diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-cross-plugin.yml b/.github/workflows/test-cross-plugin.yml
index acd74694..3c6eff24 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-cross-plugin.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-cross-plugin.yml
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ on:
       - '!plugins/claude-code-hermit/state-templates/CLAUDE-APPEND.md'
       - 'plugins/claude-code-hermit/scripts/**'
       - 'tests/cross-plugin/**'
+      - 'tests/lib/**'
       - '.github/workflows/test-cross-plugin.yml'
       - 'package.json'
       - 'bun.lock'
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ on:
       - '!plugins/claude-code-hermit/state-templates/CLAUDE-APPEND.md'
       - 'plugins/claude-code-hermit/scripts/**'
       - 'tests/cross-plugin/**'
+      - 'tests/lib/**'
       - '.github/workflows/test-cross-plugin.yml'
       - 'package.json'
       - 'bun.lock'
@@ -55,4 +57,4 @@ jobs:
         with:
           bun-version: '1.3.14'
       - run: bun install --frozen-lockfile
-      - run: bun test tests/cross-plugin/
+      - run: bun test tests/cross-plugin/ tests/lib/
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-dev.yml b/.github/workflows/test-dev.yml
index e034ec22..3c057446 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-dev.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-dev.yml
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ on:
     branches: [main]
     paths:
       - 'plugins/claude-code-dev-hermit/**'
+      - 'tests/lib/**'
       - '.github/workflows/test-dev.yml'
       - 'package.json'
       - 'bun.lock'
@@ -12,6 +13,7 @@ on:
   pull_request:
     paths:
       - 'plugins/claude-code-dev-hermit/**'
+      - 'tests/lib/**'
       - '.github/workflows/test-dev.yml'
       - 'package.json'
       - 'bun.lock'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-feed.yml b/.github/workflows/test-feed.yml
index a3c859c6..fdf62809 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-feed.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-feed.yml
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ on:
     branches: [main]
     paths:
       - 'plugins/feed-hermit/**'
+      - 'tests/lib/**'
       - '.github/workflows/test-feed.yml'
       - 'package.json'
       - 'bun.lock'
@@ -12,6 +13,7 @@ on:
   pull_request:
     paths:
       - 'plugins/feed-hermit/**'
+      - 'tests/lib/**'
       - '.github/workflows/test-feed.yml'
       - 'package.json'
       - 'bun.lock'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-fitness.yml b/.github/workflows/test-fitness.yml
index a50bc5a4..86fedd18 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-fitness.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-fitness.yml
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ on:
     branches: [main]
     paths:
       - 'plugins/claude-code-fitness-hermit/**'
+      - 'tests/lib/**'
       - '.github/workflows/test-fitness.yml'
       - 'package.json'
       - 'bun.lock'
@@ -12,6 +13,7 @@ on:
   pull_request:
     paths:
       - 'plugins/claude-code-fitness-hermit/**'
+      - 'tests/lib/**'
       - '.github/workflows/test-fitness.yml'
       - 'package.json'
       - 'bun.lock'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-forge.yml b/.github/workflows/test-forge.yml
index e49bc155..a90f5190 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-forge.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-forge.yml
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ on:
     branches: [main]
     paths:
       - 'plugins/laravel-forge-hermit/**'
+      - 'tests/lib/**'
       - '.github/workflows/test-forge.yml'
       - 'package.json'
       - 'bun.lock'
@@ -12,6 +13,7 @@ on:
   pull_request:
     paths:
       - 'plugins/laravel-forge-hermit/**'
+      - 'tests/lib/**'
       - '.github/workflows/test-forge.yml'
       - 'package.json'
       - 'bun.lock'
diff --git a/plugins/claude-code-dev-hermit/scripts/render-append.test.ts b/plugins/claude-code-dev-hermit/scripts/render-append.test.ts
index ecae1ec1..e3c880b9 100644
--- a/plugins/claude-code-dev-hermit/scripts/render-append.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/claude-code-dev-hermit/scripts/render-append.test.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 import fs from 'node:fs';
 import path from 'node:path';
 import { render } from './render-append';
-import { makeReporter } from '../tests/test-utils';
+import { makeReporter } from '../../../tests/lib/skill-lint';
 
