diff --git a/packages/cli/package.json b/packages/cli/package.json
index 9db12381b7..d340fa89fb 100644
--- a/packages/cli/package.json
+++ b/packages/cli/package.json
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
   },
   "files": [
     "dist",
-    "templates",
     "README.md",
     "CHANGELOG.md",
     "LICENSE"
diff --git a/packages/create-plugin/package.json b/packages/create-plugin/package.json
index d13a6ddbb0..1162139f89 100644
--- a/packages/create-plugin/package.json
+++ b/packages/create-plugin/package.json
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
   },
   "files": [
     "dist",
-    "templates",
     "README.md",
     "CHANGELOG.md",
     "LICENSE"
diff --git a/packages/create-plugin/src/index.ts b/packages/create-plugin/src/index.ts
index 16031e6c6b..3f532d9d48 100644
--- a/packages/create-plugin/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/create-plugin/src/index.ts
@@ -12,10 +12,6 @@ import chalk from 'chalk';
 import prompts from 'prompts';
 import * as path from 'path';
 import fs from 'fs-extra';
-import { fileURLToPath } from 'url';
-
-const __filename = fileURLToPath(import.meta.url);
-const __dirname = path.dirname(__filename);
 
 const program = new Command();
 
@@ -111,9 +107,6 @@ async function createPlugin(pluginName?: string, options: PluginOptions = {}) {
   fs.mkdirpSync(targetDir);
   fs.mkdirpSync(path.join(targetDir, 'src'));
 
-  // Get template directory
-  const templateDir = path.join(__dirname, '..', 'templates', 'plugin');
-
   // Template variables
   const vars = {
     PACKAGE_NAME: `@object-ui/${fullPackageName}`,
diff --git a/scripts/__tests__/package-files-exist.test.ts b/scripts/__tests__/package-files-exist.test.ts
index f4bf9e708e..e593bad681 100644
--- a/scripts/__tests__/package-files-exist.test.ts
+++ b/scripts/__tests__/package-files-exist.test.ts
@@ -67,22 +67,17 @@ const repoRoot = path.resolve(path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url)), '../
  * can only shrink. Fix one by deleting the stale `files` entry from the
  * package's `package.json` and deleting its line here.
  *
- * Both current entries are vestigial declarations, measured on
- * main@dae1ac41e: neither `templates` directory exists on disk, neither has
- * EVER existed in this repo's git history (an all-branch `git log
- * --diff-filter=A` over both paths returns nothing), and no build step or
- * workflow creates one. Both packages inline their templates instead —
- * `@object-ui/cli` as an
- * object literal in `src/commands/init.ts`, and `@object-ui/create-plugin` by
- * constructing the generated `package.json` in code, leaving
- * `src/index.ts`'s `templateDir` assigned and never read. So nothing is broken
- * for a user today; the manifests simply state something untrue, which is the
- * defect objectui#3663 is about.
+ * Currently empty, which is the intended resting state — the ratchet still
+ * fails on any NEW violation. It landed carrying two entries measured on
+ * main@dae1ac41e, `packages/cli/templates` and
+ * `packages/create-plugin/templates`: vestigial declarations for directories
+ * that never existed on disk, never existed anywhere in this repo's git
+ * history, and that no build step or workflow creates. Both packages inline
+ * their templates instead. objectui#3665 banked both by deleting the two
+ * `files` entries, and deleting a declaration retires a baseline line exactly
+ * as creating the file would.
  */
-const KNOWN_MISSING: Record<string, { issue: string }> = {
-  'packages/cli/templates': { issue: 'objectui#3665' },
-  'packages/create-plugin/templates': { issue: 'objectui#3665' },
-};
+const KNOWN_MISSING: Record<string, { issue: string }> = {};
 
 interface WorkspacePackage {
   name: string;