diff --git a/SKILL.md.tmpl b/SKILL.md.tmpl
index 2b19817e9..402bd0d7b 100644
--- a/SKILL.md.tmpl
+++ b/SKILL.md.tmpl
@@ -1,26 +1,40 @@
 ---
 name: gstack
 preamble-tier: 1
-version: 1.1.0
+version: 1.2.0
 description: |
-  Fast headless browser for QA testing and site dogfooding. Navigate pages, interact with
-  elements, verify state, diff before/after, take annotated screenshots, test responsive
-  layouts, forms, uploads, dialogs, and capture bug evidence. Use when asked to open or
-  test a site, verify a deployment, dogfood a user flow, or file a bug with screenshots. (gstack)
+  Router for the gstack skill suite. Sends any gstack request to the right skill
+  (planning, review, QA, shipping, debugging, docs, security, design). For browser/QA
+  and dogfooding it points you at /browse. Use when you invoke gstack without a specific
+  skill, or ask "which gstack skill fits this?". (gstack)
 allowed-tools:
   - Bash
   - Read
   - AskUserQuestion
 triggers:
-  - browse this page
-  - take a screenshot
-  - navigate to url
-  - inspect the page
+  - gstack
+  - which gstack skill
+  - route this with gstack
 
 ---
 
 {{PREAMBLE}}
 
+## Route first
+
+This is the gstack router. Its one job is to send the request to the right skill.
+
+1. If the request is about a browser, QA, dogfooding, screenshots, or inspecting a page
+   (open a site, test a deploy, take a screenshot, check a flow visually) → invoke `/browse`.
+2. Otherwise, route by the rules below. If nothing matches, answer directly.
+
+Best-effort, record which way you routed (never block on it). Set `ROUTE_OUTCOME` to
+`browse` (sent to /browse), `routed` (sent to another skill), or `direct` (answered
+directly, no skill matched):
+```bash
+~/.claude/skills/gstack/bin/gstack-telemetry-log --event-type route --skill gstack --outcome ROUTE_OUTCOME --session-id "$_SESSION_ID" 2>/dev/null || true
+```
+
 If `PROACTIVE` is `false`: do NOT proactively invoke or suggest other gstack skills during
 this session. Only run skills the user explicitly invokes. This preference persists across
 sessions via `gstack-config`.
@@ -75,236 +89,3 @@ directly as usual.
 
 If the user opts out of suggestions, run `gstack-config set proactive false`.
 If they opt back in, run `gstack-config set proactive true`.
-
-# gstack browse: QA Testing & Dogfooding
-
-Persistent headless Chromium. First call auto-starts (~3s), then ~100-200ms per command.
-Auto-shuts down after 30 min idle. State persists between calls (cookies, tabs, sessions).
-
-{{BROWSE_SETUP}}
-
-## IMPORTANT
-
-- Use the compiled binary via Bash: `$B <command>`
-- NEVER use `mcp__claude-in-chrome__*` tools. They are slow and unreliable.
-- Browser persists between calls — cookies, login sessions, and tabs carry over.
-- Dialogs (alert/confirm/prompt) are auto-accepted by default — no browser lockup.
-- **Show screenshots:** After `$B screenshot`, `$B snapshot -a -o`, or `$B responsive`, always use the Read tool on the output PNG(s) so the user can see them. Without this, screenshots are invisible.
-
-## QA Workflows
-
-> **Credential safety:** Use environment variables for test credentials.
-> Set them before running: `export TEST_EMAIL="..." TEST_PASSWORD="..."`
-
-### Test a user flow (login, signup, checkout, etc.)
-
-```bash
-# 1. Go to the page
-$B goto https://app.example.com/login
-
-# 2. See what's interactive
-$B snapshot -i
-
-# 3. Fill the form using refs
-$B fill @e3 "$TEST_EMAIL"
-$B fill @e4 "$TEST_PASSWORD"
-$B click @e5
-
-# 4. Verify it worked
-$B snapshot -D              # diff shows what changed after clicking
-$B is visible ".dashboard"  # assert the dashboard appeared
-$B screenshot /tmp/after-login.png
-```
-
-### Verify a deployment / check prod
-
-```bash
-$B goto https://yourapp.com
-$B text                          # read the page — does it load?
