diff --git a/src/cli/skills.ts b/src/cli/skills.ts
index 674b78a..67f3d8e 100644
--- a/src/cli/skills.ts
+++ b/src/cli/skills.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import type { AuditEvent } from '../audit/types.js';
 import type { Config } from '../config/schema.js';
 import type { Skill } from '../skills/index.js';
 import { loadAllSkills, SkillInstaller, buildInstallerPlan, loadSkill } from '../skills/index.js';
+import type { SkillPermissions } from '../skills/types.js';
 import { loadConfigSafe } from './shared.js';
 
 export interface SkillListRow {
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@ export interface SkillInstallerPlanView {
     name: string;
     tier: Skill['manifest']['tier'];
     version: string;
+    permissions?: SkillPermissions;
   };
   mode: 'dry-run';
   steps: Array<{ installerType: string; command: string }>;
@@ -45,6 +47,39 @@ export interface SkillInstallPreflightView {
   skipped: SkillInstallerPlanView['skipped'];
 }
 
+function renderSkillPermissions(perms?: SkillPermissions): string[] {
+  if (!perms) {
+    return [];
+  }
+
+  const lines: string[] = ['Permissions:'];
+  if (perms.tool_groups && perms.tool_groups.length > 0) {
+    lines.push(`- tool_groups: ${perms.tool_groups.join(', ')}`);
+  }
+  if (perms.tools && perms.tools.length > 0) {
+    lines.push(`- tools: ${perms.tools.join(', ')}`);
+  }
+  if (perms.fs?.read && perms.fs.read.length > 0) {
+    lines.push(`- fs.read: ${perms.fs.read.join(', ')}`);
+  }
+  if (perms.fs?.write && perms.fs.write.length > 0) {
+    lines.push(`- fs.write: ${perms.fs.write.join(', ')}`);
+  }
+  if (perms.net && perms.net.length > 0) {
+    lines.push(`- net: ${perms.net.map((n) => `${n.host}${n.ports && n.ports.length > 0 ? `:${n.ports.join('|')}` : ''}`).join(', ')}`);
+  }
+  if (perms.secrets && perms.secrets.length > 0) {
+    lines.push(`- secrets: ${perms.secrets.join(', ')}`);
+  }
+  if (perms.execution_environment) {
+    lines.push(`- execution_environment: ${perms.execution_environment}`);
+  }
+  if (lines.length === 1) {
+    return ['Permissions: (none declared)'];
+  }
+  return lines;
+}
+
 export interface SkillInstallerExecutionStubView {
   skill: SkillInstallerPlanView['skill'];
   execution: 'stub';
@@ -667,6 +702,10 @@ export function renderSkillInfo(skill: Skill): string {
     lines.push(`Tools: ${skill.manifest.tools.join(', ')}`);
   }
 
+  if (skill.manifest.permissions) {
+    lines.push(...renderSkillPermissions(skill.manifest.permissions));
+  }
+
   if (skill.unavailableReasons && skill.unavailableReasons.length > 0) {
     lines.push(`Unavailable reasons: ${skill.unavailableReasons.join('; ')}`);
   }
@@ -698,6 +737,7 @@ export function toSkillInstallerPlanView(skill: Skill): SkillInstallerPlanView {
       name: skill.manifest.name,
       tier: skill.manifest.tier,
       version: skill.manifest.version,
+      permissions: skill.manifest.permissions,
     },
     mode: plan.mode,
     steps: plan.steps,
@@ -711,6 +751,10 @@ export function renderSkillInstallerPlan(view: SkillInstallerPlanView): string {
     `Mode: ${view.mode}`,
   ];
 
+  if (view.skill.permissions) {
+    lines.push(...renderSkillPermissions(view.skill.permissions));
+  }
+
   if (view.steps.length === 0) {
     lines.push('Planned steps: none');
   } else {
@@ -754,6 +798,10 @@ export function renderSkillInstallPreflight(view: SkillInstallPreflightView): st
     `Mode: ${view.mode}`,
   ];
 
+  if (view.skill.permissions) {
+    lines.push(...renderSkillPermissions(view.skill.permissions));
+  }
+
   if (view.steps.length === 0) {
     lines.push('Planned installer steps: none');
   } else {
diff --git a/src/skills/loader.test.ts b/src/skills/loader.test.ts
index 3a8ddad..ba9c4dc 100644
--- a/src/skills/loader.test.ts
+++ b/src/skills/loader.test.ts
@@ -203,6 +203,28 @@ describe('loadSkill', () => {
     expect(skill).toBeNull();
   });
 
