diff --git a/internal/registry/controller/controller.go b/internal/registry/controller/controller.go
index 3dbfebc9..0ab13211 100644
--- a/internal/registry/controller/controller.go
+++ b/internal/registry/controller/controller.go
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ func (c *DeploymentController) FullReconcile(ctx context.Context) (int, error) {
 
 // HandleEvent maps a source invalidation to Deployment work. Dependency changes
 // intentionally use a full Deployment scan for this first controller foundation.
-// Agent harness composition refs (Plugins, Skills, and Prompt instructions) and
+// Agent composition refs (Plugins, Skills, and Prompt instructions) and
 // Model selection are dependency events so changes requeue Deployments that may
 // depend on their resolved state.
 func (c *DeploymentController) HandleEvent(ctx context.Context, event v1alpha1store.ControlPlaneEvent) (int, error) {
diff --git a/pkg/api/v1alpha1/agent.go b/pkg/api/v1alpha1/agent.go
index 572c0dde..4f69890f 100644
--- a/pkg/api/v1alpha1/agent.go
+++ b/pkg/api/v1alpha1/agent.go
@@ -48,9 +48,9 @@ type AgentSpec struct {
 	// Composition — top-level, harness-agnostic references to what the agent
 	// is assembled from. The selected Deployment harness materializes what it
 	// supports and drops-with-warning the rest (capability matrix). Plugins,
-	// Skills, and Instructions require compatibleHarnesses because a prebuilt
-	// Image cannot consume them by itself. MCPServers flow to harness runtimes
-	// and remain available to any other runtime that supports MCP. Each ref's
+	// Skills, and Instructions can also be delivered directly to an
+	// image Agent. MCPServers flow to harness runtimes and remain available to
+	// any other runtime that supports MCP. Each ref's
 	// Kind defaults to the field's resource kind; empty Tag means "resolve
 	// latest at reference time".
 	Plugins      []ResourceRef `json:"plugins,omitempty" yaml:"plugins,omitempty"`
diff --git a/pkg/api/v1alpha1/agent_harness_validate_test.go b/pkg/api/v1alpha1/agent_harness_validate_test.go
index 5d6f0b9e..a672f802 100644
--- a/pkg/api/v1alpha1/agent_harness_validate_test.go
+++ b/pkg/api/v1alpha1/agent_harness_validate_test.go
@@ -65,12 +65,71 @@ func TestAgentHarnessValidate(t *testing.T) {
 			wantErr: "must be \"Prompt\"",
 		},
 		{
-			name: "composition requires harness compatibility",
+			name: "image agent with plugins does not require a harness",
 			spec: AgentSpec{
 				Plugins: []ResourceRef{{Kind: KindPlugin, Name: "x"}},
 				Source:  &AgentSource{Image: "ghcr.io/org/agent:1.0.0"},
 			},
-			wantErr: "require compatibleHarnesses",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "image agent with skills does not require a harness",
+			spec: AgentSpec{
+				Skills: []ResourceRef{{Kind: KindSkill, Name: "x"}},
+				Source: &AgentSource{Image: "ghcr.io/org/agent:1.0.0"},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "image agent with instructions does not require a harness",
+			spec: AgentSpec{
+				Instructions: &ResourceRef{Kind: KindPrompt, Name: "x"},
+				Source:       &AgentSource{Image: "ghcr.io/org/agent:1.0.0"},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "plugins without image or harness remain rejected",
+			spec: AgentSpec{
+				Plugins: []ResourceRef{{Kind: KindPlugin, Name: "x"}},
+			},
+			wantErr: "plugins require compatibleHarnesses or source image",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "skills without image or harness remain rejected",
+			spec: AgentSpec{
+				Skills: []ResourceRef{{Kind: KindSkill, Name: "x"}},
+			},
+			wantErr: "skills/instructions require compatibleHarnesses or source image",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "whitespace image does not count as a source image",
+			spec: AgentSpec{
+				Skills: []ResourceRef{{Kind: KindSkill, Name: "x"}},
+				Source: &AgentSource{Image: "   "},
+			},
+			wantErr: "skills/instructions require compatibleHarnesses or source image",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "image with surrounding whitespace is rejected",
+			spec: AgentSpec{
+				Skills: []ResourceRef{{Kind: KindSkill, Name: "x"}},
+				Source: &AgentSource{Image: " ghcr.io/org/agent:1.0.0 "},
+			},
+			wantErr: "spec.source.image",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "repository source does not count for skills: nothing delivers composed files into a repository-built artifact",
+			spec: AgentSpec{
+				Skills: []ResourceRef{{Kind: KindSkill, Name: "x"}},
+				Source: &AgentSource{Repository: &Repository{URL: "https://github.com/org/agent"}},
+			},
+			wantErr: "skills/instructions require compatibleHarnesses or source image",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "repository source does not count for plugins",
+			spec: AgentSpec{
+				Plugins: []ResourceRef{{Kind: KindPlugin, Name: "x"}},
+				Source:  &AgentSource{Repository: &Repository{URL: "https://github.com/org/agent"}},
+			},
+			wantErr: "plugins require compatibleHarnesses or source image",
 		},
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/api/v1alpha1/agent_validate.go b/pkg/api/v1alpha1/agent_validate.go
index cc217bf5..3c56800e 100644
--- a/pkg/api/v1alpha1/agent_validate.go
+++ b/pkg/api/v1alpha1/agent_validate.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package v1alpha1
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"strings"
 
