diff --git a/crates/buzz-agent/src/builtin.rs b/crates/buzz-agent/src/builtin.rs
index 9b604766d..41aa6d188 100644
--- a/crates/buzz-agent/src/builtin.rs
+++ b/crates/buzz-agent/src/builtin.rs
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ pub fn load_skill_def() -> ToolDef {
     ToolDef {
         name: LOAD_SKILL_TOOL.to_owned(),
         description: "Load the full content of a skill by name. \
-            Call this before using a skill — the system prompt lists skill names \
-            and descriptions only; the full instructions are loaded on demand. \
+            Call this before using a skill — the system prompt lists skill names only; \
+            full instructions are loaded on demand. \
             To load a supporting file within a skill, use the form \
             \"skill-name/relative/path\" (e.g. \"my-skill/references/foo.md\")."
             .to_owned(),
@@ -76,8 +76,7 @@ pub async fn call_load_skill(arguments: &Value, skills: &[SkillEntry]) -> ToolRe
         }
     };
 
-    // Strip the YAML frontmatter — the agent already knows name/description
-    // from the system prompt; return only the body.
+    // Strip the YAML frontmatter; return the skill instructions only on demand.
     let body = strip_frontmatter(&raw);
 
     let mut output = body.to_owned();
@@ -250,10 +249,9 @@ mod tests {
         }
     }
 
-    fn make_skill(name: &str, description: &str, path: PathBuf) -> SkillEntry {
+    fn make_skill(name: &str, path: PathBuf) -> SkillEntry {
         SkillEntry {
             name: name.to_owned(),
-            description: description.to_owned(),
             path,
             supporting_files: Vec::new(),
         }
@@ -261,13 +259,11 @@ mod tests {
 
     fn make_skill_with_files(
         name: &str,
-        description: &str,
         path: PathBuf,
         supporting_files: Vec<PathBuf>,
     ) -> SkillEntry {
         SkillEntry {
             name: name.to_owned(),
-            description: description.to_owned(),
             path,
             supporting_files,
         }
@@ -298,7 +294,7 @@ mod tests {
             "---\nname: test\ndescription: A test\n---\nSkill body here.\n",
         )
         .unwrap();
-        let skills = vec![make_skill("test", "A test", skill_md)];
+        let skills = vec![make_skill("test", skill_md)];
         let result = call_load_skill(&serde_json::json!({"name": "test"}), &skills).await;
         assert!(!result.is_error);
         let text = text_content(&result);
@@ -324,12 +320,7 @@ mod tests {
         let ref_file = refs_dir.join("foo.md");
         std::fs::write(&ref_file, "Reference content.").unwrap();
 
-        let skills = vec![make_skill_with_files(
-            "my-skill",
-            "desc",
-            skill_md,
-            vec![ref_file],
-        )];
+        let skills = vec![make_skill_with_files("my-skill", skill_md, vec![ref_file])];
         let result = call_load_skill(&serde_json::json!({"name": "my-skill"}), &skills).await;
         assert!(!result.is_error);
         let text = text_content(&result);
@@ -357,7 +348,7 @@ mod tests {
             "---\nname: bare\ndescription: desc\n---\nBody.\n",
         )
         .unwrap();
-        let skills = vec![make_skill("bare", "desc", skill_md)];
+        let skills = vec![make_skill("bare", skill_md)];
         let result = call_load_skill(&serde_json::json!({"name": "bare"}), &skills).await;
         assert!(!result.is_error);
         let text = text_content(&result);
@@ -382,12 +373,7 @@ mod tests {
         let ref_file = refs_dir.join("foo.md");
         std::fs::write(&ref_file, "Reference content here.").unwrap();
 
-        let skills = vec![make_skill_with_files(
-            "my-skill",
-            "desc",
-            skill_md,
-            vec![ref_file],
-        )];
+        let skills = vec![make_skill_with_files("my-skill", skill_md, vec![ref_file])];
         let result = call_load_skill(
             &serde_json::json!({"name": "my-skill/references/foo.md"}),
             &skills,
@@ -420,12 +406,7 @@ mod tests {
         let ref_file = refs_dir.join("foo.md");
         std::fs::write(&ref_file, "content").unwrap();
 
