diff --git a/internal/skills/registry/registry.go b/internal/skills/registry/registry.go
index a5e018176cf..ae98570fe56 100644
--- a/internal/skills/registry/registry.go
+++ b/internal/skills/registry/registry.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package registry
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -30,6 +31,8 @@ const (
 
 	DefaultAgentID = "github-copilot"
 
+	claudeConfigDirEnv = "CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR"
+
 	sharedProjectSkillsDir = ".agents/skills"
 )
 
@@ -387,6 +390,11 @@ func (h *AgentHost) InstallDir(scope Scope, gitRoot, homeDir string) (string, er
 		}
 		return filepath.Join(gitRoot, h.ProjectDir), nil
 	case ScopeUser:
+		if h.ID == "claude-code" {
+			if configDir := os.Getenv(claudeConfigDirEnv); configDir != "" {
+				return filepath.Join(configDir, "skills"), nil
+			}
+		}
 		if homeDir == "" {
 			return "", fmt.Errorf("could not determine home directory")
 		}
diff --git a/internal/skills/registry/registry_test.go b/internal/skills/registry/registry_test.go
index bd0c4470963..b7a8e9a64f5 100644
--- a/internal/skills/registry/registry_test.go
+++ b/internal/skills/registry/registry_test.go
@@ -38,8 +38,11 @@ func TestFindByID(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestInstallDir(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Setenv(claudeConfigDirEnv, "")
+
 	tests := []struct {
 		name    string
+		setup   func(*testing.T)
 		hostID  string
 		scope   Scope
 		gitRoot string
@@ -71,6 +74,25 @@ func TestInstallDir(t *testing.T) {
 			homeDir: "/home/monalisa",
 			wantDir: filepath.Join("/tmp/monalisa-repo", ".claude", "skills"),
 		},
+		{
+			name:    "claude code user scope",
+			hostID:  "claude-code",
+			scope:   ScopeUser,
+			gitRoot: "/tmp/monalisa-repo",
+			homeDir: "/home/monalisa",
+			wantDir: filepath.Join("/home/monalisa", ".claude", "skills"),
+		},
+		{
+			name: "claude code user scope, respect env var",
+			setup: func(t *testing.T) {
+				t.Setenv("CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR", filepath.Join("/home", "monalisa", ".config", "claude"))
+			},
+			hostID:  "claude-code",
+			scope:   ScopeUser,
+			gitRoot: "/tmp/monalisa-repo",
+			homeDir: "/home/monalisa",
+			wantDir: filepath.Join("/home", "monalisa", ".config", "claude", "skills"),
+		},
 		{
 			name:    "cursor project scope",
 			hostID:  "cursor",
@@ -130,6 +152,10 @@ func TestInstallDir(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			if tt.setup != nil {
+				tt.setup(t)
+			}
+
 			host, err := FindByID(tt.hostID)
 			require.NoError(t, err)
 
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/skills/install/install_test.go b/pkg/cmd/skills/install/install_test.go
index 64cded9bf67..7e8267c7600 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/skills/install/install_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/skills/install/install_test.go
@@ -311,6 +311,7 @@ func TestInstallRun(t *testing.T) {
 		wantErr    string
 		wantStdout string
 		wantStderr string
+		assert     func(t *testing.T)
 	}{
 		{
 			name:  "non-interactive without repo errors",
@@ -1527,6 +1528,37 @@ func TestInstallRun(t *testing.T) {
 			wantStdout: "Installed hidden-skill",
 			wantStderr: "Skills in hidden directories",
 		},
+		{
+			name: "respect claude code config dir env var for user scope",
+			setup: func(t *testing.T) {
+				t.Setenv("CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR", t.TempDir())
+			},
+			stubs: func(reg *httpmock.Registry) {
+				stubResolveVersion(reg, "monalisa", "skills-repo", "v1.0.0", "abc123")
+				stubDiscoverTree(reg, "monalisa", "skills-repo", "abc123",
+					singleSkillTreeJSON("git-commit", "treeSHA", "blobSHA"))
+				stubInstallFiles(reg, "monalisa", "skills-repo", "treeSHA", "blobSHA", gitCommitContent)
+			},
+			opts: func(ios *iostreams.IOStreams, reg *httpmock.Registry) *InstallOptions {
+				t.Helper()
+				return &InstallOptions{
+					IO:           ios,
+					HttpClient:   func() (*http.Client, error) { return &http.Client{Transport: reg}, nil },
+					GitClient:    &git.Client{RepoDir: t.TempDir()},
+					SkillSource:  "monalisa/skills-repo",
+					SkillName:    "git-commit",
+					Agent:        "claude-code",
+					Scope:        "user",
+					ScopeChanged: true,
+					Telemetry:    &telemetry.NoOpService{},
+				}
+			},
+			assert: func(t *testing.T) {
+				assert.FileExists(t, filepath.Join(os.Getenv("CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR"), "skills", "git-commit", "SKILL.md"))
+				assert.NoFileExists(t, filepath.Join(os.Getenv("HOME"), ".claude", "skills", "git-commit", "SKILL.md"))
+			},
+			wantStdout: "Installed git-commit",
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
@@ -1572,6 +1604,9 @@ func TestInstallRun(t *testing.T) {
 			if tt.verify != nil {
 				tt.verify(t)
 			}
+			if tt.assert != nil {
+				tt.assert(t)
+			}
 		})
 	}
 }