diff --git a/docs/mac/skills.md b/docs/mac/skills.md
index b85426e7e..4ab81ca8a 100644
--- a/docs/mac/skills.md
+++ b/docs/mac/skills.md
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ The macOS app surfaces Clawdis skills via the gateway; it does not parse skills
 - Requirements are derived from `metadata.clawdis.requires` in each `SKILL.md`.
 
 ## Install actions
-- `metadata.clawdis.install` defines install options (brew/node/go/shell).
+- `metadata.clawdis.install` defines install options (brew/node/go/uv).
 - The app calls `skills.install` to run installers on the gateway host.
 - The gateway surfaces only one preferred installer when multiple are provided (brew when available, otherwise node manager from `skillsInstall`, default npm).
 
diff --git a/docs/skills.md b/docs/skills.md
index 0a2a28d46..3bccd5028 100644
--- a/docs/skills.md
+++ b/docs/skills.md
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ Fields under `metadata.clawdis`:
 - `requires.env` — list; env var must exist **or** be provided in config.
 - `requires.config` — list of `clawdis.json` paths that must be truthy.
 - `primaryEnv` — env var name associated with `skills.<name>.apiKey`.
-- `install` — optional array of installer specs used by the macOS Skills UI (brew/node/go/shell).
+- `install` — optional array of installer specs used by the macOS Skills UI (brew/node/go/uv).
 
 Installer example:
 
diff --git a/skills/nano-pdf/SKILL.md b/skills/nano-pdf/SKILL.md
index 3f2deef4e..ae632eada 100644
--- a/skills/nano-pdf/SKILL.md
+++ b/skills/nano-pdf/SKILL.md
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 ---
 name: nano-pdf
 description: Edit PDFs with natural-language instructions using the nano-pdf CLI.
-metadata: {"clawdis":{"emoji":"📄","requires":{"bins":["nano-pdf"]},"install":[{"id":"pipx","kind":"shell","command":"python3 -m pip install --user pipx && python3 -m pipx ensurepath && pipx install nano-pdf","bins":["nano-pdf"],"label":"Install nano-pdf (pipx)"},{"id":"pip","kind":"shell","command":"python3 -m pip install --user nano-pdf","bins":["nano-pdf"],"label":"Install nano-pdf (pip --user)"}]}}
+metadata: {"clawdis":{"emoji":"📄","requires":{"bins":["nano-pdf"]},"install":[{"id":"uv","kind":"uv","package":"nano-pdf","bins":["nano-pdf"],"label":"Install nano-pdf (uv)"}]}}
 ---
 
 # nano-pdf
diff --git a/src/agents/skills-install.ts b/src/agents/skills-install.ts
index a1c2dcdf4..90025836a 100644
--- a/src/agents/skills-install.ts
+++ b/src/agents/skills-install.ts
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
+import type { ClawdisConfig } from "../config/config.js";
 import { runCommandWithTimeout } from "../process/exec.js";
 import { resolveUserPath } from "../utils.js";
 import {
+  hasBinary,
   loadWorkspaceSkillEntries,
   resolveSkillsInstallPreferences,
   type SkillEntry,
   type SkillInstallSpec,
   type SkillsInstallPreferences,
 } from "./skills.js";
-import type { ClawdisConfig } from "../config/config.js";
 
 export type SkillInstallRequest = {
   workspaceDir: string;
@@ -40,10 +41,6 @@ function findInstallSpec(
   return undefined;
 }
 
-function runShell(command: string, timeoutMs: number) {
-  return runCommandWithTimeout(["/bin/zsh", "-lc", command], { timeoutMs });
-}
-
 function buildNodeInstallCommand(
   packageName: string,
   prefs: SkillsInstallPreferences,
@@ -63,36 +60,33 @@ function buildInstallCommand(
   prefs: SkillsInstallPreferences,
 ): {
   argv: string[] | null;
-  shell: string | null;
-  cwd?: string;
   error?: string;
 } {
   switch (spec.kind) {
     case "brew": {
       if (!spec.formula)
-        return { argv: null, shell: null, error: "missing brew formula" };
-      return { argv: ["brew", "install", spec.formula], shell: null };
+        return { argv: null, error: "missing brew formula" };
+      return { argv: ["brew", "install", spec.formula] };
     }
     case "node": {
       if (!spec.package)
-        return { argv: null, shell: null, error: "missing node package" };
+        return { argv: null, error: "missing node package" };
       return {
         argv: buildNodeInstallCommand(spec.package, prefs),
-        shell: null,
       };
     }
     case "go": {
       if (!spec.module)
-        return { argv: null, shell: null, error: "missing go module" };
-      return { argv: ["go", "install", spec.module], shell: null };
+        return { argv: null, error: "missing go module" };
+      return { argv: ["go", "install", spec.module] };
     }
-    case "shell": {
-      if (!spec.command)
-        return { argv: null, shell: null, error: "missing shell command" };
-      return { argv: null, shell: spec.command };
+    case "uv": {
+      if (!spec.package)
+        return { argv: null, error: "missing uv package" };
+      return { argv: ["uv", "tool", "install", spec.package] };
     }
     default:
-      return { argv: null, shell: null, error: "unsupported installer" };
+      return { argv: null, error: "unsupported installer" };
   }
 }
 