-        let skills = vec![make_skill_with_files(
-            "my-skill",
-            "desc",
-            skill_md,
-            vec![ref_file],
-        )];
+        let skills = vec![make_skill_with_files("my-skill", skill_md, vec![ref_file])];
         let result = call_load_skill(
             &serde_json::json!({"name": "my-skill/references/missing.md"}),
             &skills,
@@ -449,7 +430,7 @@ mod tests {
             "---\nname: bare\ndescription: desc\n---\nBody.\n",
         )
         .unwrap();
-        let skills = vec![make_skill("bare", "desc", skill_md)];
+        let skills = vec![make_skill("bare", skill_md)];
         let result =
             call_load_skill(&serde_json::json!({"name": "bare/anything.md"}), &skills).await;
         assert!(result.is_error);
@@ -478,7 +459,6 @@ mod tests {
         // The traversal guard should catch this.
         let skills = vec![make_skill_with_files(
             "my-skill",
-            "desc",
             skill_md.clone(),
             vec![outside_file.clone()],
         )];
@@ -519,12 +499,7 @@ mod tests {
         let ref_file = refs_dir.join("extra.md");
         std::fs::write(&ref_file, "extra content").unwrap();
 
-        let skills = vec![make_skill_with_files(
-            "big",
-            "desc",
-            skill_md,
-            vec![ref_file],
-        )];
+        let skills = vec![make_skill_with_files("big", skill_md, vec![ref_file])];
         let result = call_load_skill(&serde_json::json!({"name": "big"}), &skills).await;
         assert!(!result.is_error);
         let text = text_content(&result);
@@ -548,12 +523,7 @@ mod tests {
         let ref_file = refs_dir.join("huge.md");
         std::fs::write(&ref_file, "x".repeat(MAX_SKILL_BODY_BYTES * 2)).unwrap();
 
-        let skills = vec![make_skill_with_files(
-            "big",
-            "desc",
-            skill_md,
-            vec![ref_file],
-        )];
+        let skills = vec![make_skill_with_files("big", skill_md, vec![ref_file])];
         let result = call_load_skill(
             &serde_json::json!({"name": "big/references/huge.md"}),
             &skills,
diff --git a/crates/buzz-agent/src/hints.rs b/crates/buzz-agent/src/hints.rs
index 9fb99f0eb..40a3256d0 100644
--- a/crates/buzz-agent/src/hints.rs
+++ b/crates/buzz-agent/src/hints.rs
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ fn home_dir() -> Option<PathBuf> {
 #[derive(Clone)]
 pub struct SkillEntry {
     pub name: String,
-    pub description: String,
     /// Absolute path to the SKILL.md file; used by `load_skill` to read on demand.
     pub path: PathBuf,
     /// Absolute paths to every non-SKILL.md file in the skill directory tree.
@@ -130,7 +129,7 @@ fn scan_skill_dir(dir: &Path, seen: &mut HashSet<String>, skills: &mut Vec<Skill
         let Ok(content) = std::fs::read_to_string(&skill_md) else {
             continue;
         };
-        let Some((name, description)) = parse_skill_frontmatter(&content) else {
+        let Some((name, _description)) = parse_skill_frontmatter(&content) else {
             continue;
         };
         if seen.contains(&name) {
@@ -145,7 +144,6 @@ fn scan_skill_dir(dir: &Path, seen: &mut HashSet<String>, skills: &mut Vec<Skill
 
         skills.push(SkillEntry {
             name,
-            description,
             path: skill_md,
             supporting_files,
         });
@@ -239,10 +237,10 @@ fn build_hints_section_impl(cwd: &Path, home: Option<&Path>) -> (String, Vec<Ski
     if !skills.is_empty() {
         out.push_str("\n## Available Skills\n");
         for skill in &skills {
-            out.push_str(&format!("- {}: {}\n", skill.name, skill.description));
+            out.push_str(&format!("- {}\n", skill.name));
         }
         out.push_str(
-            "\nUse the `load_skill` tool to read the full content of a skill before using it.\n",
+            "\nUse the `load_skill` tool to read a skill's instructions before using it.\n",
         );
     }
 
@@ -404,8 +402,12 @@ mod tests {
 
         let skills = discover_skills_impl(cwd, None);
         assert_eq!(skills.len(), 1, "duplicate name should be deduplicated");
-        assert_eq!(
-            skills[0].description, "from agents",
+        assert!(
+            skills[0]
+                .path
+                .to_str()
+                .unwrap()
+                .contains(".agents/skills/shared"),
             "first wins (.agents/)"
         );
         // Path should point to the .agents/ version (first wins).
@@ -471,9 +473,10 @@ mod tests {
             result.contains("## Available Skills"),
             "missing Available Skills"
         );
+        assert!(result.contains("- buzz-cli\n"), "missing skill name");
         assert!(
-            result.contains("buzz-cli: CLI reference for Buzz managed agents"),
-            "missing skill bullet"
+            !result.contains("CLI reference for Buzz managed agents"),
+            "skill description must not be inlined in system prompt"
         );
         // Body must NOT be inlined — lazy loading only.
         assert!(
@@ -595,8 +598,12 @@ mod tests {
 
