Describe the bug
~/.copilot/settings.json supports a skillDirectories array for registering
additional custom skill source directories. These directories' skills are
correctly discovered and listed when running the interactive copilot CLI,
but do not show up when the same user/config runs in ACP mode
(copilot --acp, e.g. via the Zed editor's ACP integration).
Affected version
Copilot CLI 1.0.82
Environment
- OS: Windows
- ACP client: Zed editor (
copilot --acp)
- Windows Terminal:
copilot.exe --acp
Steps to reproduce
-
Add a skillDirectories entry to ~/.copilot/settings.json, e.g.:
{
"skillDirectories": [
"C:\\Users\\<user>\\ai_space\\skill_groups\\workflow_skills",
"C:\\Users\\<user>\\ai_space\\skill_groups\\shorthand_skills",
"C:\\Users\\<user>\\ai_space\\skill_groups\\ddstack_skills"
]
}
Each directory contains one or more <skill-name>/SKILL.md skills.
-
Run interactive copilot, then copilot skill list (or /skills list).
Result: skills from all skillDirectories entries appear under a
"Custom skills:" heading, alongside project (.github/skills/) and
personal (~/.copilot/skills/) skills. Confirmed working — e.g.
workflow-design, shorthand-crew, principle-fix-root-causes, etc. all
listed (43 custom skills total in our test).
-
Independently, spawn copilot.exe --acp as a subprocess and drive it
directly over stdio with raw JSON-RPC (bypassing any client like Zed
entirely, to rule out client-side filtering):
initialize → session/new (with the same cwd) → session/prompt
asking the agent to "list every skill name available to you right now,
grouped by category, without invoking any tool."
Result: the agent's response only lists project (12 skills),
user/personal (5 skills), and builtin (2 skills) categories. The
custom category empty, none of the 43 skills sourced from skillDirectories, does
not appear in its own self-reported system context.
Expected behavior
ACP mode should discover and expose the same skill set as interactive mode,
including all directories configured via skillDirectories in
settings.json, since both entry points read the same global config file.
Actual behavior
ACP mode does not surface any skillDirectories-sourced skills, with no
error, warning, or other indication that the setting was skipped.
Additional context
settings.json and config.json are unmodified between the two runs —
same file, same user, same machine.
- Personal (
~/.copilot/skills/) and project (.github/skills/) skills
do load correctly in ACP mode, so this isn't a total skill-loading
failure — it's specific to the skillDirectories custom-path mechanism.
- Reproduced twice: once via a live Zed →
copilot --acp session, and once
via a standalone hand-rolled ACP client script, ruling out a
client-specific (Zed) cause.
Describe the bug
~/.copilot/settings.jsonsupports askillDirectoriesarray for registeringadditional custom skill source directories. These directories' skills are
correctly discovered and listed when running the interactive
copilotCLI,but do not show up when the same user/config runs in ACP mode
(
copilot --acp, e.g. via the Zed editor's ACP integration).Affected version
Copilot CLI 1.0.82
Environment
copilot --acp)copilot.exe --acpSteps to reproduce
Add a
skillDirectoriesentry to~/.copilot/settings.json, e.g.:{ "skillDirectories": [ "C:\\Users\\<user>\\ai_space\\skill_groups\\workflow_skills", "C:\\Users\\<user>\\ai_space\\skill_groups\\shorthand_skills", "C:\\Users\\<user>\\ai_space\\skill_groups\\ddstack_skills" ] }Each directory contains one or more
<skill-name>/SKILL.mdskills.Run interactive
copilot, thencopilot skill list(or/skills list).Result: skills from all
skillDirectoriesentries appear under a"Custom skills:" heading, alongside project (
.github/skills/) andpersonal (
~/.copilot/skills/) skills. Confirmed working — e.g.workflow-design,shorthand-crew,principle-fix-root-causes, etc. alllisted (43 custom skills total in our test).
Independently, spawn
copilot.exe --acpas a subprocess and drive itdirectly over stdio with raw JSON-RPC (bypassing any client like Zed
entirely, to rule out client-side filtering):
initialize→session/new(with the samecwd) →session/promptasking the agent to "list every skill name available to you right now,
grouped by category, without invoking any tool."
Result: the agent's response only lists project (12 skills),
user/personal (5 skills), and builtin (2 skills) categories. The
custom category empty, none of the 43 skills sourced from
skillDirectories, doesnot appear in its own self-reported system context.
Expected behavior
ACP mode should discover and expose the same skill set as interactive mode,
including all directories configured via
skillDirectoriesinsettings.json, since both entry points read the same global config file.Actual behavior
ACP mode does not surface any
skillDirectories-sourced skills, with noerror, warning, or other indication that the setting was skipped.
Additional context
settings.jsonandconfig.jsonare unmodified between the two runs —same file, same user, same machine.
~/.copilot/skills/) and project (.github/skills/) skillsdo load correctly in ACP mode, so this isn't a total skill-loading
failure — it's specific to the
skillDirectoriescustom-path mechanism.copilot --acpsession, and oncevia a standalone hand-rolled ACP client script, ruling out a
client-specific (Zed) cause.