 	"k8s.io/utils/ptr"
 )
@@ -66,6 +67,12 @@ func validateAgentSpec(s *AgentSpec) FieldErrors {
 	errs.Append("spec.title", validateTitle(s.Title))
 	errs.Append("spec.iconUrl", validateIconURL(s.IconURL))
 	if s.Source != nil {
+		if s.Source.Image != strings.TrimSpace(s.Source.Image) {
+			errs.Append(
+				"spec.source.image",
+				fmt.Errorf("%w: must not contain leading or trailing whitespace", ErrInvalidFormat),
+			)
+		}
 		for _, e := range validateRepository(s.Source.Repository) {
 			errs.Append("spec.source."+e.Path, e.Cause)
 		}
@@ -82,8 +89,8 @@ func validateAgentSpec(s *AgentSpec) FieldErrors {
 
 	// Composition refs default their Kind IN PLACE — the deploy-time resolver
 	// does no defaulting, so the persisted ref must carry the kind. MCPServers
-	// are available to any MCP-capable runtime; plugins/skills/instructions are
-	// harness composition inputs and are gated below.
+	// are available to any MCP-capable runtime; plugins/skills/instructions can
+	// also be delivered to an image Agent and are gated below.
 	errs = append(errs, validateResourceRefs("spec.mcpServers", s.MCPServers, KindMCPServer)...)
 	errs = append(errs, validateResourceRefs("spec.plugins", s.Plugins, KindPlugin)...)
 	errs = append(errs, validateResourceRefs("spec.skills", s.Skills, KindSkill)...)
@@ -94,11 +101,13 @@ func validateAgentSpec(s *AgentSpec) FieldErrors {
 		errs = append(errs, validateResourceRefs("spec.instructions", []ResourceRef{*s.Instructions}, KindPrompt)...)
 	}
 
-	// Plugins/skills/instructions only apply to harness-compatible agents — a
-	// prebuilt Image cannot consume injected files by itself.
-	if (len(s.Plugins) > 0 || len(s.Skills) > 0 || s.Instructions != nil) &&
-		len(s.CompatibleHarnesses) == 0 {
-		errs.Append("spec", fmt.Errorf("%w: plugins/skills/instructions require compatibleHarnesses", ErrInvalidFormat))
+	hasHarnessCompat := len(s.CompatibleHarnesses) > 0
+	hasImage := s.Source != nil && strings.TrimSpace(s.Source.Image) != ""
+	if len(s.Plugins) > 0 && !hasHarnessCompat && !hasImage {
+		errs.Append("spec", fmt.Errorf("%w: plugins require compatibleHarnesses or source image", ErrInvalidFormat))
+	}
+	if (len(s.Skills) > 0 || s.Instructions != nil) && !hasHarnessCompat && !hasImage {
+		errs.Append("spec", fmt.Errorf("%w: skills/instructions require compatibleHarnesses or source image", ErrInvalidFormat))
 	}
 
 	return errs
diff --git a/pkg/types/fingerprint.go b/pkg/types/fingerprint.go
index 33ca63d3..a8aca2c2 100644
--- a/pkg/types/fingerprint.go
+++ b/pkg/types/fingerprint.go
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ func defaultApplyDependencies(ctx context.Context, in ApplyInput) ([]v1alpha1.Ob
 	}
 	hasModelRef := modelRef != nil
 	hasAgentRefs := ok && agent != nil &&
-		(len(agent.Spec.MCPServers) > 0 || hasHarnessCompositionRefs(in.Deployment, agent))
+		(len(agent.Spec.MCPServers) > 0 || hasAgentCompositionRefs(agent))
 	if in.Getter == nil {
 		if hasModelRef || hasAgentRefs {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("fingerprint: getter required to resolve dependency refs")
@@ -268,9 +268,6 @@ func defaultApplyDependencies(ctx context.Context, in ApplyInput) ([]v1alpha1.Ob
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	if !deploymentSelectsHarness(in.Deployment) {
-		return deps, nil
-	}
 	deps, err = appendResolvedRefs(ctx, deps, in.Getter, agent.Metadata.NamespaceOrDefault(), agent.Spec.Plugins, v1alpha1.KindPlugin, "target spec.plugins")
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -288,15 +285,11 @@ func defaultApplyDependencies(ctx context.Context, in ApplyInput) ([]v1alpha1.Ob
 	return deps, nil
 }
 
