Fix --no-skills flag not preventing skills from loading

The --no-skills flag set options.skills = [] in main.ts, but the
interactive mode UI would rediscover skills anyway because it called
loadSkills() directly instead of using the already-loaded skills.

Changes:
- Add AgentSession.skills and AgentSession.skillWarnings properties
- discoverSkills() now returns { skills, warnings } instead of Skill[]
- Interactive mode uses session.skills instead of calling loadSkills()
- Update SDK docs and examples for new return type

Fixes #577

packages/coding-agent/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 ### Breaking Changes
 
 - `before_agent_start` event now receives `systemPrompt` in the event object and returns `systemPrompt` (full replacement) instead of `systemPromptAppend`. Extensions that were appending must now use `event.systemPrompt + extra` pattern. ([#575](https://github.com/badlogic/pi-mono/issues/575))
+- `discoverSkills()` now returns `{ skills: Skill[], warnings: SkillWarning[] }` instead of `Skill[]`. This allows callers to handle skill loading warnings. ([#577](https://github.com/badlogic/pi-mono/pull/577) by [@cv](https://github.com/cv))
 
 ### Added
 
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@
 - `ssh.ts` example: remote tool execution via `--ssh user@host:/path`
 - Wayland clipboard support for `/copy` command using wl-copy with xclip/xsel fallback ([#570](https://github.com/badlogic/pi-mono/pull/570) by [@OgulcanCelik](https://github.com/OgulcanCelik))
 - **Experimental:** `ctx.ui.custom()` now accepts `{ overlay: true }` option for floating modal components that composite over existing content without clearing the screen ([#558](https://github.com/badlogic/pi-mono/pull/558) by [@nicobailon](https://github.com/nicobailon))
+- `AgentSession.skills` and `AgentSession.skillWarnings` properties to access loaded skills without rediscovery ([#577](https://github.com/badlogic/pi-mono/pull/577) by [@cv](https://github.com/cv))
 
 ### Fixed
 
@@ -26,6 +28,7 @@
 - Abort messages now show correct retry attempt count (e.g., "Aborted after 2 retry attempts") ([#568](https://github.com/badlogic/pi-mono/pull/568) by [@tmustier](https://github.com/tmustier))
 - Fixed Antigravity provider returning 429 errors despite available quota ([#571](https://github.com/badlogic/pi-mono/pull/571) by [@ben-vargas](https://github.com/ben-vargas))
 - Fixed malformed thinking text in Gemini/Antigravity responses where thinking content appeared as regular text or vice versa. Cross-model conversations now properly convert thinking blocks to plain text. ([#561](https://github.com/badlogic/pi-mono/issues/561))
+- `--no-skills` flag now correctly prevents skills from loading in interactive mode ([#577](https://github.com/badlogic/pi-mono/pull/577) by [@cv](https://github.com/cv))
 
 ## [0.38.0] - 2026-01-08
 

packages/coding-agent/docs/sdk.md

@@ -528,7 +528,7 @@ eventBus.on("my-extension:status", (data) => console.log(data));
 import { createAgentSession, discoverSkills, type Skill } from "@mariozechner/pi-coding-agent";
 
 // Discover and filter
-const allSkills = discoverSkills();
+const { skills: allSkills, warnings } = discoverSkills();
 const filtered = allSkills.filter(s => s.name.includes("search"));
 
 // Custom skill
@@ -550,7 +550,7 @@ const { session } = await createAgentSession({
 });
 
 // Discovery with settings filter
-const skills = discoverSkills(process.cwd(), undefined, {
+const { skills } = discoverSkills(process.cwd(), undefined, {
   ignoredSkills: ["browser-*"],  // glob patterns to exclude
   includeSkills: ["search-*"],   // glob patterns to include (empty = all)
 });
@@ -747,7 +747,7 @@ const model = modelRegistry.find("provider", "id");   // Find specific model
 const builtIn = getModel("anthropic", "claude-opus-4-5"); // Built-in only
 
 // Skills
-const skills = discoverSkills(cwd, agentDir, skillsSettings);
+const { skills, warnings } = discoverSkills(cwd, agentDir, skillsSettings);
 
