diff --git a/packages/core/src/agent/system-prompt/sections.test.ts b/packages/core/src/agent/system-prompt/sections.test.ts
index a1d2dd5a..f31585fa 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/agent/system-prompt/sections.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/agent/system-prompt/sections.test.ts
@@ -218,6 +218,15 @@ describe("buildSkillsSection", () => {
     expect(text).toContain("suggest activating it");
   });
 
+  it("includes capability-gap recovery guidance", () => {
+    const result = buildSkillsSection("## commit\nDo commits.", "full");
+    const text = result.join("\n");
+    expect(text).toContain("capability gap");
+    expect(text).toContain("meta-skill-installer");
+    expect(text).toContain("explicit user confirmation");
+    expect(text).toContain("clawhub install");
+  });
+
   it("returns empty in minimal mode", () => {
     expect(buildSkillsSection("skills", "minimal")).toEqual([]);
   });
diff --git a/packages/core/src/agent/system-prompt/sections.ts b/packages/core/src/agent/system-prompt/sections.ts
index bf935fce..52d7057a 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/agent/system-prompt/sections.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/agent/system-prompt/sections.ts
@@ -399,7 +399,10 @@ export function buildSkillsSection(
     "- If exactly one skill clearly applies: follow its instructions.",
     "- If multiple could apply: choose the most specific one.",
     "- If none clearly apply but an **inactive skill** matches the user's intent: suggest activating it.",
-    "- If no skill matches at all: skip skill invocation.",
+    "- If the request needs a capability you currently lack: do not stop at refusal. Treat it as a capability gap and propose a recovery path.",
+    "- If `meta-skill-installer` is available and no installed skill matches: proactively offer to search ClawHub for candidates and run security review before install.",
+    "- Ask for explicit user confirmation before final `clawhub install` / `clawhub update` unless the user already clearly asked you to install in this turn.",
+    "- After install/update, verify the skill path and retry the original user task.",
     "",
     budgeted,
     "",