diff --git a/tests/tui_gateway/test_protocol.py b/tests/tui_gateway/test_protocol.py
index 6ee5fe65b..77cd7b167 100644
--- a/tests/tui_gateway/test_protocol.py
+++ b/tests/tui_gateway/test_protocol.py
@@ -231,3 +231,51 @@ def test_cli_exec_blocked(server, argv):
 ])
 def test_cli_exec_allowed(server, argv):
     assert server._cli_exec_blocked(argv) is None
+
+
+# ── slash.exec skill command interception ────────────────────────────
+
+
+def test_slash_exec_rejects_skill_commands(server):
+    """slash.exec must reject skill commands so the TUI falls through to command.dispatch."""
+    # Register a mock session
+    sid = "test-session"
+    server._sessions[sid] = {"session_key": sid, "agent": None}
+
+    # Mock scan_skill_commands to return a known skill
+    fake_skills = {"/hermes-agent-dev": {"name": "hermes-agent-dev", "description": "Dev workflow"}}
+
+    with patch("agent.skill_commands.scan_skill_commands", return_value=fake_skills):
+        resp = server.handle_request({
+            "id": "r1",
+            "method": "slash.exec",
+            "params": {"command": "hermes-agent-dev", "session_id": sid},
+        })
+
+    # Should return an error so the TUI's .catch() fires command.dispatch
+    assert "error" in resp
+    assert resp["error"]["code"] == 4018
+    assert "skill command" in resp["error"]["message"]
+
+
+def test_command_dispatch_returns_skill_payload(server):
+    """command.dispatch returns structured skill payload for the TUI to send()."""
+    sid = "test-session"
+    server._sessions[sid] = {"session_key": sid}
+
+    fake_skills = {"/hermes-agent-dev": {"name": "hermes-agent-dev", "description": "Dev workflow"}}
+    fake_msg = "Loaded skill content here"
+
+    with patch("agent.skill_commands.scan_skill_commands", return_value=fake_skills), \
+         patch("agent.skill_commands.build_skill_invocation_message", return_value=fake_msg):
+        resp = server.handle_request({
+            "id": "r2",
+            "method": "command.dispatch",
+            "params": {"name": "hermes-agent-dev", "session_id": sid},
+        })
+
+    assert "error" not in resp
+    result = resp["result"]
+    assert result["type"] == "skill"
+    assert result["message"] == fake_msg
+    assert result["name"] == "hermes-agent-dev"
diff --git a/tui_gateway/server.py b/tui_gateway/server.py
index a7dae9e5c..45c95a6da 100644
--- a/tui_gateway/server.py
+++ b/tui_gateway/server.py
@@ -2333,6 +2333,19 @@ def _(rid, params: dict) -> dict:
     if not cmd:
         return _err(rid, 4004, "empty command")
 