 // Hooks (async - loads TypeScript)
 // Pass eventBus to share pi.events across hooks/tools

packages/coding-agent/examples/sdk/04-skills.ts

@@ -8,11 +8,14 @@
 import { createAgentSession, discoverSkills, SessionManager, type Skill } from "@mariozechner/pi-coding-agent";
 
 // Discover all skills from cwd/.pi/skills, ~/.pi/agent/skills, etc.
-const allSkills = discoverSkills();
+const { skills: allSkills, warnings } = discoverSkills();
 console.log(
 	"Discovered skills:",
 	allSkills.map((s) => s.name),
 );
+if (warnings.length > 0) {
+	console.log("Warnings:", warnings);
+}
 
 // Filter to specific skills
 const filteredSkills = allSkills.filter((s) => s.name.includes("browser") || s.name.includes("search"));

packages/coding-agent/src/core/agent-session.ts

@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ import type { ModelRegistry } from "./model-registry.js";
 import { expandPromptTemplate, type PromptTemplate } from "./prompt-templates.js";
 import type { BranchSummaryEntry, CompactionEntry, NewSessionOptions, SessionManager } from "./session-manager.js";
 import type { SettingsManager, SkillsSettings } from "./settings-manager.js";
+import type { Skill, SkillWarning } from "./skills.js";
 import type { BashOperations } from "./tools/bash.js";
 
 /** Session-specific events that extend the core AgentEvent */
@@ -77,6 +78,10 @@ export interface AgentSessionConfig {
 	promptTemplates?: PromptTemplate[];
 	/** Extension runner (created in sdk.ts with wrapped tools) */
 	extensionRunner?: ExtensionRunner;
+	/** Loaded skills (already discovered by SDK) */
+	skills?: Skill[];
+	/** Skill loading warnings (already captured by SDK) */
+	skillWarnings?: SkillWarning[];
 	skillsSettings?: Required<SkillsSettings>;
 	/** Model registry for API key resolution and model discovery */
 	modelRegistry: ModelRegistry;
@@ -177,6 +182,8 @@ export class AgentSession {
 	private _extensionRunner: ExtensionRunner | undefined = undefined;
 	private _turnIndex = 0;
 
+	private _skills: Skill[];
+	private _skillWarnings: SkillWarning[];
 	private _skillsSettings: Required<SkillsSettings> | undefined;
 
 	// Model registry for API key resolution
@@ -198,6 +205,8 @@ export class AgentSession {
 		this._scopedModels = config.scopedModels ?? [];
 		this._promptTemplates = config.promptTemplates ?? [];
 		this._extensionRunner = config.extensionRunner;
+		this._skills = config.skills ?? [];
+		this._skillWarnings = config.skillWarnings ?? [];
 		this._skillsSettings = config.skillsSettings;
 		this._modelRegistry = config.modelRegistry;
 		this._toolRegistry = config.toolRegistry ?? new Map();
@@ -870,6 +879,16 @@ export class AgentSession {
 		return this._skillsSettings;
 	}
 
+	/** Skills loaded by SDK (empty if --no-skills or skills: [] was passed) */
+	get skills(): readonly Skill[] {
+		return this._skills;
+	}
+
+	/** Skill loading warnings captured by SDK */
+	get skillWarnings(): readonly SkillWarning[] {
+		return this._skillWarnings;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Abort current operation and wait for agent to become idle.
 	 */

