diff --git a/.agents/skills/strategic-compact/SKILL.md b/.agents/skills/strategic-compact/SKILL.md
index cbad6c428..e402dd81c 100644
--- a/.agents/skills/strategic-compact/SKILL.md
+++ b/.agents/skills/strategic-compact/SKILL.md
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ Use this table to decide when to compact:
 | Phase Transition | Compact? | Why |
 |-----------------|----------|-----|
 | Research → Planning | Yes | Research context is bulky; plan is the distilled output |
-| Planning → Implementation | Yes | Plan is in TodoWrite or a file; free up context for code |
+| Planning → Implementation | Yes | Plan is written down (a file, or the task list if you have one); free up context for code |
 | Implementation → Testing | Maybe | Keep if tests reference recent code; compact if switching focus |
 | Debugging → Next feature | Yes | Debug traces pollute context for unrelated work |
 | Mid-implementation | No | Losing variable names, file paths, and partial state is costly |
@@ -86,14 +86,28 @@ Understanding what persists helps you compact with confidence:
 | Persists | Lost |
 |----------|------|
 | CLAUDE.md instructions | Intermediate reasoning and analysis |
-| TodoWrite task list | File contents you previously read |
+| Files on disk | File contents you previously read |
 | Memory files (`~/.claude/memory/`) | Multi-step conversation context |
 | Git state (commits, branches) | Tool call history and counts |
-| Files on disk | Nuanced user preferences stated verbally |
+| The task list — **only if you have the todo tools** (see below) | Nuanced user preferences stated verbally |
+
+> ### Don't rely on the task list surviving — it may not exist
+>
+> Claude Code **2.1.233 removed the todo/task tools by default** on Opus 4.8, Sonnet 5,
+> Fable 5, Mythos 5 and newer models (`TodoWrite`, `TaskCreate/Get/Update/List`).
+> `CLAUDE_CODE_ENABLE_TODO_TOOLS=1` brings them back, but that is a per-machine
+> environment setting — **it does not travel with this skill**, so you cannot assume the
+> reader has it.
+>
+> This matters because "my todo list survives compaction" is a reason people compact
+> *instead of* writing state down. If the tools are absent there is no list to survive,
+> and the plan is simply gone. **Write the plan to a file before compacting** — a file
+> persists on every version and every model. Treat the task list as a convenience that
+> may be missing, never as your durable record.
 
 ## Best Practices
 
-1. **Compact after planning** — Once plan is finalized in TodoWrite, compact to start fresh
+1. **Compact after planning** — Once the plan is finalized **and written to a file**, compact to start fresh
 2. **Compact after debugging** — Clear error-resolution context before continuing
 3. **Don't compact mid-implementation** — Preserve context for related changes
 4. **Read the suggestion** — The hook tells you *when*, you decide *if*
diff --git a/.kiro/skills/strategic-compact/SKILL.md b/.kiro/skills/strategic-compact/SKILL.md
index 0d88fe563..a9a1efe50 100644
--- a/.kiro/skills/strategic-compact/SKILL.md
+++ b/.kiro/skills/strategic-compact/SKILL.md
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ Use this table to decide when to compact:
 | Phase Transition | Compact? | Why |
 |-----------------|----------|-----|
 | Research → Planning | Yes | Research context is bulky; plan is the distilled output |
-| Planning → Implementation | Yes | Plan is in TodoWrite or a file; free up context for code |
+| Planning → Implementation | Yes | Plan is written down (a file, or the task list if you have one); free up context for code |
 | Implementation → Testing | Maybe | Keep if tests reference recent code; compact if switching focus |
 | Debugging → Next feature | Yes | Debug traces pollute context for unrelated work |
 | Mid-implementation | No | Losing variable names, file paths, and partial state is costly |
@@ -84,14 +84,28 @@ Understanding what persists helps you compact with confidence:
 | Persists | Lost |
 |----------|------|
 | CLAUDE.md instructions | Intermediate reasoning and analysis |
-| TodoWrite task list | File contents you previously read |
+| Files on disk | File contents you previously read |
 | Memory files (`~/.claude/memory/`) | Multi-step conversation context |
 | Git state (commits, branches) | Tool call history and counts |
-| Files on disk | Nuanced user preferences stated verbally |
+| The task list — **only if you have the todo tools** (see below) | Nuanced user preferences stated verbally |
+
+> ### Don't rely on the task list surviving — it may not exist
+>
+> Claude Code **2.1.233 removed the todo/task tools by default** on Opus 4.8, Sonnet 5,
+> Fable 5, Mythos 5 and newer models (`TodoWrite`, `TaskCreate/Get/Update/List`).
+> `CLAUDE_CODE_ENABLE_TODO_TOOLS=1` brings them back, but that is a per-machine
+> environment setting — **it does not travel with this skill**, so you cannot assume the
+> reader has it.
+>
+> This matters because "my todo list survives compaction" is a reason people compact
+> *instead of* writing state down. If the tools are absent there is no list to survive,
+> and the plan is simply gone. **Write the plan to a file before compacting** — a file
+> persists on every version and every model. Treat the task list as a convenience that
+> may be missing, never as your durable record.
 
