diff --git a/.claude/skills/mechanical-refactor-verify/SKILL.md b/.claude/skills/mechanical-refactor-verify/SKILL.md
new file mode 100644
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+++ b/.claude/skills/mechanical-refactor-verify/SKILL.md
@@ -0,0 +1,134 @@
+---
+name: mechanical-refactor-verify
+description: Verify mechanical refactoring commits by requiring a reproducible transform script (gist) in the PR description. Use when doing or reviewing file splits, function moves, or module extractions.
+user_invocable: true
+argument: "[verify <pr_url_or_commit>] — verify an existing PR, or omit to see the workflow guide"
+---
+
+# Mechanical Refactor — Reproducible Verification
+
+## Core Principle
+
+The deliverable of a mechanical move (file split, function move, module extraction) is NOT the diff — it is **the script that produces the diff**.
+A script is auditable; a diff is not.
+
+## Workflow
+
+Regardless of who did the move (human or agent) and when (before or after committing), the workflow is the same:
+
+### Step 1: Write the transform script to /tmp/
+
+Write the script to `/tmp/transform_<short_description>.py`. **Never write it inside the repo.**
+
+The scaffold (worktree creation, diff check, ruff format, result reporting) lives in `mechanical_refactor_verify_utils.py` next to this skill.
+
+**MANDATORY**: The transform script MUST use `verify_mechanical_refactor()` from the utils module. Do NOT reimplement the verification scaffold — no hand-written worktree management, no hand-written diff checking. The script only defines `transform()` and calls `verify_mechanical_refactor`.
+
+Script template (follow this structure exactly):
+
+```python
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Reproducible transform for: <describe the mechanical move>
+
+Run from the repo root:  python3 /tmp/transform_<short_description>.py
+"""
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+sys.path.append(".claude/skills/mechanical-refactor-verify")
+from mechanical_refactor_verify_utils import verify_mechanical_refactor, exec_command, git_add_and_commit, dedent
+
+BASE_COMMIT = "<base_sha>"
+TARGET_COMMIT = "<pr_mechanical_move_final_sha>"
+
+
+def transform(dir_root: Path) -> None:
+    """Perform the mechanical transformation and commit each step.
+
+    Args:
+        dir_root: Path to the worktree (checked out at BASE_COMMIT).
+    """
+    # --- Step 1: Split source file ---
+    source = dir_root / "path/to/source.py"
+    content = source.read_text()
+    lines = content.splitlines(keepends=True)
+
+    splits = [
+        ("path/to/pkg/target_a.py", 1, 50),
+        ("path/to/pkg/target_b.py", 51, 120),
+    ]
+    for target_path, start, end in splits:
+        target = dir_root / target_path
+        target.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        target.write_text("".join(lines[start - 1 : end]))
+
+    source.unlink()
+    (dir_root / "path/to/pkg/__init__.py").touch()
+
+    git_add_and_commit("mechanical: split source.py", cwd=str(dir_root))
+
+    # --- Step 2: Fix imports ---
+    # <edit files>
+    # git_add_and_commit("fix imports", cwd=str(dir_root))
+
+    # Note: pre-commit run --all-files is run automatically after transform() returns
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    verify_mechanical_refactor(
+        base_commit=BASE_COMMIT,
+        target_commit=TARGET_COMMIT,
+        transform=transform,
+    )
+```
+
+### Step 2: Run the script from the repo root
+
+```bash
+cd <repo_root>
+python3 /tmp/transform_<short_description>.py
+# Expected: "PASS: transform reproduces the commit exactly."
+```
+
+If FAIL, fix the script and re-run until PASS.
