diff --git a/packages/adapter-utils/src/server-utils.test.ts b/packages/adapter-utils/src/server-utils.test.ts
index e8f524201d7..0523c4d09eb 100644
--- a/packages/adapter-utils/src/server-utils.test.ts
+++ b/packages/adapter-utils/src/server-utils.test.ts
@@ -345,6 +345,37 @@ describe("materializePaperclipSkillCopy", () => {
     }
   });
 
+  it("does not lock an already-current materialized skill", async () => {
+    const root = await fs.mkdtemp(
+      path.join(os.tmpdir(), "paperclip-skill-copy-"),
+    );
+    try {
+      const source = path.join(root, "source");
+      const skillsHome = path.join(root, "skills");
+      const target = path.join(skillsHome, "skill");
+      const lock = `${target}.lock`;
+      await fs.mkdir(source, { recursive: true });
+      await fs.writeFile(path.join(source, "SKILL.md"), "# skill\n", "utf8");
+      await materializePaperclipSkillCopy(source, target);
+
+      await fs.mkdir(lock);
+      const owner = path.join(lock, "owner.json");
+      await fs.writeFile(
+        owner,
+        JSON.stringify({ pid: process.pid, createdAt: new Date().toISOString() }),
+        "utf8",
+      );
+
+      await expect(
+        materializePaperclipSkillCopy(source, target),
+      ).resolves.toMatchObject({ copiedFiles: 0 });
+      expect((await fs.readdir(skillsHome)).sort()).toEqual(["skill", "skill.lock"]);
+      await expect(fs.readFile(owner, "utf8")).resolves.toContain(`"pid":${process.pid}`);
+    } finally {
+      await fs.rm(root, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+
   it("breaks stale materialization locks left by dead processes", async () => {
     const root = await fs.mkdtemp(
       path.join(os.tmpdir(), "paperclip-skill-copy-"),
diff --git a/packages/adapter-utils/src/server-utils.ts b/packages/adapter-utils/src/server-utils.ts
index 05a670d2724..26dac29cd9e 100644
--- a/packages/adapter-utils/src/server-utils.ts
+++ b/packages/adapter-utils/src/server-utils.ts
@@ -4563,6 +4563,10 @@ export async function materializePaperclipSkillCopy(
     skippedSymlinks: [],
   };
 
+  const sourceFingerprint = await hashSkillDirectory(sourceRoot);
+  if (await materializedSkillFingerprintMatches(targetRoot, sourceFingerprint))
+    return result;
+
   const lockDir = `${targetRoot}.lock`;
   const releaseLock = await acquireMaterializeLock(lockDir);
   const tempRoot = `${targetRoot}.tmp-${process.pid}-${randomUUID()}`;
@@ -4608,7 +4612,6 @@ export async function materializePaperclipSkillCopy(
   }
 
   try {
-    const sourceFingerprint = await hashSkillDirectory(sourceRoot);
     if (
       await materializedSkillFingerprintMatches(targetRoot, sourceFingerprint)
     )