diff --git a/.claude/skills/add-slack/SKILL.md b/.claude/skills/add-slack/SKILL.md
index 0d1974189..078f25b46 100644
--- a/.claude/skills/add-slack/SKILL.md
+++ b/.claude/skills/add-slack/SKILL.md
@@ -101,6 +101,15 @@ Set up event delivery (needs a public HTTPS URL for port 3000 — ngrok, a Cloud
 3. Interactivity & Shortcuts → toggle Interactivity on, set the same Request URL, Save Changes, then reinstall the app when Slack prompts.
 ```
 
+## Restart
+
+Restart the service so it loads the Slack adapter and the credentials you just
+stored, and wait for its CLI socket before wiring:
+
+```nc:run effect:restart
+bash setup/lib/restart.sh
+```
+
 ## Connect yourself
 
 Wire your own Slack account as the owner so you can talk to the assistant, and
diff --git a/scripts/skill-apply.test.ts b/scripts/skill-apply.test.ts
index e1d71e53b..cc4078243 100644
--- a/scripts/skill-apply.test.ts
+++ b/scripts/skill-apply.test.ts
@@ -429,4 +429,17 @@ describe('programmatic apply via inputs', () => {
     expect(env).toContain('B=fromPrompter'); // prompter filled the gap
     expect(asked).toEqual(['b']); // 'a' was never asked — it came from inputs
   });
+
+  it('skipEffects skips a run the caller owns (effect:restart) but runs the rest', async () => {
+    writeFileSync(
+      join(pskill, 'SKILL.md'),
+      '# restart demo\n\n```nc:run effect:build\npnpm run build\n```\n```nc:run effect:restart\nbash setup/lib/restart.sh\n```\n```nc:run effect:wire\nncl wire\n```\n',
+    );
+    const cmds: string[] = [];
+    const res = await applySkill(pskill, proot, { inputs: {}, skipEffects: ['restart'], exec: (c) => void cmds.push(c) });
+    expect(cmds).toContain('pnpm run build');
+    expect(cmds).toContain('ncl wire');
+    expect(cmds).not.toContain('bash setup/lib/restart.sh'); // restart owned by the caller → skipped
+    expect(res.skipped.some((s) => /run restart: owned by the caller/.test(s))).toBe(true);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/scripts/skill-apply.ts b/scripts/skill-apply.ts
index 2c5b7cc20..58bd3bd72 100644
--- a/scripts/skill-apply.ts
+++ b/scripts/skill-apply.ts
@@ -205,6 +205,10 @@ export interface ApplyOptions {
   // dep/run/branch-fetch; injectable for tests. Returns the command's stdout so
   // a `run capture:<var>` can bind it into a {{var}} (the twin of `prompt`).
   exec?: (cmd: string) => string | void | Promise<string | void>;
+  // Run effects the CALLER owns and will perform itself — those runs are skipped
+  // (not executed). e.g. a headless rebuild or a setup that restarts once at the
+  // end passes ['restart']; applyProviderSkill passes ['build','test'].
+  skipEffects?: string[];
   // Resolve which remote carries a `from-branch` registry branch. Defaults to a
   // generic resolver (env override → first remote that has the branch → origin);
   // setup injects one that reuses setup/lib/channels-remote.sh for exact parity.
@@ -411,6 +415,11 @@ export async function applySkill(skillDir: string, root: string, opts: ApplyOpti
         res.applied.push(`operator: ${(d.body[0] ?? '').slice(0, 50)}`);
         continue;
       }
+      // A run whose effect the caller owns (e.g. restart) is skipped here.
