diff --git a/docs/installation.md b/docs/installation.md
index aed4ac7c5..e39e2b6e1 100644
--- a/docs/installation.md
+++ b/docs/installation.md
@@ -352,6 +352,12 @@ Other integrations, including Qwen Code, use `~/.agents/skills`.
 A mixed selection plans each distinct destination. Selecting the skill without a client uses the shared
 directory. Setup leaves existing skill copies in other locations untouched.
 
+`rea setup --skill-client claude_code --yes --json` refreshes and verifies the
+selected skill destination independently of MCP registration selection. The
+final `doctor.scope.skill_clients` records which skill destinations were
+checked; `doctor.scope.clients` continues to describe required registrations.
+An unselected shared skill does not affect a client-only refresh.
+
 `doctor --skill --json` verifies the selected copies against the bundled
 instructions and references. Consumers should use `identity.skill.state`,
 `installed_version`, and `installed_tool_count` for skill readiness. The
diff --git a/src/application/Doctor.test.ts b/src/application/Doctor.test.ts
index 352724f37..4251bbaf2 100644
--- a/src/application/Doctor.test.ts
+++ b/src/application/Doctor.test.ts
@@ -281,6 +281,42 @@ describe("doctor installation identity", () => {
 });
 
 describe("doctor scoped readiness", () => {
+  it("checks explicitly selected skill destinations independently of registrations", async () => {
+    const selected: (readonly string[] | undefined)[] = [];
+    const result = await runDoctor(
+      undefined,
+      host({
+        clientRegistrations: () => Promise.resolve([]),
+        installedSkillIdentity: (clients) => {
+          selected.push(clients);
+          return Promise.resolve({
+            version: "stale",
+            toolCount: 0,
+            canonical: false,
+          });
+        },
+      }),
+      {
+        clients: [],
+        skillClients: ["claude_code", "claude_code"],
+        skill: true,
+      },
+    );
+
+    expect(selected).toEqual([["claude_code"]]);
+    expect(result.scope).toMatchObject({
+      mode: "explicit",
+      clients: [],
+      skill_clients: ["claude_code"],
+      skill: true,
+    });
+    expect(result.healthy).toBe(false);
+    expect(result.scope_checks.map(({ name }) => name)).toEqual([
+      "node",
+      "skill:identity",
+    ]);
+  });
+
   it("scopes effective readiness to selected clients without hiding drift", async () => {
     const registrations: readonly ClientRegistrationStatus[] = [
       {
diff --git a/src/application/Doctor.ts b/src/application/Doctor.ts
index f9fc0575b..0f4247421 100644
--- a/src/application/Doctor.ts
+++ b/src/application/Doctor.ts
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ export interface DoctorReport {
 /** Caller-selected readiness boundary; omitted values retain audit semantics. */
 export interface DoctorScope {
   readonly clients?: readonly string[];
+  readonly skillClients?: readonly string[];
   readonly providers?: readonly string[];
   readonly skill?: boolean;
 }
@@ -206,9 +207,10 @@ const collectDoctorIdentity = async (
   const installationPaths = (await host.installationPaths?.()) ?? [];
   const registrations = (await host.clientRegistrations?.()) ?? [];
   const skillClientIds =
-    scope.mode === "audit-wide"
+    scope.skill_clients ??
