fix(skills): reject execute without explicit confirm

docs/plans/state.json

@@ -1486,6 +1486,15 @@
               "src/cli/skills.test.ts"
             ],
             "test_status": "pnpm typecheck + pnpm test:run src/cli/skills.test.ts + pnpm test:run + pnpm lint (warnings only, 0 errors) + pnpm build passing"
+          },
+          "skills_execute_without_confirm_guardrails": {
+            "status": "completed",
+            "description": "Added explicit user-facing CLI guardrails for invalid execution opt-in (`--execute` without `--confirm`) on both install and execute commands, with deterministic error messaging and exit status coverage",
+            "files_modified": [
+              "src/cli/skills.ts",
+              "src/cli/skills.test.ts"
+            ],
+            "test_status": "pnpm typecheck + pnpm test:run src/cli/skills.test.ts + pnpm test:run + pnpm lint (warnings only, 0 errors) + pnpm build passing"
           }
         }
       }
@@ -1514,7 +1523,7 @@
   },
 
   "overall_progress": {
-    "total_test_count": 1553,
+    "total_test_count": 1555,
     "all_tests_passing": true,
     "p0_completion": "3/3 (100%)",
     "p1_completion": "4/4 (100%)",
@@ -1534,7 +1543,7 @@
     "gmail_auth_cli": "flynn gmail-auth command implemented with OAuth2 flow, doctor check, config routed to Telegram",
     "native_audio_support": "completed — smart routing for native audio (Gemini/OpenAI/GitHub) vs Whisper transcription fallback",
     "remaining_phases_completion": "Phase 1: 3/3 (100%) — context levels, command registry, memory structure. Phase 2: 2/2 (100%) — component registry, confidence routing. Phase 3: 2/2 (100%) — adaptive memory/compaction, truthfulness/autonomy hardening",
-    "next_up": "Skills infrastructure Phase 3: add explicit user-facing error messaging/tests for invalid `--execute` usage patterns (for example, `--execute` without `--confirm`) and runner/result edge-case receipts"
+    "next_up": "Skills infrastructure Phase 3: add edge-case receipt tests for partial/missing runner results and deterministic fallback reasons across install/execute flows"
   },
   "soul_md_and_cron_create": {
     "date": "2026-02-11",

src/cli/skills.test.ts

@@ -961,6 +961,33 @@ describe('skills CLI helpers', () => {
     rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true });
   });
 
+  it('skills install rejects --execute without --confirm', async () => {
+    const root = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'flynn-skills-cli-'));
+    const configPath = join(root, 'config.yaml');
+    const managedDir = join(root, 'managed');
+    const bundledDir = join(root, 'bundled');
+    const workspaceDir = join(root, 'workspace');
+    mkdirSync(managedDir, { recursive: true });
+    mkdirSync(bundledDir, { recursive: true });
+    mkdirSync(workspaceDir, { recursive: true });
+    writeSkillsCliConfig(configPath, { managedDir, bundledDir, workspaceDir });
+
+    const program = new Command();
+    registerSkillsCommand(program);
+
+    const errorSpy = vi.spyOn(console, 'error').mockImplementation(() => undefined);
+    process.exitCode = undefined;
+
+    await program.parseAsync(['skills', 'install', '/tmp/any-skill', '--execute', '-c', configPath], { from: 'user' });
+
+    expect(errorSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith('`--execute` requires `--confirm`. No installer commands were run.');
+    expect(process.exitCode).toBe(1);
+
+    errorSpy.mockRestore();
+    process.exitCode = undefined;
+    rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  });
+
   it('skills execute parses execute flags and emits execution-enabled JSON receipt', async () => {
     const root = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'flynn-skills-cli-'));
     const configPath = join(root, 'config.yaml');
@@ -1003,4 +1030,42 @@ describe('skills CLI helpers', () => {
     process.exitCode = undefined;
     rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true });
   });
+
+  it('skills execute rejects --execute without --confirm', async () => {
+    const root = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'flynn-skills-cli-'));
+    const configPath = join(root, 'config.yaml');
+    const managedDir = join(root, 'managed');
+    const bundledDir = join(root, 'bundled');
+    const workspaceDir = join(root, 'workspace');
+    const skillDir = join(managedDir, 'cli-exec-skill');
+    mkdirSync(skillDir, { recursive: true });
+    mkdirSync(bundledDir, { recursive: true });
+    mkdirSync(workspaceDir, { recursive: true });
+    writeSkillsCliConfig(configPath, { managedDir, bundledDir, workspaceDir });
+    writeFileSync(join(skillDir, 'SKILL.md'), '# Execute Skill\nInstructions');
+    writeFileSync(
+      join(skillDir, 'manifest.json'),
+      JSON.stringify({
+        name: 'cli-exec-skill',
+        description: 'CLI execute parse',
+        version: '1.0.0',
+      }),
+      'utf-8',
+    );
+
+    const program = new Command();
+    registerSkillsCommand(program);
+
+    const errorSpy = vi.spyOn(console, 'error').mockImplementation(() => undefined);
+    process.exitCode = undefined;
+
+    await program.parseAsync(['skills', 'execute', 'cli-exec-skill', '--execute', '-c', configPath], { from: 'user' });
+
+    expect(errorSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith('`--execute` requires `--confirm`. No installer commands were run.');
+    expect(process.exitCode).toBe(1);
+
+    errorSpy.mockRestore();
+    process.exitCode = undefined;
+    rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  });
 });

src/cli/skills.ts

@@ -815,6 +815,12 @@ export function registerSkillsCommand(program: Command): void {
           return;
         }
 
+        if ((opts.execute ?? false) && !(opts.confirm ?? false)) {
+          console.error('`--execute` requires `--confirm`. No installer commands were run.');
+          process.exitCode = 1;
+          return;
+        }
+
         const defaultManagedDir = resolve(homedir(), '.flynn/workspace/skills');
         const installer = new SkillInstaller(loaded.config.skills.managed_dir ?? defaultManagedDir);
 
@@ -952,6 +958,12 @@ export function registerSkillsCommand(program: Command): void {
         return;
       }
 
+      if ((opts.execute ?? false) && !(opts.confirm ?? false)) {
+        console.error('`--execute` requires `--confirm`. No installer commands were run.');
+        process.exitCode = 1;
+        return;
+      }
+
       runSkillExecuteAction(skill, {
         asJson: opts.json ?? false,
         confirmed: opts.confirm ?? false,