diff --git a/internal/skills/installer/installer.go b/internal/skills/installer/installer.go
index 8ae3da28f..ce5370004 100644
--- a/internal/skills/installer/installer.go
+++ b/internal/skills/installer/installer.go
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ func Install(opts *Options) (*Result, error) {
 		skill := opts.Skills[0]
 		if opts.OnProgress != nil {
 			opts.OnProgress(0, 1)
+			defer opts.OnProgress(1, 1)
 		}
 		if err := installSkill(opts, skill, targetDir); err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to install skill %q: %w", skill.InstallName(), err)
@@ -77,9 +78,6 @@ func Install(opts *Options) (*Result, error) {
 		if err := lockfile.RecordInstall(skill.InstallName(), opts.Owner, opts.Repo, skill.Path+"/SKILL.md", skill.TreeSHA, opts.PinnedRef); err != nil {
 			warnings = append(warnings, fmt.Sprintf("could not record install for %s: %v", skill.InstallName(), err))
 		}
-		if opts.OnProgress != nil {
-			opts.OnProgress(1, 1)
-		}
 		return &Result{Installed: []string{skill.InstallName()}, Dir: targetDir, Warnings: warnings}, nil
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/skills/installer/installer_test.go b/internal/skills/installer/installer_test.go
index 0637e9c19..ea9c619c2 100644
--- a/internal/skills/installer/installer_test.go
+++ b/internal/skills/installer/installer_test.go
@@ -447,6 +447,42 @@ func TestInstall(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestInstallSingleSkillFailureStillCompletesProgress(t *testing.T) {
+	homeDir := t.TempDir()
+	t.Setenv("HOME", homeDir)
+	t.Setenv("USERPROFILE", homeDir)
+
+	destDir := t.TempDir()
+	reg := &httpmock.Registry{}
+	defer reg.Verify(t)
+	reg.Register(
+		httpmock.REST("GET", "repos/monalisa/octocat-skills/git/trees/tree-fail"),
+		httpmock.StatusStringResponse(500, "server error"),
+	)
+	client := api.NewClientFromHTTP(&http.Client{Transport: reg})
+
+	var events []struct{ done, total int }
+	result, err := Install(&Options{
+		Host:   "github.com",
+		Owner:  "monalisa",
+		Repo:   "octocat-skills",
+		Ref:    "v1.0",
+		SHA:    "commit123",
+		Client: client,
+		Skills: []discovery.Skill{
+			{Name: "code-review", Path: "skills/code-review", TreeSHA: "tree-fail"},
+		},
+		Dir: destDir,
+		OnProgress: func(done, total int) {
+			events = append(events, struct{ done, total int }{done: done, total: total})
+		},
+	})
+
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	assert.Nil(t, result)
+	assert.Equal(t, []struct{ done, total int }{{done: 0, total: 1}, {done: 1, total: 1}}, events)
+}
+
 func TestResolveGitRoot(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
 		name    string
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/skills/install/install.go b/pkg/cmd/skills/install/install.go
index 8188c8f3f..149d682eb 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/skills/install/install.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/skills/install/install.go
@@ -907,13 +907,15 @@ func existingSkillPrompt(targetDir string, incoming discovery.Skill) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("Skill %q already exists. Overwrite?", incoming.DisplayName())
 }
 
+const installProgressLabel = "Downloading skill files"
+
 func installProgress(io *iostreams.IOStreams, total int) func(done, total int) {
-	if total <= 1 {
+	if total <= 0 {
 		return nil
 	}
 	return func(done, total int) {
 		if done == 0 {
-			io.StartProgressIndicator()
+			io.StartProgressIndicatorWithLabel(installProgressLabel)
 		} else if done >= total {
 			io.StopProgressIndicator()
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/skills/install/install_test.go b/pkg/cmd/skills/install/install_test.go
index a4f67f1f1..84fb24b7a 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/skills/install/install_test.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/skills/install/install_test.go
@@ -1324,6 +1324,14 @@ func TestInstallRun(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestInstallProgress(t *testing.T) {
+	ios, _, _, _ := iostreams.Test()
+
+	assert.Nil(t, installProgress(ios, 0))
+	assert.NotNil(t, installProgress(ios, 1))
+	assert.NotNil(t, installProgress(ios, 2))
+}
+
 func TestRunLocalInstall(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
 		name       string