diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/agents_engine/core/Skill.kt b/src/main/kotlin/agents_engine/core/Skill.kt
index f434850..0c37a12 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/agents_engine/core/Skill.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/agents_engine/core/Skill.kt
@@ -74,6 +74,21 @@ class Skill<IN, OUT>(
         implementation = null
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Typed overload accepting `Tool<*, *>` handles returned by `tool(...)` builders
+     * (#1015). Catches typos and stale references at compile time instead of at agent
+     * `validate()` (`Agent.kt:404`). See `docs/ksp-design.md` for the broader plan.
+     *
+     * Requires at least one ref to disambiguate from `tools()` (empty), which resolves
+     * to the legacy string-vararg form.
+     */
+    fun tools(first: agents_engine.model.Tool<*, *>, vararg rest: agents_engine.model.Tool<*, *>) {
+        checkNotFrozen()
+        isAgentic = true
+        toolNames = listOf(first.name) + rest.map { it.name }
+        implementation = null
+    }
+
     var outputTransformer: ((String) -> OUT)? = null
         private set
 
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/agents_engine/model/ToolDef.kt b/src/main/kotlin/agents_engine/model/ToolDef.kt
index 934830d..747e26f 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/agents_engine/model/ToolDef.kt
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/agents_engine/model/ToolDef.kt
@@ -30,17 +30,21 @@ class ToolDef(
 
 /**
  * Typed handle returned by every `tool(...)` builder overload. Wraps a
- * [ToolDef] with phantom type parameters that let `Skill.tools(...)` and
- * `+autoTool(...)` accept compile-time-checked references instead of
- * stringly-typed lookups (#1015 — KSP P1.1).
+ * [ToolDef] with phantom type parameters that let `Skill.tools(...)` accept
+ * compile-time-checked references instead of stringly-typed lookups
+ * (#1015 — KSP P1.1).
  *
  * `Args` is the deserialized input type for typed tools (the `@Generable`
  * data class), `Map<String, Any?>` for untyped tools. `Result` is the lambda's
  * return type. Both type parameters are erased at runtime — the [def]
  * underneath is the canonical runtime representation.
+ *
+ * Not `@JvmInline value` because Kotlin prohibits vararg of value-class types,
+ * and `Skill.tools(vararg refs: Tool<*, *>)` (#1016) is the primary use site.
+ * Tool handles are constructed once per agent build, never on the hot path —
+ * the per-handle allocation is negligible.
  */
-@JvmInline
-value class Tool<Args, Result> @PublishedApi internal constructor(
+class Tool<Args, Result> @PublishedApi internal constructor(
     @PublishedApi internal val def: ToolDef,
 ) {
     val name: String get() = def.name
diff --git a/src/test/kotlin/agents_engine/model/TypedToolRefsTest.kt b/src/test/kotlin/agents_engine/model/TypedToolRefsTest.kt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cbb00ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/kotlin/agents_engine/model/TypedToolRefsTest.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+package agents_engine.model
+
+import agents_engine.core.agent
+import kotlin.test.Test
+import kotlin.test.assertEquals
+
+/**
+ * #1016 — `Skill.tools(...)` accepts typed `Tool<*, *>` handles in addition to
+ * the legacy stringly-typed form. The two forms produce identical
+ * `Skill.toolNames` and dispatch identically through the agentic loop.
+ *
+ * The string form stays — typed and string overloads coexist; #1017 will
+ * deprecate the string form (warning level), but not yet.
+ */
+class TypedToolRefsTest {
+
+    @Test
+    fun `typed tool refs produce same toolNames as string form`() {
+        val typedAgent = agent<String, String>("typed-form") {
+            lateinit var fetch: Tool<Map<String, Any?>, Any?>
+            lateinit var compile: Tool<Map<String, Any?>, Any?>
+            tools {
+                fetch = tool("fetch", "Fetch") { _ -> "fetched" }
+                compile = tool("compile", "Compile") { _ -> "compiled" }
+            }
+            skills {
+                skill<String, String>("build") {
+                    tools(fetch, compile)
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        val stringAgent = agent<String, String>("string-form") {
+            tools {
+                tool("fetch", "Fetch") { _ -> "fetched" }
+                tool("compile", "Compile") { _ -> "compiled" }
+            }
+            skills {
+                skill<String, String>("build") {
+                    tools("fetch", "compile")
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        val typedSkill = typedAgent.skills["build"]!!
+        val stringSkill = stringAgent.skills["build"]!!
+
+        assertEquals(stringSkill.toolNames, typedSkill.toolNames)
+        assertEquals(true, typedSkill.isAgentic)
+        assertEquals(listOf("fetch", "compile"), typedSkill.toolNames)
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `typed refs survive validate() — agent constructs without unknown-tool error`() {
+        val a = agent<String, String>("typed-validate") {
+            lateinit var ping: Tool<Map<String, Any?>, Any?>
+            tools {
+                ping = tool("ping", "Ping") { _ -> "pong" }
+            }
+            skills {
+                skill<String, String>("respond") {
+                    tools(ping)
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        assertEquals(listOf("ping"), a.skills["respond"]!!.toolNames)
+    }
+}