diff --git a/scripts/gen-skill-docs.ts b/scripts/gen-skill-docs.ts
index 71aa1a34c..63d8100f6 100644
--- a/scripts/gen-skill-docs.ts
+++ b/scripts/gen-skill-docs.ts
@@ -128,8 +128,24 @@ const CATALOG_MODE: 'trim' | 'full' = (() => {
 // the model skips them when EXPLAIN_LEVEL: terse appears in the preamble echo).
 // Opt-in via the build flag so most users get the runtime-flexible default.
 const EXPLAIN_LEVEL_ARG = process.argv.find(a => a.startsWith('--explain-level'));
+function loadConfiguredExplainLevel(): 'default' | 'terse' {
+  if (!RESPECT_DETECTION) return 'default';
+  const stateDir = process.env.GSTACK_STATE_ROOT
+    || process.env.GSTACK_HOME
+    || process.env.GSTACK_STATE_DIR
+    || path.join(process.env.HOME || '', '.gstack');
+  const configPath = path.join(stateDir, 'config.yaml');
+  try {
+    const config = fs.readFileSync(configPath, 'utf-8');
+    const match = config.match(/^\s*explain_level\s*:\s*(default|terse)\s*$/m);
+    return match?.[1] === 'terse' ? 'terse' : 'default';
+  } catch {
+    return 'default';
+  }
+}
+
 const EXPLAIN_LEVEL: 'default' | 'terse' = (() => {
-  if (!EXPLAIN_LEVEL_ARG) return 'default';
+  if (!EXPLAIN_LEVEL_ARG) return loadConfiguredExplainLevel();
   const val = EXPLAIN_LEVEL_ARG.includes('=')
     ? EXPLAIN_LEVEL_ARG.split('=')[1]
     : process.argv[process.argv.indexOf(EXPLAIN_LEVEL_ARG) + 1];
diff --git a/setup b/setup
index 275236cd3..ad0257791 100755
--- a/setup
+++ b/setup
@@ -1277,24 +1277,26 @@ if [ "$NO_TEAM_MODE" -eq 1 ]; then
   log "Team mode disabled: auto-update hook removed."
 fi
 
-# ─── GBrain detection + conditional SKILL.md regen ──────────────────────
+# ─── User-local SKILL.md regen ───────────────────────────────────────────
 #
 # Detect whether gbrain is installed and persist the result to
 # ~/.gstack/gbrain-detection.json so gen-skill-docs can decide whether to
-# render GBRAIN_CONTEXT_LOAD and GBRAIN_SAVE_RESULTS blocks. If detected,
-# regenerate the Claude-host SKILL.md files with the un-suppressed
-# (compressed) brain-aware blocks via `bun run gen:skill-docs:user`.
+# render GBRAIN_CONTEXT_LOAD and GBRAIN_SAVE_RESULTS blocks.
 #
-# If gbrain is not detected, the canonical no-gbrain SKILL.md files
-# (which were just generated above by `gen:skill-docs --host claude` if
-# applicable, or which are checked in) stay as-is. Zero token overhead
-# for non-gbrain users.
+# Also honor user-local explain_level=terse at setup/session-update time. The
+# canonical checked-in SKILL.md files stay full-prose; `gen:skill-docs:user`
+# applies local config only when setup updates a user's installed skills.
 #
 # Users who install gbrain after running ./setup should re-run setup OR
 # call `gstack-config gbrain-refresh` + `bun run gen:skill-docs:user`.
 DETECT_BIN="$SOURCE_GSTACK_DIR/bin/gstack-gbrain-detect"
 GBRAIN_STATE_DIR="${GSTACK_HOME:-$HOME/.gstack}"
 DETECTION_FILE="$GBRAIN_STATE_DIR/gbrain-detection.json"
+USER_LOCAL_RENDER_REASON=""
+USER_EXPLAIN_LEVEL="$("$GSTACK_CONFIG" get explain_level 2>/dev/null || echo default)"
+if [ "$USER_EXPLAIN_LEVEL" = "terse" ]; then
+  USER_LOCAL_RENDER_REASON="explain_level=terse"
+fi
 # PID-unique tmp so concurrent setups (parallel Conductor workspaces) can't
 # clobber each other's in-flight detection write.
 DETECTION_TMP="$DETECTION_FILE.$$.tmp"
@@ -1306,19 +1308,10 @@ if [ -x "$DETECT_BIN" ]; then
     # detection (exit 0 iff ok), so setup, bin/dev-setup, and gstack-config
     # all gate on the same check instead of re-grepping the JSON.
     if "$DETECT_BIN" --is-ok 2>/dev/null; then
-      if [ -n "${GSTACK_SKIP_GBRAIN_REGEN:-}" ]; then
-        # Dev/source tree (set by bin/dev-setup): never regenerate tracked
-        # SKILL.md in place — that dirties checked-in source. Detection is
-        # still persisted above; the dev workspace renders the :user variant
-        # into an untracked dir, and other projects get blocks via
-        # `gstack-config gbrain-refresh`.
-        log "gbrain detected — GSTACK_SKIP_GBRAIN_REGEN set: leaving tracked SKILL.md canonical (dev/source tree)."
+      if [ -n "$USER_LOCAL_RENDER_REASON" ]; then
+        USER_LOCAL_RENDER_REASON="$USER_LOCAL_RENDER_REASON + brain-aware blocks"
       else
-        log "gbrain detected — regenerating Claude SKILL.md with brain-aware blocks (~250 token overhead per planning skill)..."
-        (
-          cd "$SOURCE_GSTACK_DIR"
-          bun_cmd run gen:skill-docs:user --host claude 2>&1 | tail -3
-        ) || log "  warning: gen:skill-docs:user failed — run 'bun run gen:skill-docs:user' manually if you want brain-aware blocks"
+        USER_LOCAL_RENDER_REASON="brain-aware blocks"
       fi
     else
       log "gbrain not detected — brain-aware blocks suppressed in planning-skill SKILL.md files (zero token overhead)."
@@ -1330,6 +1323,22 @@ if [ -x "$DETECT_BIN" ]; then
   fi
 fi
 