-$B console                       # any JS errors?
-$B network                       # any failed requests?
-$B js "document.title"           # correct title?
-$B is visible ".hero-section"    # key elements present?
-$B screenshot /tmp/prod-check.png
-```
-
-### Dogfood a feature end-to-end
-
-```bash
-# Navigate to the feature
-$B goto https://app.example.com/new-feature
-
-# Take annotated screenshot — shows every interactive element with labels
-$B snapshot -i -a -o /tmp/feature-annotated.png
-
-# Find ALL clickable things (including divs with cursor:pointer)
-$B snapshot -C
-
-# Walk through the flow
-$B snapshot -i          # baseline
-$B click @e3            # interact
-$B snapshot -D          # what changed? (unified diff)
-
-# Check element states
-$B is visible ".success-toast"
-$B is enabled "#next-step-btn"
-$B is checked "#agree-checkbox"
-
-# Check console for errors after interactions
-$B console
-```
-
-### Test responsive layouts
-
-```bash
-# Quick: 3 screenshots at mobile/tablet/desktop
-$B goto https://yourapp.com
-$B responsive /tmp/layout
-
-# Manual: specific viewport
-$B viewport 375x812     # iPhone
-$B screenshot /tmp/mobile.png
-$B viewport 1440x900    # Desktop
-$B screenshot /tmp/desktop.png
-
-# Element screenshot (crop to specific element)
-$B screenshot "#hero-banner" /tmp/hero.png
-$B snapshot -i
-$B screenshot @e3 /tmp/button.png
-
-# Region crop
-$B screenshot --clip 0,0,800,600 /tmp/above-fold.png
-
-# Viewport only (no scroll)
-$B screenshot --viewport /tmp/viewport.png
-```
-
-### Test file upload
-
-```bash
-$B goto https://app.example.com/upload
-$B snapshot -i
-$B upload @e3 /path/to/test-file.pdf
-$B is visible ".upload-success"
-$B screenshot /tmp/upload-result.png
-```
-
-### Test forms with validation
-
-```bash
-$B goto https://app.example.com/form
-$B snapshot -i
-
-# Submit empty — check validation errors appear
-$B click @e10                        # submit button
-$B snapshot -D                       # diff shows error messages appeared
-$B is visible ".error-message"
-
-# Fill and resubmit
-$B fill @e3 "valid input"
-$B click @e10
-$B snapshot -D                       # diff shows errors gone, success state
-```
-
-### Test dialogs (delete confirmations, prompts)
-
-```bash
-# Set up dialog handling BEFORE triggering
-$B dialog-accept              # will auto-accept next alert/confirm
-$B click "#delete-button"     # triggers confirmation dialog
-$B dialog                     # see what dialog appeared
-$B snapshot -D                # verify the item was deleted
-
-# For prompts that need input
-$B dialog-accept "my answer"  # accept with text
-$B click "#rename-button"     # triggers prompt
-```
-
-### Test authenticated pages (import real browser cookies)
-
-```bash
-# Import cookies from your real browser (opens interactive picker)
-$B cookie-import-browser
-
-# Or import a specific domain directly
-$B cookie-import-browser comet --domain .github.com
-
-# Now test authenticated pages
-$B goto https://github.com/settings/profile
-$B snapshot -i
-$B screenshot /tmp/github-profile.png
-```
-
-> **Cookie safety:** `cookie-import-browser` transfers real session data.
-> Only import cookies from browsers you control.