+    # Skill slash commands (e.g. /hermes-agent-dev) must NOT go through the
+    # slash worker — process_command() queues the skill payload onto
+    # _pending_input which nobody reads in the worker subprocess.  Reject
+    # here so the TUI falls through to command.dispatch which handles skills
+    # correctly (builds the invocation message and returns it to the client).
+    try:
+        from agent.skill_commands import scan_skill_commands
+        _cmd_key = f"/{cmd.split()[0]}" if not cmd.startswith("/") else f"/{cmd.lstrip('/').split()[0]}"
+        if _cmd_key in scan_skill_commands():
+            return _err(rid, 4018, f"skill command: use command.dispatch for {_cmd_key}")
+    except Exception:
+        pass
+
     worker = session.get("slash_worker")
     if not worker:
         try:
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/__tests__/createSlashHandler.test.ts b/ui-tui/src/__tests__/createSlashHandler.test.ts
index 9e1db9946..a8f050a27 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/__tests__/createSlashHandler.test.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/__tests__/createSlashHandler.test.ts
@@ -121,6 +121,37 @@ describe('createSlashHandler', () => {
     expect(createSlashHandler(ctx)('/h')).toBe(true)
     expect(ctx.transcript.panel).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.any(String), expect.any(Array))
   })
+
+  it('falls through to command.dispatch for skill commands and sends the message', async () => {
+    const skillMessage = 'Use this skill to do X.\n\n## Steps\n1. First step'
+
+    const ctx = buildCtx({
+      gateway: {
+        gw: {
+          getLogTail: vi.fn(() => ''),
+          request: vi.fn((method: string) => {
+            if (method === 'slash.exec') {
+              return Promise.reject(new Error('skill command: use command.dispatch'))
+            }
+
+            if (method === 'command.dispatch') {
+              return Promise.resolve({ type: 'skill', message: skillMessage, name: 'hermes-agent-dev' })
+            }
+
+            return Promise.resolve({})
+          })
+        },
+        rpc: vi.fn(() => Promise.resolve({}))
+      }
+    })
+
+    const h = createSlashHandler(ctx)
+    expect(h('/hermes-agent-dev')).toBe(true)
+    await vi.waitFor(() => {
+      expect(ctx.transcript.sys).toHaveBeenCalledWith('⚡ loading skill: hermes-agent-dev')
+    })
+    expect(ctx.transcript.send).toHaveBeenCalledWith(skillMessage)
+  })
 })
 
 const buildCtx = (overrides: Partial<Ctx> = {}): Ctx => ({
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/components/markdown.tsx b/ui-tui/src/components/markdown.tsx
index 865ab8579..4555c8505 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/components/markdown.tsx
+++ b/ui-tui/src/components/markdown.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { Box, Text } from '@hermes/ink'
+import { Box, Link, Text } from '@hermes/ink'
 import { memo, type ReactNode, useMemo } from 'react'
 
 import type { Theme } from '../theme.js'
@@ -22,10 +22,12 @@ type Fence = {
   len: number
 }
 
-const renderLink = (key: number, t: Theme, label: string) => (
-  <Text color={t.color.amber} key={key} underline>
-    {label}
-  </Text>
+const renderLink = (key: number, t: Theme, label: string, url: string) => (
+  <Link key={key} url={url}>
+    <Text color={t.color.amber} underline>
+      {label}
+    </Text>
+  </Link>
 )
 
 const trimBareUrl = (value: string) => {
@@ -38,9 +40,11 @@ const trimBareUrl = (value: string) => {
 }
 
 const renderAutolink = (key: number, t: Theme, raw: string) => (
-  <Text color={t.color.amber} key={key} underline>
-    {raw.replace(/^mailto:/, '')}
-  </Text>
+  <Link key={key} url={raw}>
+    <Text color={t.color.amber} underline>
+      {raw.replace(/^mailto:/, '')}
+    </Text>
+  </Link>
 )
 
 const indentDepth = (indent: string) => Math.floor(indent.replace(/\t/g, '  ').length / 2)
@@ -141,7 +145,7 @@ function MdInline({ t, text }: { t: Theme; text: string }) {
         </Text>
       )
     } else if (m[4] && m[5]) {
-      parts.push(renderLink(parts.length, t, m[4]))
+      parts.push(renderLink(parts.length, t, m[4], m[5]))
     } else if (m[6]) {
       parts.push(renderAutolink(parts.length, t, m[6]))
     } else if (m[7]) {
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/types/hermes-ink.d.ts b/ui-tui/src/types/hermes-ink.d.ts
index 9b2deec35..faab71ae9 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/types/hermes-ink.d.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/types/hermes-ink.d.ts
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ declare module '@hermes/ink' {
   export const Box: React.ComponentType<any>
   export const AlternateScreen: React.ComponentType<any>
   export const Ansi: React.ComponentType<any>
+  export const Link: React.ComponentType<{ readonly url: string; readonly children?: React.ReactNode; readonly fallback?: React.ReactNode }>
   export const NoSelect: React.ComponentType<any>
   export const ScrollBox: React.ComponentType<any>
   export const Text: React.ComponentType<any>