diff --git a/cli/bin/commands/skills.mjs b/cli/bin/commands/skills.mjs
index c62a2558b..63e4efc32 100644
--- a/cli/bin/commands/skills.mjs
+++ b/cli/bin/commands/skills.mjs
@@ -724,6 +724,8 @@ function isUpToDate(root, providers, bundleDir, scope) {
         if (bundleHash !== localHash) return false;
       }
     }
+
+    if (!providerAgentsUpToDate(bundleDir, root, provider, scope)) return false;
   }
   return true;
 }
@@ -1251,7 +1253,9 @@ function copyProviderSkills(bundleDir, root, targets, { scope } = {}) {
 }
 
 // Native subagent definitions that ship in the bundle next to a provider's
-// skills. GitHub Copilot's live at `.github/agents/impeccable-*.agent.md`:
+// skills. Claude Code's live at `.claude/agents/impeccable-*.md`; project
+// agents take precedence over user agents. GitHub Copilot's live at
+// `.github/agents/impeccable-*.agent.md`:
 // project installs commit them at `<repo>/.github/agents/`, user-level
 // installs go to `~/.copilot/agents/` (Copilot's user-scope dir, NOT
 // `~/.github/`). On a name conflict Copilot lets the user-level file shadow
@@ -1261,6 +1265,11 @@ function copyProviderSkills(bundleDir, root, targets, { scope } = {}) {
 // `~/.cursor/agents/`; project agents take precedence there, so no shadow
 // warning is needed.
 const PROVIDER_AGENT_ARTIFACTS = {
+  '.claude': {
+    ext: '.md',
+    userDir: home => join(home, '.claude', 'agents'),
+    userShadowsProject: false,
+  },
   '.github': {
     ext: '.agent.md',
     userDir: home => join(home, '.copilot', 'agents'),
@@ -1273,6 +1282,23 @@ const PROVIDER_AGENT_ARTIFACTS = {
   },
 };
 
+function providerAgentsUpToDate(bundleDir, root, provider, scope) {
+  const artifact = PROVIDER_AGENT_ARTIFACTS[provider];
+  if (!artifact) return true;
+  const srcDir = join(bundleDir, provider, 'agents');
+  if (!existsSync(srcDir)) return true;
+
+  const destDir = scope === 'user'
+    ? artifact.userDir(root)
+    : join(root, provider, 'agents');
+  const agentFiles = readdirSync(srcDir).filter(name => name.endsWith(artifact.ext));
+  return agentFiles.every(name => {
+    const localPath = join(destDir, name);
+    return existsSync(localPath)
+      && hashSkillFile(join(srcDir, name)) === hashSkillFile(localPath);
+  });
+}
+
 function copyProviderAgents(bundleDir, root, providers, { scope, home = homedir() } = {}) {
   const targets = Array.isArray(providers) ? providers : [providers];
   const results = [];
diff --git a/tests/skills-cli.test.js b/tests/skills-cli.test.js
index f4e9b799d..bda4e03b2 100644
--- a/tests/skills-cli.test.js
+++ b/tests/skills-cli.test.js
@@ -84,11 +84,13 @@ function createFakeUniversalBundle(root, providers = ['.claude', '.agents', '.cu
     writeFileSync(join(skillDir, 'scripts', 'context.mjs'), 'console.log("local bundle context");\n');
   }
   if (providers.includes('.claude')) {
-    mkdirSync(join(bundleRoot, '.claude'), { recursive: true });
+    mkdirSync(join(bundleRoot, '.claude', 'agents'), { recursive: true });
     writeFileSync(join(bundleRoot, '.claude', 'settings.json'), JSON.stringify({
       description: 'fresh claude hook',
       hooks: { PostToolUse: [{ matcher: 'Edit', hooks: [{ type: 'command', command: 'node ".claude/skills/impeccable/scripts/hook.mjs"' }] }] },
     }, null, 2));
+    writeFileSync(join(bundleRoot, '.claude', 'agents', 'impeccable-finish-reviewer.md'),
+      '---\nname: impeccable-finish-reviewer\ndescription: Reviews a finished build.\n---\nClaude reviewer body.\n');
   }
   if (providers.includes('.cursor')) {
     mkdirSync(join(bundleRoot, '.cursor'), { recursive: true });
@@ -228,7 +230,51 @@ describe('copyProviderSkills: symlink handling', () => {
   });
 });
 
-describe('copyProviderAgents: Copilot and Cursor subagents', () => {
+describe('copyProviderAgents: Claude, Copilot, and Cursor subagents', () => {
+  test('Claude project and user scopes use .claude/agents, with project copies taking precedence', () => {
+    const tmp = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'imp-agents-claude-'));
+    const home = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'imp-agents-claude-home-'));
+    const bundle = createFakeUniversalBundle(tmp, ['.claude']);
+    mkdirSync(join(home, '.claude', 'agents'), { recursive: true });
+    writeFileSync(join(home, '.claude', 'agents', 'impeccable-finish-reviewer.md'), 'stale copy\n');
+
+    const projectResults = copyProviderAgents(bundle, tmp, ['.claude'], { scope: 'project', home });
+    const userResults = copyProviderAgents(bundle, home, ['.claude'], { scope: 'user' });
+
+    expect(projectResults).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(projectResults[0].shadowed).toEqual([]);
+    expect(userResults).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(readFileSync(join(tmp, '.claude', 'agents', 'impeccable-finish-reviewer.md'), 'utf8'))
+      .toContain('Claude reviewer body.');
+    expect(readFileSync(join(home, '.claude', 'agents', 'impeccable-finish-reviewer.md'), 'utf8'))
+      .toContain('Claude reviewer body.');
+
+    rmSync(tmp, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    rmSync(home, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  });
+
+  test('Claude install and update backfill bundled agents beside an unchanged skill', () => {
+    const tmp = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'imp-agents-claude-install-'));
+    const home = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'imp-agents-claude-install-home-'));
+    execSync('git init', { cwd: tmp });
+    const bundleRoot = createFakeUniversalBundle(tmp, ['.claude']);
+    const env = { ...process.env, HOME: home, IMPECCABLE_BUNDLE_PATH: bundleRoot };
+    const agentPath = join(tmp, '.claude', 'agents', 'impeccable-finish-reviewer.md');
+
+    const installOutput = run('skills install -y --no-hooks --providers=claude', { cwd: tmp, env });
+    expect(installOutput).toContain('Installed Claude Code agents into:');
+    expect(existsSync(agentPath)).toBe(true);
+
+    rmSync(agentPath);
+    const updateOutput = run('skills update -y --no-hooks', { cwd: tmp, env });
+    expect(updateOutput).toContain('Updated');
+    expect(updateOutput).toContain('Installed Claude Code agents into:');
+    expect(existsSync(agentPath)).toBe(true);
+
+    rmSync(tmp, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    rmSync(home, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  }, 15000);
+
   test('project scope places agents at .github/agents/ and .cursor/agents/', () => {
     const tmp = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'imp-agents-project-'));
     const bundle = createFakeUniversalBundle(tmp, ['.github', '.cursor']);