 ## Best Practices
 
-1. **Compact after planning** — Once plan is finalized in TodoWrite, compact to start fresh
+1. **Compact after planning** — Once the plan is finalized **and written to a file**, compact to start fresh
 2. **Compact after debugging** — Clear error-resolution context before continuing
 3. **Don't compact mid-implementation** — Preserve context for related changes
 4. **Read the suggestion** — The hook tells you *when*, you decide *if*
diff --git a/skills/strategic-compact/SKILL.md b/skills/strategic-compact/SKILL.md
index 0f7923553..134e76715 100644
--- a/skills/strategic-compact/SKILL.md
+++ b/skills/strategic-compact/SKILL.md
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ Use this table to decide when to compact:
 | Phase Transition | Compact? | Why |
 |-----------------|----------|-----|
 | Research → Planning | Yes | Research context is bulky; plan is the distilled output |
-| Planning → Implementation | Yes | Plan is in TodoWrite or a file; free up context for code |
+| Planning → Implementation | Yes | Plan is written down (a file, or the task list if you have one); free up context for code |
 | Implementation → Testing | Maybe | Keep if tests reference recent code; compact if switching focus |
 | Debugging → Next feature | Yes | Debug traces pollute context for unrelated work |
 | Mid-implementation | No | Losing variable names, file paths, and partial state is costly |
@@ -93,14 +93,28 @@ Understanding what persists helps you compact with confidence:
 | Persists | Lost |
 |----------|------|
 | CLAUDE.md instructions | Intermediate reasoning and analysis |
-| TodoWrite task list | File contents you previously read |
+| Files on disk | File contents you previously read |
 | Memory files (`~/.claude/memory/`) | Multi-step conversation context |
 | Git state (commits, branches) | Tool call history and counts |
-| Files on disk | Nuanced user preferences stated verbally |
+| The task list — **only if you have the todo tools** (see below) | Nuanced user preferences stated verbally |
+
+> ### Don't rely on the task list surviving — it may not exist
+>
+> Claude Code **2.1.233 removed the todo/task tools by default** on Opus 4.8, Sonnet 5,
+> Fable 5, Mythos 5 and newer models (`TodoWrite`, `TaskCreate/Get/Update/List`).
+> `CLAUDE_CODE_ENABLE_TODO_TOOLS=1` brings them back, but that is a per-machine
+> environment setting — **it does not travel with this skill**, so you cannot assume the
+> reader has it.
+>
+> This matters because "my todo list survives compaction" is a reason people compact
+> *instead of* writing state down. If the tools are absent there is no list to survive,
+> and the plan is simply gone. **Write the plan to a file before compacting** — a file
+> persists on every version and every model. Treat the task list as a convenience that
+> may be missing, never as your durable record.
 
 ## Best Practices
 
-1. **Compact after planning** — Once plan is finalized in TodoWrite, compact to start fresh
+1. **Compact after planning** — Once the plan is finalized **and written to a file**, compact to start fresh
 2. **Compact after debugging** — Clear error-resolution context before continuing
 3. **Don't compact mid-implementation** — Preserve context for related changes
 4. **Read the suggestion** — The hook tells you *when*, you decide *if*