 const PLUGIN_ROOT = path.join(import.meta.dir, '..');
 const TEMPLATE = path.join(PLUGIN_ROOT, 'state-templates', 'CLAUDE-APPEND.md');
diff --git a/plugins/claude-code-dev-hermit/tests/forge-awareness.test.ts b/plugins/claude-code-dev-hermit/tests/forge-awareness.test.ts
index f622394d..d7931274 100644
--- a/plugins/claude-code-dev-hermit/tests/forge-awareness.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/claude-code-dev-hermit/tests/forge-awareness.test.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 import fs from 'node:fs';
 import path from 'node:path';
-import { makeReporter } from './test-utils';
+import { makeReporter } from '../../../tests/lib/skill-lint';
 
 const PLUGIN_ROOT = path.join(import.meta.dir, '..');
 const HATCH_SKILL  = path.join(PLUGIN_ROOT, 'skills', 'hatch', 'SKILL.md');
diff --git a/plugins/claude-code-dev-hermit/tests/hatch-mode.test.ts b/plugins/claude-code-dev-hermit/tests/hatch-mode.test.ts
index fb11b672..e08f4572 100644
--- a/plugins/claude-code-dev-hermit/tests/hatch-mode.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/claude-code-dev-hermit/tests/hatch-mode.test.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 import fs from 'node:fs';
 import path from 'node:path';
-import { makeReporter } from './test-utils';
+import { makeReporter } from '../../../tests/lib/skill-lint';
 import { render } from '../scripts/render-append';
 
 const PLUGIN_ROOT = path.join(import.meta.dir, '..');
diff --git a/plugins/claude-code-dev-hermit/tests/skill-structure.test.ts b/plugins/claude-code-dev-hermit/tests/skill-structure.test.ts
index 30bae295..c3c218f0 100644
--- a/plugins/claude-code-dev-hermit/tests/skill-structure.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/claude-code-dev-hermit/tests/skill-structure.test.ts
@@ -1,19 +1,14 @@
 // Structural invariants for the new SKILL.md files.
 // Run with: bun tests/skill-structure.test.ts
-//
-// What this checks (and what it does NOT):
-//   ✓ Frontmatter present and parseable; `name` and `description` set.
-//   ✓ Frontmatter `name` matches the parent directory name.
-//   ✓ Expected gate count (and Gate 0/Gate N-1 markers visible).
-//   ✓ Internal markdown links resolve to existing on-disk files.
-// We do NOT execute the skill or assert on its prose semantics — that's the
-// LLM's job at runtime. This is structural lint only.
+// The shared checks live in tests/lib/skill-lint.ts; this file holds the
+// expectations and the dev-only script-reference check.
 
 import fs from 'node:fs';
 import path from 'node:path';
-import { parseFrontmatter, makeReporter } from './test-utils';
+import { makeReporter, lintSkills } from '../../../tests/lib/skill-lint';
 
-const SKILL_DIR = path.join(import.meta.dir, '..', 'skills');
+const PLUGIN_ROOT = path.join(import.meta.dir, '..');
+const SKILL_DIR = path.join(PLUGIN_ROOT, 'skills');
 
 // Per-skill expectations. Update if a skill's gate count changes.
 // gates: 0 → skill has no Gate N — section structure (e.g., read-only status skills).
@@ -24,53 +19,9 @@ const SKILLS = [
 
 const { ok, summary } = makeReporter();
 
-for (const { name, gates } of SKILLS) {
-  console.log(`\n${name}/SKILL.md:`);
-  const file = path.join(SKILL_DIR, name, 'SKILL.md');
-  ok('file exists', fs.existsSync(file), file);
-  if (!fs.existsSync(file)) continue;
-
-  const text = fs.readFileSync(file, 'utf-8');
-  const fm = parseFrontmatter(text);
-  ok('frontmatter parseable', fm !== null);
-  if (!fm) continue;
-
-  ok('frontmatter has name', !!fm.fields.name, JSON.stringify(fm.fields));
-  ok('frontmatter name matches dir', fm.fields.name === name, `${fm.fields.name} vs ${name}`);
-  ok('frontmatter has description', !!fm.fields.description && fm.fields.description.length > 20);
-
-  // Count Gate headers in the body.
-  const gateMatches = fm.body.match(/^### Gate \d+ —/gm) || [];
-  ok(`expected ${gates} Gate headers`, gateMatches.length === gates, `found ${gateMatches.length}`);
-
-  // First and last gate present — only when the skill is gate-shaped.
-  if (gates > 0) {
-    ok('Gate 0 present', /^### Gate 0 —/m.test(fm.body));
-    ok(`Gate ${gates - 1} present`, new RegExp(`^### Gate ${gates - 1} —`, 'm').test(fm.body));
-  }
-
-  // Internal links: resolve [text](relative/path) and verify the target exists.
-  // Skip absolute URLs (http://, mailto:) and same-document anchors (#section).
-  const linkRe = /\[[^\]]+\]\(([^)]+)\)/g;
-  const skillBaseDir = path.dirname(file);
-  let linkMatch: RegExpExecArray | null;
-  let linksChecked = 0;
-  let linksBad = 0;
-  while ((linkMatch = linkRe.exec(fm.body)) !== null) {
-    const target = linkMatch[1];
-    if (/^(https?:|mailto:|#)/.test(target)) continue;
-    // Strip any anchor suffix.
-    const cleanTarget = target.split('#')[0];
-    if (!cleanTarget) continue;
-    const resolved = path.resolve(skillBaseDir, cleanTarget);
-    linksChecked += 1;
-    if (!fs.existsSync(resolved)) {
-      linksBad += 1;
-      console.error(`    bad link: ${target} → ${resolved}`);
-    }
-  }
-  ok(`internal links resolve (${linksChecked} checked)`, linksBad === 0, `${linksBad} bad`);
-}
+console.log('\nskill structure:');
+const lintFailures = lintSkills(PLUGIN_ROOT, SKILLS);
+ok(`${SKILLS.length} skills pass structural lint`, lintFailures.length === 0, lintFailures.join('; '));
 
