diff --git a/internal/declarative/claude/skill.go b/internal/declarative/claude/skill.go
index 5e94a6c..12141e5 100644
--- a/internal/declarative/claude/skill.go
+++ b/internal/declarative/claude/skill.go
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@ func loadSkillDir(dir string) (map[string]any, core.Payload, error) {
 	// (display_title, title) are still accepted, and a skill with none is
 	// shown under its `name`, or failing that its directory.
 	name := firstString(fields, "name")
+	if err := checkSkillName(name); err != nil {
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("%s: %w", skillMD, err)
+	}
 	displayName := cmp.Or(firstString(fields, "display_name", "display_title", "title"), name, filepath.Base(dir))
 	uploadDir := cmp.Or(name, filepath.Base(dir))
 
@@ -112,6 +115,19 @@ func skillFrontmatter(content []byte) ([]byte, error) {
 	return []byte(strings.NewReplacer("\r\n", "\n", "\r", "\n").Replace(yaml)), nil
 }
 
+// checkSkillName refuses a manifest name that is not one path segment. The
+// name is the directory the skill is uploaded under, and path.Join would
+// otherwise turn "../../other" into a multipart filename outside that folder.
+func checkSkillName(name string) error {
+	if name == "" {
+		return nil
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(name, "/") || strings.Contains(name, `\`) || strings.Contains(name, "..") {
+		return fmt.Errorf("name %q cannot contain '/', '\\', or '..'; it is the directory the skill is uploaded under", name)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // firstString returns the first of keys whose value is a non-blank string, trimmed.
 func firstString(m map[string]any, keys ...string) string {
 	for _, k := range keys {
diff --git a/internal/declarative/claude/skill_test.go b/internal/declarative/claude/skill_test.go
index 36aad0d..a1885cd 100644
--- a/internal/declarative/claude/skill_test.go
+++ b/internal/declarative/claude/skill_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package claude
 import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"strconv"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
@@ -93,6 +94,26 @@ func TestSkillManifestProblemsAreNamedBeforeAnyUpload(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestSkillNameCannotBeAPath(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, name := range []string{"../../other", "/other", `..\other`, "foo/bar", "..", "foo..bar"} {
+		root := writeTree(t, map[string]string{
+			"s/SKILL.md": "---\nname: " + strconv.Quote(name) + "\n---\nbody\n",
+		})
+		_, _, err := loadSkillDir(filepath.Join(root, "s"))
+		require.ErrorContains(t, err, "cannot contain")
+		assert.ErrorContains(t, err, "SKILL.md")
+	}
+
+	root := writeTree(t, map[string]string{
+		"s/SKILL.md": "---\nname: pr-writer\n---\nbody\n",
+	})
+	_, payload, err := loadSkillDir(filepath.Join(root, "s"))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	bundle := payload.(*skillBundle)
+	assert.Equal(t, "pr-writer", bundle.UploadDir)
+	assert.Equal(t, "pr-writer/SKILL.md", bundle.Files[0].UploadName(bundle.UploadDir))
+}
+
 func TestSkillBodyCarriesTheDeclaredName(t *testing.T) {
 	root := writeTree(t, map[string]string{
 		"named/SKILL.md":   "---\nname: pdf-tools\ndescription: d\n---\n",