diff --git a/investigate/SKILL.md b/investigate/SKILL.md
index 918bd95f0..f17426d42 100644
--- a/investigate/SKILL.md
+++ b/investigate/SKILL.md
@@ -23,12 +23,12 @@ hooks:
     - matcher: "Edit"
       hooks:
         - type: command
-          command: 'bash -c ''S="${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../freeze/bin/check-freeze.sh"; [ -x "$S" ] || S="${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../gstack-freeze/bin/check-freeze.sh"; [ -x "$S" ] && bash "$S" || exit 0'''
+          command: 'bash -c ''S="$HOME/.claude/skills/gstack/freeze/bin/check-freeze.sh"; [ -x "$S" ] && exec bash "$S"; exit 0'''
           statusMessage: "Checking debug scope boundary..."
     - matcher: "Write"
       hooks:
         - type: command
-          command: 'bash -c ''S="${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../freeze/bin/check-freeze.sh"; [ -x "$S" ] || S="${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../gstack-freeze/bin/check-freeze.sh"; [ -x "$S" ] && bash "$S" || exit 0'''
+          command: 'bash -c ''S="$HOME/.claude/skills/gstack/freeze/bin/check-freeze.sh"; [ -x "$S" ] && exec bash "$S"; exit 0'''
           statusMessage: "Checking debug scope boundary..."
 gbrain:
   schema: 1
@@ -910,8 +910,10 @@ If any learnings come back, name which one applies to your investigation in one
 After forming your root cause hypothesis, lock edits to the affected module to prevent scope creep.
 
 ```bash
-_FREEZE_SCRIPT="${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../freeze/bin/check-freeze.sh"
-[ -x "$_FREEZE_SCRIPT" ] || _FREEZE_SCRIPT="${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../gstack-freeze/bin/check-freeze.sh"
+# $HOME-anchored like the careful/freeze frontmatter hooks (#1871): frontmatter
+# hooks and early skill bash run before any runtime var like CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR
+# exists, so a ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}-relative path silently never resolves (#2469).
+_FREEZE_SCRIPT="$HOME/.claude/skills/gstack/freeze/bin/check-freeze.sh"
 [ -x "$_FREEZE_SCRIPT" ] && echo "FREEZE_AVAILABLE" || echo "FREEZE_UNAVAILABLE"
 ```
 
diff --git a/investigate/SKILL.md.tmpl b/investigate/SKILL.md.tmpl
index 67e254d74..c7cd9a99a 100644
--- a/investigate/SKILL.md.tmpl
+++ b/investigate/SKILL.md.tmpl
@@ -30,12 +30,12 @@ hooks:
     - matcher: "Edit"
       hooks:
         - type: command
-          command: 'bash -c ''S="${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../freeze/bin/check-freeze.sh"; [ -x "$S" ] || S="${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../gstack-freeze/bin/check-freeze.sh"; [ -x "$S" ] && bash "$S" || exit 0'''
+          command: 'bash -c ''S="$HOME/.claude/skills/gstack/freeze/bin/check-freeze.sh"; [ -x "$S" ] && exec bash "$S"; exit 0'''
           statusMessage: "Checking debug scope boundary..."
     - matcher: "Write"
       hooks:
         - type: command
-          command: 'bash -c ''S="${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../freeze/bin/check-freeze.sh"; [ -x "$S" ] || S="${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../gstack-freeze/bin/check-freeze.sh"; [ -x "$S" ] && bash "$S" || exit 0'''
+          command: 'bash -c ''S="$HOME/.claude/skills/gstack/freeze/bin/check-freeze.sh"; [ -x "$S" ] && exec bash "$S"; exit 0'''
           statusMessage: "Checking debug scope boundary..."
 gbrain:
   schema: 1
@@ -118,8 +118,10 @@ If any learnings come back, name which one applies to your investigation in one
 After forming your root cause hypothesis, lock edits to the affected module to prevent scope creep.
 
 ```bash
-_FREEZE_SCRIPT="${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../freeze/bin/check-freeze.sh"
-[ -x "$_FREEZE_SCRIPT" ] || _FREEZE_SCRIPT="${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../gstack-freeze/bin/check-freeze.sh"
+# $HOME-anchored like the careful/freeze frontmatter hooks (#1871): frontmatter
+# hooks and early skill bash run before any runtime var like CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR
+# exists, so a ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}-relative path silently never resolves (#2469).
+_FREEZE_SCRIPT="$HOME/.claude/skills/gstack/freeze/bin/check-freeze.sh"
 [ -x "$_FREEZE_SCRIPT" ] && echo "FREEZE_AVAILABLE" || echo "FREEZE_UNAVAILABLE"
 ```
 
diff --git a/test/hook-scripts.test.ts b/test/hook-scripts.test.ts
index 60c727a6c..96db60e5a 100644
--- a/test/hook-scripts.test.ts
+++ b/test/hook-scripts.test.ts
@@ -56,6 +56,27 @@ function withFreezeDir(freezePath: string, fn: (stateDir: string) => void) {
   }
 }
 
