@@ -299,6 +299,8 @@ Required: `SKILL_NAME`, `SKILL_TRIGGERS`, `SKILL_DESCRIPTION`. Optional: `SKILL_
 ### Adding a new skill
 Drop a `.py` file in `~/.codec/skills/` (user) or `skills/` (built-in). Restart `codec-dashboard` and the main `open-codec` process. Hot-reload is not currently supported.
 
+**Two folders (2026-10-07, docs/USER-SKILLS-DIR-DESIGN.md).** Every registry reads the built-in folder (`codec_config.SKILLS_DIR`, the repo's `skills/` unless `config.json:skills_dir` says otherwise) and then the user folder (`codec_config.USER_SKILLS_DIR`: `config.json:user_skills_dir`, default `~/.codec/skills`). A built-in name always wins; a user file is never trusted by the manifest, so every load runs the AST gate; files starting with `_` and sub-folders are skipped. `/api/skill/approve` (review-and-approve, Settings > Learning) writes approved skills to the user folder (0700 folder, 0600 file), never the repo. The test suite points `CODEC_USER_SKILLS_DIR` at a temp folder (tests/conftest.py).
+
 ## 5. Memory contract
 
 Single SQLite database at `~/.codec/memory.db`. Wrapper: `codec_memory.CodecMemory`.
 
@@ -39,9 +39,10 @@
 # ── CONFIG ──
 CONFIG_PATH = os.path.expanduser("~/.codec/config.json")
 try:
-    from codec_config import SKILLS_DIR
+    from codec_config import SKILLS_DIR, USER_SKILLS_DIR
 except ImportError:
     SKILLS_DIR = os.path.expanduser("~/.codec/skills")
+    USER_SKILLS_DIR = None
 DB_PATH     = os.path.expanduser("~/.codec/memory.db")
 
 def _cfg():
@@ -408,7 +409,7 @@ def _shell_execute(cmd: str) -> str:
 
 from codec_skill_registry import SkillRegistry
 
-_agents_registry = SkillRegistry(SKILLS_DIR)
+_agents_registry = SkillRegistry(SKILLS_DIR, USER_SKILLS_DIR)
 
 
 def _make_lazy_fn(registry: "SkillRegistry", skill_name: str):
 
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
 sys.path.insert(0, str(_REPO / "skills"))
 
 from codec_skill_registry import SkillRegistry
-from codec_config import SKILLS_DIR
+from codec_config import SKILLS_DIR, USER_SKILLS_DIR
 from codec_audit import audit
 
 log = logging.getLogger("codec-autopilot")
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ def _day_matches(days_spec: str, weekday: int) -> bool:
 def _speak(text: str):
     """Best-effort TTS via tts_say skill; falls back to macOS `say`."""
     try:
-        registry = SkillRegistry(SKILLS_DIR)
+        registry = SkillRegistry(SKILLS_DIR, USER_SKILLS_DIR)
         registry.scan()
         mod = registry.load("tts_say")
         if mod and hasattr(mod, "run"):
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ def main():
     codec_lifecycle.install_handlers(
         lambda: log.info("CODEC Autopilot graceful shutdown"),
         name="codec-autopilot")
-    registry = SkillRegistry(SKILLS_DIR)
+    registry = SkillRegistry(SKILLS_DIR, USER_SKILLS_DIR)
     registry.scan()
     while True:
         try:
 
@@ -361,6 +361,10 @@ def get_telegram_bot_token() -> str:
 # Skills load from the repo directly — single source of truth
 _REPO_DIR         = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
 SKILLS_DIR        = cfg.get("skills_dir", os.path.join(_REPO_DIR, "skills"))
+# The owner's skills (approved reviews, marketplace installs): read after the built-ins,
+# never trusted by the manifest. CODEC_USER_SKILLS_DIR lets the test suite point it away.
+USER_SKILLS_DIR   = os.path.expanduser(os.environ.get("CODEC_USER_SKILLS_DIR")
+                                       or cfg.get("user_skills_dir") or "~/.codec/skills")
 AUDIT_LOG         = os.path.expanduser("~/.codec/audit.log")
 
