diff --git a/changelog.d/plugins-dir-optional.fixed.md b/changelog.d/plugins-dir-optional.fixed.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..796041ec1e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/plugins-dir-optional.fixed.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+- The legacy `plugins/` directory is now optional. The scaffold's `Application.cfc` jar-scan and the framework plugin loader (`Plugins.cfc` `$folders()`/`$files()`) now guard their directory listing with `DirectoryExists`, so an app that has removed `plugins/` (the common case now that packages live in `vendor/<name>/`) no longer errors at startup on engines whose directory listing throws on a missing path — Lucee/Adobe tolerate a missing dir, but stricter engines (e.g. RustCFML) did not. The plugins-directory lookup is deprecated and slated for removal in the next major
diff --git a/cli/lucli/templates/app/public/Application.cfc b/cli/lucli/templates/app/public/Application.cfc
index d7d0bfc1f9..0a38c6aace 100644
--- a/cli/lucli/templates/app/public/Application.cfc
+++ b/cli/lucli/templates/app/public/Application.cfc
@@ -24,13 +24,14 @@ component output="false" {
 	this.sessionManagement = true;
 
 	// If a plugin has a jar or class file, automatically add the mapping to this.javasettings.
+	// Legacy plugins system (DEPRECATED — superseded by vendor/<name>/ packages).
+	// Only scan when a plugins/ directory exists, so a removed plugins/ dir does not
+	// error on engines whose directoryList() throws on a missing path (e.g. RustCFML;
+	// Lucee tolerates it). This lookup is slated for removal in the next major.
 	this.wheels.pluginDir = this.appDir & "../plugins";
-	this.wheels.pluginFolders = DirectoryList(
-		this.wheels.pluginDir,
-		"true",
-		"path",
-		"*.class|*.jar|*.java"
-	);
+	this.wheels.pluginFolders = DirectoryExists(this.wheels.pluginDir)
+		? DirectoryList(this.wheels.pluginDir, "true", "path", "*.class|*.jar|*.java")
+		: [];
 
 	for (this.wheels.folder in this.wheels.pluginFolders) {
 		if (!StructKeyExists(this, "javaSettings")) {
diff --git a/examples/starter-app/public/Application.cfc b/examples/starter-app/public/Application.cfc
index 5c7a53d5e4..954ba4e7dc 100644
--- a/examples/starter-app/public/Application.cfc
+++ b/examples/starter-app/public/Application.cfc
@@ -26,13 +26,14 @@ component output="false" {
 	this.sessionManagement = true;
 
 	// If a plugin has a jar or class file, automatically add the mapping to this.javasettings.
+	// Legacy plugins system (DEPRECATED — superseded by vendor/<name>/ packages).
+	// Only scan when a plugins/ directory exists, so a removed plugins/ dir does not
+	// error on engines whose directoryList() throws on a missing path (e.g. RustCFML;
+	// Lucee tolerates it). This lookup is slated for removal in the next major.
 	this.wheels.pluginDir = this.appDir & "../plugins";
-	this.wheels.pluginFolders = DirectoryList(
-		this.wheels.pluginDir,
-		"true",
-		"path",
-		"*.class|*.jar|*.java"
-	);
+	this.wheels.pluginFolders = DirectoryExists(this.wheels.pluginDir)
+		? DirectoryList(this.wheels.pluginDir, "true", "path", "*.class|*.jar|*.java")
+		: [];
 
 	for (this.wheels.folder in this.wheels.pluginFolders) {
 		if (!StructKeyExists(this, "javaSettings")) {
diff --git a/examples/tweet/public/Application.cfc b/examples/tweet/public/Application.cfc
index 5c7a53d5e4..954ba4e7dc 100755
--- a/examples/tweet/public/Application.cfc
+++ b/examples/tweet/public/Application.cfc
@@ -26,13 +26,14 @@ component output="false" {
 	this.sessionManagement = true;
 
 	// If a plugin has a jar or class file, automatically add the mapping to this.javasettings.
+	// Legacy plugins system (DEPRECATED — superseded by vendor/<name>/ packages).
+	// Only scan when a plugins/ directory exists, so a removed plugins/ dir does not
+	// error on engines whose directoryList() throws on a missing path (e.g. RustCFML;
+	// Lucee tolerates it). This lookup is slated for removal in the next major.
 	this.wheels.pluginDir = this.appDir & "../plugins";
-	this.wheels.pluginFolders = DirectoryList(
-		this.wheels.pluginDir,
-		"true",
-		"path",
-		"*.class|*.jar|*.java"
-	);
+	this.wheels.pluginFolders = DirectoryExists(this.wheels.pluginDir)
+		? DirectoryList(this.wheels.pluginDir, "true", "path", "*.class|*.jar|*.java")
+		: [];
 
 	for (this.wheels.folder in this.wheels.pluginFolders) {
 		if (!StructKeyExists(this, "javaSettings")) {
diff --git a/public/Application.cfc b/public/Application.cfc
index ab004fb993..b1eb617a63 100644
--- a/public/Application.cfc
+++ b/public/Application.cfc
@@ -37,13 +37,14 @@ component output="false" {
 	this.sessionManagement = true;
 
