diff --git a/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json b/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..918fbff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+{
+  "name": "claude-mailbox",
+  "owner": {
+    "name": "Mika Kuns"
+  },
+  "description": "Plugins for the Claude-Mailbox project.",
+  "plugins": [
+    {
+      "name": "claude-mailbox",
+      "source": "./plugin",
+      "description": "Auto-checks the local Claude-Mailbox daemon before every prompt and injects pending messages."
+    }
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0486ba1..c4f94b6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -104,6 +104,28 @@ claude-mailbox uninstall-service [--purge]
 
 The .NET and Node builds are wire-compatible (same port, same `X-Mailbox` header, same MCP tool names, same SQLite schema), so a `.mcp.json` configured against one works against the other.
 
+## Use from Claude Code (plugin)
+
+Easiest path for colleagues — install the marketplace once, then the plugin:
+
+```
+/plugin marketplace add https://git.kuns.dev/releases/ClaudeMailbox
+/plugin install claude-mailbox@claude-mailbox
+```
+
+The plugin only wires the `UserPromptSubmit` hook. **The daemon binary is a separate prerequisite** — install it via the npm package above (or the bootstrap one-liner) and run `claude-mailbox install-autostart` so it starts on boot.
+
+Then set a per-machine mailbox name:
+
+```sh
+setx CLAUDE_MAILBOX_NAME alice          # Windows
+export CLAUDE_MAILBOX_NAME=alice        # macOS / Linux (in ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc)
+```
+
+Restart Claude Code and unread messages will appear in context before every prompt. If the daemon is not reachable, the hook emits a one-line setup hint instead of staying silent — so a missing daemon is loud, not invisible.
+
+See [`plugin/README.md`](./plugin/README.md) for the full walkthrough.
+
 ## Use from a Claude session
 
 Drop this into your project's `.mcp.json` (one per session, different `X-Mailbox` values):
diff --git a/node/src/cli.ts b/node/src/cli.ts
index 92c81a8..f2135d6 100644
--- a/node/src/cli.ts
+++ b/node/src/cli.ts
@@ -127,29 +127,45 @@ program
 
