diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 8fda72d1..d7ec612c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,20 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## [1.12.2.0] - 2026-04-24
+
+## **`/setup-gbrain` polish: PATH parsing, repo init order, MCP user scope.**
+
+Small refinements to the /setup-gbrain onboarding path.
+
+### Fixed
+- `bin/gstack-gbrain-install`: parse `gbrain --version` output with `awk '{print $NF}'` so the D19 PATH-shadow check compares just the version number.
+- `bin/gstack-brain-init`: omit `--source` from `gh repo create`. Later steps handle `git init` + remote setup explicitly.
+- `setup-gbrain` Step 9: smoke test uses `gbrain put <slug>` with body piped on stdin.
+- `setup-gbrain` Step 5a: MCP registers with `--scope user` and an absolute path to the gbrain binary, so `mcp__gbrain__*` tools are available in every Claude Code session on the machine.
+
+### Changed
+- `test/gstack-brain-init-gh-mock.test.ts`: asserts `--source` is absent from the `gh repo create` call.
+
 ## [1.12.1.0] - 2026-04-24
 
 ## **Plan-mode review skills run the review directly, no more "exit and rerun" prompt.**
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index 2255ba16..b3dd6a99 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-1.12.1.0
+1.12.2.0
diff --git a/bin/gstack-brain-init b/bin/gstack-brain-init
index 6399c12c..3ed48559 100755
--- a/bin/gstack-brain-init
+++ b/bin/gstack-brain-init
@@ -86,7 +86,10 @@ if [ -z "$REMOTE_URL" ]; then
     read -r REPLY || REPLY=""
     if [ -z "$REPLY" ]; then
       echo "Creating GitHub repo: $DEFAULT_NAME ..."
-      if ! gh repo create "$DEFAULT_NAME" --private --description "gstack session memory" --source "$GSTACK_HOME" 2>/dev/null; then
+      # Note: --source omitted intentionally. gh requires --source to point at
+      # an existing git repo, but we don't init $GSTACK_HOME until after the
+      # remote is chosen. Create bare, then fetch URL.
+      if ! gh repo create "$DEFAULT_NAME" --private --description "gstack session memory" 2>/dev/null; then
         # Maybe the repo already exists; try to fetch its URL.
         REMOTE_URL=$(gh repo view "$DEFAULT_NAME" --json sshUrl -q .sshUrl 2>/dev/null || echo "")
         if [ -z "$REMOTE_URL" ]; then
diff --git a/bin/gstack-gbrain-install b/bin/gstack-gbrain-install
index c5bfa991..c247ff2d 100755
--- a/bin/gstack-gbrain-install
+++ b/bin/gstack-gbrain-install
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ if ! command -v gbrain >/dev/null 2>&1; then
   fail "bun link completed but 'gbrain' is not on PATH. Ensure ~/.bun/bin is in your PATH."
 fi
 
-actual_version=$(gbrain --version 2>/dev/null | head -1 | tr -d '[:space:]' || true)
+actual_version=$(gbrain --version 2>/dev/null | head -1 | awk '{print $NF}' | tr -d '[:space:]' || true)
 if [ -z "$actual_version" ]; then
   fail "gbrain is on PATH but 'gbrain --version' produced no output — the binary may be broken."
 fi
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 3f6a0e00..89af11ee 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "gstack",
-  "version": "1.12.1.0",
+  "version": "1.12.2.0",
   "description": "Garry's Stack — Claude Code skills + fast headless browser. One repo, one install, entire AI engineering workflow.",
   "license": "MIT",
   "type": "module",
diff --git a/setup-gbrain/SKILL.md b/setup-gbrain/SKILL.md
index 9db96bd4..639ab11b 100644
--- a/setup-gbrain/SKILL.md
+++ b/setup-gbrain/SKILL.md
@@ -1283,17 +1283,33 @@ doctor output and STOP.
 Only if `which claude` resolves. Ask: "Give Claude Code a typed tool surface
 for gbrain? (recommended yes)"
 
-If yes:
+If yes, register at **user scope** with an **absolute path** to the gbrain
+binary. User scope makes the MCP available in every Claude Code session on
+this machine, not just the current workspace. Absolute path avoids PATH
+resolution issues when Claude Code spawns `gbrain serve` as a subprocess.
 
 ```bash
-claude mcp add gbrain -- gbrain serve
-claude mcp list | grep gbrain  # verify
+GBRAIN_BIN=$(command -v gbrain)
+[ -z "$GBRAIN_BIN" ] && GBRAIN_BIN="$HOME/.bun/bin/gbrain"
+claude mcp add --scope user gbrain -- "$GBRAIN_BIN" serve
+claude mcp list | grep gbrain  # verify: should show "✓ Connected"
+```
+
+If the user already had a local-scope registration from an earlier run,
+remove it first so both scopes don't conflict:
+```bash
+claude mcp remove gbrain 2>/dev/null || true
 ```
 
 If `claude` is not on PATH: emit "MCP registration skipped — this skill is
 Claude-Code-targeted; register `gbrain serve` in your agent's MCP config
 manually." Continue to step 6.
 