 // Every ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/<file> reference must resolve to a script
 // this plugin actually ships. Installed plugins cannot reach outside their own
diff --git a/plugins/claude-code-dev-hermit/tests/test-utils.ts b/plugins/claude-code-dev-hermit/tests/test-utils.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 0d89bd26..00000000
--- a/plugins/claude-code-dev-hermit/tests/test-utils.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,31 +0,0 @@
-function parseFrontmatter(text: string) {
-  const m = text.match(/^---\n([\s\S]*?)\n---\n/);
-  if (!m) return null;
-  const fields: Record<string, string> = {};
-  for (const line of m[1].split('\n')) {
-    const kv = line.match(/^(\w+):\s*(.*)$/);
-    if (kv) fields[kv[1]] = kv[2].trim();
-  }
-  return { raw: m[1], fields, body: text.slice(m[0].length) };
-}
-
-function makeReporter() {
-  let passed = 0;
-  let failed = 0;
-  function ok(name: string, cond: boolean, detail?: string) {
-    if (cond) {
-      console.log(`  ✓ ${name}`);
-      passed += 1;
-    } else {
-      console.error(`  ✗ ${name}${detail ? ' — ' + detail : ''}`);
-      failed += 1;
-    }
-  }
-  function summary(): number {
-    console.log(`\nResults: ${passed} passed, ${failed} failed`);
-    return failed;
-  }
-  return { ok, summary };
-}
-
-export { parseFrontmatter, makeReporter };
diff --git a/plugins/claude-code-fitness-hermit/tests/skill-structure.test.ts b/plugins/claude-code-fitness-hermit/tests/skill-structure.test.ts
index 52dababe..2cf496d3 100644
--- a/plugins/claude-code-fitness-hermit/tests/skill-structure.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/claude-code-fitness-hermit/tests/skill-structure.test.ts
@@ -1,19 +1,13 @@
 // Structural invariants for SKILL.md files in claude-code-fitness-hermit.
 // Run with: bun tests/skill-structure.test.ts
-//
-// What this checks (and what it does NOT):
-//   ✓ Frontmatter present and parseable; `name` and `description` set.
-//   ✓ Frontmatter `name` matches the parent directory name.
-//   ✓ Expected gate count (and Gate 0/Gate N-1 markers visible).
-//   ✓ Internal markdown links resolve to existing on-disk files.
-// We do NOT execute the skill or assert on its prose semantics — that's the
-// LLM's job at runtime. This is structural lint only.
+// The shared checks live in tests/lib/skill-lint.ts; this file holds the
+// expectations and the fitness-only CLAUDE-APPEND trim guard.
 
 import fs from 'node:fs';
 import path from 'node:path';
-import { parseFrontmatter, makeReporter } from './test-utils';
+import { makeReporter, lintSkills } from '../../../tests/lib/skill-lint';
 
-const SKILL_DIR = path.join(import.meta.dir, '..', 'skills');
+const PLUGIN_ROOT = path.join(import.meta.dir, '..');
 
 // Per-skill expectations. Update if a skill's gate count changes.
 // gates: 0 → skill has no Gate N — section structure (e.g., read-only status skills).
@@ -29,53 +23,9 @@ const SKILLS = [
 
 const { ok, summary } = makeReporter();
 
