diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-skills.yml b/.github/workflows/release-skills.yml
index da82486..57e1573 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-skills.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-skills.yml
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@ on:
     paths: ['skills/**']
   workflow_dispatch:
 
+permissions:
+  contents: write
+  packages: write
+
 jobs:
   release:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
@@ -39,7 +43,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Create Github Release
         id: release
-        uses: ncipollo/release-action@v2
+        uses: ncipollo/release-action@v1
         if: ${{ steps.changelog.outputs.skipped == 'false' }}
         with:
           name: "${{ steps.changelog.outputs.version }}"
@@ -53,6 +57,7 @@ jobs:
           skipIfReleaseExists: true
 
       - name: Publish to npm
+        id: publish
         if: ${{ steps.changelog.outputs.skipped == 'false' && steps.release.outputs.id != '' }}
         run: |
           echo "//registry.npmjs.org/:_authToken=$NPM_TOKEN" > ~/.npmrc
@@ -61,7 +66,7 @@ jobs:
           NPM_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}
 
       - name: Notify cline-fork
-        if: ${{ steps.changelog.outputs.skipped == 'false' }}
+        if: ${{ steps.changelog.outputs.skipped == 'false' && steps.release.outputs.id != '' && steps.publish.outcome == 'success' }}
         uses: peter-evans/repository-dispatch@v3
         with:
           token: ${{ secrets.IDEE_GH_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/validate-skills.yml b/.github/workflows/validate-skills.yml
index d7f6014..55e051b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/validate-skills.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/validate-skills.yml
@@ -9,8 +9,28 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+
       - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
         with:
           node-version-file: '.nvmrc'
+
       - run: npm ci
-      - run: npm run validate
+
+      - name: Detect changed skill directories
+        id: changed-skills
+        run: |
+          # Collect top-level skill dirs touched by this PR (relative to skills/).
+          # Passing explicit dirs means pre-existing nested skill categories
+          # (to be flattened in a separate PR) don't block unrelated skill PRs.
+          DIRS=$(git diff --name-only origin/${{ github.base_ref }}...HEAD \
+            | grep '^skills/' \
+            | cut -d'/' -f2 \
+            | sort -u \
+            | tr '\n' ' ')
+          echo "dirs=$DIRS" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          echo "Validating skill dirs: $DIRS"
+
+      - name: Validate changed skills
+        run: npx tsx scripts/validate-skills.ts ${{ steps.changed-skills.outputs.dirs }}
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index bb49637..9004d60 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -6,13 +6,17 @@
   "files": [
     "skills/"
   ],
+  "publishConfig": {
+    "access": "public",
+    "registry": "https://registry.npmjs.org"
+  },
   "devDependencies": {
     "tsx": "^4.21.0",
     "@salesforce/webapp-template-app-react-sample-b2e-experimental": "*",
     "@salesforce/webapp-template-app-react-sample-b2x-experimental": "*"
   },
   "scripts": {
-    "validate": "tsx scripts/validate-skills.ts",
+    "validate:skills": "tsx scripts/validate-skills.ts",
     "sync-react-b2e-sample": "node scripts/sync-react-b2e-sample.js",
     "sync-react-b2x-sample": "node scripts/sync-react-b2x-sample.js"
   }
diff --git a/scripts/validate-skills.ts b/scripts/validate-skills.ts
index 93892e2..e51d30c 100644
--- a/scripts/validate-skills.ts
+++ b/scripts/validate-skills.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env tsx
 // Validates the skills/ directory structure and SKILL.md format.
 // Exits with code 1 if any violations are found.
+//
+// Usage:
+//   tsx scripts/validate-skills.ts              # validate all skills
+//   tsx scripts/validate-skills.ts apex-class   # validate specific skill dirs
 
 import fs from "fs"
 import path from "path"
@@ -143,7 +147,10 @@ function parseFrontmatter(content: string): Record<string, string> | null {
   for (const line of match[1].split(/\r?\n/)) {
     const colonIdx = line.indexOf(":")
     if (colonIdx === -1) continue
-    result[line.slice(0, colonIdx).trim()] = line.slice(colonIdx + 1).trim()
+    const key = line.slice(0, colonIdx).trim()
+    // Strip wrapping single or double quotes to match how consumers read values
+    const raw = line.slice(colonIdx + 1).trim()
+    result[key] = raw.replace(/^(['"])([\s\S]*)\1$/, "$2")
   }
   return result
 }
@@ -158,6 +165,10 @@ function getFrontmatterEnd(content: string): number {
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 function validateSkill(dirName: string, dirPath: string): string[] {
+  if (!fs.existsSync(dirPath)) {
+    return [`skills/${dirName}: directory not found`]
+  }
+
   const errors: string[] = []
 
   for (const check of STRUCTURE_CHECKS) {
@@ -182,13 +193,18 @@ function validateSkill(dirName: string, dirPath: string): string[] {
 }
 
 function main(): void {
-  const allErrors: string[] = []
-  let checked = 0
+  // If skill dir names are passed as arguments, validate only those.
+  // Otherwise validate all entries in skills/.
+  const targets = process.argv.slice(2)
+  const entries = targets.length > 0 ? targets : fs.readdirSync(SKILLS_DIR)
 
-  for (const entry of fs.readdirSync(SKILLS_DIR)) {
+  const allErrors: string[] = []
+  let passed = 0
+
+  for (const entry of entries) {
     const entryErrors = validateSkill(entry, path.join(SKILLS_DIR, entry))
     allErrors.push(...entryErrors)
-    if (entryErrors.length === 0) checked++
+    if (entryErrors.length === 0) passed++
   }
 
   if (allErrors.length > 0) {
@@ -199,7 +215,7 @@ function main(): void {
     console.error("")
     process.exit(1)
   } else {
-    console.log(`Skill validation passed: ${checked} skill(s) checked.`)
+    console.log(`Skill validation passed: ${passed} of ${entries.length} skill(s) checked.`)
   }
 }