diff --git a/src/hooks/init/claude.rs b/src/hooks/init/claude.rs
index 2f83eafe81..9c7f429f24 100644
--- a/src/hooks/init/claude.rs
+++ b/src/hooks/init/claude.rs
@@ -235,6 +235,9 @@ fn patch_settings_json_command(
 
     insert_hook_entry(&mut root, hook_command)?;
 
+    if !dry_run {
+        ensure_parent_dir(&settings_path)?;
+    }
     update_json_file(
         &settings_path,
         &root,
@@ -1016,6 +1019,57 @@ mod tests {
         });
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn test_global_default_mode_creates_missing_claude_dir() {
+        let tmp = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+        with_missing_claude_dir_override(&tmp, |claude_dir| {
+            run_default_mode(true, PatchMode::Auto, false, InitContext::default()).unwrap();
+
+            assert!(
+                claude_dir.exists(),
+                "missing Claude config dir must be created"
+            );
+            assert!(claude_dir.join(RTK_MD).exists(), "RTK.md must be created");
+            assert!(
+                claude_dir.join(CLAUDE_MD).exists(),
+                "CLAUDE.md must be created"
+            );
+            assert!(
+                claude_dir.join(SETTINGS_JSON).exists(),
+                "settings.json must be created"
+            );
+        });
+    }
+
+    /// `--opencode` is installed after RTK.md. A missing Claude dir must not
+    /// abort before that install. Unix only: OpenCode resolves through
+    /// `dirs::home_dir()`, which follows `$HOME` on Unix and ignores it on Windows.
+    #[cfg(unix)]
+    #[test]
+    fn test_global_opencode_installs_when_claude_dir_missing() {
+        use crate::hooks::constants::{
+            CONFIG_DIR, OPENCODE_PLUGIN_FILE, OPENCODE_SUBDIR, PLUGIN_SUBDIR,
+        };
+
+        let tmp = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+        with_missing_claude_dir_override(&tmp, |claude_dir| {
+            run_default_mode(true, PatchMode::Auto, true, InitContext::default()).unwrap();
+
+            assert!(claude_dir.join(RTK_MD).exists(), "RTK.md must be created");
+            let plugin = tmp
+                .path()
+                .join("home")
+                .join(CONFIG_DIR)
+                .join(OPENCODE_SUBDIR)
+                .join(PLUGIN_SUBDIR)
+                .join(OPENCODE_PLUGIN_FILE);
+            assert!(
+                plugin.exists(),
+                "OpenCode plugin must be installed when ~/.claude was missing"
+            );
+        });
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn test_patch_settings_json_tolerates_utf8_bom() {
         let tmp = TempDir::new().unwrap();
@@ -1171,6 +1225,28 @@ mod tests {
         });
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn test_global_hook_only_mode_creates_missing_claude_dir() {
+        let tmp = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+        with_missing_claude_dir_override(&tmp, |claude_dir| {
+            run_hook_only_mode(true, PatchMode::Auto, false, InitContext::default()).unwrap();
+
+            assert!(
+                claude_dir.exists(),
+                "missing Claude config dir must be created"
+            );
+            assert!(
+                !claude_dir.join(RTK_MD).exists(),
+                "RTK.md must NOT be created in hook-only mode"
+            );
+            let settings = fs::read_to_string(claude_dir.join(SETTINGS_JSON)).unwrap();
+            assert!(
+                settings.contains(CLAUDE_HOOK_COMMAND),
+                "settings.json must contain hook command"
+            );
+        });
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn test_run_default_mode_dry_run_writes_nothing() {
         let tmp = TempDir::new().unwrap();
@@ -1196,6 +1272,23 @@ mod tests {
         });
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn test_run_default_mode_dry_run_does_not_create_missing_claude_dir() {
+        let tmp = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+        with_missing_claude_dir_override(&tmp, |claude_dir| {
+            let dry = InitContext {
+                dry_run: true,
+                ..Default::default()
+            };
+            run_default_mode(true, PatchMode::Auto, false, dry).unwrap();
+
+            assert!(
+                !claude_dir.exists(),
+                "dry-run must not create missing Claude config dir"
+            );
+        });
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn test_uninstall_dry_run_preserves_artifacts() {
         let tmp = TempDir::new().unwrap();
diff --git a/src/hooks/init/mod.rs b/src/hooks/init/mod.rs
index aacc246a45..ce18146626 100644
--- a/src/hooks/init/mod.rs
+++ b/src/hooks/init/mod.rs
@@ -515,6 +515,7 @@ fn write_if_changed_internal(
                 println!("[dry-run] content:\n{}", content);
             }
         } else {
+            ensure_parent_dir(path)?;
             atomic_write(path, content)
                 .with_context(|| format!("Failed to write {}: {}", name, path.display()))?;
             if verbose > 0 {
@@ -525,6 +526,19 @@ fn write_if_changed_internal(
     }
 }
 
+pub(super) fn ensure_parent_dir(path: &Path) -> Result<()> {
+    let Some(parent) = path.parent() else {
+        return Ok(());
+    };
+
+    if parent.as_os_str().is_empty() {
+        return Ok(());
+    }
+
+    fs::create_dir_all(parent)
+        .with_context(|| format!("Failed to create directory: {}", parent.display()))
+}
+
 /// Resolve the final write target: if `path` is a symlink, follow it so
 /// the atomic rename lands on the real file and the symlink is preserved.
 fn resolve_atomic_target(path: &Path) -> PathBuf {
@@ -1686,6 +1700,24 @@ pub(super) fn with_claude_dir_override<F: FnOnce(&Path)>(tmp: &TempDir, f: F) {
     temp_env::with_var("CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR", Some(&claude_dir), || f(&claude_dir));
 }
 
+#[cfg(test)]
+pub(super) fn with_missing_claude_dir_override<F: FnOnce(&Path)>(tmp: &TempDir, f: F) {
+    let claude_dir = tmp.path().join(CLAUDE_DIR);
+    let home_dir = tmp.path().join("home");
+    assert!(
+        !claude_dir.exists(),
+        "test precondition: Claude config dir must be missing"
+    );
+
+    temp_env::with_vars(
+        [
+            ("CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR", Some(claude_dir.as_os_str())),
+            ("HOME", Some(home_dir.as_os_str())),
+        ],
+        || f(&claude_dir),
+    );
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::claude::{remove_hook_from_json, remove_legacy_hook_entries_from_json};