+if [ -n "$USER_LOCAL_RENDER_REASON" ]; then
+  if [ -n "${GSTACK_SKIP_GBRAIN_REGEN:-}" ]; then
+    # Dev/source tree (set by bin/dev-setup): never regenerate tracked
+    # SKILL.md in place — that dirties checked-in source. Detection is still
+    # persisted above; the dev workspace renders the :user variant into an
+    # untracked dir, and other projects get local blocks via setup/session-update.
+    log "user-local SKILL.md render needed ($USER_LOCAL_RENDER_REASON) — GSTACK_SKIP_GBRAIN_REGEN set: leaving tracked SKILL.md canonical (dev/source tree)."
+  else
+    log "regenerating Claude SKILL.md with user-local settings ($USER_LOCAL_RENDER_REASON)..."
+    (
+      cd "$SOURCE_GSTACK_DIR"
+      bun_cmd run gen:skill-docs:user --host claude 2>&1 | tail -3
+    ) || log "  warning: gen:skill-docs:user failed — run 'bun run gen:skill-docs:user --host claude' manually to apply user-local settings"
+  fi
+fi
+
 # 11. Plan-tune cathedral hook install (T8).
 #
 # Registers PostToolUse (deterministic AUQ capture) + PreToolUse (preference
diff --git a/test/gen-skill-docs.test.ts b/test/gen-skill-docs.test.ts
index 2fb783ffd..4136bc521 100644
--- a/test/gen-skill-docs.test.ts
+++ b/test/gen-skill-docs.test.ts
@@ -393,6 +393,39 @@ describe('gen-skill-docs', () => {
     expect(Buffer.byteLength(writingStyle, 'utf-8')).toBeLessThan(2_000);
   });
 
+  test('user-local generation structurally honors explain_level: terse', () => {
+    const stateDir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'gstack-user-config-'));
+    const outDir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'gstack-user-render-'));
+    try {
+      fs.writeFileSync(path.join(stateDir, 'config.yaml'), 'explain_level: terse\n');
+      const result = Bun.spawnSync([
+        'bun', 'run', 'scripts/gen-skill-docs.ts',
+        '--respect-detection',
+        '--host', 'claude',
+        '--out-dir', outDir,
+      ], {
+        cwd: ROOT,
+        stdout: 'pipe',
+        stderr: 'pipe',
+        env: { ...process.env, GSTACK_HOME: stateDir, GSTACK_STATE_ROOT: stateDir },
+      });
+      const stderr = result.stderr.toString();
+      const stdout = result.stdout.toString();
+
+      expect(result.exitCode, `${stdout}\n${stderr}`).toBe(0);
+
+      const content = fs.readFileSync(path.join(outDir, 'plan-eng-review', 'SKILL.md'), 'utf-8');
+      expect(content).toContain('Terse mode (build-time)');
+      expect(content).not.toContain('Curated jargon list lives');
+      expect(content).not.toContain('## Completeness Principle — Boil the Ocean');
+      expect(content).not.toContain('## Confusion Protocol');
+      expect(content).not.toContain('## Context Health (soft directive)');
+    } finally {
+      fs.rmSync(stateDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+      fs.rmSync(outDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+
   test('slim voice section preserves the gstack voice contract', () => {
     const content = readSkillUnion('plan-eng-review'); // carved: review body moved to section
     const voice = extractMarkdownSection(content, '## Voice');
@@ -2507,6 +2540,20 @@ describe('setup script validation', () => {
     expect(setupContent).toContain('GSTACK_CONFIG');
   });
 
+  test('setup applies user-local skill rendering for terse mode without requiring gbrain', () => {
+    const regenSectionStart = setupContent.indexOf('# ─── User-local SKILL.md regen');
+    const regenSectionEnd = setupContent.indexOf('# 11. Plan-tune cathedral hook install', regenSectionStart);
+    const regenSection = setupContent.slice(regenSectionStart, regenSectionEnd);
+    const gbrainElseStart = regenSection.indexOf('gbrain not detected');
+    const userRenderIndex = regenSection.indexOf('gen:skill-docs:user --host claude');
+
+    expect(regenSection).toContain('get explain_level');
+    expect(regenSection).toContain('explain_level=terse');
+    expect(userRenderIndex).toBeGreaterThan(-1);
+    expect(gbrainElseStart).toBeGreaterThan(-1);
+    expect(userRenderIndex).toBeGreaterThan(gbrainElseStart);
+  });
+
   test('setup supports --prefix flag', () => {
     expect(setupContent).toContain('--prefix)');
     expect(setupContent).toContain('SKILL_PREFIX=1; SKILL_PREFIX_FLAG=1');