diff --git a/hermes_cli/skills_hub.py b/hermes_cli/skills_hub.py
index 53faafc8..e39b098a 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/skills_hub.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/skills_hub.py
@@ -416,8 +416,7 @@ def do_list(source_filter: str = "all", console: Optional[Console] = None) -> No
     ensure_hub_dirs()
     lock = HubLockFile()
     hub_installed = {e["name"]: e for e in lock.list_installed()}
-    bundled_manifest = _read_manifest()
-    builtin_names = set(bundled_manifest.keys()) if isinstance(bundled_manifest, dict) else set()
+    builtin_names = set(_read_manifest())
 
     all_skills = _find_all_skills()
 
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_skills_hub.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_skills_hub.py
index 3a8ed839..b877211b 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_skills_hub.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_skills_hub.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from io import StringIO
 
+import pytest
 from rich.console import Console
 
 from hermes_cli.skills_hub import do_list
@@ -13,9 +14,10 @@ class _DummyLockFile:
         return self._installed
 
 
-def test_do_list_initializes_hub_dir(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+@pytest.fixture()
+def hub_env(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    """Set up isolated hub directory paths and return (monkeypatch, tmp_path)."""
     import tools.skills_hub as hub
-    import tools.skills_tool as skills_tool
 
     hub_dir = tmp_path / "skills" / ".hub"
     monkeypatch.setattr(hub, "SKILLS_DIR", tmp_path / "skills")
@@ -25,13 +27,63 @@ def test_do_list_initializes_hub_dir(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
     monkeypatch.setattr(hub, "AUDIT_LOG", hub_dir / "audit.log")
     monkeypatch.setattr(hub, "TAPS_FILE", hub_dir / "taps.json")
     monkeypatch.setattr(hub, "INDEX_CACHE_DIR", hub_dir / "index-cache")
+
+    return hub_dir
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Fixtures for common skill setups
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+_HUB_ENTRY = {"name": "hub-skill", "source": "github", "trust_level": "community"}
+
+_ALL_THREE_SKILLS = [
+    {"name": "hub-skill", "category": "x", "description": "hub"},
+    {"name": "builtin-skill", "category": "x", "description": "builtin"},
+    {"name": "local-skill", "category": "x", "description": "local"},
+]
+
+_BUILTIN_MANIFEST = {"builtin-skill": "abc123"}
+
+
+@pytest.fixture()
+def three_source_env(monkeypatch, hub_env):
+    """Populate hub/builtin/local skills for source-classification tests."""
+    import tools.skills_hub as hub
+    import tools.skills_sync as skills_sync
+    import tools.skills_tool as skills_tool
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(hub, "HubLockFile", lambda: _DummyLockFile([_HUB_ENTRY]))
+    monkeypatch.setattr(skills_tool, "_find_all_skills", lambda: list(_ALL_THREE_SKILLS))
+    monkeypatch.setattr(skills_sync, "_read_manifest", lambda: dict(_BUILTIN_MANIFEST))
+
+    return hub_env
+
+
+def _capture(source_filter: str = "all") -> str:
+    """Run do_list into a string buffer and return the output."""
+    sink = StringIO()
+    console = Console(file=sink, force_terminal=False, color_system=None)
+    do_list(source_filter=source_filter, console=console)
+    return sink.getvalue()
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Tests
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def test_do_list_initializes_hub_dir(monkeypatch, hub_env):
+    import tools.skills_sync as skills_sync
+    import tools.skills_tool as skills_tool
+
     monkeypatch.setattr(skills_tool, "_find_all_skills", lambda: [])
+    monkeypatch.setattr(skills_sync, "_read_manifest", lambda: {})
 
-    console = Console(file=StringIO(), force_terminal=False, color_system=None)
-
+    hub_dir = hub_env
     assert not hub_dir.exists()
 
-    do_list(console=console)
+    _capture()
 
     assert hub_dir.exists()
     assert (hub_dir / "lock.json").exists()
@@ -39,80 +91,34 @@ def test_do_list_initializes_hub_dir(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
     assert (hub_dir / "index-cache").is_dir()
 
