diff --git a/ui-tui/src/__tests__/createSlashHandler.test.ts b/ui-tui/src/__tests__/createSlashHandler.test.ts
index 9e1db99463..c54a659b94 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/__tests__/createSlashHandler.test.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/__tests__/createSlashHandler.test.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,26 @@ describe('createSlashHandler', () => {
     expect(getOverlayState().picker).toBe(true)
   })
 
+  it('opens the skills hub locally for bare /skills', () => {
+    const ctx = buildCtx()
+
+    expect(createSlashHandler(ctx)('/skills')).toBe(true)
+    expect(getOverlayState().skillsHub).toBe(true)
+    expect(ctx.gateway.rpc).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect(ctx.gateway.gw.request).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+
+  it('falls through /skills with args to slash.exec without opening overlay', () => {
+    const ctx = buildCtx()
+
+    expect(createSlashHandler(ctx)('/skills install foo')).toBe(true)
+    expect(getOverlayState().skillsHub).toBe(false)
+    expect(ctx.gateway.rpc).toHaveBeenCalledWith('slash.exec', {
+      command: 'skills install foo',
+      session_id: null
+    })
+  })
+
   it('cycles details mode and persists it', async () => {
     const ctx = buildCtx()
 
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/app/slash/commands/ops.ts b/ui-tui/src/app/slash/commands/ops.ts
index 979e1f470a..aa02fa6cbb 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/app/slash/commands/ops.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/app/slash/commands/ops.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,29 @@
-import type { ToolsConfigureResponse } from '../../../gatewayTypes.js'
+import type { SlashExecResponse, ToolsConfigureResponse } from '../../../gatewayTypes.js'
+import { patchOverlayState } from '../../overlayStore.js'
 import type { SlashCommand } from '../types.js'
 
 export const opsCommands: SlashCommand[] = [
+  {
+    help: 'browse, inspect, and install skills',
+    name: 'skills',
+    run: (arg, ctx) => {
+      if (!arg.trim()) {
+        return patchOverlayState({ skillsHub: true })
+      }
+
+      ctx.gateway
+        .rpc<SlashExecResponse>('slash.exec', { command: `skills ${arg}`, session_id: ctx.sid })
+        .then(
+          ctx.guarded<SlashExecResponse>(r => {
+            if (r.output) {
+              ctx.transcript.page(r.output, 'Skills')
+            }
+          })
+        )
+        .catch(ctx.guardedErr)
+    }
+  },
+
   {
     help: 'enable or disable tools (client-side history reset on change)',
     name: 'tools',