diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-plugin-install.yml b/.github/workflows/test-plugin-install.yml
index 73b69b2c..782b330e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-plugin-install.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-plugin-install.yml
@@ -34,6 +34,12 @@ jobs:
       - name: Run skill evals (trigger + routing)
         run: node scripts/run-evals.js --min-rank1 80
 
+      - name: Validate references/ links in skills
+        run: node scripts/validate-reference-links.js
+
+      - name: Test reference-link validator
+        run: node --test scripts/validate-reference-links-test.js
+
   validate-commands:
     name: Validate command parity and description sync
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
diff --git a/scripts/validate-reference-links-test.js b/scripts/validate-reference-links-test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8c8b147a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/validate-reference-links-test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,153 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+
+'use strict';
+
+const assert = require('node:assert/strict');
+const fs = require('node:fs');
+const os = require('node:os');
+const path = require('node:path');
+const { spawnSync } = require('node:child_process');
+const { afterEach, test } = require('node:test');
+
+const VALIDATOR = path.join(__dirname, 'validate-reference-links.js');
+const sandboxes = [];
+
+function makeSandbox() {
+  const root = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'agent-skills-validate-reference-links-test-'));
+  const scriptsDir = path.join(root, 'scripts');
+  fs.mkdirSync(scriptsDir, { recursive: true });
+  fs.copyFileSync(VALIDATOR, path.join(scriptsDir, 'validate-reference-links.js'));
+  sandboxes.push(root);
+  return root;
+}
+
+function writeFile(root, relativePath, content) {
+  const file = path.join(root, relativePath);
+  fs.mkdirSync(path.dirname(file), { recursive: true });
+  fs.writeFileSync(file, content);
+}
+
+function run(root) {
+  return spawnSync(process.execPath, [path.join(root, 'scripts', 'validate-reference-links.js')], {
+    cwd: root,
+    encoding: 'utf8',
+  });
+}
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  for (const root of sandboxes.splice(0)) {
+    fs.rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  }
+});
+
+test('passes when a skill reaches the shared checklist two levels up', () => {
+  const root = makeSandbox();
+  writeFile(root, 'references/definition-of-done.md', '# Definition of Done\n');
+  writeFile(
+    root,
+    'skills/using-agent-skills/SKILL.md',
+    'See `../../references/definition-of-done.md`.\n'
+  );
+
+  const result = run(root);
+
+  assert.equal(result.status, 0, result.stdout + result.stderr);
+  assert.match(result.stdout, /1 skills checked — 0 error\(s\) — PASSED/);
+});
+
+test('fails when a skill links the shared checklist as if it were colocated', () => {
+  // The regression: references/ lives at the repo root, but the link is
+  // resolved from skills/<name>/, so it points two levels too deep.
+  const root = makeSandbox();
+  writeFile(root, 'references/definition-of-done.md', '# Definition of Done\n');
+  writeFile(
+    root,
+    'skills/using-agent-skills/SKILL.md',
+    'See `references/definition-of-done.md`.\n'
+  );
+
+  const result = run(root);
+
+  assert.equal(result.status, 1, result.stdout + result.stderr);
+  assert.match(result.stdout, /1 skills checked — 1 error\(s\) — FAILED/);
+  assert.match(
+    result.stdout,
+    /L1: references\/definition-of-done\.md — resolves to skills\/using-agent-skills\/references\/definition-of-done\.md/
+  );
+  assert.match(result.stdout, /use `\.\.\/\.\.\/references\/<file>\.md`/);
+});
+
+test('checks markdown link syntax, not just backtick mentions', () => {
+  const root = makeSandbox();
+  writeFile(root, 'references/definition-of-done.md', '# Definition of Done\n');
+  writeFile(root, 'skills/using-agent-skills/SKILL.md', 'See [DoD](references/definition-of-done.md).\n');
+
+  const result = run(root);
+
+  assert.equal(result.status, 1, result.stdout + result.stderr);
+  assert.match(result.stdout, /L1: references\/definition-of-done\.md/);
+});
+
+test('passes when a skill colocates its own references directory', () => {
+  // CLAUDE.md allows self-contained skills to keep references under
+  // skills/<name>/references/. Those links are correct as written.
+  const root = makeSandbox();
+  writeFile(root, 'skills/dataviz/references/palette.md', '# Palette\n');
+  writeFile(root, 'skills/dataviz/SKILL.md', 'See `references/palette.md`.\n');
+
+  const result = run(root);
+
+  assert.equal(result.status, 0, result.stdout + result.stderr);
+  assert.match(result.stdout, /1 skills checked — 0 error\(s\) — PASSED/);
+});
+
+test('fails when a link points at a checklist that no longer exists', () => {
+  const root = makeSandbox();
+  writeFile(root, 'references/definition-of-done.md', '# Definition of Done\n');
+  writeFile(root, 'skills/shipping-and-launch/SKILL.md', 'See `../../references/renamed.md`.\n');
+
+  const result = run(root);
+
+  assert.equal(result.status, 1, result.stdout + result.stderr);
+  assert.match(result.stdout, /L1: \.\.\/\.\.\/references\/renamed\.md/);
+  assert.match(result.stdout, /1 skills checked — 1 error\(s\) — FAILED/);
+});
+
+test('ignores paths that are not references/ links', () => {
+  // Skills legitimately name artifacts the user has yet to create. Widening
+  // this validator into a general markdown linter would fail the build on them.