 
-def test_do_list_distinguishes_hub_builtin_and_local(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
-    import tools.skills_hub as hub
-    import tools.skills_sync as skills_sync
-    import tools.skills_tool as skills_tool
+def test_do_list_distinguishes_hub_builtin_and_local(three_source_env):
+    output = _capture()
 
-    hub_dir = tmp_path / "skills" / ".hub"
-    monkeypatch.setattr(hub, "SKILLS_DIR", tmp_path / "skills")
-    monkeypatch.setattr(hub, "HUB_DIR", hub_dir)
-    monkeypatch.setattr(hub, "LOCK_FILE", hub_dir / "lock.json")
-    monkeypatch.setattr(hub, "QUARANTINE_DIR", hub_dir / "quarantine")
-    monkeypatch.setattr(hub, "AUDIT_LOG", hub_dir / "audit.log")
-    monkeypatch.setattr(hub, "TAPS_FILE", hub_dir / "taps.json")
-    monkeypatch.setattr(hub, "INDEX_CACHE_DIR", hub_dir / "index-cache")
-
-    monkeypatch.setattr(
-        hub,
-        "HubLockFile",
-        lambda: _DummyLockFile([
-            {"name": "hub-skill", "source": "github", "trust_level": "community"},
-        ]),
-    )
-    monkeypatch.setattr(
-        skills_tool,
-        "_find_all_skills",
-        lambda: [
-            {"name": "hub-skill", "category": "x", "description": "hub"},
-            {"name": "builtin-skill", "category": "x", "description": "builtin"},
-            {"name": "local-skill", "category": "x", "description": "local"},
-        ],
-    )
-    monkeypatch.setattr(skills_sync, "_read_manifest", lambda: {"builtin-skill": "abc123"})
-
-    sink = StringIO()
-    console = Console(file=sink, force_terminal=False, color_system=None)
-
-    do_list(console=console)
-
-    output = sink.getvalue()
     assert "hub-skill" in output
     assert "builtin-skill" in output
     assert "local-skill" in output
     assert "1 hub-installed, 1 builtin, 1 local" in output
 
 
-def test_do_list_local_filter(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
-    import tools.skills_hub as hub
-    import tools.skills_sync as skills_sync
-    import tools.skills_tool as skills_tool
+def test_do_list_filter_local(three_source_env):
+    output = _capture(source_filter="local")
 
-    hub_dir = tmp_path / "skills" / ".hub"
-    monkeypatch.setattr(hub, "SKILLS_DIR", tmp_path / "skills")
-    monkeypatch.setattr(hub, "HUB_DIR", hub_dir)
-    monkeypatch.setattr(hub, "LOCK_FILE", hub_dir / "lock.json")
-    monkeypatch.setattr(hub, "QUARANTINE_DIR", hub_dir / "quarantine")
-    monkeypatch.setattr(hub, "AUDIT_LOG", hub_dir / "audit.log")
-    monkeypatch.setattr(hub, "TAPS_FILE", hub_dir / "taps.json")
-    monkeypatch.setattr(hub, "INDEX_CACHE_DIR", hub_dir / "index-cache")
-
-    monkeypatch.setattr(hub, "HubLockFile", lambda: _DummyLockFile([]))
-    monkeypatch.setattr(
-        skills_tool,
-        "_find_all_skills",
-        lambda: [
-            {"name": "builtin-skill", "category": "x", "description": "builtin"},
-            {"name": "local-skill", "category": "x", "description": "local"},
-        ],
-    )
-    monkeypatch.setattr(skills_sync, "_read_manifest", lambda: {"builtin-skill": "abc123"})
-
-    sink = StringIO()
-    console = Console(file=sink, force_terminal=False, color_system=None)
-
-    do_list(source_filter="local", console=console)
-
-    output = sink.getvalue()
     assert "local-skill" in output
     assert "builtin-skill" not in output
+    assert "hub-skill" not in output
+
+
+def test_do_list_filter_hub(three_source_env):
+    output = _capture(source_filter="hub")
+
+    assert "hub-skill" in output
+    assert "builtin-skill" not in output
+    assert "local-skill" not in output
+
+
+def test_do_list_filter_builtin(three_source_env):
+    output = _capture(source_filter="builtin")
+
+    assert "builtin-skill" in output
+    assert "hub-skill" not in output
+    assert "local-skill" not in output