diff --git a/server/__tests__/skill-plugins.test.js b/server/__tests__/skill-plugins.test.js
index 61ed9aea..4a7ea256 100644
--- a/server/__tests__/skill-plugins.test.js
+++ b/server/__tests__/skill-plugins.test.js
@@ -238,3 +238,52 @@ describe("autoInstallSkillPlugins", () => {
     assert.deepEqual(run.calls, []);
   });
 });
+
+describe("runClaudePlugin: the env it spawns with", () => {
+  // Every other test in this file injects `run`, so nothing exercises the real
+  // spawn. That gap is how a wrong CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR pin lived here: the CLI
+  // writes `.claude.json` INSIDE that dir, while cc-discovery reads it beside
+  // ~/.claude by default, so pinning it unconditionally aimed writes at a file
+  // nothing reads. cc-plugin-cli.js's runClaude has the mirror of this test.
+  const PRINT_ENV = 'printf "%s\\n" "CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR=${CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR-<unset>}"';
+
+  function stubClaude(body) {
+    const bin = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "agenthub-skillplug-bin-"));
+    const file = path.join(bin, "claude");
+    fs.writeFileSync(file, `#!/usr/bin/env bash\n${body}\n`);
+    fs.chmodSync(file, 0o755);
+    const originalPath = process.env.PATH;
+    process.env.PATH = `${bin}${path.delimiter}${originalPath}`;
+    return () => {
+      process.env.PATH = originalPath;
+      fs.rmSync(bin, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    };
+  }
+
+  it("leaves CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR unset when CLAUDE_HOME is not set", () => {
+    const original = process.env.CLAUDE_HOME;
+    delete process.env.CLAUDE_HOME;
+    const restore = stubClaude(PRINT_ENV);
+    try {
+      const res = skillPlugins.runClaudePlugin(["plugin", "list"], 10_000);
+      assert.equal(res.output.trim(), "CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR=<unset>");
+    } finally {
+      restore();
+      if (original !== undefined) process.env.CLAUDE_HOME = original;
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("pins CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR to CLAUDE_HOME when the operator set it", () => {
+    const original = process.env.CLAUDE_HOME;
+    process.env.CLAUDE_HOME = "/tmp/some-other-claude-home";
+    const restore = stubClaude(PRINT_ENV);
+    try {
+      const res = skillPlugins.runClaudePlugin(["plugin", "list"], 10_000);
+      assert.equal(res.output.trim(), "CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR=/tmp/some-other-claude-home");
+    } finally {
+      restore();
+      if (original === undefined) delete process.env.CLAUDE_HOME;
+      else process.env.CLAUDE_HOME = original;
+    }
+  });
+});
diff --git a/server/lib/skill-plugins.js b/server/lib/skill-plugins.js
index 3d8a66cc..21bbc85a 100644
--- a/server/lib/skill-plugins.js
+++ b/server/lib/skill-plugins.js
@@ -220,4 +220,8 @@ module.exports = {
   requiredSkillPlugins,
   missingSkillPlugins,
   autoInstallSkillPlugins,
+  // Exported only so a test can pin the env it spawns with. Every other test
+  // injects `run` and so never reaches the real spawn — which is how an
+  // unconditional CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR pin could be restored here unnoticed.
+  runClaudePlugin,
 };