diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ce2bbc6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+# Agent Instructions
+
+## Platform-agnostic development
+
+Everything in this repository MUST work on every agent runtime, not only on
+the one developing it: Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Hermes, OpenClaw and
+any other that reads skills. The same holds for operating systems and
+distributions.
+
+- **Logic in scripts**: behaviour lives in `python3` or `bash` scripts that
+  any runtime can call. Hooks, plugins and settings of one runtime are thin
+  adapters over those scripts, never the only path to a feature.
+- **Skills stay portable**: a `SKILL.md` that uses a runtime-specific tool
+  (`AskUserQuestion`, `SendMessage`, a slash command) says what the step
+  needs, so another runtime can use its own equivalent.
+- **Installs reach every runtime**: install into the cross-runtime locations
+  (`~/.agents/skills`) or through an installer that configures every
+  detected agent; runtime-specific locations are mirrors. Of a tool that
+  ships both, take the agent-agnostic integration over one runtime's plugin,
+  and never both: the same server would run twice.
+- **No single package manager**: an install never depends on one OS or
+  distribution's package manager; prefer upstream or statically linked
+  release builds.
+- **One instruction file**: rules live here and nowhere else; no
+  `CLAUDE.md`, `CLAUDE.local.md` or `GEMINI.md`. Claude Code reads this file
+  natively from v2.1.277; Gemini CLI once its `context.fileName` setting
+  lists `AGENTS.md`.
+
+## Code questions
+
+Ask the codebase-memory-mcp graph first (`search_graph`, `trace_path`,
+`get_architecture`); grep only after it.
diff --git a/skills/kvb-agent-optimize/SKILL.md b/skills/kvb-agent-optimize/SKILL.md
index ddc0ca8..8dc04a5 100644
--- a/skills/kvb-agent-optimize/SKILL.md
+++ b/skills/kvb-agent-optimize/SKILL.md
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@ scope: the current one, or those `kvb-optimize` hands over.
 ## Step 1: inventory
 
 `${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/agents.py --repo <dir>` prints one line per
-check: AGENTS.md, whether CLAUDE.md and GEMINI.md point to it, dead relative
-links in it, whether it names the index, whether the index binary is
+check: AGENTS.md, any runtime-specific instruction file beside it, dead
+relative links in it, whether it names the index, whether the index binary is
 installed, and the state of the shared snapshot
 `.codebase-memory/graph.db.zst`.
 
@@ -48,8 +48,11 @@ installed, and the state of the shared snapshot
 
 ## Step 3: instructions
 
-- AGENTS.md is the single source; CLAUDE.md and GEMINI.md only point to it
-  (`@AGENTS.md`).
+- AGENTS.md is the only instruction file: fold any `CLAUDE.md`,
+  `.claude/CLAUDE.md`, `CLAUDE.local.md` or `GEMINI.md` into it and remove
+  them. Claude Code reads AGENTS.md natively (v2.1.277+) but skips it while a
+  `CLAUDE.md` is on the path; Gemini CLI reads it once `context.fileName`
+  lists it.
 - AGENTS.md sends code questions to the graph first (`search_graph`,
   `trace_path`, `get_architecture`) and to grep only after it.
 - `/claude-api prompt-audit` over AGENTS.md and the files it references finds
diff --git a/skills/kvb-agent-optimize/scripts/agents.py b/skills/kvb-agent-optimize/scripts/agents.py
index 511aa57..57f44f9 100755
--- a/skills/kvb-agent-optimize/scripts/agents.py
+++ b/skills/kvb-agent-optimize/scripts/agents.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
-"""Report how ready a repository is for agents: instructions, pointers, code index.
+"""Report how ready a repository is for agents: instructions, runtime-specific files, code index.
 
 Args:
     --repo: path of the repository.
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import subprocess
 import sys
 from pathlib import Path
 
-POINTERS = ("CLAUDE.md", "GEMINI.md")
+RUNTIME_FILES = ("CLAUDE.md", ".claude/CLAUDE.md", "CLAUDE.local.md", "GEMINI.md")
 INDEX = "codebase-memory-mcp"
 SNAPSHOT = ".codebase-memory/graph.db.zst"
 LINK = re.compile(r"\]\(([^)\s#]+)")
@@ -50,11 +50,11 @@ def checks(repo: Path) -> list[tuple[str, str, str]]:
     agents = repo / "AGENTS.md"
     text = agents.read_text(encoding="utf-8") if agents.is_file() else ""
     rows = [("AGENTS.md", "ok" if text else "missing", "single source of the agent instructions")]
-    for name in POINTERS:
-        pointer = repo / name
-        if pointer.is_file():
-            points = "AGENTS.md" in pointer.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
-            rows.append((name, "ok" if points else "drift", f"{'points' if points else 'does not point'} to AGENTS.md"))
+    rows.extend(
+        (name, "drift", "runtime-specific; fold into AGENTS.md and remove")
+        for name in RUNTIME_FILES
+        if (repo / name).is_file()
+    )
     dead = sorted(
         {
             target
diff --git a/tests/test_agent_optimize.py b/tests/test_agent_optimize.py
index 668babe..7d270e7 100644
--- a/tests/test_agent_optimize.py
+++ b/tests/test_agent_optimize.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-"""Exercise agents.py: instruction pointers, dead links, index pointer, binary and snapshot state."""
+"""Exercise agents.py: runtime-specific files, dead links, index pointer, binary and snapshot state."""
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@ class TestAgents(unittest.TestCase):
         )
         (repo / "CLAUDE.md").write_text("@AGENTS.md\n", encoding="utf-8")
         (repo / "GEMINI.md").write_text("own rules\n", encoding="utf-8")
+        (repo / ".claude").mkdir()
+        (repo / ".claude" / "CLAUDE.md").write_text("x\n", encoding="utf-8")
+        (repo / "CLAUDE.local.md").write_text("x\n", encoding="utf-8")
         (repo / ".codebase-memory").mkdir()
         (repo / ".codebase-memory" / "graph.db.zst").write_bytes(b"x")
         (repo / ".gitignore").write_text(".codebase-memory/\n", encoding="utf-8")
@@ -59,8 +62,10 @@ class TestAgents(unittest.TestCase):
             self._report(repo),
             {
                 "AGENTS.md": ("ok", "single source of the agent instructions"),
-                "CLAUDE.md": ("ok", "points to AGENTS.md"),
-                "GEMINI.md": ("drift", "does not point to AGENTS.md"),
+                "CLAUDE.md": ("drift", "runtime-specific; fold into AGENTS.md and remove"),
+                ".claude/CLAUDE.md": ("drift", "runtime-specific; fold into AGENTS.md and remove"),
+                "CLAUDE.local.md": ("drift", "runtime-specific; fold into AGENTS.md and remove"),
+                "GEMINI.md": ("drift", "runtime-specific; fold into AGENTS.md and remove"),
                 "links": ("drift", "docs/b.md"),
                 "index-pointer": ("ok", "AGENTS.md names codebase-memory-mcp"),
                 "index-binary": ("ok", "codebase-memory-mcp on PATH"),