         let skills = discover_skills_impl(cwd.path(), Some(home.path()));
         assert_eq!(skills.len(), 1, "duplicate name should be deduplicated");
-        assert_eq!(
-            skills[0].description, "from project",
+        assert!(
+            skills[0]
+                .path
+                .to_str()
+                .unwrap()
+                .contains(".agents/skills/shared"),
             "project-level should win over global"
         );
     }
diff --git a/crates/buzz-agent/tests/hints_integration.rs b/crates/buzz-agent/tests/hints_integration.rs
index 63a55514d..c5365b085 100644
--- a/crates/buzz-agent/tests/hints_integration.rs
+++ b/crates/buzz-agent/tests/hints_integration.rs
@@ -248,8 +248,8 @@ async fn hints_suppressed_with_env_var() {
     h.shutdown().await;
 }
 
-/// SKILL.md files in .agents/skills/ are loaded into the system prompt as metadata only.
-/// The body is NOT inlined; the agent uses `load_skill` to fetch it on demand.
+/// SKILL.md files in .agents/skills/ are loaded into the system prompt as names only.
+/// The description and body are NOT inlined; the agent uses `load_skill` to fetch them on demand.
 #[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread", worker_threads = 2)]
 async fn skills_loaded_from_agents_skills_dir() {
     let tmp = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
@@ -277,12 +277,16 @@ async fn skills_loaded_from_agents_skills_dir() {
     let captured = llm.captured.lock().await;
     assert!(!captured.is_empty(), "no LLM request captured");
     let system = captured[0]["messages"][0]["content"].as_str().unwrap_or("");
-    // Skill name must appear in the metadata listing.
+    // Skill name must appear in the listing.
     assert!(
         system.contains("test-skill"),
         "system prompt missing skill name: {system}"
     );
-    // Body must NOT be inlined — lazy loading only.
+    // Description and body must NOT be inlined — lazy loading only.
+    assert!(
+        !system.contains("A test skill"),
+        "skill description must not be inlined in system prompt: {system}"
+    );
     assert!(
         !system.contains("SKILL_BODY_MARKER_77"),
         "skill body must not be inlined in system prompt: {system}"
@@ -380,7 +384,7 @@ async fn global_agents_md_loaded() {
 }
 
 /// Global skills from ~/.agents/skills/ are loaded; project-level wins on name conflict.
-/// Bodies are NOT inlined — only metadata (name + description) appears in the system prompt.
+/// Descriptions and bodies are NOT inlined — only names appear in the system prompt.
 #[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread", worker_threads = 2)]
 async fn global_skills_loaded_and_project_wins() {
     let home_tmp = tempfile::TempDir::new().unwrap();
@@ -426,7 +430,7 @@ async fn global_skills_loaded_and_project_wins() {
     let captured = llm.captured.lock().await;
     assert!(!captured.is_empty(), "no LLM request captured");
     let system = captured[0]["messages"][0]["content"].as_str().unwrap_or("");
-    // Both skill names must appear in the metadata listing.
+    // Both skill names must appear in the listing.
     assert!(
         system.contains("global-only"),
         "system prompt missing global-only skill name: {system}"
@@ -435,10 +439,14 @@ async fn global_skills_loaded_and_project_wins() {
         system.contains("shared-name"),
         "system prompt missing shared-name skill: {system}"
     );
-    // Project description wins over global for the shared name.
+    // Descriptions must NOT be inlined.
     assert!(
-        system.contains("Project version"),
-        "system prompt should show project description for shared-name: {system}"
+        !system.contains("A global skill"),
+        "system prompt should NOT show global description: {system}"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        !system.contains("Project version"),
+        "system prompt should NOT show project description for shared-name: {system}"
     );
     assert!(
         !system.contains("Global version"),
@@ -499,7 +507,7 @@ async fn symlinked_skill_dir_is_discovered() {
     let captured = llm.captured.lock().await;
     assert!(!captured.is_empty(), "no LLM request captured");
     let system = captured[0]["messages"][0]["content"].as_str().unwrap_or("");
-    // The symlinked skill name must appear in the metadata listing.
+    // The symlinked skill name must appear in the listing.
     assert!(
         system.contains("symlinked-skill"),
         "system prompt missing symlinked skill name: {system}"