diff --git a/dotnet/src/Microsoft.Agents.AI/Skills/FileAgentSkillsProvider.cs b/dotnet/src/Microsoft.Agents.AI/Skills/FileAgentSkillsProvider.cs
index cd64cdc723..460faced70 100644
--- a/dotnet/src/Microsoft.Agents.AI/Skills/FileAgentSkillsProvider.cs
+++ b/dotnet/src/Microsoft.Agents.AI/Skills/FileAgentSkillsProvider.cs
@@ -175,15 +175,23 @@ private async Task<string> ReadSkillResourceAsync(string skillName, string resou
             try
             {
                 _ = string.Format(optionsInstructions, string.Empty);
-                promptTemplate = optionsInstructions;
             }
             catch (FormatException ex)
             {
                 throw new ArgumentException(
-                    "The provided SkillsInstructionPrompt is not a valid format string. It must contain a '{0}' placeholder and escape any literal '{' or '}' by doubling them ('{{' or '}}').",
+                    "The provided SkillsInstructionPrompt is not a valid format string.",
                     nameof(options),
                     ex);
             }
+
+            if (optionsInstructions.IndexOf("{0}", StringComparison.Ordinal) < 0)
+            {
+                throw new ArgumentException(
+                    "The provided SkillsInstructionPrompt must contain a '{0}' placeholder for the generated skills list.",
+                    nameof(options));
+            }
+
+            promptTemplate = optionsInstructions;
         }
 
         if (skills.Count == 0)
diff --git a/dotnet/tests/Microsoft.Agents.AI.UnitTests/AgentSkills/FileAgentSkillsProviderTests.cs b/dotnet/tests/Microsoft.Agents.AI.UnitTests/AgentSkills/FileAgentSkillsProviderTests.cs
index 92dc5a5418..5da49525d4 100644
--- a/dotnet/tests/Microsoft.Agents.AI.UnitTests/AgentSkills/FileAgentSkillsProviderTests.cs
+++ b/dotnet/tests/Microsoft.Agents.AI.UnitTests/AgentSkills/FileAgentSkillsProviderTests.cs
@@ -127,6 +127,42 @@ public void Constructor_InvalidPromptTemplate_ThrowsArgumentException()
         Assert.Equal("options", ex.ParamName);
     }
 
+    [Fact]
+    public void Constructor_PromptWithoutPlaceholder_ThrowsArgumentException()
+    {
+        // Arrange -- valid format string but missing the required placeholder
+        var options = new FileAgentSkillsProviderOptions
+        {
+            SkillsInstructionPrompt = "No placeholder here"
+        };
+
+        var ex = Assert.Throws<ArgumentException>(() => new FileAgentSkillsProvider(this._testRoot, options));
+        Assert.Contains("{0}", ex.Message);
+        Assert.Equal("options", ex.ParamName);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task Constructor_PromptWithPlaceholder_AppliesCustomTemplateAsync()
+    {
+        // Arrange — valid custom template with {0} placeholder
+        this.CreateSkill("custom-tpl-skill", "Custom template skill", "Body.");
+        var options = new FileAgentSkillsProviderOptions
+        {
+            SkillsInstructionPrompt = "== Skills ==\n{0}\n== End =="
+        };
+        var provider = new FileAgentSkillsProvider(this._testRoot, options);
+        var invokingContext = new AIContextProvider.InvokingContext(this._agent, session: null, new AIContext());
+
+        // Act
+        var result = await provider.InvokingAsync(invokingContext, CancellationToken.None);
+
+        // Assert — the custom template wraps the skill list
+        Assert.NotNull(result.Instructions);
+        Assert.StartsWith("== Skills ==", result.Instructions);
+        Assert.Contains("custom-tpl-skill", result.Instructions);
+        Assert.Contains("== End ==", result.Instructions);
+    }
+
     [Fact]
     public async Task InvokingCoreAsync_SkillNamesAreXmlEscapedAsync()
     {