diff --git a/Sources/ContainerCommands/Application.swift b/Sources/ContainerCommands/Application.swift
index fc702db72..9331641d0 100644
--- a/Sources/ContainerCommands/Application.swift
+++ b/Sources/ContainerCommands/Application.swift
@@ -158,7 +158,11 @@ public struct Application: AsyncLoggableCommand {
             .appending(FilePath.Component("container"))
             .appending(FilePath.Component("plugins"))
         let installRootPluginsURL = URL(fileURLWithPath: installRootPluginsPath.string)
+        // user-level plugins directory (stable across upgrades)
+        let userHomePluginsURL = PluginLoader.userHomePluginsDir()
+
         let pluginDirectories = [
+            userHomePluginsURL,
             userPluginsURL,
             appBundlePluginsURL,
             installRootPluginsURL,
diff --git a/Sources/ContainerCommands/DefaultCommand.swift b/Sources/ContainerCommands/DefaultCommand.swift
index 3df8f570e..1bfcf380e 100644
--- a/Sources/ContainerCommands/DefaultCommand.swift
+++ b/Sources/ContainerCommands/DefaultCommand.swift
@@ -62,7 +62,8 @@ struct DefaultCommand: AsyncLoggableCommand {
             .appending(FilePath.Component("container"))
             .appending(FilePath.Component("plugins"))
         let installRootPluginsURL = URL(fileURLWithPath: installRootPluginsPath.string)
-        let hintPaths = [userPluginsURL, installRootPluginsURL]
+        let hintPaths = [PluginLoader.userHomePluginsDir(), userPluginsURL, installRootPluginsURL]
+            .compactMap { $0 }
             .map { $0.appendingPathComponent(command).path(percentEncoded: false) }
             .joined(separator: "\n  - ")
 
diff --git a/Sources/ContainerPlugin/PluginLoader.swift b/Sources/ContainerPlugin/PluginLoader.swift
index 0c156a5a0..3a6952141 100644
--- a/Sources/ContainerPlugin/PluginLoader.swift
+++ b/Sources/ContainerPlugin/PluginLoader.swift
@@ -64,6 +64,27 @@ public struct PluginLoader: Sendable {
             .appending(path: "container-plugins")
             .resolvingSymlinksInPath()
     }
+
+    /// Returns the user-level plugins directory outside any versioned install root.
+    /// Respects ``XDG_DATA_HOME``; falls back to ``~/.local/share``.
+    /// Returns nil when the directory does not exist (plugins are opt-in).
+    static public func userHomePluginsDir() -> URL? {
+        let fm = FileManager.default
+        let base: String
+        if let xdg = ProcessInfo.processInfo.environment["XDG_DATA_HOME"], !xdg.isEmpty {
+            base = xdg
+        } else {
+            base = fm.homeDirectoryForCurrentUser
+                .appendingPathComponent(".local/share")
+                .path
+        }
+        let url = URL(fileURLWithPath: "\(base)/container/plugins")
+        var isDir: ObjCBool = false
+        guard fm.fileExists(atPath: url.path, isDirectory: &isDir), isDir.boolValue else {
+            return nil
+        }
+        return url
+    }
 }
 
 extension PluginLoader {
diff --git a/Tests/ContainerPluginTests/PluginLoaderTest.swift b/Tests/ContainerPluginTests/PluginLoaderTest.swift
index 6433a36a5..42ec2de24 100644
--- a/Tests/ContainerPluginTests/PluginLoaderTest.swift
+++ b/Tests/ContainerPluginTests/PluginLoaderTest.swift
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 //===----------------------------------------------------------------------===//
 
 import Foundation
+import Logging
 import Testing
 
 @testable import ContainerPlugin
@@ -257,6 +258,84 @@ struct PluginLoaderTest {
         #expect(!programArguments.contains("--debug"))
     }
 