-
-### Compare two pages / environments
-
-```bash
-$B diff https://staging.app.com https://prod.app.com
-```
-
-### Multi-step chain (efficient for long flows)
-
-```bash
-echo '[
-  ["goto","https://app.example.com"],
-  ["snapshot","-i"],
-  ["fill","@e3","$TEST_EMAIL"],
-  ["fill","@e4","$TEST_PASSWORD"],
-  ["click","@e5"],
-  ["snapshot","-D"],
-  ["screenshot","/tmp/result.png"]
-]' | $B chain
-```
-
-## Quick Assertion Patterns
-
-```bash
-# Element exists and is visible
-$B is visible ".modal"
-
-# Button is enabled/disabled
-$B is enabled "#submit-btn"
-$B is disabled "#submit-btn"
-
-# Checkbox state
-$B is checked "#agree"
-
-# Input is editable
-$B is editable "#name-field"
-
-# Element has focus
-$B is focused "#search-input"
-
-# Page contains text
-$B js "document.body.textContent.includes('Success')"
-
-# Element count
-$B js "document.querySelectorAll('.list-item').length"
-
-# Specific attribute value
-$B attrs "#logo"    # returns all attributes as JSON
-
-# CSS property
-$B css ".button" "background-color"
-```
-
-## Snapshot System
-
-{{SNAPSHOT_FLAGS}}
-
-## Command Reference
-
-{{COMMAND_REFERENCE}}
-
-## Tips
-
-1. **Navigate once, query many times.** `goto` loads the page; then `text`, `js`, `screenshot` all hit the loaded page instantly.
-2. **Use `snapshot -i` first.** See all interactive elements, then click/fill by ref. No CSS selector guessing.
-3. **Use `snapshot -D` to verify.** Baseline → action → diff. See exactly what changed.
-4. **Use `is` for assertions.** `is visible .modal` is faster and more reliable than parsing page text.
-5. **Use `snapshot -a` for evidence.** Annotated screenshots are great for bug reports.
-6. **Use `snapshot -C` for tricky UIs.** Finds clickable divs that the accessibility tree misses.
-7. **Check `console` after actions.** Catch JS errors that don't surface visually.
-8. **Use `chain` for long flows.** Single command, no per-step CLI overhead.
diff --git a/bin/gstack-first-task-detect b/bin/gstack-first-task-detect
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..97a1a7a63
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/gstack-first-task-detect
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# gstack-first-task-detect — classify the current project into ONE first-task
+# bucket so the first-run scaffold can suggest a concrete next skill.
+#
+# Contract (load-bearing — the preamble eval's nothing but a single token):
+#   - Prints EXACTLY ONE whitelisted enum token to stdout, or nothing.
+#   - Never hangs: every git call is wrapped in a portable 2s timeout.
+#   - Never errors out of the caller: best-effort, fail-safe to no output.
+#   - Local git + filesystem only. NO network (no gh/glab) — this runs in the
+#     latency-sensitive skill preamble.
+#
+# Enum tokens (the ONLY strings this ever emits):
+#   greenfield | code_node | code_python | code_rust | code_go | code_ruby
+#   | code_ios | branch_ahead | dirty_default | clean_default | nongit
+#
+# The caller maps the token to human prose; no description text crosses the
+# eval boundary. Usage: TOKEN=$(gstack-first-task-detect)
+set -uo pipefail
+
+# --- Portable timeout wrapper (gtimeout → timeout → unwrapped), per gstack-codex-probe ---
+_ftd_to=$(command -v gtimeout 2>/dev/null || command -v timeout 2>/dev/null || echo "")
+_git() {
+  if [ -n "$_ftd_to" ]; then
+    "$_ftd_to" 2 git "$@" 2>/dev/null
+  else
+    git "$@" 2>/dev/null
+  fi
+}
+
+# Emit only whitelisted tokens — defense in depth even though every emit site
+# below is a literal.