 # Features
 
@@ -1032,7 +1032,7 @@ <h2 class="mcp-intro-title" id="connPermsH">macOS permissions</h2>
       <div class="settings-section" id="learnProposalsSection">
         <div class="settings-title">Proposed skills</div>
         <div class="settings-card"><div class="push-body">
-          <p class="push-intro">Drafted by the self-improvement run when CODEC lacked a skill. Review shows the code; Approve and install writes it to your skills folder after the safety check, and CODEC loads it after the next restart.</p>
+          <p class="push-intro">Drafted by the self-improvement run when CODEC lacked a skill. Review shows the code; Approve and install writes it to your skills folder (~/.codec/skills) after the safety check, and CODEC loads it after the next restart.</p>
           <div id="learnProposals" class="mem-facts"><div class="refreshing">Loading...</div></div>
           <div class="push-msg" id="learnMsg" role="status" aria-live="polite"></div>
         </div></div>
@@ -3002,7 +3002,7 @@ <h2 class="mcp-intro-title" id="connPermsH">macOS permissions</h2>
   LRN.review = rid; LRN.name = p.name;
   _learnDlg();
   document.getElementById('learnTitle').textContent = 'Review ' + p.name;
-  document.getElementById('learnWhat').textContent = 'Approve and install writes ' + fname + ' to your skills folder after the safety check; CODEC loads it after the next restart.' +
+  document.getElementById('learnWhat').textContent = 'Approve and install writes ' + fname + ' to your skills folder (~/.codec/skills) after the safety check; CODEC loads it after the next restart.' +
     (p.truncated ? ' The code is longer than shown here.' : '');
   document.getElementById('learnCode').textContent = p.code;
   document.getElementById('learnErr').textContent = '';
 
@@ -11,15 +11,15 @@
 # Audit emits route through the unified log_event adapter (real, not no-op)
 # per docs/PHASE1-STEP1-DESIGN.md.
 from codec_audit import log_event
-from codec_config import SKILLS_DIR
+from codec_config import SKILLS_DIR, USER_SKILLS_DIR
 from codec_hooks import HookVeto, run_with_hooks
 from codec_skill_registry import SkillRegistry
 from codec_skill_switches import is_off as _skill_off, off_message as _off_message
 
 log = logging.getLogger('codec')
 
 # Global registry instance shared across codec.py
-registry = SkillRegistry(SKILLS_DIR)
+registry = SkillRegistry(SKILLS_DIR, USER_SKILLS_DIR)
 
 
 def load_skills():
 
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ def _validate_mcp_input(tool_name: str, task: str, context: str = "") -> str | N
 if _REPO_DIR not in sys.path:
     sys.path.insert(0, _REPO_DIR)
 
-from codec_config import MCP_DEFAULT_ALLOW, MCP_ALLOWED_TOOLS, MCP_BLOCKED_TOOLS, SKILLS_DIR
+from codec_config import MCP_DEFAULT_ALLOW, MCP_ALLOWED_TOOLS, MCP_BLOCKED_TOOLS, SKILLS_DIR, USER_SKILLS_DIR
 if SKILLS_DIR not in sys.path:
     sys.path.insert(0, SKILLS_DIR)
 from codec_skill_registry import SkillRegistry
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ def __iter__(self):
 
 
 # Global registry for MCP skill tools
-_mcp_registry = SkillRegistry(SKILLS_DIR)
+_mcp_registry = SkillRegistry(SKILLS_DIR, USER_SKILLS_DIR)
 
 
 def build_mcp(auth=None):
 
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@
 _REPO = Path(__file__).resolve().parent
 sys.path.insert(0, str(_REPO))
 
-from codec_config import QWEN_BASE_URL, QWEN_MODEL, SKILLS_DIR, is_dangerous_skill_code
+from codec_config import QWEN_BASE_URL, QWEN_MODEL, SKILLS_DIR, USER_SKILLS_DIR, is_dangerous_skill_code
 
 try:
     from codec_audit import log_event as _si_log_event
@@ -106,7 +106,8 @@ def _si_log_event(*a, **kw):  # type: ignore[no-redef]
 
 def _existing_skill_names() -> set[str]:
     out = set()
-    for f in Path(SKILLS_DIR).glob("*.py"):
+    # Built-ins and the owner's folder (approved skills): never propose what is already there.
+    for f in [*Path(SKILLS_DIR).glob("*.py"), *Path(USER_SKILLS_DIR).glob("*.py")]:
         if f.name.startswith("_") or f.name == "codec.py":
             continue
         out.add(f.stem)
 