+
+### Step 3: Upload gist, delete local file, update PR description
+
+One gist per PR. Do all three:
+
+```bash
+# 1. Create gist (or update existing)
+gh gist create --public -d "Mechanical refactor transform: <description>" /tmp/transform_<short_description>.py
+# Or update: gh gist edit <gist_id> -a /tmp/transform_<short_description>.py
+
+# 2. Delete local file
+rm /tmp/transform_<short_description>.py
+
+# 3. Update PR description (paste the block below)
+```
+
+PR description must include:
+
+````markdown
+## Mechanical Move
+
+Transform script: <gist_url>
+
+### One-click verification
+
+```bash
+python3 <(curl -sL <gist_raw_url>)
+```
+````
+
+### Step 4: PR scope
+
+A mechanical refactor PR must contain **only** mechanical changes (moves, splits, renames, import fixes, formatting). All of these must be reproducible by the transform script.
+
+Semantic changes (new logic, API restructuring, behavior changes) belong in a **separate PR**.
+
+## Verifying an existing PR (`/mechanical-refactor-verify verify`)
+
+1. Find the gist URL and one-click command in the PR description
+2. Run the one-click command from the repo root
+3. Report: PASS or show the diff
diff --git a/.claude/skills/mechanical-refactor-verify/mechanical_refactor_verify_utils.py b/.claude/skills/mechanical-refactor-verify/mechanical_refactor_verify_utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5896bcb8700
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.claude/skills/mechanical-refactor-verify/mechanical_refactor_verify_utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+"""Utilities for mechanical refactor verification scripts.
+
+See SKILL.md for usage and transform script template.
+"""
+
+import shlex
+import subprocess
+import sys
+import tempfile
+from collections.abc import Callable
+from pathlib import Path
+
+
+def exec_command(cmd: str, cwd: str | None = None, check: bool = True) -> str:
+    print(f"  $ {cmd}", flush=True)
+    result = subprocess.run(
+        cmd,
+        shell=True,
+        cwd=cwd,
+        capture_output=True,
+        text=True,
+    )
+    if check and result.returncode != 0:
+        print(f"FAILED: {result.stderr}", file=sys.stderr)
+        sys.exit(1)
+    return result.stdout.strip()
+
+
+def git_add_and_commit(message: str, cwd: str) -> None:
+    exec_command(f"git add -A && git commit -m {shlex.quote(message)}", cwd=cwd)
+
+
+def dedent(text: str, n: int) -> str:
+    """Remove exactly n leading spaces from each line."""
+    lines = text.splitlines(keepends=True)
+    return "".join(line[n:] if line[:n] == " " * n else line for line in lines)
+
+
+def verify_mechanical_refactor(
+    base_commit: str,
+    target_commit: str,
+    transform: "Callable[[Path], None]",
+) -> None:
+    repo_root = exec_command("git rev-parse --show-toplevel")
+    worktree_dir = tempfile.mkdtemp(prefix="verify-mechanical-")
+    branch_name = f"verify-mechanical-{base_commit[:8]}"
+
+    try:
+        print(f"[1/4] Creating worktree at {base_commit[:8]}...")
+        exec_command(
+            f"git worktree add -b {branch_name} {worktree_dir} {base_commit}",
+            cwd=repo_root,
+        )
+
+        print("[2/4] Running transformation...")
+        transform(Path(worktree_dir))
+
+        print("[3/4] Running pre-commit...")
+        exec_command("pre-commit run --all-files", cwd=worktree_dir, check=False)
+        if exec_command("git status --porcelain", cwd=worktree_dir):
+            git_add_and_commit("pre-commit fixes", cwd=worktree_dir)
+
+        print(f"[4/4] Diffing against {target_commit[:8]}...")
+        diff = exec_command(
+            f"git diff {target_commit} -- .",
+            cwd=worktree_dir,
+            check=False,
+        )
+
+        if diff:
+            print(f"\nFAIL: diff is non-empty:\n{diff}")
+            sys.exit(1)
+        else:
+            print("\nPASS: transform reproduces the commit exactly.")
+
+    finally:
+        print(f"\nWorktree left at: {worktree_dir}")
+        print(f"Branch: {branch_name}")
+        print("To clean up manually:")
+        print(f"  git worktree remove {worktree_dir} && git branch -D {branch_name}")
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index da2e15c936c..d937b99965c 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -192,4 +192,3 @@ glm/
 _examples_synced/
 .env
 .DS_Store
-.claude/