+      if (d.kind === 'run' && typeof d.attrs.effect === 'string' && opts.skipEffects?.includes(d.attrs.effect)) {
+        res.skipped.push(`run ${d.attrs.effect}: owned by the caller`);
+        continue;
+      }
       const st = selfStatus(d, root);
       if (st.status === 'agent') { bounce(d, 'no deterministic handler'); continue; }
       if (st.status === 'skip') { res.skipped.push(`${d.kind}: ${st.detail}`); continue; }
diff --git a/scripts/skill-directives.test.ts b/scripts/skill-directives.test.ts
index 5c59cefd3..2a976c19b 100644
--- a/scripts/skill-directives.test.ts
+++ b/scripts/skill-directives.test.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ describe('skill-directives parser, on the converted add-slack', () => {
       'env-set', // credentials: write captured values to .env
       'env-sync', // credentials: sync to container
       'operator', // credentials: event-delivery walkthrough
+      'run', // restart: load the adapter + creds, wait for the CLI socket
       'prompt', // wire: owner member id
       'prompt', // wire: target agent folder
       'run', // wire: validate token (auth.test)
@@ -58,6 +59,7 @@ describe('skill-directives parser, on the converted add-slack', () => {
     expect(directives.filter((d) => d.kind === 'run').map((d) => d.attrs.effect)).toEqual([
       'build',
       'test',
+      'restart', // load adapter + creds before wiring
       'fetch', // validate: auth.test
       'fetch', // resolve: conversations.open
       'wire', // ncl wiring
diff --git a/scripts/skill-directives.ts b/scripts/skill-directives.ts
index 63b945f7d..23038bef4 100644
--- a/scripts/skill-directives.ts
+++ b/scripts/skill-directives.ts
@@ -20,12 +20,14 @@
 //   copy [from-branch:<b>]  body: `PATH` (src==dst) or `SRC -> DST`   overwrite
 //   append to:<file> [at:<marker>]  body: line(s) to add             skip if present
 //   dep [manager:pnpm]      body: `pkg@<exact-semver>` line(s)        reinstall no-op
-//   run [effect:build|test|fetch|external|wire] [capture:<var>]  re-runnable
+//   run [effect:build|test|fetch|external|wire|restart] [capture:<var>]  re-runnable
 //        body: shell command(s). {{vars}} are substituted in. effect:wire runs
 //        `ncl …` to wire collected input (no undo — the rows it creates are user
-//        runtime data, not reversed on skill remove). capture:<var> binds the
-//        command's stdout into {{var}} (twin of prompt) — e.g. resolve an id
-//        from an API and feed it to a later directive.
+//        runtime data, not reversed on skill remove). effect:restart restarts the
+//        service so following `ncl` runs reach it; a caller that owns the restart
+//        (rebuild, or a setup that restarts once) skips it via ApplyOptions.
+//        skipEffects. capture:<var> binds the command's stdout into {{var}} (twin
+//        of prompt) — e.g. resolve an id from an API and feed it to a later step.
 //   prompt <var> [secret]   body: the question → binds {{var}}        skip if satisfied
 //   operator                body: instructions for the human operator  output-only
 //        The SKILL.md is addressed to the coding agent; `operator` delineates the
diff --git a/setup/lib/restart.sh b/setup/lib/restart.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..e5992ed0a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/setup/lib/restart.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Restart the NanoClaw service, then wait (best-effort) for its `ncl` CLI socket
+# so a following wiring directive doesn't race the restart. Channel skills call
+# this as `nc:run effect:restart`. Best-effort throughout: a fresh setup may not
+# have the service installed yet, and the wiring's own `ncl` call is the real
+# signal if the socket never appears — so a wait timeout does not fail the step.
+set -u
+here="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+root="$(cd "$here/../.." && pwd)"
+# shellcheck source=/dev/null
+source "$here/install-slug.sh"
+
+case "$(uname -s)" in
+  Darwin) launchctl kickstart -k "gui/$(id -u)/$(launchd_label)" 2>/dev/null || true ;;
+  Linux) systemctl --user restart "$(systemd_unit)" 2>/dev/null \
+    || sudo systemctl restart "$(systemd_unit)" 2>/dev/null || true ;;
+esac
+
+# Wait up to ~30s for the CLI socket so `ncl` can connect on the next directive.
+for _ in $(seq 1 60); do
+  [ -S "$root/data/ncl.sock" ] && exit 0
+  sleep 0.5
+done
+echo "nanoclaw: ncl socket not up yet after restart — the wiring step may need a retry" >&2
+exit 0