packages/coding-agent/src/core/sdk.ts

@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ import { ModelRegistry } from "./model-registry.js";
 import { loadPromptTemplates as loadPromptTemplatesInternal, type PromptTemplate } from "./prompt-templates.js";
 import { SessionManager } from "./session-manager.js";
 import { type Settings, SettingsManager, type SkillsSettings } from "./settings-manager.js";
-import { loadSkills as loadSkillsInternal, type Skill } from "./skills.js";
+import { loadSkills as loadSkillsInternal, type Skill, type SkillWarning } from "./skills.js";
 import {
 	buildSystemPrompt as buildSystemPromptInternal,
 	loadProjectContextFiles as loadContextFilesInternal,
@@ -225,13 +225,16 @@ export async function discoverExtensions(
 /**
  * Discover skills from cwd and agentDir.
  */
-export function discoverSkills(cwd?: string, agentDir?: string, settings?: SkillsSettings): Skill[] {
+export function discoverSkills(
-	const { skills } = loadSkillsInternal({
+	cwd?: string,
+	agentDir?: string,
+	settings?: SkillsSettings,
+): { skills: Skill[]; warnings: SkillWarning[] } {
+	return loadSkillsInternal({
 		...settings,
 		cwd: cwd ?? process.cwd(),
 		agentDir: agentDir ?? getDefaultAgentDir(),
 	});
-	return skills;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -419,7 +422,16 @@ export async function createAgentSession(options: CreateAgentSessionOptions = {}
 		thinkingLevel = "off";
 	}
 
-	const skills = options.skills ?? discoverSkills(cwd, agentDir, settingsManager.getSkillsSettings());
+	let skills: Skill[];
+	let skillWarnings: SkillWarning[];
+	if (options.skills !== undefined) {
+		skills = options.skills;
+		skillWarnings = [];
+	} else {
+		const discovered = discoverSkills(cwd, agentDir, settingsManager.getSkillsSettings());
+		skills = discovered.skills;
+		skillWarnings = discovered.warnings;
+	}
 	time("discoverSkills");
 
 	const contextFiles = options.contextFiles ?? discoverContextFiles(cwd, agentDir);
@@ -641,13 +653,6 @@ export async function createAgentSession(options: CreateAgentSessionOptions = {}
 		sessionManager.appendThinkingLevelChange(thinkingLevel);
 	}
 
-	// Determine skillsSettings: if options.skills was explicitly provided (even []),
-	// mark skills as disabled so UI doesn't re-discover them
-	const skillsSettings =
-		options.skills !== undefined
-			? { ...settingsManager.getSkillsSettings(), enabled: false }
-			: settingsManager.getSkillsSettings();
-
 	const session = new AgentSession({
 		agent,
 		sessionManager,
@@ -655,7 +660,9 @@ export async function createAgentSession(options: CreateAgentSessionOptions = {}
 		scopedModels: options.scopedModels,
 		promptTemplates: promptTemplates,
 		extensionRunner,
-		skillsSettings,
+		skills,
+		skillWarnings,
+		skillsSettings: settingsManager.getSkillsSettings(),
 		modelRegistry,
 		toolRegistry: wrappedToolRegistry ?? toolRegistry,
 		rebuildSystemPrompt,

packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/interactive-mode.ts

@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ import type {
 import { KeybindingsManager } from "../../core/keybindings.js";
 import { createCompactionSummaryMessage } from "../../core/messages.js";
 import { type SessionContext, SessionManager } from "../../core/session-manager.js";
-import { loadSkills } from "../../core/skills.js";
 import { loadProjectContextFiles } from "../../core/system-prompt.js";
 import { allTools } from "../../core/tools/index.js";
 import type { TruncationResult } from "../../core/tools/truncate.js";
@@ -564,24 +563,22 @@ export class InteractiveMode {
 			this.chatContainer.addChild(new Spacer(1));
 		}
 
-		// Show loaded skills
+		// Show loaded skills (already discovered by SDK)
-		const skillsSettings = this.session.skillsSettings;
+		const skills = this.session.skills;
-		if (skillsSettings?.enabled !== false) {
+		if (skills.length > 0) {
-			const { skills, warnings: skillWarnings } = loadSkills(skillsSettings ?? {});
+			const skillList = skills.map((s) => theme.fg("dim", `  ${s.filePath}`)).join("\n");
-			if (skills.length > 0) {
+			this.chatContainer.addChild(new Text(theme.fg("muted", "Loaded skills:\n") + skillList, 0, 0));
-				const skillList = skills.map((s) => theme.fg("dim", `  ${s.filePath}`)).join("\n");
+			this.chatContainer.addChild(new Spacer(1));
-				this.chatContainer.addChild(new Text(theme.fg("muted", "Loaded skills:\n") + skillList, 0, 0));
+		}
-				this.chatContainer.addChild(new Spacer(1));
-			}
 