-for (const { name, gates } of SKILLS) {
-  console.log(`\n${name}/SKILL.md:`);
-  const file = path.join(SKILL_DIR, name, 'SKILL.md');
-  ok('file exists', fs.existsSync(file), file);
-  if (!fs.existsSync(file)) continue;
-
-  const text = fs.readFileSync(file, 'utf-8');
-  const fm = parseFrontmatter(text);
-  ok('frontmatter parseable', fm !== null);
-  if (!fm) continue;
-
-  ok('frontmatter has name', !!fm.fields.name, JSON.stringify(fm.fields));
-  ok('frontmatter name matches dir', fm.fields.name === name, `${fm.fields.name} vs ${name}`);
-  ok('frontmatter has description', !!fm.fields.description && fm.fields.description.length > 20);
-
-  // Count Gate headers in the body.
-  const gateMatches = fm.body.match(/^### Gate \d+ —/gm) || [];
-  ok(`expected ${gates} Gate headers`, gateMatches.length === gates, `found ${gateMatches.length}`);
-
-  // First and last gate present — only when the skill is gate-shaped.
-  if (gates > 0) {
-    ok('Gate 0 present', /^### Gate 0 —/m.test(fm.body));
-    ok(`Gate ${gates - 1} present`, new RegExp(`^### Gate ${gates - 1} —`, 'm').test(fm.body));
-  }
-
-  // Internal links: resolve [text](relative/path) and verify the target exists.
-  // Skip absolute URLs (http://, mailto:) and same-document anchors (#section).
-  const linkRe = /\[[^\]]+\]\(([^)]+)\)/g;
-  const skillBaseDir = path.dirname(file);
-  let linkMatch: RegExpExecArray | null;
-  let linksChecked = 0;
-  let linksBad = 0;
-  while ((linkMatch = linkRe.exec(fm.body)) !== null) {
-    const target = linkMatch[1];
-    if (/^(https?:|mailto:|#)/.test(target)) continue;
-    // Strip any anchor suffix.
-    const cleanTarget = target.split('#')[0];
-    if (!cleanTarget) continue;
-    const resolved = path.resolve(skillBaseDir, cleanTarget);
-    linksChecked += 1;
-    if (!fs.existsSync(resolved)) {
-      linksBad += 1;
-      console.error(`    bad link: ${target} → ${resolved}`);
-    }
-  }
-  ok(`internal links resolve (${linksChecked} checked)`, linksBad === 0, `${linksBad} bad`);
-}
+console.log('\nskill structure:');
+const lintFailures = lintSkills(PLUGIN_ROOT, SKILLS);
+ok(`${SKILLS.length} skills pass structural lint`, lintFailures.length === 0, lintFailures.join('; '));
 
 // CLAUDE-APPEND token-efficiency trim guard.
 // The block is re-paid on every session load and subagent dispatch; the skills
diff --git a/plugins/claude-code-fitness-hermit/tests/test-utils.ts b/plugins/claude-code-fitness-hermit/tests/test-utils.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 0d89bd26..00000000
--- a/plugins/claude-code-fitness-hermit/tests/test-utils.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,31 +0,0 @@
-function parseFrontmatter(text: string) {
-  const m = text.match(/^---\n([\s\S]*?)\n---\n/);
-  if (!m) return null;
-  const fields: Record<string, string> = {};
-  for (const line of m[1].split('\n')) {
-    const kv = line.match(/^(\w+):\s*(.*)$/);
-    if (kv) fields[kv[1]] = kv[2].trim();
-  }
-  return { raw: m[1], fields, body: text.slice(m[0].length) };
-}
-
-function makeReporter() {
-  let passed = 0;
-  let failed = 0;
-  function ok(name: string, cond: boolean, detail?: string) {
-    if (cond) {
-      console.log(`  ✓ ${name}`);
-      passed += 1;
-    } else {
-      console.error(`  ✗ ${name}${detail ? ' — ' + detail : ''}`);
-      failed += 1;
-    }
-  }
-  function summary(): number {
-    console.log(`\nResults: ${passed} passed, ${failed} failed`);
-    return failed;
-  }
-  return { ok, summary };
-}
-
-export { parseFrontmatter, makeReporter };
diff --git a/plugins/feed-hermit/tests/skill-structure.test.ts b/plugins/feed-hermit/tests/skill-structure.test.ts
index 9484a3d5..647d1592 100644
--- a/plugins/feed-hermit/tests/skill-structure.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/feed-hermit/tests/skill-structure.test.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 import { test, expect } from "bun:test";
 import { readFileSync, existsSync } from "node:fs";
 import { join } from "node:path";
+import { parseFrontmatter, lintSkills } from "../../../tests/lib/skill-lint";
 
 const ROOT = join(import.meta.dir, "..");
 
