diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index a73dea1..e214cc9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install uv
         uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@v4
 
+      - name: Check uv.lock is up to date
+        run: uv lock --check
+
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: uv sync --all-extras
 
diff --git a/parallel_web_tools/cli/skills.py b/parallel_web_tools/cli/skills.py
index 9589fb8..6b469f4 100644
--- a/parallel_web_tools/cli/skills.py
+++ b/parallel_web_tools/cli/skills.py
@@ -86,7 +86,8 @@ def skills_list(output_json: bool) -> None:
     @click.option(
         "--project",
         is_flag=True,
-        help="Install to .agents/skills in detected project root (default is global install).",
+        help="Install into the detected project root — .agents/skills, plus .claude/skills "
+        "when Claude Code is present (default is global install).",
     )
     @click.option(
         "--skill",
@@ -139,7 +140,7 @@ def skills_install(project: bool, skill_names: tuple[str, ...], output_json: boo
     @click.option(
         "--project",
         is_flag=True,
-        help="Uninstall from .agents/skills in detected project root (default is global install).",
+        help="Uninstall from the detected project root's skill directories (default is global install).",
     )
     @click.option("--json", "output_json", is_flag=True, help="Output as JSON")
     def skills_uninstall(project: bool, output_json: bool) -> None:
@@ -171,7 +172,7 @@ def skills_uninstall(project: bool, output_json: bool) -> None:
     @click.option(
         "--project",
         is_flag=True,
-        help="Reinstall in .agents/skills in detected project root (default is global install).",
+        help="Reinstall in the detected project root's skill directories (default is global install).",
     )
     @click.option(
         "--skill",
diff --git a/parallel_web_tools/core/skills.py b/parallel_web_tools/core/skills.py
index 29a293c..b71aef5 100644
--- a/parallel_web_tools/core/skills.py
+++ b/parallel_web_tools/core/skills.py
@@ -106,8 +106,14 @@ def resolve_install_dirs(project: bool, start: Path | None = None) -> list[Path]
 
     ``.agents/skills`` is the canonical cross-agent location and always comes first.
     Claude Code does not read it — it only discovers skills under ``.claude/skills`` —
-    so when a Claude Code configuration directory is present we install there too.
-    Agents that read both (Cursor, for example) de-duplicate by skill name.
+    so when Claude Code is present we install there too. Agents that read both
+    (Cursor, for example) de-duplicate by skill name.
+
+    Global installs mirror into the Claude Code configuration directory when it
+    exists; its absence means no Claude Code on this machine. Project installs
+    mirror into ``<root>/.claude/skills``, created if needed whenever the machine
+    has Claude Code — a repo missing ``.claude`` just hasn't stored Claude settings
+    yet, and skipping it would leave the skills invisible to Claude Code there.
 
     An explicit ``PARALLEL_SKILLS_GLOBAL_DIR`` override targets exactly one directory,
     on the assumption that a caller naming a path wants only that path written.
@@ -116,9 +122,14 @@ def resolve_install_dirs(project: bool, start: Path | None = None) -> list[Path]
     if not project and os.environ.get(GLOBAL_SKILLS_DIR_ENV):
         return [canonical]
 
-    claude_config_dir = canonical.parent.parent / ".claude" if project else get_claude_config_dir()
-    if not claude_config_dir.is_dir():
-        return [canonical]
+    if project:
+        claude_config_dir = canonical.parent.parent / ".claude"
+        if not claude_config_dir.is_dir() and not get_claude_config_dir().is_dir():
+            return [canonical]
+    else:
+        claude_config_dir = get_claude_config_dir()
+        if not claude_config_dir.is_dir():
+            return [canonical]
 
     return _dedupe_dirs([canonical, claude_config_dir / "skills"])
 
diff --git a/scripts/release.sh b/scripts/release.sh
index 13e7fe9..0e7a630 100755
--- a/scripts/release.sh
+++ b/scripts/release.sh
@@ -96,6 +96,9 @@ update_version_files() {
 	sedi "s/parallel-web-tools>=.*/parallel-web-tools>=$new_version/" \
 		"$PROJECT_ROOT/parallel_web_tools/integrations/bigquery/cloud_function/requirements.txt"
 
+	# 4. uv.lock (records this package's own version; stale locks dirty every working tree)
+	(cd "$PROJECT_ROOT" && uv lock)
+
 	# 5. npm/package.json
 	sedi "s/\"version\": \".*\"/\"version\": \"$npm_version\"/" "$PROJECT_ROOT/npm/package.json"
 }
@@ -161,7 +164,8 @@ git add \
 	pyproject.toml \
 	parallel_web_tools/__init__.py \
 	parallel_web_tools/integrations/bigquery/cloud_function/requirements.txt \
-	npm/package.json
+	npm/package.json \
+	uv.lock
 
 # Commit — if pre-commit hooks modify files (e.g. uv.lock), re-stage and retry
 if ! git commit -m "chore: bump version to $NEW_VERSION"; then
@@ -171,7 +175,8 @@ if ! git commit -m "chore: bump version to $NEW_VERSION"; then
 		parallel_web_tools/__init__.py \
 		tests/test_cli.py \
 		parallel_web_tools/integrations/bigquery/cloud_function/requirements.txt \
-		npm/package.json
+		npm/package.json \
+		uv.lock
 	# Also stage any lock files updated by hooks
 	git diff --name-only | xargs -r git add
 	git commit -m "chore: bump version to $NEW_VERSION"
diff --git a/tests/test_skills.py b/tests/test_skills.py
index b124a09..c4178a9 100644
--- a/tests/test_skills.py
+++ b/tests/test_skills.py
@@ -110,7 +110,9 @@ def test_project_adds_claude_dir_when_present(self, tmp_path):
             project_root / ".claude" / "skills",
         ]
 
-    def test_project_ignores_claude_config_dir_env(self, monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    def test_project_mirrors_locally_when_machine_has_claude(self, monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+        """A repo without .claude still gets one when Claude Code exists on the machine,
+        and the mirror stays project-local — never the global config directory."""
         project_root = tmp_path / "repo"
         project_root.mkdir()
         (project_root / "pyproject.toml").write_text("[project]\nname='x'\n")
@@ -118,6 +120,18 @@ def test_project_ignores_claude_config_dir_env(self, monkeypatch, tmp_path):
         global_claude.mkdir(parents=True)
         monkeypatch.setenv(skills.CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR_ENV, str(global_claude))
 
+        assert skills.resolve_install_dirs(project=True, start=project_root) == [
+            project_root / ".agents" / "skills",
+            project_root / ".claude" / "skills",
+        ]
+
+    def test_project_skips_claude_dir_when_machine_has_no_claude(self, monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+        monkeypatch.delenv(skills.CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR_ENV, raising=False)
+        monkeypatch.setattr("parallel_web_tools.core.skills.Path.home", lambda: tmp_path / "home")
+        project_root = tmp_path / "repo"
+        project_root.mkdir()
+        (project_root / "pyproject.toml").write_text("[project]\nname='x'\n")
+
         assert skills.resolve_install_dirs(project=True, start=project_root) == [project_root / ".agents" / "skills"]
 
     def test_symlinked_claude_dir_is_deduped(self, monkeypatch, tmp_path):
diff --git a/uv.lock b/uv.lock
index 87823d9..162b081 100644
--- a/uv.lock
+++ b/uv.lock
@@ -1674,7 +1674,7 @@ wheels = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "parallel-web-tools"
-version = "0.8.1"
+version = "0.8.2"
 source = { editable = "." }
 dependencies = [
     { name = "click" },