diff --git a/agent/curator.py b/agent/curator.py
index 619a3569ff..cf4b13f8ef 100644
--- a/agent/curator.py
+++ b/agent/curator.py
@@ -261,28 +261,33 @@ def apply_automatic_transitions(now: Optional[datetime] = None) -> Dict[str, int
 CURATOR_REVIEW_PROMPT = (
     "You are running as Hermes' background skill CURATOR.\n\n"
     "Your job is to maintain the collection of AGENT-CREATED skills. Review "
-    "each one and decide what to do, using skill_manage and the curator tools.\n\n"
+    "each candidate below and decide what to do.\n\n"
     "Rules — all load-bearing, do not violate:\n"
     "1. You MUST NOT touch bundled or hub-installed skills. The candidate list "
     "below is already filtered to agent-created skills only.\n"
-    "2. You MUST NOT delete any skill. Archive (move to .archive/) is the "
-    "maximum action. Archives are recoverable; deletion is not.\n"
-    "3. You MUST NOT touch pinned skills. If a skill is pinned, skip it.\n"
-    "4. Prefer GENERALIZING overlapping skills by patching the better one and "
-    "archiving the duplicate, rather than leaving two narrow skills in the "
+    "2. You MUST NOT delete any skill. Archiving (moving the skill's directory "
+    "into ~/.hermes/skills/.archive/) is the maximum action. Archives are "
+    "recoverable; deletion is not.\n"
+    "3. You MUST NOT touch skills shown as pinned=yes. Skip them.\n"
+    "4. Prefer GENERALIZING overlapping skills by patching the stronger one "
+    "and archiving the weaker, rather than leaving two narrow skills in the "
     "collection.\n\n"
-    "For each candidate decide one of:\n"
-    "  keep       — leave as-is (most common default)\n"
-    "  patch      — fix stale commands, wrong paths, environment-specific "
-    "claims that are no longer true. Use skill_manage action=patch.\n"
-    "  consolidate — when two skills overlap, patch the stronger one to "
-    "absorb the weaker, then archive the weaker via the 'archive_skill' tool.\n"
-    "  archive    — if the skill is genuinely obsolete and the sidecar shows "
-    "it has not been used recently. Use the 'archive_skill' tool.\n"
-    "  pin        — if the skill is rare but important (low use_count but "
-    "high value). Use the 'pin_skill' tool.\n\n"
-    "Start by calling skills_list and then skill_view on any skill you want to "
-    "consider patching or consolidating. Be conservative — if in doubt, keep. "
+    "Your toolset:\n"
+    "  - skills_list, skill_view    — read the current landscape\n"
+    "  - skill_manage action=patch  — fix stale commands, wrong paths, or "
+    "merge two overlapping skills by broadening the stronger one\n"
+    "  - terminal                   — move a skill directory into the archive, "
+    "e.g.  mv ~/.hermes/skills/<skill-dir> ~/.hermes/skills/.archive/\n\n"
+    "For each candidate, decide one of:\n"
+    "  keep        — leave as-is (most common default; don't over-curate)\n"
+    "  patch       — skill_manage action=patch to fix stale commands, wrong "
+    "paths, or env-specific claims that are no longer true\n"
+    "  consolidate — two skills overlap: patch the stronger one to absorb "
+    "the weaker (skill_manage), then mv the weaker directory to .archive/\n"
+    "  archive     — the skill is genuinely obsolete and has not been used "
+    "recently: mv its directory to ~/.hermes/skills/.archive/\n\n"
+    "Start by calling skills_list and skill_view on anything you consider "
+    "patching or consolidating. Be conservative — if in doubt, keep. "
     "When you are done, write a one-sentence summary of what you changed."
 )
 
diff --git a/tests/agent/test_curator.py b/tests/agent/test_curator.py
index a55094a85d..766a49e6d1 100644
--- a/tests/agent/test_curator.py
+++ b/tests/agent/test_curator.py
@@ -359,5 +359,37 @@ def test_curator_review_prompt_has_invariants():
     assert "delete" in CURATOR_REVIEW_PROMPT.lower()
     assert "pinned" in CURATOR_REVIEW_PROMPT.lower()
     # Must mention the decisions the reviewer can make
-    for verb in ("keep", "patch", "archive", "pin"):
+    for verb in ("keep", "patch", "archive", "consolidate"):
         assert verb in CURATOR_REVIEW_PROMPT.lower()
+
+
+def test_curator_review_prompt_points_at_existing_tools_only():
+    """The review prompt must rely on existing tools (skill_manage + terminal)
+    and must NOT reference bespoke curator tools that are not registered
+    model tools."""
+    from agent.curator import CURATOR_REVIEW_PROMPT
+    assert "skill_manage" in CURATOR_REVIEW_PROMPT
+    assert "skills_list" in CURATOR_REVIEW_PROMPT
+    assert "skill_view" in CURATOR_REVIEW_PROMPT
+    assert "terminal" in CURATOR_REVIEW_PROMPT.lower()
+    # These would be nice but aren't actually registered as tools — the
+    # curator uses skill_manage + terminal mv instead.
+    assert "archive_skill" not in CURATOR_REVIEW_PROMPT
+    assert "pin_skill" not in CURATOR_REVIEW_PROMPT
+
+
+def test_curator_does_not_instruct_model_to_pin():
+    """Pinning is a user opt-out, not a model decision. The prompt should
+    not tell the reviewer to pin skills autonomously."""
+    from agent.curator import CURATOR_REVIEW_PROMPT
+    # "pinned" appears in the invariant ("skip pinned skills"), but "pin"
+    # as a decision verb should not.
+    lines = CURATOR_REVIEW_PROMPT.split("\n")
+    decision_block = "\n".join(
+        l for l in lines
+        if l.strip().startswith(("keep", "patch", "archive", "consolidate", "pin "))
+    )
+    # No standalone "pin" action line
+    assert not any(l.strip().startswith("pin ") for l in lines), (
+        f"Found a pin action line in:\n{decision_block}"
+    )