-// Every skill shipped by this plugin. `name:` frontmatter must equal the dir.
+// Every skill shipped by this plugin. None is gate-shaped.
 const SKILLS = [
   "hatch",
   "feed-brief",
@@ -14,39 +15,15 @@ const SKILLS = [
   "source-health",
   "story-arcs",
   "deep-dive",
-];
+].map((name) => ({ name, gates: 0 }));
 
 function frontmatter(md: string): Record<string, string> {
-  const m = md.match(/^---\n([\s\S]*?)\n---/);
-  if (!m) return {};
-  const out: Record<string, string> = {};
-  const lines = m[1].split("\n");
-  for (let i = 0; i < lines.length; i++) {
-    const kv = lines[i].match(/^([A-Za-z_]+):\s*(.*)$/);
-    if (!kv) continue;
-    let value = kv[2].trim();
-    // Fold YAML block scalars (`>`, `>-`, `|`, `|-`): collect the following indented lines.
-    if (/^[|>][+-]?$/.test(value)) {
-      const folded: string[] = [];
-      while (i + 1 < lines.length && /^\s+\S/.test(lines[i + 1])) {
-        folded.push(lines[++i].trim());
-      }
-      value = folded.join(" ");
-    }
-    out[kv[1]] = value.replace(/^["']|["']$/g, "");
-  }
-  return out;
+  return parseFrontmatter(md)?.fields ?? {};
 }
 
-for (const name of SKILLS) {
-  test(`skill ${name} has valid frontmatter`, () => {
-    const path = join(ROOT, "skills", name, "SKILL.md");
-    expect(existsSync(path)).toBe(true);
-    const fm = frontmatter(readFileSync(path, "utf8"));
-    expect(fm.name).toBe(name);
-    expect((fm.description ?? "").length).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(10);
-  });
-}
+test("every skill passes the shared structural lint", () => {
+  expect(lintSkills(ROOT, SKILLS)).toEqual([]);
+});
 
 test("source-fetcher agent has name/model frontmatter", () => {
   const path = join(ROOT, "agents", "source-fetcher.md");
diff --git a/plugins/laravel-forge-hermit/tests/skill-structure.test.ts b/plugins/laravel-forge-hermit/tests/skill-structure.test.ts
index 6a214bbb..dec87c2f 100644
--- a/plugins/laravel-forge-hermit/tests/skill-structure.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/laravel-forge-hermit/tests/skill-structure.test.ts
@@ -3,9 +3,9 @@
 
 import fs from 'node:fs';
 import path from 'node:path';
-import { parseFrontmatter, makeReporter } from './test-utils';
+import { makeReporter, lintSkills } from '../../../tests/lib/skill-lint';
 
-const SKILL_DIR = path.join(import.meta.dir, '..', 'skills');
+const PLUGIN_ROOT = path.join(import.meta.dir, '..');
 
 const SKILLS = [
   { name: 'hatch', gates: 0 },
@@ -18,49 +18,9 @@ const SKILLS = [
 
 const { ok, summary } = makeReporter();
 
-for (const { name, gates } of SKILLS) {
-  console.log(`\n${name}/SKILL.md:`);
-  const file = path.join(SKILL_DIR, name, 'SKILL.md');
-  ok('file exists', fs.existsSync(file), file);
-  if (!fs.existsSync(file)) continue;
-
-  const text = fs.readFileSync(file, 'utf-8');
-  const fm = parseFrontmatter(text);
-  ok('frontmatter parseable', fm !== null);
-  if (!fm) continue;
-
-  ok('frontmatter has name', !!fm.fields.name, JSON.stringify(fm.fields));
-  ok('frontmatter name matches dir', fm.fields.name === name, `${fm.fields.name} vs ${name}`);
-  ok('frontmatter has description', !!fm.fields.description && fm.fields.description.length > 20);
-
-  const gateMatches = fm.body.match(/^### Gate \d+ —/gm) || [];
-  ok(`expected ${gates} Gate headers`, gateMatches.length === gates, `found ${gateMatches.length}`);
-
-  if (gates > 0) {
-    ok('Gate 0 present', /^### Gate 0 —/m.test(fm.body));
-    ok(`Gate ${gates - 1} present`, new RegExp(`^### Gate ${gates - 1} —`, 'm').test(fm.body));
-  }
-
-  // Internal links: resolve [text](relative/path) and verify the target exists.
-  const linkRe = /\[[^\]]+\]\(([^)]+)\)/g;
-  const skillBaseDir = path.dirname(file);
-  let linkMatch: RegExpExecArray | null;
-  let linksChecked = 0;
-  let linksBad = 0;
-  while ((linkMatch = linkRe.exec(fm.body)) !== null) {
-    const target = linkMatch[1];
-    if (/^(https?:|mailto:|#)/.test(target)) continue;
-    const cleanTarget = target.split('#')[0];
-    if (!cleanTarget) continue;
-    const resolved = path.resolve(skillBaseDir, cleanTarget);
-    linksChecked += 1;
-    if (!fs.existsSync(resolved)) {
-      linksBad += 1;
-      console.error(`    bad link: ${target} → ${resolved}`);
-    }
-  }
-  ok(`internal links resolve (${linksChecked} checked)`, linksBad === 0, `${linksBad} bad`);
-}
+console.log('\nskill structure:');
+const lintFailures = lintSkills(PLUGIN_ROOT, SKILLS);
+ok(`${SKILLS.length} skills pass structural lint`, lintFailures.length === 0, lintFailures.join('; '));
 
