diff --git a/agent/skill_utils.py b/agent/skill_utils.py
index 97ba92b735a8..27251d4f81e4 100644
--- a/agent/skill_utils.py
+++ b/agent/skill_utils.py
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@ def iter_skill_index_files(skills_dir: Path, filename: str):
     Excludes ``.git``, ``.github``, ``.hub`` directories.
     """
     matches = []
-    for root, dirs, files in os.walk(skills_dir):
+    for root, dirs, files in os.walk(skills_dir, followlinks=True):
         dirs[:] = [d for d in dirs if d not in EXCLUDED_SKILL_DIRS]
         if filename in files:
             matches.append(Path(root) / filename)
diff --git a/tests/tools/test_skills_tool.py b/tests/tools/test_skills_tool.py
index 82d8b0dd1ce7..800317421a99 100644
--- a/tests/tools/test_skills_tool.py
+++ b/tests/tools/test_skills_tool.py
@@ -269,6 +269,21 @@ def test_skips_git_directories(self, tmp_path):
         assert len(skills) == 1
         assert skills[0]["name"] == "real-skill"
 
+    @pytest.mark.skipif(os.name == "nt", reason="Directory symlinks require privileges on Windows")
+    def test_finds_symlinked_skill_directories(self, tmp_path):
+        source_root = tmp_path / "skill-source"
+        source_skill = _make_skill(source_root, "linked-skill", category="social-media")
+        link_root = tmp_path / "skills"
+        (link_root / "social-media").mkdir(parents=True)
+        (link_root / "social-media" / "linked-skill").symlink_to(source_skill, target_is_directory=True)
+
+        with patch("tools.skills_tool.SKILLS_DIR", link_root):
+            skills = _find_all_skills()
+
+        matching = [skill for skill in skills if skill["name"] == "linked-skill"]
+        assert len(matching) == 1
+        assert matching[0]["category"] == "social-media"
+
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # skills_list
@@ -356,6 +371,21 @@ def test_view_shows_linked_files(self, tmp_path):
         assert result["linked_files"] is not None
         assert "references" in result["linked_files"]
 
+    @pytest.mark.skipif(os.name == "nt", reason="Directory symlinks require privileges on Windows")
+    def test_view_bare_name_for_symlinked_skill_directory(self, tmp_path):
+        source_root = tmp_path / "skill-source"
+        source_skill = _make_skill(source_root, "follow-builders", category="social-media")
+        skills_root = tmp_path / "skills"
+        (skills_root / "social-media").mkdir(parents=True)
+        (skills_root / "social-media" / "follow-builders").symlink_to(source_skill, target_is_directory=True)
+
+        with patch("tools.skills_tool.SKILLS_DIR", skills_root):
+            result = json.loads(skill_view("follow-builders"))
+
+        assert result["success"] is True
+        assert result["name"] == "follow-builders"
+        assert "Do the thing" in result["content"]
+
     def test_view_tags_from_metadata(self, tmp_path):
         with patch("tools.skills_tool.SKILLS_DIR", tmp_path):
             _make_skill(
diff --git a/tools/skills_tool.py b/tools/skills_tool.py
index 94b7c235b7c3..b04b07d60f3e 100644
--- a/tools/skills_tool.py
+++ b/tools/skills_tool.py
@@ -104,6 +104,21 @@
 _secret_capture_callback = None
 
 
+def _iter_skill_files(scan_dir: Path, filename: str = "SKILL.md"):
+    """Yield skill files under *scan_dir*, following directory symlinks.
+
+    ``Path.rglob()`` skips recursion into symlinked directories, which causes
+    symlinked local skills under ``~/.hermes/skills`` to disappear from normal
+    discovery. Reuse ``iter_skill_index_files()`` so list/view/prompt indexing
+    all agree on traversal behavior.
+    """
+    from agent.skill_utils import iter_skill_index_files
+
+    if not scan_dir.exists():
+        return
+    yield from iter_skill_index_files(scan_dir, filename)
+
+
 def load_env() -> Dict[str, str]:
     """Load profile-scoped environment variables from HERMES_HOME/.env."""
     env_path = get_hermes_home() / ".env"
@@ -535,7 +550,7 @@ def _find_all_skills(*, skip_disabled: bool = False) -> List[Dict[str, Any]]:
     dirs_to_scan.extend(get_external_skills_dirs())
 
     for scan_dir in dirs_to_scan:
-        for skill_md in scan_dir.rglob("SKILL.md"):
+        for skill_md in _iter_skill_files(scan_dir):
             if any(part in _EXCLUDED_SKILL_DIRS for part in skill_md.parts):
                 continue
 
@@ -665,7 +680,7 @@ def skills_categories(verbose: bool = False, task_id: str = None) -> str:
         category_dirs = {}
         category_counts: Dict[str, int] = {}
         for scan_dir in all_dirs:
-            for skill_md in scan_dir.rglob("SKILL.md"):
+            for skill_md in _iter_skill_files(scan_dir):
                 if any(part in _EXCLUDED_SKILL_DIRS for part in skill_md.parts):
                     continue
 
@@ -824,7 +839,7 @@ def skill_view(name: str, file_path: str = None, task_id: str = None) -> str:
         # Search by directory name across all dirs
         if not skill_md:
             for search_dir in all_dirs:
-                for found_skill_md in search_dir.rglob("SKILL.md"):
+                for found_skill_md in _iter_skill_files(search_dir):
                     if found_skill_md.parent.name == name:
                         skill_dir = found_skill_md.parent
                         skill_md = found_skill_md