+_emit() {
+  case "$1" in
+    greenfield|code_node|code_python|code_rust|code_go|code_ruby|code_ios|branch_ahead|dirty_default|clean_default|nongit)
+      printf '%s\n' "$1" ;;
+    *) : ;;  # unknown → emit nothing (caller shows no scaffold)
+  esac
+  exit 0
+}
+
+# --- 1. Not a git repo → nothing actionable from git, but language may still help ---
+if ! _git rev-parse --is-inside-work-tree | grep -q true; then
+  _emit nongit
+fi
+
+# --- 2. Greenfield (no commits) ---
+_commits=$(_git rev-list --count HEAD || echo 0)
+[ -z "$_commits" ] && _commits=0
+if [ "$_commits" -eq 0 ] 2>/dev/null; then
+  _emit greenfield
+fi
+
+# --- 3. Resolve default + current branch (reuse the repo's base-branch fallback) ---
+_default=$(_git symbolic-ref refs/remotes/origin/HEAD | sed 's|refs/remotes/origin/||')
+if [ -z "$_default" ]; then
+  if _git rev-parse --verify origin/main >/dev/null; then _default=main
+  elif _git rev-parse --verify origin/master >/dev/null; then _default=master
+  else _default=main
+  fi
+fi
+_current=$(_git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD || echo "")
+
+# --- 4. On a feature branch ahead of base (local-only) → ready to review/ship ---
+if [ -n "$_current" ] && [ "$_current" != "$_default" ] && [ "$_current" != "HEAD" ]; then
+  # ahead-count vs the REAL base: prefer origin/<default> (the remote truth);
+  # a stale local <default> would falsely inflate the ahead count.
+  _base=""
+  if _git rev-parse --verify "origin/$_default" >/dev/null; then _base="origin/$_default"
+  elif _git rev-parse --verify "$_default" >/dev/null; then _base="$_default"
+  fi
+  if [ -n "$_base" ]; then
+    _ahead=$(_git rev-list --count "$_base..HEAD" || echo 0)
+    [ -z "$_ahead" ] && _ahead=0
+    if [ "$_ahead" -gt 0 ] 2>/dev/null; then
+      _emit branch_ahead
+    fi
+  fi
+fi
+
+# --- 5. Uncommitted changes on the default branch → review + commit ---
+_dirty=$(_git status --porcelain | head -1)
+if [ -n "$_dirty" ] && { [ "$_current" = "$_default" ] || [ "$_current" = "HEAD" ] || [ -z "$_current" ]; }; then
+  _emit dirty_default
+fi
+
+# --- 6. Has code + a recognized language marker → verify tests/build ---
+# Resolve to the repo root first so a skill invoked from a subdir doesn't miss
+# a root-level package.json / Cargo.toml / etc. Filesystem-only after this.
+_TOP=$(_git rev-parse --show-toplevel)
+[ -n "$_TOP" ] && cd "$_TOP" 2>/dev/null || true
+# Order by specificity/likelihood; stop at first match.
+if [ -f package.json ]; then _emit code_node; fi
+if [ -f pyproject.toml ] || [ -f setup.py ] || [ -f requirements.txt ]; then _emit code_python; fi
+if [ -f Cargo.toml ]; then _emit code_rust; fi
+if [ -f go.mod ]; then _emit code_go; fi
+if [ -f Gemfile ]; then _emit code_ruby; fi
+if ls ./*.xcodeproj >/dev/null 2>&1 || [ -d ios ]; then _emit code_ios; fi
+
+# --- 7. Clean default branch with history, no recognized language → pick something ---
+if [ "$_commits" -ge 5 ] 2>/dev/null; then
+  _emit clean_default
+fi
+
+# Nothing confidently actionable → emit nothing (no scaffold).
+exit 0
diff --git a/office-hours/sections/design-and-handoff.md.tmpl b/office-hours/sections/design-and-handoff.md.tmpl
index 8acfe1f32..a8f8c5aac 100644
--- a/office-hours/sections/design-and-handoff.md.tmpl
+++ b/office-hours/sections/design-and-handoff.md.tmpl
@@ -420,13 +420,54 @@ If A: run `open URL1 && open URL2 && open URL3` (opens each in default browser).
 If B/C/D: run `open` on the selected URL only.
 If E: proceed to next-skill recommendations.