-func hasHarnessCompositionRefs(deployment *v1alpha1.Deployment, agent *v1alpha1.Agent) bool {
-	return deploymentSelectsHarness(deployment) && agent != nil &&
+func hasAgentCompositionRefs(agent *v1alpha1.Agent) bool {
+	return agent != nil &&
 		(len(agent.Spec.Plugins) > 0 || len(agent.Spec.Skills) > 0 || agent.Spec.Instructions != nil)
 }
 
-func deploymentSelectsHarness(deployment *v1alpha1.Deployment) bool {
-	return deployment != nil && deployment.Spec.Harness != nil
-}
-
 func appendResolvedRefs(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	deps []v1alpha1.Object,
diff --git a/pkg/types/fingerprint_test.go b/pkg/types/fingerprint_test.go
index a888eb12..4a8683f5 100644
--- a/pkg/types/fingerprint_test.go
+++ b/pkg/types/fingerprint_test.go
@@ -244,8 +244,12 @@ func TestDefaultApplyFingerprintIncludesAgentHarnessCompositionDependencies(t *t
 	}
 }
 
-func TestDefaultApplyFingerprintIgnoresHarnessCompositionWhenDeploymentDoesNotSelectHarness(t *testing.T) {
+func TestDefaultApplyFingerprintIncludesImageAgentCompositionDependencies(t *testing.T) {
 	in := testApplyInput()
+	in.Deployment.Spec.TargetRef = v1alpha1.ResourceRef{
+		Kind: v1alpha1.KindAgent,
+		Name: "assistant",
+	}
 	in.Target = &v1alpha1.Agent{
 		TypeMeta: v1alpha1.TypeMeta{Kind: v1alpha1.KindAgent},
 		Metadata: v1alpha1.ObjectMeta{
@@ -253,24 +257,80 @@ func TestDefaultApplyFingerprintIgnoresHarnessCompositionWhenDeploymentDoesNotSe
 			Name:      "assistant",
 		},
 		Spec: v1alpha1.AgentSpec{
-			CompatibleHarnesses: []v1alpha1.HarnessCompatibility{{Type: "claude-code"}},
-			Plugins:             []v1alpha1.ResourceRef{{Name: "deploy-tools"}},
-			Skills:              []v1alpha1.ResourceRef{{Name: "weather"}},
-			Instructions:        &v1alpha1.ResourceRef{Name: "writer-instructions"},
+			Source:       &v1alpha1.AgentSource{Image: "ghcr.io/example/assistant:1.0.0"},
+			Plugins:      []v1alpha1.ResourceRef{{Name: "deploy-tools"}},
+			Skills:       []v1alpha1.ResourceRef{{Name: "weather"}},
+			Instructions: &v1alpha1.ResourceRef{Name: "writer-instructions"},
 		},
 	}
 
+	pluginCommit := "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"
+	skillCommit := "bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb"
+	promptText := "Write concise rollout notes."
 	in.Getter = func(_ context.Context, ref v1alpha1.ResourceRef) (v1alpha1.Object, error) {
-		t.Fatalf("unexpected dependency resolution without deployment harness selection: %+v", ref)
-		return nil, nil
+		switch ref.Kind {
+		case v1alpha1.KindPlugin:
+			return testPlugin(ref.Namespace, ref.Name, pluginCommit), nil
+		case v1alpha1.KindSkill:
+			return testSkill(ref.Namespace, ref.Name, skillCommit), nil
+		case v1alpha1.KindPrompt:
+			return testPrompt(ref.Namespace, ref.Name, promptText), nil
+		default:
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected dependency ref: %+v", ref)
+			return nil, nil
+		}
 	}
 
 	result, err := DefaultApplyFingerprintResult(context.Background(), in, ApplyFingerprintOptions{AdapterType: "test"})
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("DefaultApplyFingerprintResult: %v", err)
 	}
-	if len(result.Dependencies) != 0 {
-		t.Fatalf("dependencies = %+v, want none without deployment harness selection", result.Dependencies)
+	if len(result.Dependencies) != 3 {
+		t.Fatalf("dependencies = %+v, want Plugin, Skill, and Prompt", result.Dependencies)
+	}
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name   string
+		update func()
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "Plugin",
+			update: func() {
+				pluginCommit = "cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc"
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "Skill",
+			update: func() {
+				skillCommit = "dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd"
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "Prompt",
+			update: func() {
+				promptText = "Write detailed rollout notes."
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			pluginCommit = "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"
+			skillCommit = "bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb"
+			promptText = "Write concise rollout notes."
+			test.update()
+
+			changed, err := DefaultApplyFingerprintResult(
+				context.Background(),
+				in,
+				ApplyFingerprintOptions{AdapterType: "test"},
+			)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("DefaultApplyFingerprintResult after %s change: %v", test.name, err)
+			}
+			if changed.Fingerprint == result.Fingerprint {
+				t.Fatalf("fingerprint did not change after resolved %s changed", test.name)
+			}
+		})
 	}
 }