diff --git a/turnstone/console/static/governance.js b/turnstone/console/static/governance.js
index ce68a12a..976a14cc 100644
--- a/turnstone/console/static/governance.js
+++ b/turnstone/console/static/governance.js
@@ -1446,16 +1446,23 @@ function showEditTemplateModal(tmplId) {
       originBadge.style.display = "none";
     }
   }
-  var unlockBtn = document.getElementById("etm-unlock");
-  if (unlockBtn) {
-    unlockBtn.style.display = isReadonly ? "" : "none";
-    unlockBtn.dataset.skillId = tmplId;
-    unlockBtn.dataset.skillName = tmpl.name || "";
+  var lockBtn = document.getElementById("etm-lock-btn");
+  if (lockBtn) {
+    // Inline-flex (not "") so display: none doesn't bleed into a
+    // browser-default block reflow on re-show.
+    lockBtn.style.display = isReadonly ? "inline-flex" : "none";
+    lockBtn.dataset.skillId = tmplId;
+    lockBtn.dataset.skillName = tmpl.name || "";
   }
   var submitBtn = document.getElementById("etm-submit");
   if (submitBtn) {
     submitBtn.style.display = "";
     submitBtn.textContent = isReadonly ? "Save Config" : "Save";
+    // Always reset to enabled — submitEditTemplate disables this on click
+    // and re-enables in .finally, but a stale disabled=true survives a
+    // mutate-in-place re-render (e.g. after unlock) and would leave the
+    // button non-functional otherwise.
+    submitBtn.disabled = false;
   }
   // Spec/content fields: locked for installed skills (preserve source fidelity).
   // Point screen readers at the origin badge so the "why is this disabled?"
@@ -1538,7 +1545,7 @@ function hideEditTemplateModal() {
 }
 
 function unlockSkill() {
-  var btn = document.getElementById("etm-unlock");
+  var btn = document.getElementById("etm-lock-btn");
   if (!btn) return;
   var skillId = btn.dataset.skillId;
   var skillName = btn.dataset.skillName || "this skill";
@@ -1557,11 +1564,8 @@ function unlockSkill() {
 }
 
 function _performUnlockSkill(skillId) {
-  var btn = document.getElementById("etm-unlock");
-  if (btn) {
-    btn.disabled = true;
-    btn.textContent = "Customizing…";
-  }
+  var btn = document.getElementById("etm-lock-btn");
+  if (btn) btn.disabled = true;
   authFetch("/v1/api/admin/skills/" + skillId + "/unlock", {
     method: "POST",
   })
@@ -1585,10 +1589,9 @@ function _performUnlockSkill(skillId) {
       showToast(e.message || "Unlock failed");
     })
     .finally(function () {
-      if (btn) {
-        btn.disabled = false;
-        btn.textContent = "Customize…";
-      }
+      // Re-enable in case the re-render didn't happen (error path); the
+      // success path hides the button anyway via showEditTemplateModal.
+      if (btn) btn.disabled = false;
     });
 }
 