 
-### Next-skill recommendations
+### Next-skill recommendations — hand the user into the loop
 
-After the plea, suggest the next step:
+Don't just list options. Offer to launch the next review NOW so the design doc flows
+straight into a structured review. Map the design-doc mode to the recommended option
+(default `/plan-eng-review` when ambiguous — it has the broadest real-world use and the
+strongest retention).
 
-- **`/plan-ceo-review`** for ambitious features (EXPANSION mode) — rethink the problem, find the 10-star product
-- **`/plan-eng-review`** for well-scoped implementation planning — lock in architecture, tests, edge cases
-- **`/plan-design-review`** for visual/UX design review
+**If `PROACTIVE` is `false` OR `CONDUCTOR_SESSION: true`:** do NOT auto-launch. Recommend
+in one line and stop, letting the user invoke:
+- EXPANSION / ambitious → "Next: `/plan-ceo-review` to pressure-test scope and find the 10-star product."
+- well-scoped → "Next: `/plan-eng-review` to lock architecture, tests, and edge cases."
+- visual/UX-heavy → "Next: `/plan-design-review` for a visual/UX pass."
+
+**Otherwise**, offer via AskUserQuestion (D<N> format from the preamble):
+
+D<N> — Run the next review now?
+Project/branch/task: the design doc you just wrote for this feature.
+ELI10: You just wrote a design doc. The natural next step is a structured review that
+catches scope and architecture problems before you build. I can launch it right now, or
+you can run it later yourself.
+Stakes if we pick wrong: skipping review means problems surface mid-build, costing rework.
+Recommendation: the mode-mapped option (`/plan-eng-review` if unsure) because it locks the
+plan before any code is written.
+Completeness: A=10/10, B=9/10, C=8/10, D=3/10
+Pros / cons:
+A) Run /plan-eng-review now (recommended)
+  ✅ Locks architecture, tests, and edge cases before a line of code is written
+  ❌ Adds ~15 min CC now (human: 1-2 hrs of review compressed)
+B) Run /plan-ceo-review now
+  ✅ Pressure-tests ambition and scope — finds the 10-star version of the product
+  ❌ Lower value when the scope is already tight and well understood
+C) Run /plan-design-review now
+  ✅ Catches visual/UX problems while they are still cheap plan-stage changes
+  ❌ Little value for backend-only or non-visual features
+D) Not now — I'll run a review later
+  ✅ Keeps you in flow if you want to start building immediately
+  ❌ Review gaps compound; problems get more expensive after code exists
+Net: 15 minutes of structured review now against rework risk later.
+
+On the user's SELECTION of A/B/C (not on invocation success), log the handoff, then invoke
+the chosen skill via the **Skill tool** (it auto-discovers the design doc):
+```bash
+~/.claude/skills/gstack/bin/gstack-telemetry-log --event-type handoff --skill office-hours --outcome accepted --session-id "$_SESSION_ID" 2>/dev/null || true
+```
+On D, log declined and stop:
+```bash
+~/.claude/skills/gstack/bin/gstack-telemetry-log --event-type handoff --skill office-hours --outcome declined --session-id "$_SESSION_ID" 2>/dev/null || true
+```
 
 The design doc at `~/.gstack/projects/` is automatically discoverable by downstream skills — they will read it during their pre-review system audit.
 
diff --git a/scripts/resolvers/preamble.ts b/scripts/resolvers/preamble.ts
index cc3045174..1cdfc2e6d 100644
--- a/scripts/resolvers/preamble.ts
+++ b/scripts/resolvers/preamble.ts
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import {
 import { generateLakeIntro } from './preamble/generate-lake-intro';
 import { generateTelemetryPrompt } from './preamble/generate-telemetry-prompt';
 import { generateProactivePrompt } from './preamble/generate-proactive-prompt';
+import { generateFirstRunGuidance } from './preamble/generate-first-run-guidance';
 import { generateRoutingInjection } from './preamble/generate-routing-injection';
 import { generateVendoringDeprecation } from './preamble/generate-vendoring-deprecation';
 import { generateSpawnedSessionCheck } from './preamble/generate-spawned-session-check';
@@ -94,6 +95,7 @@ export function generatePreamble(ctx: TemplateContext): string {
     generateLakeIntro(),
     generateTelemetryPrompt(ctx),
     generateProactivePrompt(ctx),
+    generateFirstRunGuidance(ctx),
     generateRoutingInjection(ctx),
     generateVendoringDeprecation(ctx),
     generateSpawnedSessionCheck(),
diff --git a/scripts/resolvers/preamble/generate-first-run-guidance.ts b/scripts/resolvers/preamble/generate-first-run-guidance.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9818a04c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/resolvers/preamble/generate-first-run-guidance.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+import type { TemplateContext } from '../types';
+
+// First-run guidance (P4 scaffold + P3 loop tip), unified into one section.
