diff --git a/packages/shared/src/adapter-agnostic-keys.test.ts b/packages/shared/src/adapter-agnostic-keys.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d4977904a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/shared/src/adapter-agnostic-keys.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+import { readFileSync } from "node:fs";
+import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { ADAPTER_AGNOSTIC_KEYS } from "./constants.js";
+
+const EXPECTED_ADAPTER_AGNOSTIC_KEYS = [
+  "env",
+  "promptTemplate",
+  "instructionsFilePath",
+  "cwd",
+  "timeoutSec",
+  "graceSec",
+  "bootstrapPromptTemplate",
+  "paperclipSkillSync",
+] as const;
+
+function readRepoFile(pathFromRoot: string) {
+  return readFileSync(
+    fileURLToPath(new URL(`../../../${pathFromRoot}`, import.meta.url)),
+    "utf8",
+  );
+}
+
+describe("adapter-agnostic config keys", () => {
+  it("keeps the preserved adapter config keys explicit", () => {
+    expect(ADAPTER_AGNOSTIC_KEYS).toEqual(EXPECTED_ADAPTER_AGNOSTIC_KEYS);
+  });
+
+  it("is imported by the server and UI instead of being re-declared", () => {
+    const serverSource = readRepoFile("server/src/routes/agents.ts");
+    const uiSource = readRepoFile("ui/src/lib/agent-config-patch.ts");
+
+    expect(serverSource).toContain("ADAPTER_AGNOSTIC_KEYS");
+    expect(serverSource).toContain("from \"@paperclipai/shared\"");
+    expect(serverSource).not.toMatch(/const\s+ADAPTER_AGNOSTIC_KEYS\s*=/);
+
+    expect(uiSource).toContain("ADAPTER_AGNOSTIC_KEYS");
+    expect(uiSource).toContain("from \"@paperclipai/shared\"");
+    expect(uiSource).not.toMatch(/const\s+ADAPTER_AGNOSTIC_KEYS\s*=/);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/shared/src/constants.ts b/packages/shared/src/constants.ts
index 6d124a9531..978aa4a5ed 100644
--- a/packages/shared/src/constants.ts
+++ b/packages/shared/src/constants.ts
@@ -78,6 +78,20 @@ export const AGENT_ROLE_LABELS: Record<AgentRole, string> = {
 export const AGENT_DEFAULT_MAX_CONCURRENT_RUNS = 20;
 export const WORKSPACE_BRANCH_ROUTINE_VARIABLE = "workspaceBranch";
 
+// Config keys owned by Paperclip/company state rather than one concrete adapter.
+// `paperclipSkillSync` is persisted in adapterConfig but must survive adapter swaps.
+export const ADAPTER_AGNOSTIC_KEYS = [
+  "env",
+  "promptTemplate",
+  "instructionsFilePath",
+  "cwd",
+  "timeoutSec",
+  "graceSec",
+  "bootstrapPromptTemplate",
+  "paperclipSkillSync",
+] as const;
+export type AdapterAgnosticKey = (typeof ADAPTER_AGNOSTIC_KEYS)[number];
+
 export const MODEL_PROFILE_KEYS = ["cheap"] as const;
 export type ModelProfileKey = (typeof MODEL_PROFILE_KEYS)[number];
 
diff --git a/packages/shared/src/index.ts b/packages/shared/src/index.ts
index d561a47fc0..dfef663433 100644
--- a/packages/shared/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/shared/src/index.ts
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ export {
   AGENT_ROLE_LABELS,
   AGENT_DEFAULT_MAX_CONCURRENT_RUNS,
   WORKSPACE_BRANCH_ROUTINE_VARIABLE,
+  ADAPTER_AGNOSTIC_KEYS,
   MODEL_PROFILE_KEYS,
   AGENT_ICON_NAMES,
   PROJECT_ICON_NAMES,
@@ -265,6 +266,7 @@ export {
   type AgentStatus,
   type AgentAdapterType,
   type AgentRole,
+  type AdapterAgnosticKey,
   type ModelProfileKey,
   type AgentIconName,
   type ProjectIconName,
diff --git a/server/src/routes/agents.ts b/server/src/routes/agents.ts
index 7b0474685e..659491cac5 100644
--- a/server/src/routes/agents.ts
+++ b/server/src/routes/agents.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { and, desc, eq, inArray, not, sql } from "drizzle-orm";
 import {
   agentSkillSyncSchema,
   agentMineInboxQuerySchema,
+  ADAPTER_AGNOSTIC_KEYS,
   AGENT_DEFAULT_MAX_CONCURRENT_RUNS,
   createAgentKeySchema,
   createAgentHireSchema,
@@ -170,6 +171,7 @@ export function agentRoutes(
     "instructionsFilePath",
     "agentsMdPath",
   ] as const;
+  const KNOWN_INSTRUCTIONS_BUNDLE_KEY_SET: ReadonlySet<string> = new Set(KNOWN_INSTRUCTIONS_BUNDLE_KEYS);
 
   const router = Router();
   const svc = agentService(db);
@@ -2871,15 +2873,8 @@ export function agentRoutes(
         // Preserve adapter-agnostic keys (env, cwd, etc.) from the existing config
         // when the adapter type changes. Without this, a PATCH that includes
         // adapterConfig but omits these keys would silently drop them.
-        // `paperclipSkillSync` holds the agent's desired-skill selection, which is
-        // a company-level (adapter-agnostic) choice even though it is persisted
-        // inside the per-adapter config; switching adapters must not wipe it.
-        const ADAPTER_AGNOSTIC_KEYS = [
-          "env", "cwd", "timeoutSec", "graceSec",
-          "promptTemplate", "bootstrapPromptTemplate",
-          "paperclipSkillSync",
-        ] as const;
         for (const key of ADAPTER_AGNOSTIC_KEYS) {
+          if (KNOWN_INSTRUCTIONS_BUNDLE_KEY_SET.has(key)) continue;
           if (rawEffectiveAdapterConfig[key] === undefined && existingAdapterConfig[key] !== undefined) {
             rawEffectiveAdapterConfig = { ...rawEffectiveAdapterConfig, [key]: existingAdapterConfig[key] };
           }
diff --git a/ui/src/lib/agent-config-patch.ts b/ui/src/lib/agent-config-patch.ts
index 325d8d8833..9817650738 100644
--- a/ui/src/lib/agent-config-patch.ts
+++ b/ui/src/lib/agent-config-patch.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import type { Agent } from "@paperclipai/shared";
+import { ADAPTER_AGNOSTIC_KEYS, type Agent } from "@paperclipai/shared";
 
 export interface AgentModelProfileOverlay {
   enabled?: boolean;
@@ -19,20 +19,6 @@ export interface AgentConfigOverlay {
   modelProfiles?: { cheap?: AgentModelProfileOverlay };
 }
 
-const ADAPTER_AGNOSTIC_KEYS = [
-  "env",
-  "promptTemplate",
-  "instructionsFilePath",
-  "cwd",
-  "timeoutSec",
-  "graceSec",
-  "bootstrapPromptTemplate",
-  // Desired-skill selection is a company-level, adapter-agnostic choice even
-  // though it is persisted inside the per-adapter config; keep it when the
-  // adapter type changes so switching adapters does not wipe the agent's skills.
-  "paperclipSkillSync",
-] as const;
-
 function omitUndefinedEntries(value: Record<string, unknown>) {
   return Object.fromEntries(
     Object.entries(value).filter(([, entryValue]) => entryValue !== undefined),