+  const root = makeSandbox();
+  writeFile(root, 'references/definition-of-done.md', '# Definition of Done\n');
+  writeFile(
+    root,
+    'skills/planning-and-task-breakdown/SKILL.md',
+    [
+      'Save the task list to `tasks/todo.md` and the plan to `tasks/plan.md`.',
+      'Record findings in `PERF.md` or `docs/ideas/[idea-name].md`.',
+      'Related: `skills/incremental-implementation/SKILL.md`.',
+      'See `../../references/definition-of-done.md`.',
+      '',
+    ].join('\n')
+  );
+
+  const result = run(root);
+
+  assert.equal(result.status, 0, result.stdout + result.stderr);
+  assert.match(result.stdout, /1 skills checked — 0 error\(s\) — PASSED/);
+});
+
+test('reports every unresolvable link, not just the first per skill', () => {
+  const root = makeSandbox();
+  writeFile(root, 'references/security-checklist.md', '# Security\n');
+  writeFile(root, 'references/performance-checklist.md', '# Performance\n');
+  writeFile(
+    root,
+    'skills/code-review-and-quality/SKILL.md',
+    ['See `references/security-checklist.md`.', 'And `references/performance-checklist.md`.', ''].join('\n')
+  );
+
+  const result = run(root);
+
+  assert.equal(result.status, 1, result.stdout + result.stderr);
+  assert.match(result.stdout, /1 skills checked — 2 error\(s\) — FAILED/);
+});
diff --git a/scripts/validate-reference-links.js b/scripts/validate-reference-links.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f460bf98
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/validate-reference-links.js
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+/**
+ * validate-reference-links.js
+ *
+ * Guards links from skills to the shared `references/` checklists.
+ *
+ * Those checklists live in the repo-root `references/` directory, but every
+ * SKILL.md used to link them as `references/<file>.md` — a path relative to
+ * the skill's own directory, which is two levels below the root. All 18 links
+ * across 11 skills resolved to files that do not exist, in the repo and in
+ * every plugin-install layout (~/.claude/plugins/cache/..., ~/.codex/...).
+ * Agents that followed the guidance — for example using-agent-skills pointing
+ * at the Definition of Done — hit a file-not-found and stalled.
+ *
+ * Nothing else in CI catches this: validate-artifact-paths.js is scoped to
+ * spec/plan/todo artifacts and is explicitly not a general markdown linter.
+ *
+ * The rule enforced here: every `references/*.md` link in a SKILL.md must
+ * resolve to an existing file relative to that skill's own directory. This
+ * accepts both conventions in CLAUDE.md — shared checklists reached via
+ * `../../references/`, and a skill's own colocated `references/` directory.
+ *
+ * Scope is deliberately narrow: only `references/*.md` links, only SKILL.md
+ * files. It is not a general markdown path linter — skills legitimately
+ * mention paths that do not exist yet (`tasks/todo.md`, `PERF.md`,
+ * `docs/ideas/[idea-name].md`), and those must not fail the build.
+ *
+ * Exit codes: 0 = all clear, 1 = one or more unresolvable links.
+ */
+
+'use strict';
+
+const fs = require('fs');
+const path = require('path');
+
+const ROOT = path.resolve(__dirname, '..');
+const SKILLS_DIR = path.join(ROOT, 'skills');
+
+// Matches a link to a references/ markdown file, with any number of leading
+// `../` segments: `references/x.md`, `../../references/x.md`. Anchored on a
+// non-path character so `myreferences/x.md` does not match.
+const REFERENCE_LINK_RE = /(?<![A-Za-z0-9._/-])((?:\.\.\/)*references\/[A-Za-z0-9._-]+\.md)/g;
+
+function findViolations(skillDir, skillFile) {
+  const violations = [];
+  const lines = fs.readFileSync(skillFile, 'utf8').split(/\r?\n/);
+
+  lines.forEach((line, i) => {
+    for (const match of line.matchAll(REFERENCE_LINK_RE)) {
+      const link = match[1];
+      if (!fs.existsSync(path.resolve(skillDir, link))) {
+        violations.push({ line: i + 1, link });
+      }
+    }
+  });
+
+  return violations;
+}
+
+function main() {
+  console.log('Checking references/ links in skills...\n');
+
+  if (!fs.existsSync(SKILLS_DIR)) {
+    console.log('No skills/ directory — nothing to check.');
+    return;
+  }
+
+  let checked = 0;
+  let errors = 0;
+
+  const skillNames = fs.readdirSync(SKILLS_DIR).sort();
+  for (const name of skillNames) {
+    const skillDir = path.join(SKILLS_DIR, name);
+    const skillFile = path.join(skillDir, 'SKILL.md');
+    if (!fs.statSync(skillDir).isDirectory() || !fs.existsSync(skillFile)) continue;
+
+    checked++;
+    const violations = findViolations(skillDir, skillFile);
+
+    if (violations.length === 0) {
+      console.log(`  ✓  skills/${name}/SKILL.md`);
+    } else {
+      console.log(`  ✗  skills/${name}/SKILL.md`);
+      for (const { line, link } of violations) {
+        const resolved = path.relative(ROOT, path.resolve(skillDir, link));
+        console.log(`       L${line}: ${link} — resolves to ${resolved}, which does not exist`);
+        errors++;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  const status = errors > 0 ? 'FAILED' : 'PASSED';
+  console.log(`\n${checked} skills checked — ${errors} error(s) — ${status}`);
+
+  if (errors > 0) {
+    console.log('\nLinks to references/ are resolved from the skill\'s own directory.');
+    console.log('Shared checklists live in the repo-root references/, two levels up:');
+    console.log('use `../../references/<file>.md`, not `references/<file>.md`.');
+    process.exit(1);
+  }
+}
+
+main();