diff --git a/src/cli/skills-cli.commands.test.ts b/src/cli/skills-cli.commands.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..48b4164903d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/skills-cli.commands.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,124 @@
+import { Command } from "commander";
+import { beforeAll, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+
+const loadConfigMock = vi.fn();
+const resolveAgentWorkspaceDirMock = vi.fn();
+const resolveDefaultAgentIdMock = vi.fn();
+const buildWorkspaceSkillStatusMock = vi.fn();
+const formatSkillsListMock = vi.fn();
+const formatSkillInfoMock = vi.fn();
+const formatSkillsCheckMock = vi.fn();
+
+const runtime = {
+  log: vi.fn(),
+  error: vi.fn(),
+  exit: vi.fn(),
+};
+
+vi.mock("../config/config.js", () => ({
+  loadConfig: loadConfigMock,
+}));
+
+vi.mock("../agents/agent-scope.js", () => ({
+  resolveAgentWorkspaceDir: resolveAgentWorkspaceDirMock,
+  resolveDefaultAgentId: resolveDefaultAgentIdMock,
+}));
+
+vi.mock("../agents/skills-status.js", () => ({
+  buildWorkspaceSkillStatus: buildWorkspaceSkillStatusMock,
+}));
+
+vi.mock("./skills-cli.format.js", () => ({
+  formatSkillsList: formatSkillsListMock,
+  formatSkillInfo: formatSkillInfoMock,
+  formatSkillsCheck: formatSkillsCheckMock,
+}));
+
+vi.mock("../runtime.js", () => ({
+  defaultRuntime: runtime,
+}));
+
+let registerSkillsCli: typeof import("./skills-cli.js").registerSkillsCli;
+
+beforeAll(async () => {
+  ({ registerSkillsCli } = await import("./skills-cli.js"));
+});
+
+describe("registerSkillsCli", () => {
+  const report = {
+    workspaceDir: "/tmp/workspace",
+    managedSkillsDir: "/tmp/workspace/.skills",
+    skills: [],
+  };
+
+  async function runCli(args: string[]) {
+    const program = new Command();
+    registerSkillsCli(program);
+    await program.parseAsync(args, { from: "user" });
+  }
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.clearAllMocks();
+    loadConfigMock.mockReturnValue({ gateway: {} });
+    resolveDefaultAgentIdMock.mockReturnValue("main");
+    resolveAgentWorkspaceDirMock.mockReturnValue("/tmp/workspace");
+    buildWorkspaceSkillStatusMock.mockReturnValue(report);
+    formatSkillsListMock.mockReturnValue("skills-list-output");
+    formatSkillInfoMock.mockReturnValue("skills-info-output");
+    formatSkillsCheckMock.mockReturnValue("skills-check-output");
+  });
+
+  it("runs list command with resolved report and formatter options", async () => {
+    await runCli(["skills", "list", "--eligible", "--verbose", "--json"]);
+
+    expect(buildWorkspaceSkillStatusMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith("/tmp/workspace", {
+      config: { gateway: {} },
+    });
+    expect(formatSkillsListMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      report,
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        eligible: true,
+        verbose: true,
+        json: true,
+      }),
+    );
+    expect(runtime.log).toHaveBeenCalledWith("skills-list-output");
+  });
+
+  it("runs info command and forwards skill name", async () => {
+    await runCli(["skills", "info", "peekaboo", "--json"]);
+
+    expect(formatSkillInfoMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      report,
+      "peekaboo",
+      expect.objectContaining({ json: true }),
+    );
+    expect(runtime.log).toHaveBeenCalledWith("skills-info-output");
+  });
+
+  it("runs check command and writes formatter output", async () => {
+    await runCli(["skills", "check"]);
+
+    expect(formatSkillsCheckMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(report, expect.any(Object));
+    expect(runtime.log).toHaveBeenCalledWith("skills-check-output");
+  });
+
+  it("uses list formatter for default skills action", async () => {
+    await runCli(["skills"]);
+
+    expect(formatSkillsListMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(report, {});
+    expect(runtime.log).toHaveBeenCalledWith("skills-list-output");
+  });
+
+  it("reports runtime errors when report loading fails", async () => {
+    loadConfigMock.mockImplementationOnce(() => {
+      throw new Error("config exploded");
+    });
+
+    await runCli(["skills", "list"]);
+
+    expect(runtime.error).toHaveBeenCalledWith("Error: config exploded");
+    expect(runtime.exit).toHaveBeenCalledWith(1);
+    expect(buildWorkspaceSkillStatusMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/cli/skills-cli.ts b/src/cli/skills-cli.ts
index 6ed962564df..49f288f36c0 100644
--- a/src/cli/skills-cli.ts
+++ b/src/cli/skills-cli.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,27 @@ export type {
 } from "./skills-cli.format.js";
 export { formatSkillInfo, formatSkillsCheck, formatSkillsList } from "./skills-cli.format.js";
 