diff --git a/turnstone/console/static/index.html b/turnstone/console/static/index.html
index 6717bf84..fcd67ee0 100644
--- a/turnstone/console/static/index.html
+++ b/turnstone/console/static/index.html
@@ -3298,6 +3298,17 @@
         class="admin-modal admin-modal-wide admin-modal-skill"
       >
         <h2 id="edit-template-title">Edit Skill</h2>
+        <button
+          id="etm-lock-btn"
+          class="skill-lock-btn"
+          type="button"
+          style="display: none"
+          onclick="unlockSkill()"
+          aria-label="Customize skill (detach from upstream and unlock editing)"
+          title="Customize — detach from upstream and unlock editing"
+        >
+          <span aria-hidden="true">🔒</span>
+        </button>
         <div
           id="etm-origin-badge"
           class="skill-origin-badge"
@@ -3579,15 +3590,6 @@
           <button class="modal-cancel" onclick="hideEditTemplateModal()">
             Cancel
           </button>
-          <button
-            id="etm-unlock"
-            class="modal-secondary"
-            style="display: none"
-            onclick="unlockSkill()"
-          >
-            Customize…
-          </button>
-          <span class="modal-buttons-spacer" aria-hidden="true"></span>
           <button
             id="etm-submit"
             class="modal-submit"
diff --git a/turnstone/console/static/style.css b/turnstone/console/static/style.css
index 1a1f59c9..23d69e34 100644
--- a/turnstone/console/static/style.css
+++ b/turnstone/console/static/style.css
@@ -1855,6 +1855,11 @@
 .admin-modal-skill {
   padding: 28px 28px 24px;
 }
+/* Reserve space for the absolute-positioned lock button (top-right) so a
+   long title can never collide with it. */
+.admin-modal-skill > h2 {
+  padding-right: 44px;
+}
 
 .skill-spec-body {
   display: grid;
@@ -2085,37 +2090,47 @@ textarea.skill-content-area {
   cursor: not-allowed;
   filter: none;
 }
-.modal-secondary {
-  /* Sized to content so the primary action (Save) keeps a stable footprint
-     whether or not Customize is rendered. The spacer below pushes Save right. */
-  padding: 9px 14px;
+/* Lock-icon affordance in the top-right of an installed (readonly) skill's
+   edit modal — clicking detaches the skill from upstream so spec fields
+   become editable. Reserved for the modal it lives in; not a generic
+   button class. */
+.skill-lock-btn {
+  position: absolute;
+  top: 14px;
+  right: 14px;
+  width: 32px;
+  height: 32px;
+  display: inline-flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  justify-content: center;
+  padding: 0;
   background: transparent;
   color: var(--fg);
   border: 1px solid var(--border-strong);
   border-radius: var(--radius-sm);
-  font: inherit;
-  font-family: var(--font-ui);
-  font-size: 12px;
-  font-weight: 500;
+  font-size: 14px;
+  /* Render the lock glyph as text where supported (keeps the monochrome
+     instrument-panel aesthetic instead of a coloured emoji). Browsers
+     that don't support font-variant-emoji fall back gracefully. */
+  font-variant-emoji: text;
   cursor: pointer;
-  transition: background 0.15s;
+  transition: background 0.15s, border-color 0.15s;
+  z-index: 2;
 }
-.modal-secondary:hover {
+.skill-lock-btn:hover {
   background: var(--bg-highlight);
+  border-color: var(--accent);
+  color: var(--accent);
 }
-.modal-secondary:focus-visible {
+.skill-lock-btn:focus-visible {
   outline: 2px solid var(--accent);
   outline-offset: 2px;
 }
-.modal-secondary:disabled {
+.skill-lock-btn:disabled {
   opacity: 0.5;
   cursor: not-allowed;
   pointer-events: none;
 }
-.modal-buttons-spacer {
-  flex: 1;
-  min-width: 0;
-}
 
 #create-user-overlay,
 #create-token-overlay,
@@ -2155,6 +2170,14 @@ textarea.skill-content-area {
   justify-content: center;
   z-index: 600;
 }
+/* Confirm dialogs are launched FROM other overlays (e.g. unlock-skill from
+   the edit-template modal). They share z-index 600, so DOM order picks the
+   winner — and confirm-overlay is earlier in the DOM, so it would render
+   underneath. Bump it above the per-feature overlays but keep it below
+   toasts (z-index 700). */
+#confirm-overlay {
+  z-index: 650;
+}
 
 /* Token display (show-once) */
 .token-created-warning {
@@ -4008,7 +4031,7 @@ textarea.skill-content-area {
   .admin-action-btn,
   .modal-cancel,
   .modal-submit,
-  .modal-secondary {
+  .skill-lock-btn {
     transition: none;
   }
   .admin-modal input,