diff --git a/codex-rs/ext/skills/src/extension.rs b/codex-rs/ext/skills/src/extension.rs
index e34cac46f9..e89b5923c8 100644
--- a/codex-rs/ext/skills/src/extension.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/ext/skills/src/extension.rs
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ use crate::provider::SkillListQuery;
 use crate::provider::SkillReadRequest;
 use crate::render::MAX_SKILL_NAME_BYTES;
 use crate::render::MAX_SKILL_PATH_BYTES;
+use crate::render::SkillCatalogRenderPolicy;
 use crate::render::available_skills_fragment;
 use crate::render::truncate_main_prompt_contents;
 use crate::render::truncate_utf8_to_bytes;
@@ -144,10 +145,14 @@ where
             let include_usage = thread_store
                 .get::<ModelInfo>()
                 .is_some_and(|model_info| model_info.include_skills_usage_instructions);
-            available_skills_fragment(&catalog, include_usage)
-                .map(|fragment| PromptFragment::developer_capability(fragment.render()))
-                .into_iter()
-                .collect()
+            available_skills_fragment(
+                &catalog,
+                include_usage,
+                SkillCatalogRenderPolicy::ExtensionCompatible,
+            )
+            .map(|fragment| PromptFragment::developer_capability(fragment.render()))
+            .into_iter()
+            .collect()
         })
     }
 
@@ -329,7 +334,11 @@ where
                 let include_usage = thread_store
                     .get::<ModelInfo>()
                     .is_some_and(|model_info| model_info.include_skills_usage_instructions);
-                if let Some(fragment) = available_skills_fragment(&turn_catalog, include_usage) {
+                if let Some(fragment) = available_skills_fragment(
+                    &turn_catalog,
+                    include_usage,
+                    SkillCatalogRenderPolicy::ExtensionCompatible,
+                ) {
                     fragments.push(Box::new(fragment));
                 }
             }
diff --git a/codex-rs/ext/skills/src/render.rs b/codex-rs/ext/skills/src/render.rs
index 8e9fea41a1..809d723f91 100644
--- a/codex-rs/ext/skills/src/render.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/ext/skills/src/render.rs
@@ -14,6 +14,31 @@ const TRUNCATED_SKILL_DESCRIPTION_SUFFIX: &str = "...";
 pub(crate) const MAX_SKILL_NAME_BYTES: usize = 256;
 pub(crate) const MAX_SKILL_PATH_BYTES: usize = 1_024;
 