+**Heads-up for the user:** an already-open Claude Code session will not
+pick up the new MCP tools until restart. Tell them: "Restart any open
+Claude Code sessions to see `mcp__gbrain__*` tools — they're loaded at
+session start, not mid-session."
+
 ---
 
 ## Step 6: Per-remote policy (D3 triad, gated repo-import)
@@ -1368,9 +1384,9 @@ Find-and-replace (or append) this section in CLAUDE.md:
 ## Step 9: Smoke test
 
 ```bash
-gbrain put_page --title "setup-gbrain smoke test" --tags "meta" \
-  <<<"Set up on $(date)"
-gbrain search "smoke test" | grep -i "setup-gbrain smoke test"
+SLUG="setup-gbrain-smoke-test-$(date +%s)"
+echo "Set up on $(date). Smoke test for /setup-gbrain." | gbrain put "$SLUG"
+gbrain search "smoke test" | grep -i "$SLUG"
 ```
 
 Confirms the round trip. On failure, surface `gbrain doctor --json` output
diff --git a/setup-gbrain/SKILL.md.tmpl b/setup-gbrain/SKILL.md.tmpl
index 1abe7a46..685e15e0 100644
--- a/setup-gbrain/SKILL.md.tmpl
+++ b/setup-gbrain/SKILL.md.tmpl
@@ -285,17 +285,33 @@ doctor output and STOP.
 Only if `which claude` resolves. Ask: "Give Claude Code a typed tool surface
 for gbrain? (recommended yes)"
 
-If yes:
+If yes, register at **user scope** with an **absolute path** to the gbrain
+binary. User scope makes the MCP available in every Claude Code session on
+this machine, not just the current workspace. Absolute path avoids PATH
+resolution issues when Claude Code spawns `gbrain serve` as a subprocess.
 
 ```bash
-claude mcp add gbrain -- gbrain serve
-claude mcp list | grep gbrain  # verify
+GBRAIN_BIN=$(command -v gbrain)
+[ -z "$GBRAIN_BIN" ] && GBRAIN_BIN="$HOME/.bun/bin/gbrain"
+claude mcp add --scope user gbrain -- "$GBRAIN_BIN" serve
+claude mcp list | grep gbrain  # verify: should show "✓ Connected"
+```
+
+If the user already had a local-scope registration from an earlier run,
+remove it first so both scopes don't conflict:
+```bash
+claude mcp remove gbrain 2>/dev/null || true
 ```
 
 If `claude` is not on PATH: emit "MCP registration skipped — this skill is
 Claude-Code-targeted; register `gbrain serve` in your agent's MCP config
 manually." Continue to step 6.
 
+**Heads-up for the user:** an already-open Claude Code session will not
+pick up the new MCP tools until restart. Tell them: "Restart any open
+Claude Code sessions to see `mcp__gbrain__*` tools — they're loaded at
+session start, not mid-session."
+
 ---
 
 ## Step 6: Per-remote policy (D3 triad, gated repo-import)
@@ -370,9 +386,9 @@ Find-and-replace (or append) this section in CLAUDE.md:
 ## Step 9: Smoke test
 
 ```bash
-gbrain put_page --title "setup-gbrain smoke test" --tags "meta" \
-  <<<"Set up on $(date)"
-gbrain search "smoke test" | grep -i "setup-gbrain smoke test"
+SLUG="setup-gbrain-smoke-test-$(date +%s)"
+echo "Set up on $(date). Smoke test for /setup-gbrain." | gbrain put "$SLUG"
+gbrain search "smoke test" | grep -i "$SLUG"
 ```
 
 Confirms the round trip. On failure, surface `gbrain doctor --json` output
diff --git a/test/gstack-brain-init-gh-mock.test.ts b/test/gstack-brain-init-gh-mock.test.ts
index 7d3e85c8..ff7d98cb 100644
--- a/test/gstack-brain-init-gh-mock.test.ts
+++ b/test/gstack-brain-init-gh-mock.test.ts
@@ -134,8 +134,10 @@ describe('gstack-brain-init uses gh CLI when present + authed', () => {
     expect(createCall).toContain('gstack-brain-testuser');
     expect(createCall).toContain('--private');
     expect(createCall).toContain('--description');
-    expect(createCall).toContain('--source');
-    expect(createCall).toContain(tmpHome);
+    // --source is intentionally omitted: gh requires the source dir to already
+    // be a git repo, but brain-init doesn't `git init $GSTACK_HOME` until later.
+    // Creating bare and wiring up the remote explicitly avoids that ordering bug.
+    expect(createCall).not.toContain('--source');
   });
 
   test('falls back to gh repo view when create reports already-exists', () => {