diff --git a/autoplan/SKILL.md b/autoplan/SKILL.md
index a8e480914..35d4f7355 100644
--- a/autoplan/SKILL.md
+++ b/autoplan/SKILL.md
@@ -1079,6 +1079,7 @@ Read each file using the Read tool:
 **Section skip list — when following a loaded skill file, SKIP these sections
 (they are already handled by /autoplan):**
 - Preamble (run first)
+- Scope gate (the plan under review is already the target)
 - AskUserQuestion Format
 - Completeness Principle — Boil the Ocean
 - Search Before Building
diff --git a/autoplan/SKILL.md.tmpl b/autoplan/SKILL.md.tmpl
index b2eaca9fd..0f054dacf 100644
--- a/autoplan/SKILL.md.tmpl
+++ b/autoplan/SKILL.md.tmpl
@@ -215,6 +215,7 @@ Read each file using the Read tool:
 **Section skip list — when following a loaded skill file, SKIP these sections
 (they are already handled by /autoplan):**
 - Preamble (run first)
+- Scope gate (the plan under review is already the target)
 - AskUserQuestion Format
 - Completeness Principle — Boil the Ocean
 - Search Before Building
diff --git a/test/skill-validation.test.ts b/test/skill-validation.test.ts
index 99d4eb83b..edd45c288 100644
--- a/test/skill-validation.test.ts
+++ b/test/skill-validation.test.ts
@@ -134,6 +134,15 @@ describe('SKILL.md command validation', () => {
     const result = validateSkill(skill);
     expect(result.snapshotFlagErrors).toHaveLength(0);
   });
+
+  test('autoplan section skip list includes the scope gate', () => {
+    // autoplan Step 3 reads plan-eng-review / plan-design-review SKILL.md
+    // verbatim; without this skip-list entry it ingests their scope gate — a
+    // hard-STOP AskUserQuestion that contradicts autoplan's auto-decide
+    // contract. Nothing else pins the skip-list contents.
+    const md = fs.readFileSync(path.join(ROOT, 'autoplan', 'SKILL.md'), 'utf-8');
+    expect(md).toContain('- Scope gate (the plan under review is already the target)');
+  });
 });
 
 describe('Command registry consistency', () => {