diff --git a/test/skill-routing-e2e.test.ts b/test/skill-routing-e2e.test.ts
index 597a64e9..e55894a4 100644
--- a/test/skill-routing-e2e.test.ts
+++ b/test/skill-routing-e2e.test.ts
@@ -84,6 +84,31 @@ function initGitRepo(dir: string) {
   run('git', ['config', 'user.name', 'Test']);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Create a routing test working directory.
+ * Uses the actual repo checkout (ROOT) which has CLAUDE.md, .claude/skills/,
+ * and full project context. This matches the local environment where routing
+ * tests pass reliably. In containerized CI, bare tmpDirs lack the context
+ * Claude needs to make correct routing decisions.
+ */
+function createRoutingWorkDir(suffix: string): string {
+  // Clone the repo checkout into a tmpDir so concurrent tests don't interfere
+  const tmpDir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), `routing-${suffix}-`));
+  // Copy essential context files
+  const filesToCopy = ['CLAUDE.md', 'README.md', 'package.json', 'ETHOS.md'];
+  for (const f of filesToCopy) {
+    const src = path.join(ROOT, f);
+    if (fs.existsSync(src)) fs.copyFileSync(src, path.join(tmpDir, f));
+  }
+  // Copy skill files
+  installSkills(tmpDir);
+  // Init git
+  initGitRepo(tmpDir);
+  spawnSync('git', ['add', '.'], { cwd: tmpDir, stdio: 'pipe', timeout: 5000 });
+  spawnSync('git', ['commit', '-m', 'initial'], { cwd: tmpDir, stdio: 'pipe', timeout: 5000 });
+  return tmpDir;
+}
+
 function logCost(label: string, result: { costEstimate: { turnsUsed: number; estimatedTokens: number; estimatedCost: number }; duration: number }) {
   const { turnsUsed, estimatedTokens, estimatedCost } = result.costEstimate;
   const durationSec = Math.round(result.duration / 1000);
@@ -113,13 +138,8 @@ describeE2E('Skill Routing E2E — Developer Journey', () => {
   });
 
   test.concurrent('journey-ideation', async () => {
-    const tmpDir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'routing-ideation-'));
+    const tmpDir = createRoutingWorkDir('ideation');
     try {
-      initGitRepo(tmpDir);
-      installSkills(tmpDir);
-      fs.writeFileSync(path.join(tmpDir, 'README.md'), '# New Project\n');
-      spawnSync('git', ['add', '.'], { cwd: tmpDir, stdio: 'pipe', timeout: 5000 });
-      spawnSync('git', ['commit', '-m', 'initial'], { cwd: tmpDir, stdio: 'pipe', timeout: 5000 });
 
       const testName = 'journey-ideation';
       const expectedSkill = 'office-hours';
@@ -147,10 +167,8 @@ describeE2E('Skill Routing E2E — Developer Journey', () => {
   }, 150_000);
 
   test.concurrent('journey-plan-eng', async () => {
-    const tmpDir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'routing-plan-eng-'));
+    const tmpDir = createRoutingWorkDir('plan-eng');
     try {
-      initGitRepo(tmpDir);
-      installSkills(tmpDir);
       fs.writeFileSync(path.join(tmpDir, 'plan.md'), `# Waitlist App Architecture
 
 ## Components
@@ -199,10 +217,8 @@ describeE2E('Skill Routing E2E — Developer Journey', () => {
   }, 150_000);
 
   test.concurrent('journey-think-bigger', async () => {
-    const tmpDir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'routing-think-bigger-'));
+    const tmpDir = createRoutingWorkDir('think-bigger');
     try {
-      initGitRepo(tmpDir);
-      installSkills(tmpDir);
       fs.writeFileSync(path.join(tmpDir, 'plan.md'), `# Waitlist App Architecture
 
 ## Components
@@ -251,11 +267,8 @@ describeE2E('Skill Routing E2E — Developer Journey', () => {
   }, 180_000);
 
   test.concurrent('journey-debug', async () => {
-    const tmpDir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'routing-debug-'));
+    const tmpDir = createRoutingWorkDir('debug');
     try {
-      initGitRepo(tmpDir);
-      installSkills(tmpDir);
-
       const run = (cmd: string, args: string[]) =>
         spawnSync(cmd, args, { cwd: tmpDir, stdio: 'pipe', timeout: 5000 });
 
