diff --git a/scripts/resolvers/browse.ts b/scripts/resolvers/browse.ts
index a0ae37a70..9a1c5883d 100644
--- a/scripts/resolvers/browse.ts
+++ b/scripts/resolvers/browse.ts
@@ -100,13 +100,17 @@ export function generateSnapshotFlags(_ctx: TemplateContext): string {
 }
 
 export function generateBrowseSetup(ctx: TemplateContext): string {
+  const globalBrowse = ctx.paths.browseDir.startsWith('~')
+    ? `$HOME${ctx.paths.browseDir.slice(1)}/browse`
+    : `${ctx.paths.browseDir}/browse`;
+
   return `## SETUP (run this check BEFORE any browse command)
 
 \`\`\`bash
 _ROOT=$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel 2>/dev/null)
 B=""
 [ -n "$_ROOT" ] && [ -x "$_ROOT/${ctx.paths.localSkillRoot}/browse/dist/browse" ] && B="$_ROOT/${ctx.paths.localSkillRoot}/browse/dist/browse"
-[ -z "$B" ] && B="$HOME${ctx.paths.browseDir.replace(/^~/, '')}/browse"
+[ -z "$B" ] && B="${globalBrowse}"
 if [ -x "$B" ]; then
   echo "READY: $B"
 else
diff --git a/scripts/resolvers/design.ts b/scripts/resolvers/design.ts
index 9f31b3619..016861f05 100644
--- a/scripts/resolvers/design.ts
+++ b/scripts/resolvers/design.ts
@@ -786,13 +786,20 @@ Source: [OpenAI "Designing Delightful Frontends with GPT-5.4"](https://developer
 }
 
 export function generateDesignSetup(ctx: TemplateContext): string {
+  const globalDesign = ctx.paths.designDir.startsWith('~')
+    ? `$HOME${ctx.paths.designDir.slice(1)}/design`
+    : `${ctx.paths.designDir}/design`;
+  const globalBrowse = ctx.paths.browseDir.startsWith('~')
+    ? `$HOME${ctx.paths.browseDir.slice(1)}/browse`
+    : `${ctx.paths.browseDir}/browse`;
+
   return `## DESIGN SETUP (run this check BEFORE any design mockup command)
 
 \`\`\`bash
 _ROOT=$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel 2>/dev/null)
 D=""
 [ -n "$_ROOT" ] && [ -x "$_ROOT/${ctx.paths.localSkillRoot}/design/dist/design" ] && D="$_ROOT/${ctx.paths.localSkillRoot}/design/dist/design"
-[ -z "$D" ] && D="$HOME${ctx.paths.designDir.replace(/^~/, '')}/design"
+[ -z "$D" ] && D="${globalDesign}"
 if [ -x "$D" ]; then
   echo "DESIGN_READY: $D"
 else
@@ -800,7 +807,7 @@ else
 fi
 B=""
 [ -n "$_ROOT" ] && [ -x "$_ROOT/${ctx.paths.localSkillRoot}/browse/dist/browse" ] && B="$_ROOT/${ctx.paths.localSkillRoot}/browse/dist/browse"
-[ -z "$B" ] && B="$HOME${ctx.paths.browseDir.replace(/^~/, '')}/browse"
+[ -z "$B" ] && B="${globalBrowse}"
 if [ -x "$B" ]; then
   echo "BROWSE_READY: $B"
 else
@@ -831,13 +838,17 @@ data, not project files. They persist across branches, conversations, and worksp
 }
 
 export function generateDesignMockup(ctx: TemplateContext): string {
+  const globalDesign = ctx.paths.designDir.startsWith('~')
+    ? `$HOME${ctx.paths.designDir.slice(1)}/design`
+    : `${ctx.paths.designDir}/design`;
+
   return `## Visual Design Exploration
 
 \`\`\`bash
 _ROOT=$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel 2>/dev/null)
 D=""
 [ -n "$_ROOT" ] && [ -x "$_ROOT/${ctx.paths.localSkillRoot}/design/dist/design" ] && D="$_ROOT/${ctx.paths.localSkillRoot}/design/dist/design"
-[ -z "$D" ] && D="$HOME${ctx.paths.designDir.replace(/^~/, '')}/design"
+[ -z "$D" ] && D="${globalDesign}"
 [ -x "$D" ] && echo "DESIGN_READY" || echo "DESIGN_NOT_AVAILABLE"
 \`\`\`
 
diff --git a/test/host-config.test.ts b/test/host-config.test.ts
index 577057033..fd15f5a96 100644
--- a/test/host-config.test.ts
+++ b/test/host-config.test.ts
@@ -23,7 +23,9 @@ import {
   cursor,
   openclaw,
 } from '../hosts/index';
-import { HOST_PATHS } from '../scripts/resolvers/types';
+import { HOST_PATHS, type TemplateContext } from '../scripts/resolvers/types';
+import { generateBrowseSetup } from '../scripts/resolvers/browse';
+import { generateDesignSetup, generateDesignMockup } from '../scripts/resolvers/design';
 
 const ROOT = path.resolve(import.meta.dir, '..');
 
@@ -288,6 +290,37 @@ describe('HOST_PATHS derivation from configs', () => {
   });
 });
 
+// ─── Env-var path resolver regression ───────────────────────
+
+describe('env-var path resolver regression', () => {
+  const hermesCtx: TemplateContext = {
+    skillName: 'gstack',
+    tmplPath: 'gstack/SKILL.md.tmpl',
+    host: 'hermes',
+    paths: HOST_PATHS.hermes,
+  };
+
+  test('browse setup preserves Hermes GSTACK_BROWSE env var path', () => {
+    const setup = generateBrowseSetup(hermesCtx);
+    expect(setup).toContain('B="$GSTACK_BROWSE/browse"');
+    expect(setup).not.toContain('$HOME$GSTACK_BROWSE');
+  });
+
+  test('design setup preserves Hermes GSTACK_DESIGN and GSTACK_BROWSE env var paths', () => {
+    const setup = generateDesignSetup(hermesCtx);
+    expect(setup).toContain('D="$GSTACK_DESIGN/design"');
+    expect(setup).toContain('B="$GSTACK_BROWSE/browse"');
+    expect(setup).not.toContain('$HOME$GSTACK_DESIGN');
+    expect(setup).not.toContain('$HOME$GSTACK_BROWSE');
+  });
+
+  test('design mockup preserves Hermes GSTACK_DESIGN env var path', () => {
+    const mockup = generateDesignMockup(hermesCtx);
+    expect(mockup).toContain('D="$GSTACK_DESIGN/design"');
+    expect(mockup).not.toContain('$HOME$GSTACK_DESIGN');
+  });
+});
+
 // ─── host-config-export.ts CLI ──────────────────────────────
 
 describe('host-config-export.ts CLI', () => {