diff --git a/lib/cli/src/crewai_cli/deploy/validate.py b/lib/cli/src/crewai_cli/deploy/validate.py
index 544ff20cf..b76303d56 100644
--- a/lib/cli/src/crewai_cli/deploy/validate.py
+++ b/lib/cli/src/crewai_cli/deploy/validate.py
@@ -212,8 +212,16 @@ class DeployValidator:
         if crew_path is None:
             return self.results
 
+        agents_dir = self.project_root / "agents"
+
+        self._check_pyproject()
+        self._check_lockfile()
+        agents_dir_ok = self._check_json_agents_dir(agents_dir)
+
+        project = None
         try:
-            project = validate_crew_project(crew_path, self.project_root / "agents")
+            if agents_dir_ok:
+                project = validate_crew_project(crew_path, agents_dir)
         except JSONProjectValidationError as e:
             self._add(
                 Severity.ERROR,
@@ -232,15 +240,27 @@ class DeployValidator:
             )
             return self.results
 
-        agents_dir = self.project_root / "agents"
-
-        self._check_pyproject()
-        self._check_lockfile()
-        self._check_env_vars_json(crew_path, agents_dir, project.agent_names)
+        if project is not None:
+            self._check_env_vars_json(crew_path, agents_dir, project.agent_names)
         self._check_version_vs_lockfile()
 
         return self.results
 
+    def _check_json_agents_dir(self, agents_dir: Path) -> bool:
+        if agents_dir.is_dir():
+            return True
+        self._add(
+            Severity.ERROR,
+            "missing_agents_dir",
+            "Cannot find agents/ directory",
+            detail=(
+                "JSON crew projects load agent definitions from "
+                f"{agents_dir.relative_to(self.project_root)}/*.jsonc or *.json."
+            ),
+            hint="Create agents/ and add one JSON or JSONC file per agent.",
+        )
+        return False
+
     def _check_env_vars_json(
         self, crew_path: Path, agents_dir: Path, agent_names: list[str]
     ) -> None:
diff --git a/lib/cli/tests/deploy/test_archive.py b/lib/cli/tests/deploy/test_archive.py
index c4847bafa..03ac6e744 100644
--- a/lib/cli/tests/deploy/test_archive.py
+++ b/lib/cli/tests/deploy/test_archive.py
@@ -168,6 +168,39 @@ type = "crew"
     assert "run_crew" not in pyproject
 
 
+def test_create_project_zip_keeps_json_project_root_shape(tmp_path: Path):
+    (tmp_path / "pyproject.toml").write_text(
+        """
+[project]
+name = "json_crew"
+version = "0.1.0"
+dependencies = ["crewai[tools]==1.14.8a1"]
+
+[tool.crewai]
+type = "crew"
+""".strip()
+        + "\n"
+    )
+    (tmp_path / "uv.lock").write_text("# lock\n")
+    (tmp_path / "agents").mkdir()
+    (tmp_path / "agents" / "foo.jsonc").write_text("{}\n")
+    (tmp_path / "crew.jsonc").write_text("{}\n")
+
+    archive_path = create_project_zip("json_crew", project_dir=tmp_path)
+    try:
+        with zipfile.ZipFile(archive_path) as archive:
+            names = set(archive.namelist())
+    finally:
+        archive_path.unlink(missing_ok=True)
+
+    assert names == {
+        "agents/foo.jsonc",
+        "crew.jsonc",
+        "pyproject.toml",
+        "uv.lock",
+    }
+
+
 def test_create_project_zip_does_not_rewrite_json_project_scripts(tmp_path: Path):
     (tmp_path / "pyproject.toml").write_text(
         """
diff --git a/lib/cli/tests/deploy/test_validate.py b/lib/cli/tests/deploy/test_validate.py
index 07ceef14f..1176fbbdf 100644
--- a/lib/cli/tests/deploy/test_validate.py
+++ b/lib/cli/tests/deploy/test_validate.py
@@ -200,6 +200,41 @@ def test_json_runtime_fields_are_deploy_errors(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
     assert "runtime-only" in finding.detail
 
 
+def test_json_crew_requires_agents_dir_without_classic_errors(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    _scaffold_json_crew(tmp_path)
+    for path in (tmp_path / "agents").iterdir():
+        path.unlink()
+    (tmp_path / "agents").rmdir()
+
+    v = DeployValidator(project_root=tmp_path)
+    v.run()
+
+    codes = _codes(v)
+    assert "missing_agents_dir" in codes
+    assert "missing_src_dir" not in codes
+    assert "missing_crew_py" not in codes
+    assert "missing_agents_yaml" not in codes
+    assert "missing_tasks_yaml" not in codes
+
+
+def test_json_crew_reports_project_metadata_before_invalid_json(
+    tmp_path: Path,
+) -> None:
+    _scaffold_json_crew(tmp_path)
+    (tmp_path / "pyproject.toml").unlink()
+    (tmp_path / "uv.lock").unlink()
+    (tmp_path / "crew.jsonc").write_text('{"agents": ["researcher"], "tasks": []}\n')
+
+    v = DeployValidator(project_root=tmp_path)
+    v.run()
+
+    codes = _codes(v)
+    assert "missing_pyproject" in codes
+    assert "missing_lockfile" in codes
+    assert "invalid_crew_json" in codes
+    assert "missing_src_dir" not in codes
+
+
 def test_missing_pyproject_errors(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
     v = _run_without_import_check(tmp_path)
     assert "missing_pyproject" in _codes(v)
diff --git a/lib/cli/tests/test_create_crew.py b/lib/cli/tests/test_create_crew.py
index d7f34e53b..5d87f8f3e 100644
--- a/lib/cli/tests/test_create_crew.py
+++ b/lib/cli/tests/test_create_crew.py
@@ -715,6 +715,23 @@ def test_json_create_provider_preselects_default_model(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
     assert not (tmp_path / "json_crew" / "src").exists()
     assert not (tmp_path / "json_crew" / "tests").exists()
     assert not (tmp_path / "json_crew" / "config.jsonc").exists()
+    generated_paths = {
+        path.relative_to(tmp_path / "json_crew").as_posix()
+        for path in (tmp_path / "json_crew").rglob("*")
+        if path.is_file()
+    }
+    assert not any(
+        path.endswith("/crew.py") or path == "crew.py" for path in generated_paths
+    )
+    assert not any(
+        path.endswith("/agents.yaml") or path == "agents.yaml"
+        for path in generated_paths
+    )
+    assert not any(
+        path.endswith("/tasks.yaml") or path == "tasks.yaml"
+        for path in generated_paths
+    )
+    assert not any(path.startswith("src/") for path in generated_paths)
 
     pyproject = tomli.loads((tmp_path / "json_crew" / "pyproject.toml").read_text())
     dependency = pyproject["project"]["dependencies"][0]