+// Branches on the persistent `.activated` lifecycle marker — NOT `_SESSIONS`,
+// which counts concurrent sessions in the last 120 min, not first-vs-returning.
+//
+// The FIRST_TASK enum is computed at runtime in generate-preamble-bash.ts (gated
+// so the detector only runs on the first run) and printed as `FIRST_TASK: <token>`.
+// This section maps the token the model SAW in that output to a one-line nudge
+// (no description string ever crosses an eval boundary) and sets markers:
+//   ~/.gstack/.activated           — set at the end of the first-ever skill run
+//   ~/.gstack/.first-loop-tip-shown — set when the returning-session tip is shown
+//
+// Note: bash blocks run in separate shells, so the runtime token cannot be read
+// from a shell var here — the model substitutes the token it saw for TASK_TOKEN,
+// exactly like the Telemetry section substitutes SKILL_NAME/OUTCOME.
+export function generateFirstRunGuidance(ctx: TemplateContext): string {
+  return `## First-run guidance (one-time)
+
+If \`ACTIVATED\` is \`no\` (first skill run on this machine) AND the preamble printed a non-empty \`FIRST_TASK:\` value that is NOT \`nongit\`: show ONE short, project-specific line mapped from the token, as a heads-up, then CONTINUE with whatever the user actually asked — do NOT halt their task. Map the token: \`greenfield\` → "Fresh repo — shape it first with \`/spec\` or \`/office-hours\`." \`code_node\`/\`code_python\`/\`code_rust\`/\`code_go\`/\`code_ruby\`/\`code_ios\` → "There's code here — \`/qa\` to see it work, or \`/investigate\` if something's off." \`branch_ahead\` → "Unshipped work on this branch — \`/review\` then \`/ship\`." \`dirty_default\` → "Uncommitted changes — \`/review\` before committing." \`clean_default\` → "Pick one: \`/spec\`, \`/investigate\`, or \`/qa\`." Then substitute the token you saw for TASK_TOKEN and run (best-effort), and mark activated:
+\`\`\`bash
+${ctx.paths.binDir}/gstack-telemetry-log --event-type first_task_scaffold_shown --skill "TASK_TOKEN" --outcome shown 2>/dev/null || true
+touch ~/.gstack/.activated 2>/dev/null || true
+\`\`\`
+
+If \`ACTIVATED\` is \`no\` but \`FIRST_TASK:\` is empty or \`nongit\` (headless, non-git, or nothing actionable): show nothing, just run \`touch ~/.gstack/.activated 2>/dev/null || true\`.
+
+Else if \`ACTIVATED\` is \`yes\` AND \`FIRST_LOOP_SHOWN\` is \`no\`: say once as a heads-up (then continue):
+
+> Tip: gstack pays off when you complete one loop — **plan → review → ship**. A common first loop: \`/office-hours\` or \`/spec\` to shape it, \`/plan-eng-review\` to lock it, then \`/ship\`.
+
+Then run \`touch ~/.gstack/.first-loop-tip-shown 2>/dev/null || true\`.
