diff --git a/internal/skills/installer/installer.go b/internal/skills/installer/installer.go
index 0ac9e182c..e27d35f5b 100644
--- a/internal/skills/installer/installer.go
+++ b/internal/skills/installer/installer.go
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ func installLocalSkill(sourceRoot string, skill discovery.Skill, baseDir string)
 		if err != nil {
 			var traversalErr safepaths.PathTraversalError
 			if errors.As(err, &traversalErr) {
-				return nil
+				return fmt.Errorf("blocked path traversal in %q", relPath)
 			}
 			return fmt.Errorf("could not resolve destination path: %w", err)
 		}
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ func installSkill(opts *Options, skill discovery.Skill, baseDir string) error {
 		if err != nil {
 			var traversalErr safepaths.PathTraversalError
 			if errors.As(err, &traversalErr) {
-				continue
+				return fmt.Errorf("blocked path traversal in %q", relPath)
 			}
 			return fmt.Errorf("could not resolve destination path: %w", err)
 		}
diff --git a/internal/skills/installer/installer_test.go b/internal/skills/installer/installer_test.go
index 6334add85..e05a3541e 100644
--- a/internal/skills/installer/installer_test.go
+++ b/internal/skills/installer/installer_test.go
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ func TestInstallSkill(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 		{
-			name:  "skips path traversal from malicious tree",
+			name:  "fails on path traversal from malicious tree",
 			skill: discovery.Skill{Name: "code-review", Path: "skills/code-review", TreeSHA: "tree123"},
 			stubs: func(reg *httpmock.Registry) {
 				reg.Register(
@@ -280,10 +280,7 @@ func TestInstallSkill(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			verify: func(t *testing.T, destDir string) {
 				t.Helper()
-				_, err := os.Stat(filepath.Join(destDir, "code-review", "SKILL.md"))
-				assert.NoError(t, err)
-
-				_, err = os.Stat(filepath.Join(destDir, "..", "etc", "passwd"))
+				_, err := os.Stat(filepath.Join(destDir, "..", "etc", "passwd"))
 				assert.True(t, os.IsNotExist(err), "traversal path should not be written")
 			},
 		},
@@ -305,7 +302,12 @@ func TestInstallSkill(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 
 			err := installSkill(opts, tt.skill, destDir)
-			require.NoError(t, err)
+			if tt.name == "fails on path traversal from malicious tree" {
+				require.Error(t, err)
+				assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "blocked path traversal")
+			} else {
+				require.NoError(t, err)
+			}
 			tt.verify(t, destDir)
 		})
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/skills/preview/preview.go b/pkg/cmd/skills/preview/preview.go
index 270912478..319288f17 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/skills/preview/preview.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/skills/preview/preview.go
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ func renderAllFiles(opts *PreviewOptions, cs *iostreams.ColorScheme, skill disco
 			fmt.Fprintf(out, "\n%s\n", cs.Muted(fmt.Sprintf("(skipped remaining files, showing first %d)", maxFiles)))
 			break
 		}
-		if totalBytes+f.Size > maxTotalBytes && fetched > 0 {
+		if totalBytes+f.Size > maxTotalBytes {
 			fmt.Fprintf(out, "\n%s\n", cs.Muted("(skipped remaining files, size limit reached)"))
 			break
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/skills/update/update.go b/pkg/cmd/skills/update/update.go
index 766f52515..ad7c647d5 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/skills/update/update.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/skills/update/update.go
@@ -510,7 +510,13 @@ func scanInstalledSkills(skillsDir string, host *registry.AgentHost, scope regis
 func parseInstalledSkill(data []byte, name, dir string, host *registry.AgentHost, scope registry.Scope) (installedSkill, bool) {
 	result, err := frontmatter.Parse(string(data))
 	if err != nil {
-		return installedSkill{}, false
+		return installedSkill{
+			name:        name,
+			dir:         dir,
+			host:        host,
+			scope:       scope,
+			metadataErr: fmt.Errorf("invalid SKILL.md: %w", err),
+		}, true
 	}
 
 	s := installedSkill{
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/skills/update/update_test.go b/pkg/cmd/skills/update/update_test.go
index 0c224e9a0..86fdcaa80 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/skills/update/update_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/skills/update/update_test.go
@@ -199,7 +199,9 @@ func TestScanInstalledSkills(t *testing.T) {
 			verify: func(t *testing.T, skills []installedSkill, err error) {
 				t.Helper()
 				require.NoError(t, err)
-				assert.Len(t, skills, 0)
+				require.Len(t, skills, 1)
+				assert.Equal(t, "corrupt", skills[0].name)
+				assert.ErrorContains(t, skills[0].metadataErr, "invalid SKILL.md")
 			},
 		},
 	}