 // The shared domain-hatch protocol is asserted by the repo-root cross-plugin
 // contract test; the PHP floor is the one hatch invariant that stays
@@ -71,7 +31,7 @@ for (const { name, gates } of SKILLS) {
 // existence is already asserted by the SKILLS loop above; a missing file here
 // should throw, not silently skip.
 console.log('\nhatch/SKILL.md forge-specific floor:');
-const hatchText = fs.readFileSync(path.join(SKILL_DIR, 'hatch', 'SKILL.md'), 'utf-8');
+const hatchText = fs.readFileSync(path.join(PLUGIN_ROOT, 'skills', 'hatch', 'SKILL.md'), 'utf-8');
 const composerJson = JSON.parse(
   fs.readFileSync(path.join(import.meta.dir, '..', 'php', 'composer.json'), 'utf-8'),
 );
diff --git a/plugins/laravel-forge-hermit/tests/test-utils.ts b/plugins/laravel-forge-hermit/tests/test-utils.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 0d89bd26..00000000
--- a/plugins/laravel-forge-hermit/tests/test-utils.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,31 +0,0 @@
-function parseFrontmatter(text: string) {
-  const m = text.match(/^---\n([\s\S]*?)\n---\n/);
-  if (!m) return null;
-  const fields: Record<string, string> = {};
-  for (const line of m[1].split('\n')) {
-    const kv = line.match(/^(\w+):\s*(.*)$/);
-    if (kv) fields[kv[1]] = kv[2].trim();
-  }
-  return { raw: m[1], fields, body: text.slice(m[0].length) };
-}
-
-function makeReporter() {
-  let passed = 0;
-  let failed = 0;
-  function ok(name: string, cond: boolean, detail?: string) {
-    if (cond) {
-      console.log(`  ✓ ${name}`);
-      passed += 1;
-    } else {
-      console.error(`  ✗ ${name}${detail ? ' — ' + detail : ''}`);
-      failed += 1;
-    }
-  }
-  function summary(): number {
-    console.log(`\nResults: ${passed} passed, ${failed} failed`);
-    return failed;
-  }
-  return { ok, summary };
-}
-
-export { parseFrontmatter, makeReporter };
diff --git a/tests/lib/skill-lint.test.ts b/tests/lib/skill-lint.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1b7b21c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lib/skill-lint.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+import { test, expect, afterAll } from 'bun:test';
+import fs from 'node:fs';
+import os from 'node:os';
+import path from 'node:path';
+import { parseFrontmatter, lintSkills } from './skill-lint';
+
+// ── parseFrontmatter ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+test('returns null without a frontmatter block', () => {
+  expect(parseFrontmatter('# just a heading\n')).toBeNull();
+});
+
+test('parses plain scalars and strips surrounding quotes', () => {
+  const fm = parseFrontmatter('---\nname: dev-pr\ntitle: "quoted"\n---\nbody text\n');
+  expect(fm?.fields.name).toBe('dev-pr');
+  expect(fm?.fields.title).toBe('quoted');
+  expect(fm?.body).toBe('body text\n');
+});
+
+test('folds YAML block scalars into a single-line value', () => {
+  // The stranded-parser bug this module exists to fix: three of the four plugin
+  // lints read `>-` literally and then reported the description as too short.
+  const md = [
+    '---',
+    'name: feed-brief',
+    'description: >-',
+    '  Fetches every registered source, scores the items,',
+    '  and writes the brief.',
+    'model: haiku',
+    '---',
+    'body',
+    '',
+  ].join('\n');
+  const fm = parseFrontmatter(md);
+  expect(fm?.fields.description).toBe(
+    'Fetches every registered source, scores the items, and writes the brief.',
+  );
+  expect(fm?.fields.model).toBe('haiku');
+});
+
+test('keeps folding a block scalar across a paragraph break', () => {
+  const md = ['---', 'description: |', '  First para.', '', '  Second para.', 'model: haiku', '---', 'body', ''].join('\n');
+  const fm = parseFrontmatter(md);
+  expect(fm?.fields.description).toBe('First para. Second para.');
+  expect(fm?.fields.model).toBe('haiku');
+});
+
