diff --git a/agent/skill_commands.py b/agent/skill_commands.py
index ad1f03824d3f..ffcacafbc96e 100644
--- a/agent/skill_commands.py
+++ b/agent/skill_commands.py
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ def scan_skill_commands() -> Dict[str, Dict[str, Any]]:
         Dict mapping "/skill-name" to {name, description, skill_md_path, skill_dir}.
     """
     global _skill_commands
-    _skill_commands = {}
+    scanned_commands: Dict[str, Dict[str, Any]] = {}
     try:
         from tools.skills_tool import SKILLS_DIR, _parse_frontmatter, skill_matches_platform, _get_disabled_skill_names
         from agent.skill_utils import get_external_skills_dirs, iter_skill_index_files
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ def scan_skill_commands() -> Dict[str, Dict[str, Any]]:
                     cmd_name = _SKILL_MULTI_HYPHEN.sub('-', cmd_name).strip('-')
                     if not cmd_name:
                         continue
-                    _skill_commands[f"/{cmd_name}"] = {
+                    scanned_commands[f"/{cmd_name}"] = {
                         "name": name,
                         "description": description or f"Invoke the {name} skill",
                         "skill_md_path": str(skill_md),
@@ -273,7 +273,8 @@ def scan_skill_commands() -> Dict[str, Dict[str, Any]]:
                 except Exception:
                     continue
     except Exception:
-        pass
+        return _skill_commands
+    _skill_commands = scanned_commands
     return _skill_commands
 
 
@@ -325,8 +326,9 @@ def _snapshot(cmds: Dict[str, Dict[str, Any]]) -> Dict[str, str]:
 
     before = _snapshot(_skill_commands)
 
-    # Rescan the skills dir. ``scan_skill_commands`` resets
-    # ``_skill_commands = {}`` internally and repopulates it.
+    # Rescan the skills dir. ``scan_skill_commands`` swaps the in-process cache
+    # only after a successful scan so a scan failure leaves existing commands
+    # available.
     new_commands = scan_skill_commands()
 
     after = _snapshot(new_commands)
diff --git a/tests/agent/test_skill_commands.py b/tests/agent/test_skill_commands.py
index 6879baed82f7..8e4fa802298e 100644
--- a/tests/agent/test_skill_commands.py
+++ b/tests/agent/test_skill_commands.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 from unittest.mock import patch
 
 import tools.skills_tool as skills_tool_module
+import agent.skill_commands as skill_commands_module
 from agent.skill_commands import (
     build_preloaded_skills_prompt,
     build_skill_invocation_message,
@@ -125,6 +126,28 @@ def test_finds_skills_in_symlinked_category_dir(self, tmp_path):
         assert "/knowledge-brain" in result
         assert result["/knowledge-brain"]["name"] == "knowledge-brain"
 
+    def test_preserves_cached_commands_when_scan_setup_fails(self, monkeypatch):
+        cached = {
+            "/cached-skill": {
+                "name": "cached-skill",
+                "description": "existing skill command",
+                "skill_md_path": "/tmp/cached/SKILL.md",
+                "skill_dir": "/tmp/cached",
+            }
+        }
+        monkeypatch.setattr(
+            skill_commands_module, "_skill_commands", cached.copy(), raising=False
+        )
+
+        with patch(
+            "tools.skills_tool._get_disabled_skill_names",
+            side_effect=RuntimeError("scan setup failed"),
+        ):
+            result = scan_skill_commands()
+
+        assert result == cached
+        assert skill_commands_module._skill_commands == cached
+
 
     def test_special_chars_stripped_from_cmd_key(self, tmp_path):
         """Skill names with +, /, or other special chars produce clean cmd keys."""