+    // MARK: - userHomePluginsDir
+
+    @Test
+    func testUserHomePluginsDirWithXDG() async throws {
+        let tempDir = FileManager.default.temporaryDirectory.appendingPathComponent(UUID().uuidString)
+        let pluginsDir = tempDir.appendingPathComponent("container/plugins")
+        try FileManager.default.createDirectory(at: pluginsDir, withIntermediateDirectories: true)
+        defer { try? FileManager.default.removeItem(at: tempDir) }
+
+        setenv("XDG_DATA_HOME", tempDir.path, 1)
+        defer { unsetenv("XDG_DATA_HOME") }
+
+        let result = PluginLoader.userHomePluginsDir()
+        #expect(result != nil)
+        #expect(result?.path == pluginsDir.path)
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    func testUserHomePluginsDirFallback() async throws {
+        // Without XDG_DATA_HOME, should fall back to ~/.local/share/container/plugins
+        // which doesn't exist in CI, so expect nil.
+        unsetenv("XDG_DATA_HOME")
+        let result = PluginLoader.userHomePluginsDir()
+        #expect(result == nil)
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    func testUserHomePluginsDirNonexistent() async throws {
+        let tempDir = FileManager.default.temporaryDirectory.appendingPathComponent(UUID().uuidString)
+        defer { try? FileManager.default.removeItem(at: tempDir) }
+
+        setenv("XDG_DATA_HOME", tempDir.path, 1)
+        defer { unsetenv("XDG_DATA_HOME") }
+
+        // Directory doesn't exist → nil
+        let result = PluginLoader.userHomePluginsDir()
+        #expect(result == nil)
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    func testUserHomePluginsDirPriorityOverInstallRoot() async throws {
+        // When the same plugin name exists in both user-home and install-root dirs,
+        // the user-home plugin wins (earlier in search order).
+        let homeDir = FileManager.default.temporaryDirectory.appendingPathComponent(UUID().uuidString)
+        let homePluginsDir = homeDir.appendingPathComponent("container/plugins")
+        try FileManager.default.createDirectory(at: homePluginsDir, withIntermediateDirectories: true)
+        defer { try? FileManager.default.removeItem(at: homeDir) }
+
+        setenv("XDG_DATA_HOME", homeDir.path, 1)
+        defer { unsetenv("XDG_DATA_HOME") }
+
+        let installDir = FileManager.default.temporaryDirectory.appendingPathComponent(UUID().uuidString)
+        defer { try? FileManager.default.removeItem(at: installDir) }
+
+        let factory = try setupMock(tempURL: installDir)
+
+        // Create a "cli" plugin in the user-home dir with a different abstract
+        try FileManager.default.createDirectory(at: homePluginsDir.appendingPathComponent("cli/bin"), withIntermediateDirectories: true)
+        try Data().write(to: homePluginsDir.appendingPathComponent("cli/bin/cli"))
+        try """
+        abstract = "user-home-plugin"
+        author = "test"
+        """.write(to: homePluginsDir.appendingPathComponent("cli/config.toml"), atomically: true, encoding: .utf8)
+
+        let userHomeURL = try #require(PluginLoader.userHomePluginsDir())
+        let loader = try PluginLoader(
+            appRoot: homeDir,
+            installRoot: URL(filePath: "/usr/local/"),
+            logRoot: nil,
+            pluginDirectories: [userHomeURL, installDir],
+            pluginFactories: [DefaultPluginFactory(logger: Logger(label: "test")), factory]
+        )
+        let plugins = loader.findPlugins()
+        let cliPlugin = plugins.first { $0.name == "cli" }
+        #expect(cliPlugin != nil)
+        #expect(cliPlugin?.config.abstract == "user-home-plugin")
+    }
+
     private func setupMock(tempURL: URL) throws -> MockPluginFactory {
         let cliConfig = PluginConfig(abstract: "cli", author: "CLI", servicesConfig: nil)
         let cliPlugin: Plugin = Plugin(binaryURL: URL(filePath: "/bin/cli"), config: cliConfig)