diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5e7d3a2..35dc732 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -16,6 +16,36 @@ bash ~/src/mosaic-bootstrap/install.sh
 - Shared standards document: `~/.mosaic/STANDARDS.md`
 - Runtime adapter docs: `~/.mosaic/adapters/`
 - Shared wrapper commands: `~/.mosaic/bin/`
+- Canonical skills directory: `~/.mosaic/skills`
+
+## Universal Skills
+
+The installer syncs skills from:
+
+- `https://git.mosaicstack.dev/mosaic/agent-skills`
+
+into:
+
+- `~/.mosaic/skills`
+
+Then links each skill into runtime directories:
+
+- `~/.claude/skills`
+- `~/.codex/skills`
+- `~/.config/opencode/skills`
+
+Manual commands:
+
+```bash
+~/.mosaic/bin/mosaic-sync-skills
+~/.mosaic/bin/mosaic-sync-skills --link-only
+```
+
+Opt-out during install:
+
+```bash
+MOSAIC_SKIP_SKILLS_SYNC=1 bash ~/src/mosaic-bootstrap/install.sh
+```
 
 ## Usage
 
diff --git a/bin/mosaic-sync-skills b/bin/mosaic-sync-skills
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..10e14ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/mosaic-sync-skills
@@ -0,0 +1,126 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+MOSAIC_HOME="${MOSAIC_HOME:-$HOME/.mosaic}"
+SKILLS_REPO_URL="${MOSAIC_SKILLS_REPO_URL:-https://git.mosaicstack.dev/mosaic/agent-skills.git}"
+SKILLS_REPO_DIR="${MOSAIC_SKILLS_REPO_DIR:-$MOSAIC_HOME/sources/agent-skills}"
+MOSAIC_SKILLS_DIR="$MOSAIC_HOME/skills"
+
+fetch=1
+link_only=0
+
+usage() {
+  cat <<USAGE
+Usage: $(basename "$0") [options]
+
+Sync canonical skills into ~/.mosaic/skills and link them into runtime skill directories.
+
+Options:
+  --link-only     Skip git clone/pull and only relink from ~/.mosaic/skills
+  --no-link       Sync canonical skills but do not update runtime links
+  -h, --help      Show help
+
+Env:
+  MOSAIC_HOME               Default: ~/.mosaic
+  MOSAIC_SKILLS_REPO_URL    Default: https://git.mosaicstack.dev/mosaic/agent-skills.git
+  MOSAIC_SKILLS_REPO_DIR    Default: ~/.mosaic/sources/agent-skills
+USAGE
+}
+
+while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
+  case "$1" in
+    --link-only)
+      fetch=0
+      shift
+      ;;
+    --no-link)
+      link_only=1
+      shift
+      ;;
+    -h|--help)
+      usage
+      exit 0
+      ;;
+    *)
+      echo "Unknown argument: $1" >&2
+      usage >&2
+      exit 1
+      ;;
+  esac
+done
+
+mkdir -p "$MOSAIC_HOME" "$MOSAIC_SKILLS_DIR"
+
+if [[ $fetch -eq 1 ]]; then
+  if [[ -d "$SKILLS_REPO_DIR/.git" ]]; then
+    echo "[mosaic-skills] Updating skills source: $SKILLS_REPO_DIR"
+    git -C "$SKILLS_REPO_DIR" pull --rebase
+  else
+    echo "[mosaic-skills] Cloning skills source to: $SKILLS_REPO_DIR"
+    mkdir -p "$(dirname "$SKILLS_REPO_DIR")"
+    git clone "$SKILLS_REPO_URL" "$SKILLS_REPO_DIR"
+  fi
+
+  SOURCE_SKILLS_DIR="$SKILLS_REPO_DIR/skills"
+  if [[ ! -d "$SOURCE_SKILLS_DIR" ]]; then
+    echo "[mosaic-skills] Missing source skills dir: $SOURCE_SKILLS_DIR" >&2
+    exit 1
+  fi
+
+  if command -v rsync >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    rsync -a --delete "$SOURCE_SKILLS_DIR/" "$MOSAIC_SKILLS_DIR/"
+  else
+    rm -rf "$MOSAIC_SKILLS_DIR"/*
+    cp -R "$SOURCE_SKILLS_DIR"/* "$MOSAIC_SKILLS_DIR"/
+  fi
+fi
+
+if [[ ! -d "$MOSAIC_SKILLS_DIR" ]]; then
+  echo "[mosaic-skills] Canonical skills dir missing: $MOSAIC_SKILLS_DIR" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+if [[ $link_only -eq 1 ]]; then
+  echo "[mosaic-skills] Canonical sync completed (link update skipped)"
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+link_targets=(
+  "$HOME/.claude/skills"
+  "$HOME/.codex/skills"
+  "$HOME/.config/opencode/skills"
+)
+
+link_skill_into_target() {
+  local skill_path="$1"
+  local target_dir="$2"
+
+  local name
+  name="$(basename "$skill_path")"
+  local link_path="$target_dir/$name"
+
+  if [[ -L "$link_path" ]]; then
+    ln -sfn "$skill_path" "$link_path"
+    return
+  fi
+
+  if [[ -e "$link_path" ]]; then
+    local backup="$link_path.mosaic-backup.$(date +%Y%m%d%H%M%S)"
+    mv "$link_path" "$backup"
+    echo "[mosaic-skills] Backed up existing entry: $link_path -> $backup"
+  fi
+
+  ln -s "$skill_path" "$link_path"
+}
+
+for target in "${link_targets[@]}"; do
+  mkdir -p "$target"
+
+  while IFS= read -r -d '' skill; do
+    link_skill_into_target "$skill" "$target"
+  done < <(find "$MOSAIC_SKILLS_DIR" -mindepth 1 -maxdepth 1 -type d -print0)
+
+  echo "[mosaic-skills] Linked skills into: $target"
+done
+
+echo "[mosaic-skills] Complete"
diff --git a/install.sh b/install.sh
index 2b2ac53..c42dab9 100755
--- a/install.sh
+++ b/install.sh
@@ -17,4 +17,14 @@ chmod +x "$TARGET_DIR"/bin/*
 chmod +x "$TARGET_DIR"/install.sh
 
 echo "[mosaic-install] Installed framework to $TARGET_DIR"
+
+echo "[mosaic-install] Syncing universal skills"
+if [[ "${MOSAIC_SKIP_SKILLS_SYNC:-0}" == "1" ]]; then
+  echo "[mosaic-install] Skipping skills sync (MOSAIC_SKIP_SKILLS_SYNC=1)"
+else
+  if ! "$TARGET_DIR/bin/mosaic-sync-skills"; then
+    echo "[mosaic-install] WARNING: skills sync failed (framework install still complete)" >&2
+  fi
+fi
+
 echo "[mosaic-install] Add to PATH: export PATH=\"$TARGET_DIR/bin:$PATH\""