+type SkillStatusReport = Awaited<
+  ReturnType<(typeof import("../agents/skills-status.js"))["buildWorkspaceSkillStatus"]>
+>;
+
+async function loadSkillsStatusReport(): Promise<SkillStatusReport> {
+  const config = loadConfig();
+  const workspaceDir = resolveAgentWorkspaceDir(config, resolveDefaultAgentId(config));
+  const { buildWorkspaceSkillStatus } = await import("../agents/skills-status.js");
+  return buildWorkspaceSkillStatus(workspaceDir, { config });
+}
+
+async function runSkillsAction(render: (report: SkillStatusReport) => string): Promise<void> {
+  try {
+    const report = await loadSkillsStatusReport();
+    defaultRuntime.log(render(report));
+  } catch (err) {
+    defaultRuntime.error(String(err));
+    defaultRuntime.exit(1);
+  }
+}
+
 /**
  * Register the skills CLI commands
  */
@@ -33,16 +54,7 @@ export function registerSkillsCli(program: Command) {
     .option("--eligible", "Show only eligible (ready to use) skills", false)
     .option("-v, --verbose", "Show more details including missing requirements", false)
     .action(async (opts) => {
-      try {
-        const config = loadConfig();
-        const workspaceDir = resolveAgentWorkspaceDir(config, resolveDefaultAgentId(config));
-        const { buildWorkspaceSkillStatus } = await import("../agents/skills-status.js");
-        const report = buildWorkspaceSkillStatus(workspaceDir, { config });
-        defaultRuntime.log(formatSkillsList(report, opts));
-      } catch (err) {
-        defaultRuntime.error(String(err));
-        defaultRuntime.exit(1);
-      }
+      await runSkillsAction((report) => formatSkillsList(report, opts));
     });
 
   skills
@@ -51,16 +63,7 @@ export function registerSkillsCli(program: Command) {
     .argument("<name>", "Skill name")
     .option("--json", "Output as JSON", false)
     .action(async (name, opts) => {
-      try {
-        const config = loadConfig();
-        const workspaceDir = resolveAgentWorkspaceDir(config, resolveDefaultAgentId(config));
-        const { buildWorkspaceSkillStatus } = await import("../agents/skills-status.js");
-        const report = buildWorkspaceSkillStatus(workspaceDir, { config });
-        defaultRuntime.log(formatSkillInfo(report, name, opts));
-      } catch (err) {
-        defaultRuntime.error(String(err));
-        defaultRuntime.exit(1);
-      }
+      await runSkillsAction((report) => formatSkillInfo(report, name, opts));
     });
 
   skills
@@ -68,29 +71,11 @@ export function registerSkillsCli(program: Command) {
     .description("Check which skills are ready vs missing requirements")
     .option("--json", "Output as JSON", false)
     .action(async (opts) => {
-      try {
-        const config = loadConfig();
-        const workspaceDir = resolveAgentWorkspaceDir(config, resolveDefaultAgentId(config));
-        const { buildWorkspaceSkillStatus } = await import("../agents/skills-status.js");
-        const report = buildWorkspaceSkillStatus(workspaceDir, { config });
-        defaultRuntime.log(formatSkillsCheck(report, opts));
-      } catch (err) {
-        defaultRuntime.error(String(err));
-        defaultRuntime.exit(1);
-      }
+      await runSkillsAction((report) => formatSkillsCheck(report, opts));
     });
 
   // Default action (no subcommand) - show list
   skills.action(async () => {
-    try {
-      const config = loadConfig();
-      const workspaceDir = resolveAgentWorkspaceDir(config, resolveDefaultAgentId(config));
-      const { buildWorkspaceSkillStatus } = await import("../agents/skills-status.js");
-      const report = buildWorkspaceSkillStatus(workspaceDir, { config });
-      defaultRuntime.log(formatSkillsList(report, {}));
-    } catch (err) {
-      defaultRuntime.error(String(err));
-      defaultRuntime.exit(1);
-    }
+    await runSkillsAction((report) => formatSkillsList(report, {}));
   });
 }