+    (scope.mode === "audit-wide"
       ? registrations.map(({ client }) => client)
-      : scope.clients;
+      : scope.clients);
   const installedSkillIdentity =
     await host.installedSkillIdentity?.(skillClientIds);
   const skillAligned = skillIdentityAligned(installedSkillIdentity);
diff --git a/src/application/DoctorScope.ts b/src/application/DoctorScope.ts
index a92cd2863..0dd9dcd11 100644
--- a/src/application/DoctorScope.ts
+++ b/src/application/DoctorScope.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import type {
 export interface DoctorScopeReport {
   readonly mode: "audit-wide" | "explicit";
   readonly clients: readonly string[];
+  readonly skill_clients?: readonly string[];
   readonly providers: readonly string[];
   readonly skill: boolean;
   readonly target: string | null;
@@ -40,6 +41,9 @@ export const normalizeDoctorScope = (
 ): DoctorScopeReport => ({
   mode: requested === undefined ? "audit-wide" : "explicit",
   clients: uniqueSorted(requested?.clients ?? []),
+  ...(requested?.skillClients === undefined
+    ? {}
+    : { skill_clients: uniqueSorted(requested.skillClients) }),
   providers: uniqueSorted(requested?.providers ?? []),
   skill: requested?.skill === true,
   target: target ?? null,
diff --git a/src/application/Setup.fixture.ts b/src/application/Setup.fixture.ts
index f5460b78b..a4c82678e 100644
--- a/src/application/Setup.fixture.ts
+++ b/src/application/Setup.fixture.ts
@@ -159,6 +159,7 @@ export class FakeSetupHost implements SetupHost {
       scope === undefined
         ? environmentHealthy
         : (scope.clients?.length ?? 0) === 0 &&
+            (scope.skillClients?.length ?? 0) === 0 &&
             (scope.providers?.length ?? 0) === 0 &&
             scope.skill !== true
           ? true
@@ -169,6 +170,9 @@ export class FakeSetupHost implements SetupHost {
       scope: {
         mode: scope === undefined ? "audit-wide" : "explicit",
         clients: scope?.clients ?? [],
+        ...(scope?.skillClients === undefined
+          ? {}
+          : { skill_clients: scope.skillClients }),
         providers: scope?.providers ?? [],
         skill: scope?.skill === true,
         target: null,
diff --git a/src/application/Setup.recovery.test.ts b/src/application/Setup.recovery.test.ts
index ab480337a..7a37d4afe 100644
--- a/src/application/Setup.recovery.test.ts
+++ b/src/application/Setup.recovery.test.ts
@@ -232,6 +232,7 @@ describe("setup scoped readiness", () => {
       clients: ["codex"],
       providers: [],
       skill: true,
+      skillClients: ["codex"],
     });
   });
 
diff --git a/src/application/Setup.ts b/src/application/Setup.ts
index 654374855..a9f89a30a 100644
--- a/src/application/Setup.ts
+++ b/src/application/Setup.ts
@@ -125,7 +125,10 @@ const runSetupWorkflow = async (
     : (options.clientIds ??
       options.readinessScope?.clients ??
       discovery.defaultClientIds);
-  let selectedSkillClientIds = options.skillClientIds ?? selectedClientIds;
+  let selectedSkillClientIds =
+    options.skillClientIds ??
+    options.readinessScope?.skillClients ??
+    selectedClientIds;
   let skillNeedsInstall = await host.skillNeedsInstall(selectedSkillClientIds);
   let skillSelected =
     options.installSkill === true ||
@@ -220,6 +223,7 @@ const runSetupWorkflow = async (
     installHopper: planDiscovery.installHopper,
     installSkill,
     skillSelected,
+    selectedSkillClientIds,
     selectedClients: planned.selectedClients,
     clientsToConfigure: planned.clientsToConfigure,
   };
@@ -519,6 +523,7 @@ const resolvedReadinessScope = (
     readonly selectedClients: readonly SetupClient[];
     readonly installHopper: boolean;
     readonly skillSelected?: boolean;
+    readonly selectedSkillClientIds: readonly string[];
   },
 ): DoctorScope => ({
   clients: selection.selectedClients.map(({ name }) => name),
@@ -526,6 +531,9 @@ const resolvedReadinessScope = (
     ? ["hopper"]
     : (requested?.providers ?? []),
   skill: selection.skillSelected === true || requested?.skill === true,
+  ...(selection.skillSelected === true || requested?.skill === true
+    ? { skillClients: selection.selectedSkillClientIds }
+    : {}),
 });
 
 const summarizeDoctor = (report: DoctorReport): SetupDoctorSummary => ({
diff --git a/src/cli/setupCommands.ts b/src/cli/setupCommands.ts
index d036f708a..d21be1c08 100644
--- a/src/cli/setupCommands.ts
+++ b/src/cli/setupCommands.ts
@@ -263,6 +263,9 @@ const setupRunOptions = (
       ? {
           readinessScope: {
             clients: options.client,
+            ...(options.skillClient.length > 0
+              ? { skillClients: options.skillClient }
+              : {}),
             providers: options.installHopper ? ["hopper"] : [],
             skill: options.skill ?? agentIntegrationSelected,
           },
diff --git a/tests/acceptance/setup/selectedSkillSetup.test.ts b/tests/acceptance/setup/selectedSkillSetup.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bc73c85b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/acceptance/setup/selectedSkillSetup.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,156 @@