+// ── lintSkills ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+const root = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'skill-lint-'));
+afterAll(() => fs.rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true }));
+
+function writeSkill(name: string, body: string) {
+  const dir = path.join(root, 'skills', name);
+  fs.mkdirSync(dir, { recursive: true });
+  fs.writeFileSync(path.join(dir, 'SKILL.md'), body);
+}
+
+writeSkill(
+  'good-gated',
+  '---\nname: good-gated\ndescription: A description comfortably longer than twenty characters.\n---\n' +
+    '### Gate 0 — first\n### Gate 1 — second\n[ref](SKILL.md)\n',
+);
+writeSkill(
+  'good-flat',
+  '---\nname: good-flat\ndescription: >-\n  A block-scalar description that is also long enough.\n---\nprose\n',
+);
+writeSkill(
+  'broken',
+  '---\nname: mismatched\ndescription: short\n---\n### Gate 0 — only one\n[dead](nope.md)\n',
+);
+
+test('passes skills that meet every structural expectation', () => {
+  expect(
+    lintSkills(root, [
+      { name: 'good-gated', gates: 2 },
+      { name: 'good-flat', gates: 0 },
+    ]),
+  ).toEqual([]);
+});
+
+test('reports each structural violation on a broken skill', () => {
+  const failures = lintSkills(root, [{ name: 'broken', gates: 0 }]);
+  expect(failures).toEqual([
+    'broken: frontmatter name is mismatched',
+    'broken: frontmatter description missing or too short',
+    'broken: expected 0 Gate headers, found 1',
+    expect.stringContaining('broken: bad link nope.md'),
+  ]);
+});
+
+test('reports a missing SKILL.md without throwing', () => {
+  const failures = lintSkills(root, [{ name: 'absent', gates: 0 }]);
+  expect(failures).toHaveLength(1);
+  expect(failures[0]).toContain('absent: SKILL.md missing');
+});
diff --git a/tests/lib/skill-lint.ts b/tests/lib/skill-lint.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a663f6de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lib/skill-lint.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,136 @@
+// Shared structural lint for plugin SKILL.md files. Monorepo dev tooling only —
+// never shipped to operators, which is why it may live at the repo root and be
+// imported across plugin boundaries (same territory as tests/cross-plugin/).
+//
+// What lintSkills checks (and what it does NOT):
+//   ✓ Frontmatter present and parseable; `name` and `description` set.
+//   ✓ Frontmatter `name` matches the parent directory name.
+//   ✓ Expected gate count (and Gate 0/Gate N-1 markers visible).
+//   ✓ Internal markdown links resolve to existing on-disk files.
+// We do NOT execute the skill or assert on its prose semantics — that's the
+// LLM's job at runtime. This is structural lint only.
+//
+// lintSkills is pure: it returns failure messages and never prints or exits, so
+// both the console-reporter suites (dev/fitness/forge, which run each lint as
+// its own `bun` process) and feed's `bun test` suite can consume it.
+
+import fs from 'node:fs';
+import path from 'node:path';
+
+type Frontmatter = { raw: string; fields: Record<string, string>; body: string };
+
+/**
+ * Parse YAML frontmatter from a markdown string.
+ * Returns { raw, fields, body }, or null when no frontmatter block is present.
+ * Block scalars (`>`, `>-`, `|`, `|-`) are folded into a single-line value —
+ * several shipped skills write their `description:` that way.
+ */
+function parseFrontmatter(text: string): Frontmatter | null {
+  const m = text.match(/^---\n([\s\S]*?)\n---\n/);
+  if (!m) return null;
+  const fields: Record<string, string> = {};
+  const lines = m[1].split('\n');
+  for (let i = 0; i < lines.length; i++) {
+    const kv = lines[i].match(/^(\w+):\s*(.*)$/);
+    if (!kv) continue;
+    let value = kv[2].trim();
+    if (/^[|>][+-]?$/.test(value)) {
+      const folded: string[] = [];
