diff --git a/src/channels/plugins/contracts/registry.contract.test.ts b/src/channels/plugins/contracts/registry.contract.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..69ff11d8e68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/channels/plugins/contracts/registry.contract.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import {
+  actionContractRegistry,
+  pluginContractRegistry,
+  setupContractRegistry,
+  statusContractRegistry,
+  surfaceContractRegistry,
+  type ChannelPluginSurface,
+} from "./registry.js";
+
+const orderedSurfaceKeys = [
+  "actions",
+  "setup",
+  "status",
+  "outbound",
+  "messaging",
+  "threading",
+  "directory",
+  "gateway",
+] as const satisfies readonly ChannelPluginSurface[];
+
+describe("channel contract registry", () => {
+  it("does not duplicate channel plugin ids", () => {
+    const ids = pluginContractRegistry.map((entry) => entry.id);
+    expect(ids).toEqual([...new Set(ids)]);
+  });
+
+  it("keeps the surface registry aligned with the plugin registry", () => {
+    expect(surfaceContractRegistry.map((entry) => entry.id).toSorted()).toEqual(
+      pluginContractRegistry.map((entry) => entry.id).toSorted(),
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("declares the actual owned channel plugin surfaces explicitly", () => {
+    for (const entry of surfaceContractRegistry) {
+      const actual = orderedSurfaceKeys.filter((surface) => Boolean(entry.plugin[surface]));
+      expect([...entry.surfaces].toSorted()).toEqual(actual.toSorted());
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("only installs deep action coverage for plugins that declare actions", () => {
+    const actionSurfaceIds = new Set(
+      surfaceContractRegistry
+        .filter((entry) => entry.surfaces.includes("actions"))
+        .map((entry) => entry.id),
+    );
+    for (const entry of actionContractRegistry) {
+      expect(actionSurfaceIds.has(entry.id)).toBe(true);
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("only installs deep setup coverage for plugins that declare setup", () => {
+    const setupSurfaceIds = new Set(
+      surfaceContractRegistry
+        .filter((entry) => entry.surfaces.includes("setup"))
+        .map((entry) => entry.id),
+    );
+    for (const entry of setupContractRegistry) {
+      expect(setupSurfaceIds.has(entry.id)).toBe(true);
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("only installs deep status coverage for plugins that declare status", () => {
+    const statusSurfaceIds = new Set(
+      surfaceContractRegistry
+        .filter((entry) => entry.surfaces.includes("status"))
+        .map((entry) => entry.id),
+    );
+    for (const entry of statusContractRegistry) {
+      expect(statusSurfaceIds.has(entry.id)).toBe(true);
+    }
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/channels/plugins/contracts/registry.ts b/src/channels/plugins/contracts/registry.ts
index 567181cef46..77bf23b335c 100644
--- a/src/channels/plugins/contracts/registry.ts
+++ b/src/channels/plugins/contracts/registry.ts
@@ -57,6 +57,33 @@ type StatusContractEntry = {
   }>;
 };
 
+export type ChannelPluginSurface =
+  | "actions"
+  | "setup"
+  | "status"
+  | "outbound"
+  | "messaging"
+  | "threading"
+  | "directory"
+  | "gateway";
+
+type SurfaceContractEntry = {
+  id: string;
+  plugin: Pick<
+    ChannelPlugin,
+    | "id"
+    | "actions"
+    | "setup"
+    | "status"
+    | "outbound"
+    | "messaging"
+    | "threading"
+    | "directory"
+    | "gateway"
+  >;
+  surfaces: readonly ChannelPluginSurface[];
+};
+
 const telegramListActionsMock = vi.fn();
 const telegramGetCapabilitiesMock = vi.fn();
 const discordListActionsMock = vi.fn();
@@ -461,3 +488,187 @@ export const statusContractRegistry: StatusContractEntry[] = [
     ],
   },
 ];
+
+export const surfaceContractRegistry: SurfaceContractEntry[] = [
+  {
+    id: "bluebubbles",
+    plugin: bluebubblesPlugin,
+    surfaces: ["actions", "setup", "status", "outbound", "messaging", "threading", "gateway"],
+  },
+  {
+    id: "discord",
+    plugin: discordPlugin,
+    surfaces: [
+      "actions",
+      "setup",