+  it('returns null when manifest.json has invalid permissions specification', () => {
+    tmpDir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'flynn-test-'));
+    const skillDir = join(tmpDir, 'invalid-permissions');
+    mkdirSync(skillDir);
+    writeFileSync(
+      join(skillDir, 'manifest.json'),
+      JSON.stringify({
+        name: 'invalid-permissions',
+        description: 'Bad permissions',
+        version: '1.0.0',
+        permissions: {
+          fs: { read: 'not-an-array' },
+        },
+      }),
+    );
+    writeFileSync(join(skillDir, 'SKILL.md'), '# Invalid Permissions');
+
+    const skill = loadSkill(skillDir, 'bundled');
+
+    expect(skill).toBeNull();
+  });
+
   it('strips markdown heading markers from inferred description', () => {
     // Positive: a first line like "## My Heading" should become "My Heading".
     tmpDir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'flynn-test-'));
diff --git a/src/skills/loader.ts b/src/skills/loader.ts
index 1b8dc97..0e98db5 100644
--- a/src/skills/loader.ts
+++ b/src/skills/loader.ts
@@ -53,6 +53,84 @@ function hasValidInstallers(manifest: unknown): boolean {
   });
 }
 
+function isNumberArray(value: unknown): value is number[] {
+  return Array.isArray(value) && value.every((item) => typeof item === 'number' && Number.isFinite(item));
+}
+
+function hasValidPermissions(manifest: unknown): boolean {
+  if (!manifest || typeof manifest !== 'object') {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  const candidate = manifest as { permissions?: unknown };
+  if (candidate.permissions === undefined) {
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  if (!candidate.permissions || typeof candidate.permissions !== 'object') {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  const perms = candidate.permissions as {
+    tool_groups?: unknown;
+    tools?: unknown;
+    fs?: unknown;
+    net?: unknown;
+    secrets?: unknown;
+    execution_environment?: unknown;
+  };
+
+  if (perms.tool_groups !== undefined && !isStringArray(perms.tool_groups)) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  if (perms.tools !== undefined && !isStringArray(perms.tools)) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  if (perms.fs !== undefined) {
+    if (!perms.fs || typeof perms.fs !== 'object') {
+      return false;
+    }
+    const fsPerms = perms.fs as { read?: unknown; write?: unknown };
+    if (fsPerms.read !== undefined && !isStringArray(fsPerms.read)) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    if (fsPerms.write !== undefined && !isStringArray(fsPerms.write)) {
+      return false;
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (perms.net !== undefined) {
+    if (!Array.isArray(perms.net)) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    for (const entry of perms.net) {
+      if (!entry || typeof entry !== 'object') {
+        return false;
+      }
+      const e = entry as { host?: unknown; ports?: unknown };
+      if (typeof e.host !== 'string' || e.host.trim().length === 0) {
+        return false;
+      }
+      if (e.ports !== undefined && !isNumberArray(e.ports)) {
+        return false;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (perms.secrets !== undefined && !isStringArray(perms.secrets)) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  if (perms.execution_environment !== undefined) {
+    if (perms.execution_environment !== 'sandbox' && perms.execution_environment !== 'host') {
+      return false;
+    }
+  }
+
+  return true;
+}
+
 /**
  * Check whether a skill's system requirements are met.
  *
@@ -136,6 +214,10 @@ export function loadSkill(directory: string, tier: SkillTier): Skill | null {
         console.warn(`Skill manifest at ${manifestPath} has invalid installers specification`);
         return null;
       }
+      if (!hasValidPermissions(raw)) {
+        console.warn(`Skill manifest at ${manifestPath} has invalid permissions specification`);
+        return null;
+      }
 
       manifest = {
         ...raw,
diff --git a/src/skills/types.ts b/src/skills/types.ts
index 18e5352..1263364 100644
--- a/src/skills/types.ts
+++ b/src/skills/types.ts
@@ -50,6 +50,39 @@ export type SkillInstallerSpec =
   | GoInstallerSpec
   | DownloadInstallerSpec;
 
+export interface SkillFsPermissions {
+  /** Allowed path globs for read-only filesystem access. */
+  read?: string[];
+  /** Allowed path globs for write filesystem access (includes edits/patches). */
+  write?: string[];
+}
+
+export interface SkillNetPermission {
+  /** Host glob, e.g. "api.todoist.com" or "*.example.com". */
+  host: string;
+  /** Allowed ports. If omitted, any port is allowed. */
+  ports?: number[];
+}
+
+export interface SkillPermissions {
+  /** Allowed tool groups, e.g. ["group:fs", "group:web"]. */
+  tool_groups?: string[];
+  /** Allowed tool name patterns (glob). Overrides tool_groups when present. */
+  tools?: string[];
+  /** Filesystem access constraints (optional). */
+  fs?: SkillFsPermissions;
+  /** Network access constraints (optional). */
+  net?: SkillNetPermission[];
+  /** Named secret scopes required for credentialed actions (optional). */
+  secrets?: string[];
+  /**
+   * Execution environment preference for high-risk operations.
+   * - sandbox: run high-risk tools in the session sandbox (default)
+   * - host: allow high-risk tools on the host (escape hatch)
+   */
+  execution_environment?: 'sandbox' | 'host';
+}
+
 /** Manifest for a skill (manifest.json). */
 export interface SkillManifest {
   /** Unique skill name (e.g., 'git', 'web-search'). */
@@ -70,6 +103,8 @@ export interface SkillManifest {
   dependencies?: string[];
   /** Optional dependency installers for future automated setup. */
   installers?: SkillInstallerSpec[];
+  /** Optional capability declarations. Used for runtime policy enforcement. */
+  permissions?: SkillPermissions;
 }
 
 /** A loaded skill ready for use. */