-			// Show skill warnings if any
+		// Show skill warnings if any
-			if (skillWarnings.length > 0) {
+		const skillWarnings = this.session.skillWarnings;
-				const warningList = skillWarnings
+		if (skillWarnings.length > 0) {
-					.map((w) => theme.fg("warning", `  ${w.skillPath}: ${w.message}`))
+			const warningList = skillWarnings
-					.join("\n");
+				.map((w) => theme.fg("warning", `  ${w.skillPath}: ${w.message}`))
-				this.chatContainer.addChild(new Text(theme.fg("warning", "Skill warnings:\n") + warningList, 0, 0));
+				.join("\n");
-				this.chatContainer.addChild(new Spacer(1));
+			this.chatContainer.addChild(new Text(theme.fg("warning", "Skill warnings:\n") + warningList, 0, 0));
-			}
+			this.chatContainer.addChild(new Spacer(1));
 		}
 
 		const extensionRunner = this.session.extensionRunner;

packages/coding-agent/test/sdk-skills.test.ts

@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ describe("createAgentSession skills option", () => {
 		skillsDir = join(tempDir, "skills", "test-skill");
 		mkdirSync(skillsDir, { recursive: true });
 
-		// Create a test skill
+		// Create a test skill in the pi skills directory
 		writeFileSync(
 			join(skillsDir, "SKILL.md"),
 			`---
@@ -35,18 +35,19 @@ This is a test skill.
 		}
 	});
 
-	it("should discover skills by default", async () => {
+	it("should discover skills by default and expose them on session.skills", async () => {
 		const { session } = await createAgentSession({
 			cwd: tempDir,
 			agentDir: tempDir,
 			sessionManager: SessionManager.inMemory(),
 		});
 
-		// skillsSettings.enabled should be true (from default settings)
+		// Skills should be discovered and exposed on the session
-		expect(session.skillsSettings?.enabled).toBe(true);
+		expect(session.skills.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+		expect(session.skills.some((s) => s.name === "test-skill")).toBe(true);
 	});
 
-	it("should disable skills in skillsSettings when options.skills is empty array", async () => {
+	it("should have empty skills when options.skills is empty array (--no-skills)", async () => {
 		const { session } = await createAgentSession({
 			cwd: tempDir,
 			agentDir: tempDir,
@@ -54,27 +55,31 @@ This is a test skill.
 			skills: [], // Explicitly empty - like --no-skills
 		});
 
-		// skillsSettings.enabled should be false so UI doesn't re-discover
+		// session.skills should be empty
-		expect(session.skillsSettings?.enabled).toBe(false);
+		expect(session.skills).toEqual([]);
+		// No warnings since we didn't discover
+		expect(session.skillWarnings).toEqual([]);
 	});
 
-	it("should disable skills in skillsSettings when options.skills is provided with skills", async () => {
+	it("should use provided skills when options.skills is explicitly set", async () => {
+		const customSkill = {
+			name: "custom-skill",
+			description: "A custom skill",
+			filePath: "/fake/path/SKILL.md",
+			baseDir: "/fake/path",
+			source: "custom" as const,
+		};
+
 		const { session } = await createAgentSession({
 			cwd: tempDir,
 			agentDir: tempDir,
 			sessionManager: SessionManager.inMemory(),
-			skills: [
+			skills: [customSkill],
-				{
-					name: "custom-skill",
-					description: "A custom skill",
-					filePath: "/fake/path/SKILL.md",
-					baseDir: "/fake/path",
-					source: "custom",
-				},
-			],
 		});
 
-		// skillsSettings.enabled should be false because skills were explicitly provided
+		// session.skills should contain only the provided skill
-		expect(session.skillsSettings?.enabled).toBe(false);
+		expect(session.skills).toEqual([customSkill]);
+		// No warnings since we didn't discover
+		expect(session.skillWarnings).toEqual([]);
 	});
 });