diff --git a/make-pdf/SKILL.md b/make-pdf/SKILL.md
index 6883ea16a..90e10efdf 100644
--- a/make-pdf/SKILL.md
+++ b/make-pdf/SKILL.md
@@ -102,6 +102,42 @@ echo "CHECKPOINT_PUSH: $_CHECKPOINT_PUSH"
 [ -n "$OPENCLAW_SESSION" ] && echo "SPAWNED_SESSION: true" || true
 ```
 
+## MAKE-PDF SETUP (run this check BEFORE any make-pdf command)
+
+```bash
+_ROOT=$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel 2>/dev/null)
+P=""
+[ -n "$MAKE_PDF_BIN" ] && [ -x "$MAKE_PDF_BIN" ] && P="$MAKE_PDF_BIN"
+[ -z "$P" ] && [ -n "$_ROOT" ] && [ -x "$_ROOT/.claude/skills/gstack/make-pdf/dist/pdf" ] && P="$_ROOT/.claude/skills/gstack/make-pdf/dist/pdf"
+[ -z "$P" ] && P="$HOME/.claude/skills/gstack/make-pdf/dist/pdf"
+if [ -x "$P" ]; then
+  echo "MAKE_PDF_READY: $P"
+  alias _p_="$P"   # shellcheck alias helper (not exported)
+  export P   # available as $P in subsequent blocks within the same skill invocation
+else
+  echo "MAKE_PDF_NOT_AVAILABLE (run './setup' in the gstack repo to build it)"
+fi
+```
+
+If `MAKE_PDF_NOT_AVAILABLE` is printed: tell the user the binary is not
+built. Have them run `./setup` from the gstack repo, then retry.
+
+If `MAKE_PDF_READY` is printed: `$P` is the binary path for the rest of
+the skill. Use `$P` (not an explicit path) so the skill body stays portable.
+
+Core commands:
+- `$P generate <input.md> [output.pdf]` — render markdown to PDF (80% use case)
+- `$P generate --cover --toc essay.md out.pdf` — full publication layout
+- `$P generate --watermark DRAFT memo.md draft.pdf` — diagonal DRAFT watermark
+- `$P preview <input.md>` — render HTML and open in browser (fast iteration)
+- `$P setup` — verify browse + Chromium + pdftotext and run a smoke test
+- `$P --help` — full flag reference
+
+Output contract:
+- `stdout`: ONLY the output path on success. One line.
+- `stderr`: progress (`Rendering HTML... Generating PDF...`) unless `--quiet`.
+- Exit 0 success / 1 bad args / 2 render error / 3 Paged.js timeout / 4 browse unavailable.
+
 ## Plan Mode Safe Operations
 
 In plan mode, allowed because they inform the plan: `$B`, `$D`, `codex exec`/`codex review`, writes to `~/.gstack/`, writes to the plan file, and `open` for generated artifacts.
@@ -489,42 +525,6 @@ On Linux, install `fonts-liberation` for correct rendering — Helvetica and Ari
 aren't present by default, and Liberation Sans is the standard metric-compatible
 fallback. CI and Docker builds install it automatically via Dockerfile.ci.
 
-## MAKE-PDF SETUP (run this check BEFORE any make-pdf command)
-
-```bash
-_ROOT=$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel 2>/dev/null)
-P=""
-[ -n "$MAKE_PDF_BIN" ] && [ -x "$MAKE_PDF_BIN" ] && P="$MAKE_PDF_BIN"
-[ -z "$P" ] && [ -n "$_ROOT" ] && [ -x "$_ROOT/.claude/skills/gstack/make-pdf/dist/pdf" ] && P="$_ROOT/.claude/skills/gstack/make-pdf/dist/pdf"
-[ -z "$P" ] && P="$HOME/.claude/skills/gstack/make-pdf/dist/pdf"
-if [ -x "$P" ]; then
-  echo "MAKE_PDF_READY: $P"
-  alias _p_="$P"   # shellcheck alias helper (not exported)
-  export P   # available as $P in subsequent blocks within the same skill invocation
-else
-  echo "MAKE_PDF_NOT_AVAILABLE (run './setup' in the gstack repo to build it)"
-fi
-```
-
-If `MAKE_PDF_NOT_AVAILABLE` is printed: tell the user the binary is not
-built. Have them run `./setup` from the gstack repo, then retry.
-
-If `MAKE_PDF_READY` is printed: `$P` is the binary path for the rest of
-the skill. Use `$P` (not an explicit path) so the skill body stays portable.
