diff --git a/extensions/copilot/src/extension/prompts/node/agent/agentPrompt.tsx b/extensions/copilot/src/extension/prompts/node/agent/agentPrompt.tsx
index f24dc6015c3..35afdc6d9e7 100644
--- a/extensions/copilot/src/extension/prompts/node/agent/agentPrompt.tsx
+++ b/extensions/copilot/src/extension/prompts/node/agent/agentPrompt.tsx
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import { BasePromptElementProps, Chunk, Image, PromptElement, PromptPiece, Promp
 import type { ChatRequestEditedFileEvent, LanguageModelToolInformation, NotebookEditor, TaskDefinition, TextEditor } from 'vscode';
 import { ChatLocation } from '../../../../platform/chat/common/commonTypes';
 import { ConfigKey, IConfigurationService } from '../../../../platform/configuration/common/configurationService';
+import { ICustomInstructionsService } from '../../../../platform/customInstructions/common/customInstructionsService';
+import { USE_SKILL_ADHERENCE_PROMPT_SETTING } from '../../../../platform/customInstructions/common/promptTypes';
 import { CacheType } from '../../../../platform/endpoint/common/endpointTypes';
 import { IEnvService, OperatingSystem } from '../../../../platform/env/common/envService';
 import { ILogService } from '../../../../platform/log/common/logService';
@@ -17,11 +19,11 @@ import { ITabsAndEditorsService } from '../../../../platform/tabs/common/tabsAnd
 import { ITasksService } from '../../../../platform/tasks/common/tasksService';
 import { IExperimentationService } from '../../../../platform/telemetry/common/nullExperimentationService';
 import { IWorkspaceService } from '../../../../platform/workspace/common/workspaceService';
-import { isDefined } from '../../../../util/vs/base/common/types';
+import { isDefined, isString } from '../../../../util/vs/base/common/types';
 import { IInstantiationService } from '../../../../util/vs/platform/instantiation/common/instantiation';
 import { ChatRequestEditedFileEventKind, Position, Range } from '../../../../vscodeTypes';
 import { GenericBasePromptElementProps } from '../../../context/node/resolvers/genericPanelIntentInvocation';
-import { ChatVariablesCollection } from '../../../prompt/common/chatVariablesCollection';
+import { ChatVariablesCollection, isPromptInstructionText } from '../../../prompt/common/chatVariablesCollection';
 import { getGlobalContextCacheKey, GlobalContextMessageMetadata, RenderedUserMessageMetadata, Turn } from '../../../prompt/common/conversation';
 import { InternalToolReference } from '../../../prompt/common/intents';
 import { IPromptVariablesService } from '../../../prompt/node/promptVariablesService';
@@ -315,7 +317,8 @@ export class AgentUserMessage extends PromptElement<AgentUserMessageProps> {
 	constructor(
 		props: AgentUserMessageProps,
 		@IPromptVariablesService private readonly promptVariablesService: IPromptVariablesService,
-		@ILogService private readonly logService: ILogService
+		@ILogService private readonly logService: ILogService,
+		@IConfigurationService private readonly configurationService: IConfigurationService
 	) {
 		super(props);
 	}
@@ -376,6 +379,7 @@ export class AgentUserMessage extends PromptElement<AgentUserMessageProps> {
 						{/* Critical reminders that are effective when repeated right next to the user message */}
 						<ReminderInstructionsClass {...reminderProps} />
 						<NotebookReminderInstructions chatVariables={this.props.chatVariables} query={this.props.request} />
+						{this.configurationService.getNonExtensionConfig<boolean>(USE_SKILL_ADHERENCE_PROMPT_SETTING) && <SkillAdherenceReminder chatVariables={this.props.chatVariables} />}
 					</Tag>
 					{query && <Tag name={userQueryTagName} priority={900} flexGrow={7}>
 						<UserQuery chatVariables={this.props.chatVariables} query={query + attachmentHint} />
@@ -449,6 +453,41 @@ class CurrentDatePrompt extends PromptElement<BasePromptElementProps> {
 	}
 }
 
+interface SkillAdherenceReminderProps extends BasePromptElementProps {
+	readonly chatVariables: ChatVariablesCollection;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Skill adherence reminder that prompts the model to read SKILL.md files when skills are available
+ * in the instruction index.
+ * Shown whenever the instruction index variable contains at least one skill or skill folder entry.
+ */
+class SkillAdherenceReminder extends PromptElement<SkillAdherenceReminderProps> {
+	constructor(
+		props: SkillAdherenceReminderProps,
+		@ICustomInstructionsService private readonly customInstructionsService: ICustomInstructionsService,
+	) {
+		super(props);
+	}
+
+	async render() {
+		// Check if any skills are available from the instruction index
+		const indexVariable = this.props.chatVariables.find(isPromptInstructionText);
+		if (!indexVariable || !isString(indexVariable.value)) {
+			return undefined;
+		}
+
+		const indexFile = this.customInstructionsService.parseInstructionIndexFile(indexVariable.value);
+		if (indexFile.skills.size === 0) {
+			return undefined;
+		}
+
+		return <Tag name='additional_skills_reminder'>
+			Always check if any skills apply to the user's request. If so, use the {ToolName.ReadFile} tool to read the corresponding SKILL.md files. Multiple skill files may be needed for a single request. These files contain best practices built from testing that are needed for high-quality outputs.<br />
+		</Tag>;
+	}
+}
+
 interface CurrentEditorContextProps extends BasePromptElementProps {
 	readonly endpoint: IChatEndpoint;
 }
diff --git a/extensions/copilot/src/platform/customInstructions/common/promptTypes.ts b/extensions/copilot/src/platform/customInstructions/common/promptTypes.ts
index ce1d856a814..aeb07244dc8 100644
--- a/extensions/copilot/src/platform/customInstructions/common/promptTypes.ts
+++ b/extensions/copilot/src/platform/customInstructions/common/promptTypes.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ export const SKILLS_LOCATION_KEY = 'chat.agentSkillsLocations';
 export const WORKSPACE_SKILL_FOLDERS = ['.github/skills', '.claude/skills'];
 export const PERSONAL_SKILL_FOLDERS = ['.copilot/skills', '.claude/skills'];
 export const USE_AGENT_SKILLS_SETTING = 'chat.useAgentSkills';
+export const USE_SKILL_ADHERENCE_PROMPT_SETTING = 'chat.experimental.useSkillAdherencePrompt';
 
 export const COPILOT_INSTRUCTIONS_PATH = '.github/copilot-instructions.md';