+// ============================================================
+// Frontmatter hook wiring (#2469 / #1871)
+// ============================================================
+// Frontmatter hooks run before any runtime variable exists, so a
+// ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}-relative command silently never resolves and the guard
+// never fires. Every command: line must anchor on $HOME like careful/freeze.
+describe('frontmatter hook command paths', () => {
+  test.each(['investigate/SKILL.md', 'careful/SKILL.md', 'freeze/SKILL.md', 'guard/SKILL.md'])(
+    '%s hook commands are $HOME-anchored, never CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR',
+    (rel) => {
+      const content = fs.readFileSync(path.join(ROOT, rel), 'utf-8');
+      const commandLines = content.split('\n').filter((l) => l.trim().startsWith('command:'));
+      expect(commandLines.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+      for (const line of commandLines) {
+        expect(line).not.toContain('CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR');
+        expect(line).toContain('$HOME/.claude/skills/gstack/');
+      }
+    },
+  );
+});
+
 // ============================================================
 // check-careful.sh tests
 // ============================================================
diff --git a/test/investigate-freeze-path.test.ts b/test/investigate-freeze-path.test.ts
index 2ef4a72b7..7b9ef0cae 100644
--- a/test/investigate-freeze-path.test.ts
+++ b/test/investigate-freeze-path.test.ts
@@ -5,20 +5,29 @@ import * as path from 'path';
 const ROOT = path.resolve(import.meta.dir, '..');
 const FILES = ['investigate/SKILL.md.tmpl', 'investigate/SKILL.md'];
 
+// #2469: frontmatter hooks (and early skill bash) run before any runtime
+// variable exists, so a ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}-relative path silently never
+// resolved and the scope-lock guard failed open via `|| exit 0`. Both the
+// hook commands and the Scope Lock probe must anchor on $HOME like the
+// careful/freeze skills (#1871). The old standalone `gstack-freeze` sibling
+// fallback was part of the never-resolving path — prefix installs keep the
+// payload at ~/.claude/skills/gstack/, so the $HOME anchor covers them.
 describe('investigate freeze path resolution', () => {
   for (const rel of FILES) {
     const content = fs.readFileSync(path.join(ROOT, rel), 'utf-8');
 
-    test(`${rel} hook falls back to standalone gstack-freeze install`, () => {
-      expect(content).toContain('${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../freeze/bin/check-freeze.sh');
-      expect(content).toContain('${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../gstack-freeze/bin/check-freeze.sh');
-      expect(content).toContain('[ -x "$S" ] && bash "$S" || exit 0');
-      expect(content).toContain("command: 'bash -c ''");
+    test(`${rel} hook resolves check-freeze via the $HOME anchor`, () => {
+      expect(content).toContain('S="$HOME/.claude/skills/gstack/freeze/bin/check-freeze.sh"');
+      expect(content).toContain('[ -x "$S" ] && exec bash "$S"; exit 0');
+      const commandLines = content.split('\n').filter((l) => l.trim().startsWith('command:'));
+      expect(commandLines.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+      for (const line of commandLines) {
+        expect(line).not.toContain('CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR');
+      }
     });
 
-    test(`${rel} scope lock availability check supports standalone install`, () => {
-      expect(content).toContain('_FREEZE_SCRIPT="${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../freeze/bin/check-freeze.sh"');
-      expect(content).toContain('[ -x "$_FREEZE_SCRIPT" ] || _FREEZE_SCRIPT="${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../gstack-freeze/bin/check-freeze.sh"');
+    test(`${rel} scope lock availability probe uses the $HOME anchor`, () => {
+      expect(content).toContain('_FREEZE_SCRIPT="$HOME/.claude/skills/gstack/freeze/bin/check-freeze.sh"');
       expect(content).toContain('[ -x "$_FREEZE_SCRIPT" ] && echo "FREEZE_AVAILABLE" || echo "FREEZE_UNAVAILABLE"');
     });
   }