diff --git a/tests/test_skill_adherence.py b/tests/test_skill_adherence.py
index 5af53ffb..6b8fadb7 100644
--- a/tests/test_skill_adherence.py
+++ b/tests/test_skill_adherence.py
@@ -147,6 +147,32 @@ class TestAdherenceLift:
         assert row["n_runs"] == 3
         assert result["mean_lift"] == pytest.approx(2.0 / 3.0)
 
+    def test_rejects_malformed_skill(self) -> None:
+        # A skill missing 'content' (or 'name') fails fast with a clear error,
+        # not a KeyError mid-run (Copilot review). Validation raises before any
+        # arm runs, so no _run_iteration stub is needed.
+        cases = [
+            {
+                "id": "bad-skill",
+                "skill": {"name": "x"},  # missing 'content'
+                "user_prompt": "do x",
+                "expected_actions": [{"tool": "search"}],
+            }
+        ]
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="non-empty 'name' and 'content'"):
+            run_skill_adherence(
+                client=None,
+                base_url="http://localhost:9/v1",
+                api_key="dummy",
+                model="test-model",
+                cases=cases,
+                n_runs=1,
+                temperature=0.7,
+                max_tokens=1024,
+                reasoning_effort="medium",
+                context_window=8192,
+            )
+
     def test_skipped_when_no_skill(self, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
         # A case with no skill is not measurable — it must be skipped, not
         # crash, and must not contribute to the mean.
diff --git a/turnstone/eval/cli.py b/turnstone/eval/cli.py
index 9cf820b1..560cdd71 100644
--- a/turnstone/eval/cli.py
+++ b/turnstone/eval/cli.py
@@ -48,6 +48,14 @@ def _run_skill_adherence_cli(
             raise SystemExit(f"Test case {i} missing required 'id' field")
         if "user_prompt" not in case:
             raise SystemExit(f"Test case '{case.get('id', i)}' missing 'user_prompt'")
+        skill = case.get("skill")
+        if skill is not None and (
+            not isinstance(skill, dict) or not skill.get("name") or not skill.get("content")
+        ):
+            raise SystemExit(
+                f"Test case '{case['id']}' has a malformed 'skill' — it must be an "
+                "object with non-empty 'name' and 'content'"
+            )
     if not any(c.get("skill") for c in cases):
         raise SystemExit("No cases carry a 'skill' — nothing to measure for adherence")
 
@@ -179,8 +187,8 @@ def main() -> None:
         action="store_true",
         help=(
             "Measure skill adherence: for each case carrying a 'skill', run a "
-            "treatment arm (skill composed into the system message) vs a control "
-            "arm (no skill) and report the pass-rate lift"
+            "treatment arm (skill applied via the real set_skill composition "
+            "path) vs a control arm (no skill) and report the pass-rate lift"
         ),
     )
     parser.add_argument(
diff --git a/turnstone/eval/core.py b/turnstone/eval/core.py
index cb92ebd5..85f194d2 100644
--- a/turnstone/eval/core.py
+++ b/turnstone/eval/core.py
@@ -452,8 +452,11 @@ def _run_single_test(
     When ``skill_mode`` is True the session is built WITHOUT a system-prompt
     override so the model runs under turnstone's natural prompt composition
     (the base identity under test).  If ``skill`` is given it is seeded into
-    the temp DB and activated via the real ``set_skill`` path, so the skill
-    body composes into the system message exactly as it would in production;
+    the temp DB and activated via the real ``set_skill`` path — the skill
+    flows through turnstone's natural composition exactly as in production,
+    landing wherever THAT checkout places a named skill (the system message,
+    or a separate context turn).  This harness measures adherence regardless
+    of placement, which is the whole point of comparing across checkouts.
     ``skill`` None is the control arm (natural default, no skill).  When
     ``skill_mode`` is False behaviour is unchanged — the system prompt is
     overridden as before.
@@ -519,7 +522,8 @@ def _run_single_test(
                 client=run_client,
                 model=model,
                 # skill_mode uses turnstone's natural composition (no override)
-                # so the skill can fold into the system message under test.
+                # so the skill folds in wherever the checkout under test places
+                # a named skill (system message, or a separate context turn).
                 system_prompt_override=None if skill_mode else system_prompt,
                 instructions=None,
                 temperature=temperature,
@@ -1254,8 +1258,9 @@ def run_skill_adherence(
     For every case that carries a ``skill`` this runs two arms ``n_runs``
     times each, scoring both against the case's ``expected_actions``:
 
-    * **treatment** — the skill is composed into the system message via the
-      real ``set_skill`` path (``skill_mode=True, skill=<case skill>``);
+    * **treatment** — the skill is applied via the real ``set_skill``
+      composition path (``skill_mode=True, skill=<case skill>``); where its
+      body lands (system message or a context turn) depends on the checkout;
     * **control** — the same base identity with no skill
       (``skill_mode=True, skill=None``).
 
@@ -1269,6 +1274,16 @@ def run_skill_adherence(
     case_results: list[dict[str, Any]] = []
     skill_cases = [c for c in cases if c.get("skill")]
 
+    # Validate skill shape up front so a malformed dataset fails with a clear
+    # message instead of a KeyError mid-run (after arms have already started).
+    for case in skill_cases:
+        s = case["skill"]
+        if not isinstance(s, dict) or not s.get("name") or not s.get("content"):
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"case {case.get('id', '?')!r}: 'skill' must be an object with "
+                "non-empty 'name' and 'content'"
+            )
+
     for ci, case in enumerate(skill_cases):
         skill = case["skill"]
         # Drop the skill key from the case handed to the runner — it is