+      "status",
+      "outbound",
+      "messaging",
+      "threading",
+      "directory",
+      "gateway",
+    ],
+  },
+  {
+    id: "feishu",
+    plugin: feishuPlugin,
+    surfaces: ["actions", "setup", "status", "outbound", "messaging", "directory", "gateway"],
+  },
+  {
+    id: "googlechat",
+    plugin: googlechatPlugin,
+    surfaces: [
+      "actions",
+      "setup",
+      "status",
+      "outbound",
+      "messaging",
+      "threading",
+      "directory",
+      "gateway",
+    ],
+  },
+  {
+    id: "imessage",
+    plugin: imessagePlugin,
+    surfaces: ["setup", "status", "outbound", "messaging", "gateway"],
+  },
+  {
+    id: "irc",
+    plugin: ircPlugin,
+    surfaces: ["setup", "status", "outbound", "messaging", "directory", "gateway"],
+  },
+  {
+    id: "line",
+    plugin: linePlugin,
+    surfaces: ["setup", "status", "outbound", "messaging", "directory", "gateway"],
+  },
+  {
+    id: "matrix",
+    plugin: matrixPlugin,
+    surfaces: [
+      "actions",
+      "setup",
+      "status",
+      "outbound",
+      "messaging",
+      "threading",
+      "directory",
+      "gateway",
+    ],
+  },
+  {
+    id: "mattermost",
+    plugin: mattermostPlugin,
+    surfaces: [
+      "actions",
+      "setup",
+      "status",
+      "outbound",
+      "messaging",
+      "threading",
+      "directory",
+      "gateway",
+    ],
+  },
+  {
+    id: "msteams",
+    plugin: msteamsPlugin,
+    surfaces: [
+      "actions",
+      "setup",
+      "status",
+      "outbound",
+      "messaging",
+      "threading",
+      "directory",
+      "gateway",
+    ],
+  },
+  {
+    id: "nextcloud-talk",
+    plugin: nextcloudTalkPlugin,
+    surfaces: ["setup", "status", "outbound", "messaging", "gateway"],
+  },
+  {
+    id: "nostr",
+    plugin: nostrPlugin,
+    surfaces: ["setup", "status", "outbound", "messaging", "gateway"],
+  },
+  {
+    id: "signal",
+    plugin: signalPlugin,
+    surfaces: ["actions", "setup", "status", "outbound", "messaging", "gateway"],
+  },
+  {
+    id: "slack",
+    plugin: slackPlugin,
+    surfaces: [
+      "actions",
+      "setup",
+      "status",
+      "outbound",
+      "messaging",
+      "threading",
+      "directory",
+      "gateway",
+    ],
+  },
+  {
+    id: "synology-chat",
+    plugin: synologyChatPlugin,
+    surfaces: ["setup", "outbound", "messaging", "directory", "gateway"],
+  },
+  {
+    id: "telegram",
+    plugin: telegramPlugin,
+    surfaces: [
+      "actions",
+      "setup",
+      "status",
+      "outbound",
+      "messaging",
+      "threading",
+      "directory",
+      "gateway",
+    ],
+  },
+  {
+    id: "tlon",
+    plugin: tlonPlugin,
+    surfaces: ["setup", "status", "outbound", "messaging", "gateway"],
+  },
+  {
+    id: "whatsapp",
+    plugin: whatsappPlugin,
+    surfaces: ["actions", "setup", "status", "outbound", "messaging", "directory", "gateway"],
+  },
+  {
+    id: "zalo",
+    plugin: zaloPlugin,
+    surfaces: [
+      "actions",
+      "setup",
+      "status",
+      "outbound",
+      "messaging",
+      "threading",
+      "directory",
+      "gateway",
+    ],
+  },
+  {
+    id: "zalouser",
+    plugin: zalouserPlugin,
+    surfaces: [
+      "actions",
+      "setup",
+      "status",
+      "outbound",
+      "messaging",
+      "threading",
+      "directory",
+      "gateway",
+    ],
+  },
+];
diff --git a/src/channels/plugins/contracts/surface.contract.test.ts b/src/channels/plugins/contracts/surface.contract.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6e657bd19fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/channels/plugins/contracts/surface.contract.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+import { describe } from "vitest";
+import { surfaceContractRegistry } from "./registry.js";
+import { installChannelSurfaceContractSuite } from "./suites.js";
+
+for (const entry of surfaceContractRegistry) {
+  for (const surface of entry.surfaces) {
+    describe(`${entry.id} ${surface} surface contract`, () => {
+      installChannelSurfaceContractSuite({
+        plugin: entry.plugin,
+        surface,
+      });
+    });
+  }
+}