+
+Skip this section if \`ACTIVATED\` and \`FIRST_LOOP_SHOWN\` are both \`yes\`.`;
+}
diff --git a/scripts/resolvers/preamble/generate-preamble-bash.ts b/scripts/resolvers/preamble/generate-preamble-bash.ts
index f82318f0c..f0bc57b4b 100644
--- a/scripts/resolvers/preamble/generate-preamble-bash.ts
+++ b/scripts/resolvers/preamble/generate-preamble-bash.ts
@@ -43,6 +43,17 @@ echo "SESSION_KIND: $_SESSION_KIND"
 if [ "$_SESSION_KIND" != "headless" ] && { [ -n "\${CONDUCTOR_WORKSPACE_PATH:-}" ] || [ -n "\${CONDUCTOR_PORT:-}" ]; }; then
   echo "CONDUCTOR_SESSION: true"
 fi
+_ACTIVATED=$([ -f ~/.gstack/.activated ] && echo "yes" || echo "no")
+_FIRST_LOOP_SHOWN=$([ -f ~/.gstack/.first-loop-tip-shown ] && echo "yes" || echo "no")
+echo "ACTIVATED: $_ACTIVATED"
+echo "FIRST_LOOP_SHOWN: $_FIRST_LOOP_SHOWN"
+# First-run project detection: run the detector ONLY on the first-ever skill run
+# (ACTIVATED=no, interactive) so it stays off the hot path for every run after.
+_FIRST_TASK=""
+if [ "$_ACTIVATED" = "no" ] && [ "$_SESSION_KIND" != "headless" ]; then
+  _FIRST_TASK=$(${ctx.paths.binDir}/gstack-first-task-detect 2>/dev/null || true)
+fi
+echo "FIRST_TASK: $_FIRST_TASK"
 _LAKE_SEEN=$([ -f ~/.gstack/.completeness-intro-seen ] && echo "yes" || echo "no")
 echo "LAKE_INTRO: $_LAKE_SEEN"
 _TEL=$(${ctx.paths.binDir}/gstack-config get telemetry 2>/dev/null || true)
diff --git a/setup b/setup
index e4d31f881..0b6098832 100755
--- a/setup
+++ b/setup
@@ -1229,7 +1229,16 @@ fi
 
 # 9. First-time welcome + legacy cleanup
 if [ ! -f "$HOME/.gstack/.welcome-seen" ]; then
-  log "  Welcome! Run /gstack-upgrade anytime to stay current."
+  log ""
+  log "  gstack is ready. First move:"
+  log "    New idea / empty repo?   /office-hours  or  /spec"
+  log "    Existing code?           /qa  to see it work, or  /investigate"
+  log "  (Run /gstack-upgrade anytime to stay current)"
+  log ""
+  # Best-effort onboarding telemetry (respects telemetry!=off; never blocks setup).
+  if [ -x "$SOURCE_GSTACK_DIR/bin/gstack-telemetry-log" ]; then
+    "$SOURCE_GSTACK_DIR/bin/gstack-telemetry-log" --event-type onboarding --skill _setup_welcome --outcome shown >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+  fi
   touch "$HOME/.gstack/.welcome-seen"
 fi
 rm -f /tmp/gstack-latest-version
diff --git a/supabase/functions/telemetry-ingest/index.ts b/supabase/functions/telemetry-ingest/index.ts
index 125f69f65..acf994eab 100644
--- a/supabase/functions/telemetry-ingest/index.ts
+++ b/supabase/functions/telemetry-ingest/index.ts
@@ -67,8 +67,18 @@ Deno.serve(async (req) => {
       // Validate schema version
       if (event.v !== 1) continue;
 
-      // Validate event_type
-      const validTypes = ["skill_run", "upgrade_prompted", "upgrade_completed"];
+      // Validate event_type. Activation-funnel events (v1.x) join the originals:
+      // onboarding (P0 setup nudge), first_task_scaffold_shown (P4 first-run
+      // scaffold), handoff (P1 office-hours → next skill), route (gstack router).
+      const validTypes = [
+        "skill_run",
+        "upgrade_prompted",
+        "upgrade_completed",
+        "onboarding",
+        "first_task_scaffold_shown",
+        "handoff",
+        "route",
+      ];
       if (!validTypes.includes(event.event_type)) continue;
 
       rows.push({