-
-Core commands:
-- `$P generate <input.md> [output.pdf]` — render markdown to PDF (80% use case)
-- `$P generate --cover --toc essay.md out.pdf` — full publication layout
-- `$P generate --watermark DRAFT memo.md draft.pdf` — diagonal DRAFT watermark
-- `$P preview <input.md>` — render HTML and open in browser (fast iteration)
-- `$P setup` — verify browse + Chromium + pdftotext and run a smoke test
-- `$P --help` — full flag reference
-
-Output contract:
-- `stdout`: ONLY the output path on success. One line.
-- `stderr`: progress (`Rendering HTML... Generating PDF...`) unless `--quiet`.
-- Exit 0 success / 1 bad args / 2 render error / 3 Paged.js timeout / 4 browse unavailable.
-
 ## Core patterns
 
 ### 80% case — memo/letter
diff --git a/make-pdf/SKILL.md.tmpl b/make-pdf/SKILL.md.tmpl
index 0827492a8..d134ee62a 100644
--- a/make-pdf/SKILL.md.tmpl
+++ b/make-pdf/SKILL.md.tmpl
@@ -41,8 +41,6 @@ On Linux, install `fonts-liberation` for correct rendering — Helvetica and Ari
 aren't present by default, and Liberation Sans is the standard metric-compatible
 fallback. CI and Docker builds install it automatically via Dockerfile.ci.
 
-{{MAKE_PDF_SETUP}}
-
 ## Core patterns
 
 ### 80% case — memo/letter
diff --git a/scripts/resolvers/preamble.ts b/scripts/resolvers/preamble.ts
index b866e90b1..97698bfcf 100644
--- a/scripts/resolvers/preamble.ts
+++ b/scripts/resolvers/preamble.ts
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ import { generateContextHealth } from './preamble/generate-context-health';
 // Tier 3+ repo mode + search
 import { generateRepoModeSection } from './preamble/generate-repo-mode-section';
 import { generateSearchBeforeBuildingSection } from './preamble/generate-search-before-building';
+import { generateMakePdfSetup } from './make-pdf';
 
 // Standalone export used directly by the resolver registry
 export { generateTestFailureTriage } from './preamble/generate-test-failure-triage';
@@ -81,7 +82,8 @@ export function generatePreamble(ctx: TemplateContext): string {
   }
   const sections = [
     generatePreambleBash(ctx),
-    // Plan-mode-skill semantics at position 1: after bash (so _SESSION_ID /
+    ...(ctx.skillName === 'make-pdf' ? [generateMakePdfSetup(ctx)] : []),
+    // Plan-mode-skill semantics stays near the top: after bash (so _SESSION_ID /
     // _BRANCH / _TEL env vars are live) and before all onboarding gates so
     // models read the authoritative "AskUserQuestion satisfies plan mode's
     // end-of-turn" rule before any other instruction. Renders for all skills
diff --git a/test/gen-skill-docs.test.ts b/test/gen-skill-docs.test.ts
index 86cdac953..23a4965e7 100644
--- a/test/gen-skill-docs.test.ts
+++ b/test/gen-skill-docs.test.ts
@@ -1098,6 +1098,26 @@ describe('Plan status footer in preamble', () => {
   });
 });
 
+// --- make-pdf setup ordering ---
+
+describe('make-pdf setup ordering', () => {
+  test('MAKE-PDF SETUP appears before generic preamble footer sections', () => {
+    const content = fs.readFileSync(path.join(ROOT, 'make-pdf', 'SKILL.md'), 'utf-8');
+    const preambleIdx = content.indexOf('## Preamble (run first)');
+    const setupIdx = content.indexOf('## MAKE-PDF SETUP');
+    const planModeIdx = content.indexOf('## Plan Mode Safe Operations');
+    const telemetryIdx = content.indexOf('## Telemetry (run last)');
+    const workflowIdx = content.indexOf('# make-pdf: publication-quality PDFs from markdown');
+
+    expect(preambleIdx).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(0);
+    expect(setupIdx).toBeGreaterThan(preambleIdx);
+    expect(setupIdx).toBeLessThan(planModeIdx);
+    expect(setupIdx).toBeLessThan(telemetryIdx);
+    expect(setupIdx).toBeLessThan(workflowIdx);
+    expect(content.match(/^## MAKE-PDF SETUP/gm)?.length ?? 0).toBe(1);
+  });
+});
+
 // --- Skill invocation during plan mode in preamble ---
 
 describe('Skill invocation during plan mode in preamble', () => {