+import { access, readFile, readdir, writeFile } from "node:fs/promises";
+import { join, relative, resolve } from "node:path";
+
+import { expect } from "vitest";
+
+import { createTestTempDirectory } from "../../fixtures/temporaryDirectory.js";
+import { cliTest } from "../../support/cli/cliFixture.js";
+
+cliTest(
+  "skill-only setup verifies its selected client copy on install, rerun and repair",
+  async ({ cli }) => {
+    const directory = await createTestTempDirectory("rea-selected-skill-");
+    const selected = join(
+      directory,
+      ".claude/skills/reverse-engineer-anything",
+    );
+    const shared = join(directory, ".agents/skills/reverse-engineer-anything");
+    const run = (args: readonly string[]) =>
+      cli.run({
+        arguments: [...args, "--json"],
+        cwd: directory,
+        environment: { USERPROFILE: directory },
+      });
+    const preview = await run([
+      "setup",
+      "--skill-client",
+      "claude_code",
+      "--dry-run",
+    ]);
+    expect(preview.exitCode, preview.stdout).toBe(0);
+    expect(preview.json).toMatchObject({
+      status: "planned",
+      doctor: {
+        scope: {
+          clients: [],
+          skill: true,
+          skill_clients: ["claude_code"],
+        },
+      },
+    });
+    const registered = await run([
+      "setup",
+      "--client",
+      "claude_code",
+      "--skill=false",
+      "--yes",
+    ]);
+    expect(registered.exitCode, registered.stderr).toBe(0);
+    const configuration = join(directory, ".claude.json");
+    const before = await readFile(configuration, "utf8");
+    const args = ["setup", "--skill-client", "claude_code", "--yes"];
+    const installed = await run(args);
+    expect(installed.exitCode, installed.stdout).toBe(0);
+    expect(installed.json).toMatchObject({
+      status: "ready",
+      appliedActions: ["installed_skill"],
+      doctor: {
+        healthy: true,
+        scope: { clients: [], skill: true, skill_clients: ["claude_code"] },
+        identity: { skill: { state: "aligned" } },
+      },
+    });
+    const bundle = resolve("skills/reverse-engineer-anything");
+    const assertAligned = async () => {
+      for (const entry of await readdir(bundle, {
+        recursive: true,
+        withFileTypes: true,
+      })) {
+        if (!entry.isFile()) continue;
+        const path = relative(bundle, join(entry.parentPath, entry.name));
+        expect(await readFile(join(selected, path))).toEqual(
+          await readFile(join(bundle, path)),
+        );
+      }
+    };
+    await assertAligned();
+    const repeated = await run(args);
+    expect(repeated.exitCode, repeated.stdout).toBe(0);
+    expect(repeated.json).toMatchObject({
+      status: "ready",
+      appliedActions: [],
+    });
+
+    await writeFile(
+      join(selected, "references/native-and-artifacts.md"),
+      "damaged selected copy\n",
+    );
+    const damaged = await run(["doctor", "--client", "claude_code", "--skill"]);
+    expect(damaged.json).toMatchObject({
+      healthy: false,
+      identity: { skill: { state: "stale" } },
+    });
+    const repaired = await run(args);
+    expect(repaired.exitCode, repaired.stdout).toBe(0);
+    expect(repaired.json).toMatchObject({
+      status: "ready",
+      appliedActions: ["installed_skill"],
+    });
+    await assertAligned();
+    await expect(access(shared)).rejects.toMatchObject({ code: "ENOENT" });
+    expect(await readFile(configuration, "utf8")).toBe(before);
+
+    const sharedControl = await run([
+      "setup",
+      "--skill-client",
+      "shared",
+      "--yes",
+    ]);
+    expect(sharedControl.exitCode, sharedControl.stdout).toBe(0);
+    expect(sharedControl.json).toMatchObject({ status: "ready" });
+    await access(join(shared, "SKILL.md"));
+  },
+);
+
+cliTest(
+  "setup keeps registration and skill readiness selections independent",
+  async ({ cli }) => {
+    const directory = await createTestTempDirectory("rea-independent-skill-");
+    const result = await cli.run({
+      arguments: [
+        "setup",
+        "--client",
+        "codex",
+        "--skill-client",
+        "claude_code",
+        "--yes",
+        "--json",
+      ],
+      cwd: directory,
+      environment: { USERPROFILE: directory },
+    });
+    expect(result.exitCode, result.stdout).toBe(0);
+    expect(result.json).toMatchObject({
+      status: "ready",
+      doctor: {
+        healthy: true,
+        scope: {
+          clients: ["codex"],
+          skill_clients: ["claude_code"],
+          skill: true,
+        },
+        identity: { skill: { state: "aligned" } },
+      },
+    });
+    await access(join(directory, ".codex/config.toml"));
+    await access(
+      join(directory, ".claude/skills/reverse-engineer-anything/SKILL.md"),
+    );
+    await expect(access(join(directory, ".claude.json"))).rejects.toMatchObject(
+      { code: "ENOENT" },
+    );
+    await expect(
+      access(join(directory, ".agents/skills/reverse-engineer-anything")),
+    ).rejects.toMatchObject({ code: "ENOENT" });
+  },
+);