@@ -138,7 +132,34 @@ export async function installSkill(
       code: null,
     };
   }
-  if (!command.shell && (!command.argv || command.argv.length === 0)) {
+  if (spec.kind === "uv" && !hasBinary("uv")) {
+    if (hasBinary("brew")) {
+      const brewResult = await runCommandWithTimeout(
+        ["brew", "install", "uv"],
+        {
+          timeoutMs,
+        },
+      );
+      if (brewResult.code !== 0) {
+        return {
+          ok: false,
+          message: "Failed to install uv (brew)",
+          stdout: brewResult.stdout.trim(),
+          stderr: brewResult.stderr.trim(),
+          code: brewResult.code,
+        };
+      }
+    } else {
+      return {
+        ok: false,
+        message: "uv not installed (install via brew)",
+        stdout: "",
+        stderr: "",
+        code: null,
+      };
+    }
+  }
+  if (!command.argv || command.argv.length === 0) {
     return {
       ok: false,
       message: "invalid install command",
@@ -149,14 +170,12 @@ export async function installSkill(
   }
 
   const result = await (async () => {
-    if (command.shell) return runShell(command.shell, timeoutMs);
     const argv = command.argv;
     if (!argv || argv.length === 0) {
       return { code: null, stdout: "", stderr: "invalid install command" };
     }
     return runCommandWithTimeout(argv, {
       timeoutMs,
-      cwd: command.cwd,
     });
   })();
 
diff --git a/src/agents/skills-status.ts b/src/agents/skills-status.ts
index 7f41bf6f4..af0eee27d 100644
--- a/src/agents/skills-status.ts
+++ b/src/agents/skills-status.ts
@@ -76,13 +76,13 @@ function selectPreferredInstallSpec(
   const brewSpec = findKind("brew");
   const nodeSpec = findKind("node");
   const goSpec = findKind("go");
-  const shellSpec = findKind("shell");
+  const uvSpec = findKind("uv");
 
   if (prefs.preferBrew && hasBinary("brew") && brewSpec) return brewSpec;
+  if (uvSpec) return uvSpec;
   if (nodeSpec) return nodeSpec;
   if (brewSpec) return brewSpec;
   if (goSpec) return goSpec;
-  if (shellSpec) return shellSpec;
   return indexed[0];
 }
 
@@ -108,6 +108,8 @@ function normalizeInstallOptions(
       label = `Install ${spec.package} (${prefs.nodeManager})`;
     } else if (spec.kind === "go" && spec.module) {
       label = `Install ${spec.module} (go)`;
+    } else if (spec.kind === "uv" && spec.package) {
+      label = `Install ${spec.package} (uv)`;
     } else {
       label = "Run installer";
     }
diff --git a/src/agents/skills.ts b/src/agents/skills.ts
index 68cb00a30..4fcbc5315 100644
--- a/src/agents/skills.ts
+++ b/src/agents/skills.ts
@@ -13,13 +13,12 @@ import { CONFIG_DIR, resolveUserPath } from "../utils.js";
 
 export type SkillInstallSpec = {
   id?: string;
-  kind: "brew" | "node" | "go" | "shell";
+  kind: "brew" | "node" | "go" | "uv";
   label?: string;
   bins?: string[];
   formula?: string;
   package?: string;
   module?: string;
-  command?: string;
 };
 
 export type ClawdisSkillMetadata = {
@@ -143,7 +142,7 @@ function parseInstallSpec(input: unknown): SkillInstallSpec | undefined {
     kind !== "brew" &&
     kind !== "node" &&
     kind !== "go" &&
-    kind !== "shell"
+    kind !== "uv"
   ) {
     return undefined;
   }
@@ -159,7 +158,6 @@ function parseInstallSpec(input: unknown): SkillInstallSpec | undefined {
   if (typeof raw.formula === "string") spec.formula = raw.formula;
   if (typeof raw.package === "string") spec.package = raw.package;
   if (typeof raw.module === "string") spec.module = raw.module;
-  if (typeof raw.command === "string") spec.command = raw.command;
 
   return spec;
 }