 	// If a plugin has a jar or class file, automatically add the mapping to this.javasettings.
+	// Legacy plugins system (DEPRECATED — superseded by vendor/<name>/ packages).
+	// Only scan when a plugins/ directory exists, so a removed plugins/ dir does not
+	// error on engines whose directoryList() throws on a missing path (e.g. RustCFML;
+	// Lucee tolerates it). This lookup is slated for removal in the next major.
 	this.wheels.pluginDir = this.appDir & "../plugins";
-	this.wheels.pluginFolders = DirectoryList(
-		this.wheels.pluginDir,
-		"true",
-		"path",
-		"*.class|*.jar|*.java"
-	);
+	this.wheels.pluginFolders = DirectoryExists(this.wheels.pluginDir)
+		? DirectoryList(this.wheels.pluginDir, "true", "path", "*.class|*.jar|*.java")
+		: [];
 
 	for (this.wheels.folder in this.wheels.pluginFolders) {
 		if (!StructKeyExists(this, "javaSettings")) {
diff --git a/vendor/wheels/Plugins.cfc b/vendor/wheels/Plugins.cfc
index 5fcec9b62d..3386df7be8 100644
--- a/vendor/wheels/Plugins.cfc
+++ b/vendor/wheels/Plugins.cfc
@@ -1041,6 +1041,14 @@ component output="false" extends="wheels.Global"{
 	}
 
 	public query function $folders() {
+		// The legacy plugins/ directory is deprecated (superseded by vendor/<name>/
+		// packages) and may be absent. Skip the scan when it does not exist so
+		// engines whose directory listing throws on a missing path (e.g. RustCFML)
+		// don't fail at boot; Lucee/Adobe return empty for a missing dir anyway.
+		// Slated for removal with the plugins system in the next major.
+		if (!DirectoryExists(variables.$class.pluginPathFull)) {
+			return QueryNew("name,directory,type");
+		}
 		local.query = $directory(
 			action = "list",
 			directory = variables.$class.pluginPathFull,
@@ -1086,6 +1094,10 @@ component output="false" extends="wheels.Global"{
 	}
 
 	public query function $files() {
+		// See $folders(): the deprecated plugins/ directory may be absent.
+		if (!DirectoryExists(variables.$class.pluginPathFull)) {
+			return QueryNew("name,directory,type");
+		}
 		local.query = $directory(
 			action = "list",
 			directory = variables.$class.pluginPathFull,
diff --git a/vendor/wheels/tests/specs/pluginsMissingDirSpec.cfc b/vendor/wheels/tests/specs/pluginsMissingDirSpec.cfc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7267433988
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vendor/wheels/tests/specs/pluginsMissingDirSpec.cfc
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+component extends="wheels.WheelsTest" {
+
+	function run() {
+
+		g = application.wo
+
+		// The legacy plugins/ directory is deprecated (superseded by vendor/<name>/
+		// packages) and apps are expected to remove it. The plugin loader must not
+		// error when it is absent — Lucee/Adobe return empty for a missing dir, but
+		// stricter engines (e.g. RustCFML) throw on directory listing of a missing
+		// path, which previously failed onApplicationStart. $folders()/$files() now
+		// short-circuit to an empty query when the directory does not exist.
+		describe("plugin loader with an absent plugins/ directory", () => {
+
+			missingPath = "/wheels/tests/_assets/plugins/__this_directory_does_not_exist__"
+
+			it("initializes without throwing when the plugins directory is missing", () => {
+				var config = {
+					path = "wheels",
+					fileName = "Plugins",
+					method = "$init",
+					pluginPath = missingPath,
+					deletePluginDirectories = false,
+					overwritePlugins = false,
+					loadIncompatiblePlugins = true
+				}
+				var state = {thrown = false}
+				try {
+					pluginObj = $pluginObj(config)
+				} catch (any e) {
+					state.thrown = true
+				}
+				expect(state.thrown).toBeFalse()
+			})
+
+			it("$folders() returns an empty query for a missing directory", () => {
+				var config = {
+					path = "wheels", fileName = "Plugins", method = "$init", pluginPath = missingPath,
+					deletePluginDirectories = false, overwritePlugins = false, loadIncompatiblePlugins = true
+				}
+				var pluginObj = $pluginObj(config)
+				expect(pluginObj.$folders().recordCount).toBe(0)
+			})
+
+			it("$files() returns an empty query for a missing directory", () => {
+				var config = {
+					path = "wheels", fileName = "Plugins", method = "$init", pluginPath = missingPath,
+					deletePluginDirectories = false, overwritePlugins = false, loadIncompatiblePlugins = true
+				}
+				var pluginObj = $pluginObj(config)
+				expect(pluginObj.$files().recordCount).toBe(0)
+			})
+		})
+	}
+
+	// Mirror the sibling plugin specs (pluginsSpec.cfc:549, pluginsModernSpec,
+	// pluginsSemverSpec, pluginsManifestIntegrationSpec): a component-level
+	// helper that instantiates wheels.Plugins via $createObjectFromRoot and
+	// dispatches $init with the full config — INCLUDING pluginPath. Without it,
+	// $pluginObj(config) resolves to the parameterless Global.$pluginObj() that
+	// WheelsTest auto-binds, which ignores config and returns the cached PluginObj
+	// pointing at the real plugins/ dir — so the missing-path branch (the fix)
+	// never runs and these specs pass for the wrong reason.
+	function $pluginObj(required struct config) {
+		return g.$createObjectFromRoot(argumentCollection = arguments.config)
+	}
+}