diff --git a/examples/install-local-smoke.py b/examples/install-local-smoke.py
index 3bfcb16ef..58d656c2e 100644
--- a/examples/install-local-smoke.py
+++ b/examples/install-local-smoke.py
@@ -291,6 +291,16 @@ def main() -> int:
         release_python = release_root / ".loopx-python"
         assert release_python.read_text(encoding="utf-8").strip() == sys.executable
         assert (release_root / "loopx" / "cli.py").is_file(), release_root
+        repair = codex_home / "skills" / "loopx-self-repair" / "scripts" / "find_pattern.py"
+        assert repair.with_name("lexical_retrieval.py").read_bytes() == (
+            release_root / "loopx" / "lexical_retrieval.py"
+        ).read_bytes()
+        repair_query = subprocess.run(
+            [sys.executable, "-I", str(repair), "--query", "closeout recovery"],
+            cwd=root, env={"PATH": str(root / "empty-path")},
+            check=True, capture_output=True, text=True,
+        )
+        assert json.loads(repair_query.stdout)["total_matches"] > 0
         runtime_package = release_root / "loopx" / "control_plane" / "runtime"
         assert (runtime_package / "run_compaction.py").is_file(), release_root
         assert (runtime_package / "session_runtime.py").is_file(), release_root
diff --git a/scripts/install-local.sh b/scripts/install-local.sh
index 6119a61d4..a7abceb1e 100755
--- a/scripts/install-local.sh
+++ b/scripts/install-local.sh
@@ -390,7 +390,16 @@ PY
     fi
     skill_target="$skills_dir/$skill_name"
     skill_tmp="$(mktemp -d "$skills_dir/.${skill_name}.tmp.XXXXXX")"
-    if ! cp -R "$skill_source"/. "$skill_tmp"/; then
+    if ! PYTHONSAFEPATH=1 PYTHONPATH="$source_root${PYTHONPATH:+:$PYTHONPATH}" \
+      "${LOOPX_PYTHON:-python3}" - "$skill_source" "$skill_tmp" <<'PY'
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from loopx.workflow_skill_install import _install_one_skill
+
+_install_one_skill(Path(sys.argv[1]), Path(sys.argv[2]))
+PY
+    then
       rm -rf "$skill_tmp"
       return 1
     fi