diff --git a/crates/skills/src/commands.rs b/crates/skills/src/commands.rs
index 6e3fdfc99..5428d3ddf 100644
--- a/crates/skills/src/commands.rs
+++ b/crates/skills/src/commands.rs
@@ -140,25 +140,26 @@ fn locale_compare(a: &str, b: &str) -> std::cmp::Ordering {
 fn check(io: &mut Io) -> R<()> {
     let (sys, _) = ctx(io);
     let root = sys.find_project_root();
-    if sys.is_already_installed(&root, None).is_none() {
+    // Home-rooted checkout = user-level install. Use User scope so leftover
+    // project-layout dirs and unrelated harness skills cannot make a current
+    // impeccable install look stale (#824).
+    let scope = if sys.is_home_dir(&root) { Some(Scope::User) } else { None };
+    if sys.is_already_installed(&root, scope).is_none() {
         out(io, "Impeccable is not installed in this project.");
         out(io, "Run `npx impeccable install` to install.");
         return Err(Flow::Exit(0));
     }
-    let providers = sys.find_installed_providers(&root, None);
+    let providers = sys.find_impeccable_providers(&root, scope);
     out(io, "Checking for updates...\n");
     let result = (|| -> Result<bool, String> {
         let bundle_dir = bundle::download_and_extract_bundle(&sys)?;
-        // JS: agentScope 'user' for a home-rooted checkout (d2a9efb9), so
-        // check() judges agent freshness against the user agent dirs.
-        let agent_scope = if sys.is_home_dir(&root) { Some(Scope::User) } else { None };
-        let up_to_date = bundle::is_up_to_date(&sys, &root, &providers, &bundle_dir, None, agent_scope)?;
+        let up_to_date = bundle::is_up_to_date(&sys, &root, &providers, &bundle_dir, scope, scope)?;
         util::rm_rf(&bundle_dir);
         Ok(up_to_date)
     })();
     match result {
         Ok(true) => {
-            let v = sys.get_skills_version(&root, None);
+            let v = sys.get_skills_version(&root, scope);
             out(io, &format!("Skills are up to date{}.", version_suffix(&v)));
         }
         Ok(false) => {
diff --git a/crates/skills/tests/drift_ports_tests.rs b/crates/skills/tests/drift_ports_tests.rs
index dfd8b7049..093e76794 100644
--- a/crates/skills/tests/drift_ports_tests.rs
+++ b/crates/skills/tests/drift_ports_tests.rs
@@ -460,6 +460,101 @@ fn check_accepts_current_copilot_user_agents_in_home_rooted_checkout() {
     std::fs::remove_dir_all(&root).ok();
 }
 
+// ─── check vs update scope parity (#824) ─────────────────────────────────────
+
+#[test]
+fn check_ignores_unrelated_harness_skill_in_home_rooted_tree() {
+    let root = temp_root("check-824-extra-harness");
+    let home = format!("{root}/home");
+    let tmpdir = format!("{root}/tmp");
+    for d in [&home, &tmpdir] {
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(d).unwrap();
+    }
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(format!("{home}/.git")).unwrap();
+    let bundle_root = create_fake_universal_bundle(&home, &[".claude", ".cursor"]);
+    let env = base_env(&home, &tmpdir, &bundle_root);
+
+    let r = run_cli(
+        &["install", "-y", "--scope=global", "--no-hooks", "--providers=claude"],
+        &home,
+        &env,
+    );
+    assert_eq!(r.code, 0, "{}\n{}", r.stdout, r.stderr);
+    write(
+        &format!("{home}/.cursor/skills/other/SKILL.md"),
+        "---\nname: other\n---\nUnrelated skill.\n",
+    );
+
+    let r = run_cli(&["check"], &home, &env);
+    assert!(r.stdout.contains("Skills are up to date"), "{}\n{}", r.stdout, r.stderr);
+    assert!(!r.stdout.contains("Updates available"), "{}", r.stdout);
+
+    let r = run_cli(&["update", "--global", "-y", "--no-hooks"], &home, &env);
+    assert!(r.stdout.contains("Skills are up to date"), "{}\n{}", r.stdout, r.stderr);
+    std::fs::remove_dir_all(&root).ok();
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn check_ignores_leftover_pi_project_layout_in_home_rooted_tree() {
+    let root = temp_root("check-824-pi-leftover");
+    let home = format!("{root}/home");
+    let tmpdir = format!("{root}/tmp");
+    for d in [&home, &tmpdir] {
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(d).unwrap();
+    }
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(format!("{home}/.git")).unwrap();
+    let bundle_root = create_fake_universal_bundle(&home, &[".pi"]);
+    let env = base_env(&home, &tmpdir, &bundle_root);
+
+    let r = run_cli(
+        &["install", "-y", "--scope=global", "--no-hooks", "--providers=pi"],
+        &home,
+        &env,
+    );
+    assert_eq!(r.code, 0, "{}\n{}", r.stdout, r.stderr);
+    assert!(std::path::Path::new(&format!("{home}/.pi/agent/skills/impeccable/SKILL.md")).exists());
+    write(
+        &format!("{home}/.pi/skills/other/SKILL.md"),
+        "---\nname: other\n---\nLeftover project-layout skill.\n",
+    );
+
+    let r = run_cli(&["check"], &home, &env);
+    assert!(r.stdout.contains("Skills are up to date"), "{}\n{}", r.stdout, r.stderr);
+    assert!(!r.stdout.contains("Updates available"), "{}", r.stdout);
+
+    let r = run_cli(&["update", "--global", "-y", "--no-hooks"], &home, &env);
+    assert!(r.stdout.contains("Skills are up to date"), "{}\n{}", r.stdout, r.stderr);
+    std::fs::remove_dir_all(&root).ok();
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn check_reports_stale_impeccable_in_home_rooted_tree() {
+    let root = temp_root("check-824-stale");
+    let home = format!("{root}/home");
+    let tmpdir = format!("{root}/tmp");
+    for d in [&home, &tmpdir] {
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(d).unwrap();
+    }
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(format!("{home}/.git")).unwrap();
+    let bundle_root = create_fake_universal_bundle(&home, &[".claude"]);
+    let env = base_env(&home, &tmpdir, &bundle_root);
+
+    let r = run_cli(
+        &["install", "-y", "--scope=global", "--no-hooks", "--providers=claude"],
+        &home,
+        &env,
+    );
+    assert_eq!(r.code, 0, "{}\n{}", r.stdout, r.stderr);
+    write(
+        &format!("{home}/.claude/skills/impeccable/SKILL.md"),
+        "---\nname: impeccable\nversion: 0.0.0-stale\n---\n\nStale copy.\n",
+    );
+
+    let r = run_cli(&["check"], &home, &env);
+    assert!(r.stdout.contains("Updates available"), "{}\n{}", r.stdout, r.stderr);
+    std::fs::remove_dir_all(&root).ok();
+}
+
 // ─── inferred agent update scope (d2a9efb9) ──────────────────────────────────
 
 #[test]