+
+import json
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock
+
+import pytest
+
+from src.plugin_system.store_manager import PluginStoreManager
+from test._api_v3_test_helpers import api_v3_client, api_v3_module  # noqa: F401
+
+PLUGIN = {"id": "clock", "name": "Clock", "repo": "https://github.com/x/clock"}
+UNTYPED = {"id": "news", "name": "News", "repo": "https://github.com/x/news"}
+SKIN = {"id": "retro", "name": "Retro", "type": "skin", "repo": "https://github.com/x/retro"}
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("entry,expected", [
+    (PLUGIN, True),
+    ({**PLUGIN, "type": "plugin"}, True),
+    ({**PLUGIN, "type": None}, True),
+    (SKIN, False),
+    ({**PLUGIN, "type": "theme"}, False),
+    (None, False),
+    ("clock", False),
+])
+def test_is_plugin_entry(entry, expected):
+    assert PluginStoreManager.is_plugin_entry(entry) is expected
+
+
+def test_install_refuses_a_non_plugin_entry(tmp_path):
+    store = PluginStoreManager(plugins_dir=str(tmp_path / "plugins"))
+    store.get_plugin_info = MagicMock(return_value=dict(SKIN))
+    store._install_from_monorepo_zip = MagicMock()
+    store._install_via_git = MagicMock()
+    assert store._install_plugin_impl("retro") is False
+    assert not (tmp_path / "plugins" / "retro").exists()
+    store._install_from_monorepo_zip.assert_not_called()
+    store._install_via_git.assert_not_called()
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def store(api_v3_module):
+    mock = MagicMock()
+    mock.is_plugin_entry = PluginStoreManager.is_plugin_entry
+    api_v3_module.api_v3.plugin_store_manager = mock
+    return mock
+
+
+def test_custom_registry_listing_hides_non_plugins(api_v3_client, store):
+    store.fetch_registry_from_url.return_value = {"plugins": [PLUGIN, SKIN, UNTYPED]}
+    resp = api_v3_client.post("/api/v3/plugins/registry-from-url",
+                              data=json.dumps({"repo_url": "https://github.com/x/registry"}),
+                              content_type="application/json")
+    assert resp.status_code == 200
+    assert [p["id"] for p in resp.get_json()["plugins"]] == ["clock", "news"]
+
+
+def test_store_listing_hides_non_plugins(api_v3_client, store):
+    store.search_plugins.return_value = [PLUGIN, SKIN, UNTYPED]
+    resp = api_v3_client.get("/api/v3/plugins/store/list")
+    assert resp.status_code == 200
+    body = resp.get_json()
+    listed = body.get("data", body).get("plugins", [])
+    assert [p["id"] for p in listed] == ["clock", "news"]
+
+
+def test_install_route_refuses_a_non_plugin_entry(api_v3_client, store):
+    store.get_registry_info.return_value = dict(SKIN)
+    resp = api_v3_client.post("/api/v3/plugins/install",
+                              data=json.dumps({"plugin_id": "retro"}),
+                              content_type="application/json")
+    assert resp.status_code == 400
+    assert "not a plugin" in resp.get_json()["message"]
+    store.install_plugin.assert_not_called()
diff --git a/web_interface/blueprints/api_v3/plugins.py b/web_interface/blueprints/api_v3/plugins.py
index 6fb1e8ac..b293d321 100644
--- a/web_interface/blueprints/api_v3/plugins.py
+++ b/web_interface/blueprints/api_v3/plugins.py
@@ -1296,6 +1296,17 @@ def install_plugin():
         plugin_id = data['plugin_id']
         branch = data.get('branch')  # Optional branch parameter
 
+        # A registry entry that isn't a plugin (a custom registry can still
+        # list old "type": "skin" entries) gets a clear refusal, not a failed
+        # install.
+        try:
+            registry_entry = api_v3.plugin_store_manager.get_registry_info(plugin_id)
+        except Exception:
+            registry_entry = None
+        if isinstance(registry_entry, dict) and not api_v3.plugin_store_manager.is_plugin_entry(registry_entry):
+            return jsonify({'status': 'error',
+                            'message': f"{plugin_id} is a {registry_entry.get('type')!r} entry, not a plugin"}), 400
+
         # Install the plugin
         # Log the plugins directory being used for debugging
         plugins_dir = api_v3.plugin_store_manager.plugins_dir
@@ -1498,7 +1509,8 @@ def get_registry_from_url():
         if registry:
             return jsonify({
                 'status': 'success',
-                'plugins': registry.get('plugins', []),
+                'plugins': [p for p in registry.get('plugins', [])
+                            if api_v3.plugin_store_manager.is_plugin_entry(p)],
                 'registry_url': repo_url
             })
         else:
@@ -1613,6 +1625,8 @@ def list_plugin_store():
         # Format plugins for the web interface
         formatted_plugins = []
         for plugin in plugins:
+            if not api_v3.plugin_store_manager.is_plugin_entry(plugin):
+                continue
             formatted_plugins.append({
                 'id': plugin.get('id'),
                 'name': plugin.get('name'),