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub(crate) enum SkillCatalogRenderPolicy {
+    #[cfg_attr(
+        not(test),
+        expect(
+            dead_code,
+            reason = "used by the host renderer compatibility path in a follow-up"
+        )
+    )]
+    CoreCompatible,
+    ExtensionCompatible,
+}
+
+impl SkillCatalogRenderPolicy {
+    fn description(self, entry: &SkillCatalogEntry) -> &str {
+        match self {
+            Self::CoreCompatible => entry.description.as_str(),
+            Self::ExtensionCompatible => entry
+                .short_description
+                .as_deref()
+                .unwrap_or(entry.description.as_str()),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 #[tracing::instrument(
     level = "trace",
     skip_all,
@@ -22,6 +47,7 @@ pub(crate) const MAX_SKILL_PATH_BYTES: usize = 1_024;
 pub(crate) fn available_skills_fragment(
     catalog: &SkillCatalog,
     include_skills_usage_instructions: bool,
+    policy: SkillCatalogRenderPolicy,
 ) -> Option<AvailableSkillsInstructions> {
     let mut total_bytes = 0usize;
     let mut omitted = 0usize;
@@ -32,10 +58,7 @@ pub(crate) fn available_skills_fragment(
         .iter()
         .filter(|entry| entry.enabled && entry.prompt_visible)
     {
-        let description = entry
-            .short_description
-            .as_deref()
-            .unwrap_or(entry.description.as_str());
+        let description = policy.description(entry);
         let description = truncate_catalog_skill_description(description);
         let line = render_skill_line(entry, description.as_ref());
         let next_bytes = total_bytes.saturating_add(line.len());
@@ -107,3 +130,7 @@ pub(crate) fn truncate_utf8_to_bytes(contents: &str, max_bytes: usize) -> (Strin
     let truncated = take_bytes_at_char_boundary(contents, max_bytes);
     (truncated.to_string(), truncated.len() < contents.len())
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+#[path = "render_tests.rs"]
+mod tests;
diff --git a/codex-rs/ext/skills/src/render_tests.rs b/codex-rs/ext/skills/src/render_tests.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..69d5df5442
--- /dev/null
+++ b/codex-rs/ext/skills/src/render_tests.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+use super::*;
+use crate::catalog::SkillAuthority;
+use crate::catalog::SkillPackageId;
+use crate::catalog::SkillResourceId;
+use codex_core_skills::render_available_skills_body;
+use codex_extension_api::ContextualUserFragment;
+use pretty_assertions::assert_eq;
+
+fn entry(name: &str, description: &str, short_description: Option<&str>) -> SkillCatalogEntry {
+    SkillCatalogEntry::new(
+        SkillPackageId(name.to_string()),
+        SkillAuthority::new(SkillSourceKind::Host, "host"),
+        name,
+        description,
+        SkillResourceId::new(format!("/skills/{name}/SKILL.md")),
+    )
+    .with_short_description(short_description.map(str::to_string))
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn description_selection_follows_render_policy() {
+    let catalog = SkillCatalog {
+        entries: vec![
+            entry("shortened", "full description", Some("short description")),
+            entry(
+                "fallback",
+                "fallback description",
+                /*short_description*/ None,
+            ),
+        ],
+        warnings: Vec::new(),
+    };
+
+    let core = available_skills_fragment(
+        &catalog,
+        /*include_skills_usage_instructions*/ false,
+        SkillCatalogRenderPolicy::CoreCompatible,
+    )
+    .expect("catalog should render");
+    let extension = available_skills_fragment(
+        &catalog,
+        /*include_skills_usage_instructions*/ false,
+        SkillCatalogRenderPolicy::ExtensionCompatible,
+    )
+    .expect("catalog should render");
+
+    assert_eq!(
+        core.body(),
+        render_available_skills_body(
+            &[],
+            &[
+                "- shortened: full description (file: /skills/shortened/SKILL.md)".to_string(),
+                "- fallback: fallback description (file: /skills/fallback/SKILL.md)".to_string(),
+            ],
+        )
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        extension.body(),
+        render_available_skills_body(
+            &[],
+            &[
+                "- shortened: short description (file: /skills/shortened/SKILL.md)".to_string(),
+                "- fallback: fallback description (file: /skills/fallback/SKILL.md)".to_string(),
+            ],
+        )
+    );
+}
diff --git a/codex-rs/ext/skills/src/world_state.rs b/codex-rs/ext/skills/src/world_state.rs
index 80a1b00777..a404540264 100644
--- a/codex-rs/ext/skills/src/world_state.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/ext/skills/src/world_state.rs
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ use serde_json::json;
 
 use crate::catalog::SkillCatalog;
 use crate::fragments::AvailableSkillsInstructions;
+use crate::render::SkillCatalogRenderPolicy;
 use crate::render::available_skills_fragment;
 
 pub(crate) const SKILLS_WORLD_STATE_ID: &str = "skills";
@@ -31,8 +32,12 @@ pub(crate) fn executor_skills_world_state_section(
     include_skills_usage_instructions: bool,
 ) -> WorldStateSectionContribution {
     let body = if include_instructions {
-        available_skills_fragment(catalog, include_skills_usage_instructions)
-            .map(|fragment| fragment.body())
+        available_skills_fragment(
+            catalog,
+            include_skills_usage_instructions,
+            SkillCatalogRenderPolicy::ExtensionCompatible,
+        )
+        .map(|fragment| fragment.body())
     } else {
         None
     };