diff --git a/src/extension/prompts/node/agent/agentPrompt.tsx b/src/extension/prompts/node/agent/agentPrompt.tsx
index 30da7e78ab..fb65e3abb7 100644
--- a/src/extension/prompts/node/agent/agentPrompt.tsx
+++ b/src/extension/prompts/node/agent/agentPrompt.tsx
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import { sessionResourceToId } from '../../../../platform/chat/common/chatDebugF
 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 { IIgnoreService } from '../../../../platform/ignore/common/ignoreService';
@@ -361,8 +360,7 @@ export class AgentUserMessage extends PromptElement<AgentUserMessageProps> {
 	constructor(
 		props: AgentUserMessageProps,
 		@IPromptVariablesService private readonly promptVariablesService: IPromptVariablesService,
-		@ILogService private readonly logService: ILogService,
-		@IConfigurationService private readonly configurationService: IConfigurationService
+		@ILogService private readonly logService: ILogService
 	) {
 		super(props);
 	}
@@ -429,7 +427,7 @@ 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} />}
+						<SkillAdherenceReminder chatVariables={this.props.chatVariables} />
 					</Tag>
 					{query && <Tag name={userQueryTagName} priority={900} flexGrow={7}>
 						<UserQuery chatVariables={this.props.chatVariables} query={query} />
diff --git a/src/extension/prompts/node/agent/test/agentPrompt.spec.tsx b/src/extension/prompts/node/agent/test/agentPrompt.spec.tsx
index 017de088a3..24d8b4335e 100644
--- a/src/extension/prompts/node/agent/test/agentPrompt.spec.tsx
+++ b/src/extension/prompts/node/agent/test/agentPrompt.spec.tsx
@@ -183,6 +183,20 @@ testFamilies.forEach(family => {
 			}, undefined)).toMatchFileSnapshot(getSnapshotFile('one_attachment'));
 		});
 
+		test('includes skill adherence reminder when instruction index has skills', async () => {
+			const prompt = await agentPromptToString(accessor, {
+				chatVariables: new ChatVariablesCollection([{
+					id: 'vscode.customizations.index',
+					name: 'customizations index',
+					value: '<skills><skill><file>/workspace/.github/skills/example/SKILL.md</file></skill></skills>',
+				}]),
+				history: [],
+				query: 'hello',
+			}, undefined);
+
+			expect(prompt).toContain("Always check if any skills apply to the user's request.");
+		});
+
 		const tools: IBuildPromptContext['tools'] = {
 			availableTools: [],
 			toolInvocationToken: null as never,
diff --git a/src/platform/customInstructions/common/promptTypes.ts b/src/platform/customInstructions/common/promptTypes.ts
index aeb07244dc..ce1d856a81 100644
--- a/src/platform/customInstructions/common/promptTypes.ts
+++ b/src/platform/customInstructions/common/promptTypes.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ 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';