diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 7868c124..613268d6 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 - **Extension registry** — `StaticRegistryRepository` reads a static `index.json` published by [QueryaHub/extensions](https://github.com/QueryaHub/extensions) (GitHub Pages): yanked entries, non-GitHub-release URLs and extensions the running version is too old for are hidden, the index is cached, installs keep the SHA-256 / archive / sandbox checks. The Extensions → Marketplace tab now shows this catalog instead of the built-in demo one (which listed fake extensions and wrote placeholder folders into the real extensions directory, #1568); while the registry is empty or unreachable the tab says so, with a *Retry*. Also new for extension authors: the `ghcr.io/queryahub/features/querya-ext-tester` Dev Container Feature, `querya-testdb-*` test database images, and the [extension template](https://github.com/QueryaHub/extension-template). See [docs/extension-registry.md](docs/extension-registry.md).
 - **`manifestVersion` in `manifest.json`** — the version of the manifest format itself, apart from the extension's `version` and the host range `engines`. Absent means format 1, so nothing existing changes; `querya-ext-tester` rejects a format the emulated host does not read, and the app does not offer, install or load an extension in a format newer than it reads. See [docs/extension-registry.md](docs/extension-registry.md#versions-what-is-checked-against-what).
+- **`querya-ext-tester --manifest-only`** — checks `manifest.json` (including `engines` and `manifestVersion`) against the emulated host and stops; the extension is not started, so no database or executable is needed.
 - **`engines.querya_desktop` accepts several comparators** — `>=0.4.0 <3.0.0` (`>=`, `>`, `<=`, `<`, `=`, all must hold), as the ClickHouse driver declares. The app used to read only `>=x.y.z` and `^x.y.z`, so such an extension was shown on every version.
 - **Release hooks** — after a Release the registry and the template are told about the new version (`repository_dispatch`); needs the `QUERYA_DISPATCH_TOKEN` secret.
 
diff --git a/bin/querya_ext_tester.dart b/bin/querya_ext_tester.dart
index 7fd0ddc3..a71a5f67 100644
--- a/bin/querya_ext_tester.dart
+++ b/bin/querya_ext_tester.dart
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ Options:
   --table <name>            also check db.getTableSchema for this table
   --database <name>         database passed to db.connect
   --sandbox                 run the plugin in the OS sandbox when available
+  --manifest-only           check manifest.json against --target-version and
+                            stop: the extension is not started (no database,
+                            no executable needed)
   --strict                  treat warnings as failures (exit 1), for example a
                             recommended method that errors or a sandbox that
                             could not be applied
@@ -51,6 +54,7 @@ Future<int> _run(List<String> args) async {
   String? database;
   var sandbox = false;
   var strict = false;
+  var manifestOnly = false;
   var timeoutMs = 5000;
   String? junit;
   String? tap;
@@ -75,6 +79,8 @@ Future<int> _run(List<String> args) async {
         sandbox = true;
       case '--strict':
         strict = true;
+      case '--manifest-only':
+        manifestOnly = true;
       case '--no-color':
         color = false;
       case '--target-version' ||
@@ -167,6 +173,7 @@ Future<int> _run(List<String> args) async {
       database: database,
     ),
     sandbox: sandbox,
+    manifestOnly: manifestOnly,
   );
   stdout.write(report.toConsole(color: color));
   if (junit != null) File(junit).writeAsStringSync(report.toJUnitXml());
diff --git a/docs/extension-testing.md b/docs/extension-testing.md
index 4ac3db1a..52ada48e 100644
--- a/docs/extension-testing.md
+++ b/docs/extension-testing.md
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ querya-ext-tester ./my-extension \
 | `--table <name>` | also check `db.getTableSchema` |
 | `--database <name>` | database passed to `db.connect` |
 | `--sandbox` | run the plugin in the OS sandbox (`bwrap` on Linux, `sandbox-exec` on macOS) when available |
+| `--manifest-only` | check `manifest.json` against `--target-version` and stop: the extension is not started, so no database and no executable are needed. For a quick lint, or a CI step with no database. Not in 0.4.19 or earlier |
 | `--strict` | warnings fail the run too (exit `1`): a recommended method that errors, or a sandbox that could not be applied. Not in 0.4.19 or earlier |
 | `--timeout-ms <n>` | per-request timeout (default 5000) |
 | `--junit <path>` / `--tap <path>` | write a JUnit XML / TAP report |
diff --git a/lib/core/extensions/harness/extension_harness.dart b/lib/core/extensions/harness/extension_harness.dart
index 66638e6c..7244abb8 100644
--- a/lib/core/extensions/harness/extension_harness.dart
+++ b/lib/core/extensions/harness/extension_harness.dart
@@ -187,11 +187,14 @@ class QueryaExtensionHarness {
 