 program
   .command("check")
-  .description("Pull pending messages and mark delivered.")
-  .requiredOption("--name <name>", "Mailbox name (also sent as X-Mailbox)")
+  .description(
+    "Pull pending messages and mark delivered. In --hook mode the name can come from CLAUDE_MAILBOX_NAME.",
+  )
+  .option("--name <name>", "Mailbox name (also sent as X-Mailbox). Falls back to $CLAUDE_MAILBOX_NAME.")
   .option("--url <url>", "Daemon base URL", DEFAULT_URL)
   .option(
     "--hook",
-    "Hook mode: human-readable output, silent on empty inbox or unreachable daemon (exit 0)",
+    "Hook mode: human-readable output, silent when no mailbox configured or daemon unreachable (exit 0). Emits a one-line setup hint when name is set but daemon is unreachable.",
   )
-  .action(async (opts: { name: string; url: string; hook?: boolean }) => {
+  .action(async (opts: { name?: string; url: string; hook?: boolean }) => {
+    const name = (opts.name ?? process.env["CLAUDE_MAILBOX_NAME"] ?? "").trim();
+    if (!name) {
+      if (opts.hook) return;
+      console.error("Missing --name (or set CLAUDE_MAILBOX_NAME).");
+      process.exit(1);
+    }
     try {
       const out = await callJson(
         "POST",
-        `${opts.url}/v1/check-inbox?name=${encodeURIComponent(opts.name)}`,
-        { headers: { "X-Mailbox": opts.name } },
+        `${opts.url}/v1/check-inbox?name=${encodeURIComponent(name)}`,
+        { headers: { "X-Mailbox": name } },
       );
       if (opts.hook) {
         const messages = (Array.isArray(out) ? out : []) as HookMessage[];
-        const text = formatMessagesForHook(opts.name, messages);
+        const text = formatMessagesForHook(name, messages);
         if (text) process.stdout.write(text);
         return;
       }
       console.log(JSON.stringify(out, null, 2));
     } catch (err) {
-      if (opts.hook) return;
+      if (opts.hook) {
+        const msg = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
+        if (/ECONNREFUSED|fetch failed|ENOTFOUND|connect/i.test(msg)) {
+          process.stdout.write(
+            `[Claude-Mailbox] Daemon not reachable at ${opts.url}. Run \`claude-mailbox install-autostart\` (one-time) or \`claude-mailbox start\`.\n`,
+          );
+        }
+        return;
+      }
       reportClientError(err, opts.url);
     }
   });
diff --git a/node/tests/cli-hook.test.ts b/node/tests/cli-hook.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..23ce365
--- /dev/null
+++ b/node/tests/cli-hook.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeAll } from "vitest";
+import { spawnSync } from "node:child_process";
+import { existsSync } from "node:fs";
+import { resolve } from "node:path";
+
+const cliPath = resolve(__dirname, "..", "dist", "cli.js");
+
+function runCli(args: string[], env: Record<string, string | undefined> = {}): {
+  status: number;
+  stdout: string;
+  stderr: string;
+} {
+  const r = spawnSync(process.execPath, [cliPath, ...args], {
+    encoding: "utf8",
+    env: { ...process.env, ...env },
+  });
+  return {
+    status: r.status ?? -1,
+    stdout: typeof r.stdout === "string" ? r.stdout : "",
+    stderr: typeof r.stderr === "string" ? r.stderr : "",
+  };
+}
+
+describe("`check --hook` CLI behavior", () => {
+  beforeAll(() => {
+    if (!existsSync(cliPath)) {
+      throw new Error(`CLI not built. Run \`npm run build\` first. Missing: ${cliPath}`);
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("exits 0 silently when no name resolved (no --name, no env)", () => {
+    const r = runCli(["check", "--hook"], { CLAUDE_MAILBOX_NAME: undefined });
+    expect(r.status).toBe(0);
+    expect(r.stdout).toBe("");
+    expect(r.stderr).toBe("");
+  });
+
+  it("emits daemon-not-reachable hint when name is set but daemon is down", () => {
+    const r = runCli(
+      ["check", "--hook", "--url", "http://127.0.0.1:1"],
+      { CLAUDE_MAILBOX_NAME: "alice" },
+    );
+    expect(r.status).toBe(0);
+    expect(r.stdout).toContain("[Claude-Mailbox] Daemon not reachable");
+    expect(r.stdout).toContain("http://127.0.0.1:1");
+    expect(r.stdout).toContain("claude-mailbox install-autostart");
+  });
+
+  it("`--name` arg wins over CLAUDE_MAILBOX_NAME env (visible via hint URL/contents)", () => {
+    const r = runCli(
+      ["check", "--hook", "--name", "bob", "--url", "http://127.0.0.1:1"],
+      { CLAUDE_MAILBOX_NAME: "alice" },
+    );
+    expect(r.status).toBe(0);
+    expect(r.stdout).toContain("[Claude-Mailbox] Daemon not reachable");
+  });
+
+  it("non-hook mode errors out when no name resolved", () => {
+    const r = runCli(["check"], { CLAUDE_MAILBOX_NAME: undefined });
+    expect(r.status).not.toBe(0);
+    expect(r.stderr).toContain("CLAUDE_MAILBOX_NAME");
+  });
+});
diff --git a/plugin/.claude-plugin/plugin.json b/plugin/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c621e95
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugin/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+{
+  "name": "claude-mailbox",
+  "version": "0.1.0",
+  "description": "Auto-checks the local Claude-Mailbox daemon before every prompt and injects pending messages into the conversation context.",
+  "author": {
+    "name": "Mika Kuns"
+  },
+  "homepage": "https://git.kuns.dev/releases/ClaudeMailbox",
+  "license": "MIT",
+  "keywords": ["mailbox", "ipc", "coordination", "mcp"]
+}
diff --git a/plugin/README.md b/plugin/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e08fbcd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugin/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+# claude-mailbox plugin
+
+Lets Claude Code automatically pull unread messages from a local `claude-mailbox` daemon before every prompt and inject them into the conversation context.
+
+## Three-step setup
+
+The Claude Code plugin itself is just the glue — you still need the daemon binary on PATH and a mailbox name.
+
+### 1. Install the daemon (one-time, per machine)
+
+```sh
+npm config set @kuns:registry=https://git.kuns.dev/api/packages/releases/npm/
+npm install -g @kuns/claude-mailbox
+claude-mailbox install-autostart   # registers per-OS autostart (no admin needed by default)
+```
+
+Verify with:
+
+```sh
+claude-mailbox status     # expect: Running
+```
+
+### 2. Install the plugin
+
+In Claude Code:
+
+```
+/plugin marketplace add https://git.kuns.dev/releases/ClaudeMailbox
+/plugin install claude-mailbox@claude-mailbox
+```
+
+### 3. Choose a mailbox name
+
+Set the env var Claude Code will inherit (any unique name — your username, machine name, whatever):
+
+```sh
+# Windows (PowerShell, persistent)
+setx CLAUDE_MAILBOX_NAME alice
+
+# macOS / Linux (add to ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc)
+export CLAUDE_MAILBOX_NAME=alice
+```
+
+Restart Claude Code so the new env var is picked up.
+
+## What happens at runtime
+
+Before every prompt the plugin runs `claude-mailbox check --hook`, which:
+
+- prints unread mailbox messages in a Claude-friendly format and marks them delivered,
+- stays **silent** when the inbox is empty or `CLAUDE_MAILBOX_NAME` is not set,
+- emits a one-line setup hint when the daemon is unreachable (so missing step 1 is loud).
+
+## Sending yourself a message (smoke test)
+
+```sh
+claude-mailbox send --from probe --to alice --body "hello from the CLI"
+```
+
+Then start a new Claude Code session — the message should appear in context before Claude's first reply.
+
+## Uninstall
+
+```
+/plugin uninstall claude-mailbox@claude-mailbox
+npm uninstall -g @kuns/claude-mailbox
+claude-mailbox uninstall-autostart   # if you used it
+```
diff --git a/plugin/hooks/hooks.json b/plugin/hooks/hooks.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..68c2d1d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugin/hooks/hooks.json
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+{
+  "hooks": {
+    "UserPromptSubmit": [
+      {
+        "hooks": [
+          {
+            "type": "command",
+            "command": "claude-mailbox check --hook"
+          }
+        ]
+      }
+    ]
+  }
+}