@@ -105,8 +105,15 @@ class SkillRegistry:
         mod  = registry.load("weather")   # first call imports; subsequent calls return cache
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, skills_dir: str):
+    def __init__(self, skills_dir: str, user_dir: Optional[str] = None):
         self.skills_dir = skills_dir
+        # The owner's folder (~/.codec/skills): read after the built-ins, a built-in
+        # name always wins, and its files are never trusted by the manifest (every
+        # load runs the AST gate). None, or the built-in folder itself, means off.
+        same = user_dir and os.path.realpath(user_dir) == os.path.realpath(skills_dir)
+        self.user_dir = None if (not user_dir or same) else user_dir
+        # names whose file is in user_dir (set at scan() time)
+        self._user_names: Set[str] = set()
         # name -> metadata dict  (always populated after scan)
         self._meta: Dict[str, Dict[str, Any]] = {}
         # name -> file path
@@ -129,9 +136,11 @@ def scan(self) -> int:
         Returns the number of skills discovered."""
         self._meta.clear()
         self._paths.clear()
+        self._user_names.clear()
         # Do NOT clear _modules — keep any already-loaded modules cached
 
-        if not os.path.isdir(self.skills_dir):
+        has_user = bool(self.user_dir) and os.path.isdir(self.user_dir)
+        if not os.path.isdir(self.skills_dir) and not has_user:
             return 0
 
         # Reload the trusted-skill manifest on every scan so manifest edits
@@ -140,21 +149,42 @@ def scan(self) -> int:
         # Reload user trigger overrides too (A-4) — same refresh-on-scan policy.
         self._custom_triggers = self._load_custom_triggers()
 
-        for fname in sorted(os.listdir(self.skills_dir)):
-            if not fname.endswith(".py") or fname.startswith("_"):
-                continue
-            filepath = os.path.join(self.skills_dir, fname)
-            meta = _extract_metadata(filepath)
-            if meta is None:
-                continue
-            name = meta.get("SKILL_NAME", fname[:-3])
-            self._meta[name] = meta
-            self._paths[name] = filepath
+        if os.path.isdir(self.skills_dir):
+            for fname in sorted(os.listdir(self.skills_dir)):
+                if not fname.endswith(".py") or fname.startswith("_"):
+                    continue
+                filepath = os.path.join(self.skills_dir, fname)
+                meta = _extract_metadata(filepath)
+                if meta is None:
+                    continue
+                name = meta.get("SKILL_NAME", fname[:-3])
+                self._meta[name] = meta
+                self._paths[name] = filepath
+
+        if has_user:
+            for fname in sorted(os.listdir(self.user_dir)):
+                if not fname.endswith(".py") or fname.startswith("_"):
+                    continue
+                filepath = os.path.join(self.user_dir, fname)
+                if not os.path.isfile(filepath):
+                    continue
+                meta = _extract_metadata(filepath)
+                if meta is None:
+                    continue
+                name = meta.get("SKILL_NAME", fname[:-3])
+                if name in self._meta and name not in self._user_names:
+                    log.warning("User skill %s skipped: the built-in skill %r has that name", fname, name)
+                    continue
+                self._meta[name] = meta
+                self._paths[name] = filepath
+                self._user_names.add(name)
 
         log.info(
             "Skill registry: %d skills discovered (metadata only), %d in trusted manifest",
             len(self._meta), len(self._trusted_hashes),
         )
+        if self._user_names:
+            log.info("Skill registry: %d of them from the user folder %s", len(self._user_names), self.user_dir)
         return len(self._meta)
 
     def _load_trusted_manifest(self) -> Set[str]:
@@ -283,7 +313,9 @@ def load(self, name: str) -> Optional[Any]:
             return None
 
         file_hash = hashlib.sha256(raw).hexdigest()
-        trusted = file_hash in self._trusted_hashes
+        # A file in the user folder is never trusted by the manifest, even if its
+        # bytes equal a pinned built-in's: it always goes through the AST gate.
+        trusted = file_hash in self._trusted_hashes and name not in self._user_names
 
         if not trusted:
             # Decode for AST check; fail-safe on UnicodeDecodeError.
 
@@ -162,11 +162,11 @@ def _cmd_skills(args: list[str]) -> str:
     # Lazy import to avoid pulling skill registry at module load
     try:
         from codec_skill_registry import SkillRegistry
-        from codec_config import SKILLS_DIR
+        from codec_config import SKILLS_DIR, USER_SKILLS_DIR
     except Exception as e:
         return f"Error: skill registry unavailable: {e}"
 
-    reg = SkillRegistry(SKILLS_DIR)
+    reg = SkillRegistry(SKILLS_DIR, USER_SKILLS_DIR)
     reg.scan()
     # P3.6: the deny list the Skills page writes and every path enforces (codec_skill_switches).
     import codec_skill_switches as switches