   static const _connectionId = 1;
 
+  /// With [manifestOnly] the run ends after the `manifest` check: the
+  /// extension is not launched, so no database and no executable are needed.
   Future<HarnessReport> run({
     required String extensionRoot,
     required String targetVersion,
     HarnessConnectionOptions connection = const HarnessConnectionOptions(),
     bool sandbox = false,
+    bool manifestOnly = false,
   }) async {
     final total = Stopwatch()..start();
     final profile = ExtensionProtocolProfile.forTarget(targetVersion);
@@ -286,6 +289,17 @@ class QueryaExtensionHarness {
       }
     }
 
+    // Only the manifest was asked for: nothing is started or connected.
+    if (manifestOnly) {
+      total.stop();
+      return HarnessReport(
+        extensionId: extensionId,
+        targetVersion: profile.targetVersion,
+        checks: checks,
+        totalDuration: total.elapsed,
+      );
+    }
+
     // 2. Launch.
     HarnessPluginProcess? process;
     JsonRpcStdioClient? client;
diff --git a/test/core/extensions/harness/extension_harness_test.dart b/test/core/extensions/harness/extension_harness_test.dart
index 781e240a..c8b5fd95 100644
--- a/test/core/extensions/harness/extension_harness_test.dart
+++ b/test/core/extensions/harness/extension_harness_test.dart
@@ -295,6 +295,45 @@ void main() {
     expect(plugin!.calls, isNot(contains('db.getTableSchema')));
   });
 
+  group('manifest only', () {
+    Future<HarnessReport> manifestOnly(String target) {
+      var launched = false;
+      final harness = QueryaExtensionHarness(
+        launcher: (request) async {
+          launched = true;
+          throw StateError('must not start the plugin');
+        },
+      );
+      return harness
+          .run(
+            extensionRoot: root.path,
+            targetVersion: target,
+            manifestOnly: true,
+          )
+          .whenComplete(() => expect(launched, isFalse));
+    }
+
+    test('checks the manifest and starts nothing', () async {
+      writeExtension(manifest(), entry: false); // no executable at all
+      final report = await manifestOnly('0.5.0');
+      expect(report.checks.map((c) => c.name), ['manifest']);
+      expect(report.isSuccess, isTrue, reason: report.toConsole());
+    });
+
+    test('still fails on a manifest the emulated host cannot read', () async {
+      writeExtension(manifest()..['manifestVersion'] = 2, entry: false);
+      final report = await manifestOnly('0.5.0');
+      expect(report.isSuccess, isFalse);
+      expect(check(report, 'manifest').message, contains('manifestVersion'));
+    });
+
+    test('a missing manifest.json is a failure', () async {
+      final report = await manifestOnly('0.5.0');
+      expect(report.isSuccess, isFalse);
+      expect(check(report, 'manifest').status, HarnessCheckStatus.failed);
+    });
+  });
+
   test('a missing recommended method is only a warning', () async {
     writeExtension(manifest());
     final (report, _) = await run(_healthy()..remove('db.getCapabilities'));