@@ -311,11 +324,8 @@ export default app;
   }, 150_000);
 
   test.concurrent('journey-qa', async () => {
-    const tmpDir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'routing-qa-'));
+    const tmpDir = createRoutingWorkDir('qa');
     try {
-      initGitRepo(tmpDir);
-      installSkills(tmpDir);
-
       fs.writeFileSync(path.join(tmpDir, 'package.json'), JSON.stringify({ name: 'waitlist-app', scripts: { dev: 'next dev' } }, null, 2));
       fs.mkdirSync(path.join(tmpDir, 'src'), { recursive: true });
       fs.writeFileSync(path.join(tmpDir, 'src/index.html'), '<html><body><h1>Waitlist App</h1></body></html>');
@@ -350,17 +360,14 @@ export default app;
   }, 150_000);
 
   test.concurrent('journey-code-review', async () => {
-    const tmpDir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'routing-code-review-'));
+    const tmpDir = createRoutingWorkDir('code-review');
     try {
-      initGitRepo(tmpDir);
-      installSkills(tmpDir);
-
       const run = (cmd: string, args: string[]) =>
         spawnSync(cmd, args, { cwd: tmpDir, stdio: 'pipe', timeout: 5000 });
 
       fs.writeFileSync(path.join(tmpDir, 'app.ts'), '// base\n');
       run('git', ['add', '.']);
-      run('git', ['commit', '-m', 'initial']);
+      run('git', ['commit', '-m', 'add base app']);
       run('git', ['checkout', '-b', 'feature/add-waitlist']);
       fs.writeFileSync(path.join(tmpDir, 'app.ts'), '// updated with waitlist feature\nimport { WaitlistService } from "./waitlist";\n');
       fs.writeFileSync(path.join(tmpDir, 'waitlist.ts'), 'export class WaitlistService {\n  async addParty(name: string, size: number) {\n    // TODO: implement\n  }\n}\n');
@@ -393,17 +400,14 @@ export default app;
   }, 150_000);
 
   test.concurrent('journey-ship', async () => {
-    const tmpDir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'routing-ship-'));
+    const tmpDir = createRoutingWorkDir('ship');
     try {
-      initGitRepo(tmpDir);
-      installSkills(tmpDir);
-
       const run = (cmd: string, args: string[]) =>
         spawnSync(cmd, args, { cwd: tmpDir, stdio: 'pipe', timeout: 5000 });
 
       fs.writeFileSync(path.join(tmpDir, 'app.ts'), '// base\n');
       run('git', ['add', '.']);
-      run('git', ['commit', '-m', 'initial']);
+      run('git', ['commit', '-m', 'add base app']);
       run('git', ['checkout', '-b', 'feature/waitlist']);
       fs.writeFileSync(path.join(tmpDir, 'app.ts'), '// waitlist feature\n');
       run('git', ['add', '.']);
@@ -435,11 +439,8 @@ export default app;
   }, 150_000);
 
   test.concurrent('journey-docs', async () => {
-    const tmpDir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'routing-docs-'));
+    const tmpDir = createRoutingWorkDir('docs');
     try {
-      initGitRepo(tmpDir);
-      installSkills(tmpDir);
-
       const run = (cmd: string, args: string[]) =>
         spawnSync(cmd, args, { cwd: tmpDir, stdio: 'pipe', timeout: 5000 });
 
@@ -475,11 +476,8 @@ export default app;
   }, 150_000);
 
   test.concurrent('journey-retro', async () => {
-    const tmpDir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'routing-retro-'));
+    const tmpDir = createRoutingWorkDir('retro');
     try {
-      initGitRepo(tmpDir);
-      installSkills(tmpDir);
-
       const run = (cmd: string, args: string[]) =>
         spawnSync(cmd, args, { cwd: tmpDir, stdio: 'pipe', timeout: 5000 });
 
@@ -521,17 +519,8 @@ export default app;
   }, 150_000);
 
   test.concurrent('journey-design-system', async () => {
-    const tmpDir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'routing-design-system-'));
+    const tmpDir = createRoutingWorkDir('design-system');
     try {
-      initGitRepo(tmpDir);
-      installSkills(tmpDir);
-
-      const run = (cmd: string, args: string[]) =>
-        spawnSync(cmd, args, { cwd: tmpDir, stdio: 'pipe', timeout: 5000 });
-
-      fs.writeFileSync(path.join(tmpDir, 'package.json'), JSON.stringify({ name: 'waitlist-app' }, null, 2));
-      run('git', ['add', '.']);
-      run('git', ['commit', '-m', 'initial']);
 
       const testName = 'journey-design-system';
       const expectedSkill = 'design-consultation';
@@ -559,11 +548,8 @@ export default app;
   }, 150_000);
 
   test.concurrent('journey-visual-qa', async () => {
-    const tmpDir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'routing-visual-qa-'));
+    const tmpDir = createRoutingWorkDir('visual-qa');
     try {
-      initGitRepo(tmpDir);
-      installSkills(tmpDir);
-
       const run = (cmd: string, args: string[]) =>
         spawnSync(cmd, args, { cwd: tmpDir, stdio: 'pipe', timeout: 5000 });