diff --git a/setup b/setup
index 609311d5..91f0c9e7 100755
--- a/setup
+++ b/setup
@@ -566,8 +566,10 @@ if [ "$INSTALL_CLAUDE" -eq 1 ]; then
     else
       cleanup_prefixed_claude_symlinks "$SOURCE_GSTACK_DIR" "$INSTALL_SKILLS_DIR"
     fi
-    link_claude_skill_dirs "$SOURCE_GSTACK_DIR" "$INSTALL_SKILLS_DIR"
+    # Patch name: fields BEFORE creating symlinks so link_claude_skill_dirs
+    # reads the correct (patched) name: values for symlink naming
     "$SOURCE_GSTACK_DIR/bin/gstack-patch-names" "$SOURCE_GSTACK_DIR" "$SKILL_PREFIX"
+    link_claude_skill_dirs "$SOURCE_GSTACK_DIR" "$INSTALL_SKILLS_DIR"
     if [ "$LOCAL_INSTALL" -eq 1 ]; then
       echo "gstack ready (project-local)."
       echo "  skills: $INSTALL_SKILLS_DIR"