diff --git a/quickstart.ps1 b/quickstart.ps1
index 3fd5a81b..354b9164 100644
--- a/quickstart.ps1
+++ b/quickstart.ps1
@@ -764,14 +764,6 @@ if ($importErrors -gt 0) {
 }
 Write-Host ""
 
-# ============================================================
-# Step 4: Verify Claude Code Skills
-# ============================================================
-
-Write-Step -Number "4" -Text "Step 4: Verifying Claude Code skills..."
-
-# (skills check is informational only, shown in final verification)
-
 # ============================================================
 # Provider / model data
 # ============================================================
@@ -1394,7 +1386,7 @@ if ($SelectedProviderId) {
 Write-Host ""
 
 # ============================================================
-# Step 5b: Browser Automation (GCU) — always enabled
+# Browser Automation (GCU) — always enabled
 # ============================================================
 
 Write-Host ""
@@ -1419,10 +1411,10 @@ if (Test-Path $HiveConfigFile) {
 Write-Host ""
 
 # ============================================================
-# Step 6: Initialize Credential Store
+# Step 4: Initialize Credential Store
 # ============================================================
 
-Write-Step -Number "5" -Text "Step 5: Initializing credential store..."
+Write-Step -Number "4" -Text "Step 4: Initializing credential store..."
 Write-Color -Text "The credential store encrypts API keys and secrets for your agents." -Color DarkGray
 Write-Host ""
 
@@ -1518,10 +1510,10 @@ if ($credKey) {
 Write-Host ""
 
 # ============================================================
-# Step 6: Verify Setup
+# Step 5: Verify Setup
 # ============================================================
 
-Write-Step -Number "6" -Text "Step 6: Verifying installation..."
+Write-Step -Number "5" -Text "Step 5: Verifying installation..."
 
 $verifyErrors = 0
 
@@ -1625,10 +1617,10 @@ if ($verifyErrors -gt 0) {
 }
 
 # ============================================================
-# Step 7: Install hive CLI wrapper
+# Step 6: Install hive CLI wrapper
 # ============================================================
 
-Write-Step -Number "7" -Text "Step 7: Installing hive CLI..."
+Write-Step -Number "6" -Text "Step 6: Installing hive CLI..."
 
 # Verify hive.ps1 wrapper exists in project root
 $hivePs1Path = Join-Path $ScriptDir "hive.ps1"
diff --git a/quickstart.sh b/quickstart.sh
index 42ba7f5c..7b76fa9a 100755
--- a/quickstart.sh
+++ b/quickstart.sh
@@ -360,13 +360,6 @@ fi
 
 echo ""
 
-# ============================================================
-# Step 4: Verify Claude Code Skills
-# ============================================================
-
-echo -e "${BLUE}Step 4: Verifying Claude Code skills...${NC}"
-echo ""
-
 # Provider configuration - use associative arrays (Bash 4+) or indexed arrays (Bash 3.2)
 if [ "$USE_ASSOC_ARRAYS" = true ]; then
     # Bash 4+ - use associative arrays (cleaner and more efficient)
@@ -1327,7 +1320,7 @@ fi
 echo ""
 
 # ============================================================
-# Step 4b: Browser Automation (GCU) — always enabled
+# Browser Automation (GCU) — always enabled
 # ============================================================
 
 echo -e "${GREEN}⬢${NC} Browser automation enabled"
@@ -1355,10 +1348,10 @@ fi
 echo ""
 
 # ============================================================
-# Step 5: Initialize Credential Store
+# Step 4: Initialize Credential Store
 # ============================================================
 
-echo -e "${YELLOW}⬢${NC} ${BLUE}${BOLD}Step 5: Initializing credential store...${NC}"
+echo -e "${YELLOW}⬢${NC} ${BLUE}${BOLD}Step 4: Initializing credential store...${NC}"
 echo ""
 echo -e "${DIM}The credential store encrypts API keys and secrets for your agents.${NC}"
 echo ""
@@ -1425,10 +1418,10 @@ fi
 echo ""
 
 # ============================================================
-# Step 6: Verify Setup
+# Step 5: Verify Setup
 # ============================================================
 
-echo -e "${YELLOW}⬢${NC} ${BLUE}${BOLD}Step 6: Verifying installation...${NC}"
+echo -e "${YELLOW}⬢${NC} ${BLUE}${BOLD}Step 5: Verifying installation...${NC}"
 echo ""
 
 ERRORS=0
@@ -1489,10 +1482,10 @@ if [ $ERRORS -gt 0 ]; then
 fi
 
 # ============================================================
-# Step 7: Install hive CLI globally
+# Step 6: Install hive CLI globally
 # ============================================================
 
-echo -e "${YELLOW}⬢${NC} ${BLUE}${BOLD}Step 7: Installing hive CLI...${NC}"
+echo -e "${YELLOW}⬢${NC} ${BLUE}${BOLD}Step 6: Installing hive CLI...${NC}"
 echo ""
 
 # Ensure ~/.local/bin exists and is in PATH