diff --git a/src/GameCult.Networking/Messages.cs b/src/GameCult.Networking/Messages.cs
index 331dfa43..aa14a732 100644
--- a/src/GameCult.Networking/Messages.cs
+++ b/src/GameCult.Networking/Messages.cs
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ namespace GameCult.Networking
      // Sample application payload tags preserved for cross-runtime compatibility.
      Union(5, typeof(ChangeNameMessage)),
      Union(6, typeof(ChatMessage)),
+     Union(7, typeof(SchemaCatalogRequestMessage)),
+     Union(8, typeof(SchemaCatalogResponseMessage)),
      MessagePackObject]
     public abstract class Message
     {
@@ -110,4 +112,95 @@ namespace GameCult.Networking
         [Key(0)] public string Error = string.Empty;
     }
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Requests a catalog of schemas that the remote runtime can safely exchange.
+    /// </summary>
+    [MessagePackObject]
+    public class SchemaCatalogRequestMessage : Message
+    {
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Correlation identifier for the discovery request.
+        /// </summary>
+        [Key(0)] public string MessageId = string.Empty;
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Whether the remote runtime should include inline JSON schema bodies.
+        /// </summary>
+        [Key(1)] public bool IncludeSchemaJson;
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Optional schema-id filter.
+        /// </summary>
+        [Key(2)] public string[]? SchemaIds;
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Optional schema-kind filter.
+        /// </summary>
+        [Key(3)] public string[]? Kinds;
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Describes one schema that the runtime knows how to exchange safely.
+    /// </summary>
+    [MessagePackObject]
+    public class SchemaDescriptorMessage
+    {
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Stable canonical schema identifier.
+        /// </summary>
+        [Key(0)] public string SchemaId = string.Empty;
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Discovery kind such as wire_message, document_payload, or shared_contract.
+        /// </summary>
+        [Key(1)] public string Kind = string.Empty;
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Optional runtime message schema version.
+        /// </summary>
+        [Key(2)] public string? SchemaVersion;
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Optional CultCache/CultNet document type name.
+        /// </summary>
+        [Key(3)] public string? DocumentType;
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Human-facing schema title.
+        /// </summary>
+        [Key(4)] public string? Title;
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Wire contracts that can transport this schema safely.
+        /// </summary>
+        [Key(5)] public string[] WireContracts = Array.Empty<string>();
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// SHA-256 hash of the canonical schema JSON.
+        /// </summary>
+        [Key(6)] public string ContentHash = string.Empty;
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Optional canonical JSON Schema body as a string.
+        /// </summary>
+        [Key(7)] public string? SchemaJson;
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Returns the remote runtime's schema catalog for safe exchange planning.
+    /// </summary>
+    [MessagePackObject]
+    public class SchemaCatalogResponseMessage : Message
+    {
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Correlation identifier matching the request.
+        /// </summary>
+        [Key(0)] public string MessageId = string.Empty;
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Discovered schemas available for safe exchange.
+        /// </summary>
+        [Key(1)] public SchemaDescriptorMessage[] Schemas = Array.Empty<SchemaDescriptorMessage>();
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/src/GameCult.Networking/README.md b/src/GameCult.Networking/README.md
index 3aa7ad3b..30c3a31d 100644
--- a/src/GameCult.Networking/README.md
+++ b/src/GameCult.Networking/README.md
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ Keep the distinction clean:
 - auth/session semantics belong to the core library
 - application payload contracts should be explicit, versioned, and kept in sync
   across runtimes
+- runtimes should be able to ask each other which schemas they speak before
+  pretending a shared pipe implies shared understanding
 - if multiple apps share a message contract, they should be able to talk
   directly without bespoke translation sludge
 
@@ -41,6 +43,8 @@ Sample payloads:
 
 - `ChangeNameMessage`
 - `ChatMessage`
+- `SchemaCatalogRequestMessage`
+- `SchemaCatalogResponseMessage`
 
 Those now live under `Samples/` to make it obvious they are example application
 messages, not the entire meaning of the library.
diff --git a/tests/GameCult.Networking.Tests/NetworkingTests.cs b/tests/GameCult.Networking.Tests/NetworkingTests.cs
index 06a17280..887052dc 100644
--- a/tests/GameCult.Networking.Tests/NetworkingTests.cs
+++ b/tests/GameCult.Networking.Tests/NetworkingTests.cs
@@ -107,6 +107,45 @@ namespace GameCult.Networking.Tests
             Assert.That(roundTrip.Nonce, Is.EqualTo(message.Nonce));
         }
 
+        [Test]
+        public void MessageSerialization_RoundTrips_SchemaCatalogMessages()
+        {
+            var client = new Client(DevelopmentClientSecurity);
+            var message = new SchemaCatalogResponseMessage
+            {
+                MessageId = "catalog-1",
+                Schemas =
+                [
+                    new SchemaDescriptorMessage
+                    {
+                        SchemaId = "https://example.test/contracts/example.schema.json",
+                        Kind = "shared_contract",
+                        SchemaVersion = "example.contract.v0",
+                        Title = "Example Contract",
+                        WireContracts = ["cultnet.schema.v0", "gamecult.networking.v0"],
+                        ContentHash = "deadbeef",
+                        SchemaJson = "{\"type\":\"object\"}"
+                    }
+                ]
+            };
+
+            var serializationType = client.GetType().Assembly
+                .GetType("GameCult.Networking.MessageSerialization", throwOnError: true)!;
+            var serialize = serializationType.GetMethod("Serialize", BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.Static)!
+                .MakeGenericMethod(typeof(Message));
+            var deserialize = serializationType.GetMethod("Deserialize", BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.Static)!
+                .MakeGenericMethod(typeof(Message));
+
+            var payload = (byte[])serialize.Invoke(null, [message])!;
+            var roundTrip = (SchemaCatalogResponseMessage)deserialize.Invoke(null, [payload])!;
+
+            Assert.That(roundTrip.MessageId, Is.EqualTo("catalog-1"));
+            Assert.That(roundTrip.Schemas, Has.Length.EqualTo(1));
+            Assert.That(roundTrip.Schemas[0].SchemaId, Is.EqualTo("https://example.test/contracts/example.schema.json"));
+            Assert.That(roundTrip.Schemas[0].WireContracts, Is.EqualTo(["cultnet.schema.v0", "gamecult.networking.v0"]));
+            Assert.That(roundTrip.Schemas[0].SchemaJson, Is.EqualTo("{\"type\":\"object\"}"));
+        }
+
         [Test]
         public void MessageSerialization_Rejects_InvalidPayload()
         {