+      // A blank line is a paragraph break *inside* the block, not its end — stop
+      // only at the next line that is neither indented nor blank, or the value
+      // would silently truncate at the first empty line.
+      while (i + 1 < lines.length && (/^\s+\S/.test(lines[i + 1]) || lines[i + 1].trim() === '')) {
+        const next = lines[++i].trim();
+        if (next) folded.push(next);
+      }
+      value = folded.join(' ');
+    }
+    fields[kv[1]] = value.replace(/^["']|["']$/g, '');
+  }
+  return { raw: m[1], fields, body: text.slice(m[0].length) };
+}
+
+function makeReporter() {
+  let passed = 0;
+  let failed = 0;
+  function ok(name: string, cond: boolean, detail?: string) {
+    if (cond) {
+      console.log(`  ✓ ${name}`);
+      passed += 1;
+    } else {
+      console.error(`  ✗ ${name}${detail ? ' — ' + detail : ''}`);
+      failed += 1;
+    }
+  }
+  function summary(): number {
+    console.log(`\nResults: ${passed} passed, ${failed} failed`);
+    return failed;
+  }
+  return { ok, summary };
+}
+
+type SkillExpectation = {
+  name: string;
+  /** Number of `### Gate N —` headers. 0 → the skill is not gate-shaped. */
+  gates: number;
+};
+
+/**
+ * Lint every expected SKILL.md under `<pluginRoot>/skills/`.
+ * Returns one message per failed check; an empty array means the lint passed.
+ */
+function lintSkills(pluginRoot: string, skills: SkillExpectation[]): string[] {
+  const failures: string[] = [];
+  const skillDir = path.join(pluginRoot, 'skills');
+
+  for (const { name, gates } of skills) {
+    const file = path.join(skillDir, name, 'SKILL.md');
+    if (!fs.existsSync(file)) {
+      failures.push(`${name}: SKILL.md missing at ${file}`);
+      continue;
+    }
+
+    const fm = parseFrontmatter(fs.readFileSync(file, 'utf-8'));
+    if (!fm) {
+      failures.push(`${name}: frontmatter not parseable`);
+      continue;
+    }
+
+    if (!fm.fields.name) failures.push(`${name}: frontmatter has no name`);
+    else if (fm.fields.name !== name) failures.push(`${name}: frontmatter name is ${fm.fields.name}`);
+    if (!fm.fields.description || fm.fields.description.length <= 20) {
+      failures.push(`${name}: frontmatter description missing or too short`);
+    }
+
+    const gateMatches = fm.body.match(/^### Gate \d+ —/gm) || [];
+    if (gateMatches.length !== gates) {
+      failures.push(`${name}: expected ${gates} Gate headers, found ${gateMatches.length}`);
+    }
+    if (gates > 0) {
+      if (!/^### Gate 0 —/m.test(fm.body)) failures.push(`${name}: Gate 0 missing`);
+      if (!new RegExp(`^### Gate ${gates - 1} —`, 'm').test(fm.body)) {
+        failures.push(`${name}: Gate ${gates - 1} missing`);
+      }
+    }
+
+    // Internal links: resolve [text](relative/path) and verify the target exists.
+    // Skip absolute URLs (http://, mailto:) and same-document anchors (#section).
+    const linkRe = /\[[^\]]+\]\(([^)]+)\)/g;
+    const skillBaseDir = path.dirname(file);
+    let linkMatch: RegExpExecArray | null;
+    while ((linkMatch = linkRe.exec(fm.body)) !== null) {
+      const target = linkMatch[1];
+      if (/^(https?:|mailto:|#)/.test(target)) continue;
+      // Strip any anchor suffix.
+      const cleanTarget = target.split('#')[0];
+      if (!cleanTarget) continue;
+      const resolved = path.resolve(skillBaseDir, cleanTarget);
+      if (!fs.existsSync(resolved)) failures.push(`${name}: bad link ${target} → ${resolved}`);
+    }
+  }
+
+  return failures;
+}
+
+export { parseFrontmatter, makeReporter, lintSkills };
+export type { Frontmatter, SkillExpectation };
diff --git a/tsconfig.json b/tsconfig.json
index 404cfb52..688af5b1 100644
--- a/tsconfig.json
+++ b/tsconfig.json
@@ -14,5 +14,5 @@
     "skipLibCheck": true,
     "forceConsistentCasingInFileNames": true
   },
-  "include": ["plugins/**/*.ts"]
+  "include": ["plugins/**/*.ts", "tests/**/*.ts"]
 }