diff --git a/cmd/skillget/registry_edge_responses_test.go b/cmd/skillget/registry_edge_responses_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6b1ff63
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/skillget/registry_edge_responses_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,152 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	skillgetmanager "github.com/getskillpack/skillget-manager"
+)
+
+// Stub-registry tests for HTTP status handling (401 / 404 / 410) per REGISTRY_CLIENT_CONTRACT.
+// Always run under go test -short; no live network.
+
+func swapRegistryHTTPClient(t *testing.T, c *http.Client) func() {
+	t.Helper()
+	prev := skillgetmanager.HTTPClient
+	skillgetmanager.HTTPClient = c
+	return func() { skillgetmanager.HTTPClient = prev }
+}
+
+func TestRegistrySearchSkills_401IncludesReadTokenHint(t *testing.T) {
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		if r.Method != http.MethodGet || r.URL.Path != "/api/v1/skills" {
+			http.NotFound(w, r)
+			return
+		}
+		http.Error(w, `{"error":"unauthorized"}`, http.StatusUnauthorized)
+	}))
+	defer srv.Close()
+	defer swapRegistryHTTPClient(t, srv.Client())()
+
+	t.Setenv("SKILLGET_REGISTRY_URL", srv.URL+"/api/v1")
+	t.Setenv("SKILLGET_REGISTRY_READ_TOKEN", "")
+	t.Setenv("SKILLGET_REGISTRY_TOKEN", "")
+	t.Setenv("SKILLGET_TOKEN", "")
+
+	_, err := skillgetmanager.SearchSkills(context.Background(), skillgetmanager.SearchSkillsOptions{Limit: 3})
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected error")
+	}
+	s := err.Error()
+	if !strings.Contains(s, "401") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected status in error, got: %s", s)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(s, "SKILLGET_REGISTRY_READ_TOKEN") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 401 hint for reads, got: %s", s)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRegistrySearchSkills_404IncludesSkillHint(t *testing.T) {
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		if r.Method != http.MethodGet || r.URL.Path != "/api/v1/skills" {
+			http.NotFound(w, r)
+			return
+		}
+		http.NotFound(w, r)
+	}))
+	defer srv.Close()
+	defer swapRegistryHTTPClient(t, srv.Client())()
+
+	t.Setenv("SKILLGET_REGISTRY_URL", srv.URL+"/api/v1")
+
+	_, err := skillgetmanager.SearchSkills(context.Background(), skillgetmanager.SearchSkillsOptions{Limit: 3})
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected error")
+	}
+	s := err.Error()
+	if !strings.Contains(s, "404") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected status in error, got: %s", s)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(s, "SKILLGET_REGISTRY_URL") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 404 hint, got: %s", s)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRegistryResolveInstallTarget_Skill404(t *testing.T) {
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		if r.Method == http.MethodGet && r.URL.Path == "/api/v1/skills/nope-such-skill" {
+			http.NotFound(w, r)
+			return
+		}
+		http.NotFound(w, r)
+	}))
+	defer srv.Close()
+	defer swapRegistryHTTPClient(t, srv.Client())()
+
+	t.Setenv("SKILLGET_REGISTRY_URL", srv.URL+"/api/v1")
+
+	_, err := skillgetmanager.ResolveInstallTarget(context.Background(), "nope-such-skill")
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected error")
+	}
+	s := err.Error()
+	if !strings.Contains(s, "404") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected status in error, got: %s", s)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRegistryResolveInstallTarget_Version410YankedHint(t *testing.T) {
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		if r.Method == http.MethodGet && r.URL.Path == "/api/v1/skills/yanked-pkg/versions/1.0.0" {
+			http.Error(w, `{"error":"gone"}`, http.StatusGone)
+			return
+		}
+		http.NotFound(w, r)
+	}))
+	defer srv.Close()
+	defer swapRegistryHTTPClient(t, srv.Client())()
+
+	t.Setenv("SKILLGET_REGISTRY_URL", srv.URL+"/api/v1")
+
+	_, err := skillgetmanager.ResolveInstallTarget(context.Background(), "yanked-pkg@1.0.0")
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected error")
+	}
+	s := err.Error()
+	if !strings.Contains(s, "410") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected status in error, got: %s", s)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(s, "yanked") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected yanked hint, got: %s", s)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRegistryPublishSkill_401IncludesTokenHint(t *testing.T) {
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		if r.Method != http.MethodPost || r.URL.Path != "/api/v1/skills" {
+			http.NotFound(w, r)
+			return
+		}
+		http.Error(w, `{"error":"unauthorized"}`, http.StatusUnauthorized)
+	}))
+	defer srv.Close()
+	defer swapRegistryHTTPClient(t, srv.Client())()
+
+	t.Setenv("SKILLGET_REGISTRY_URL", srv.URL+"/api/v1")
+	t.Setenv("SKILLGET_REGISTRY_TOKEN", "test-token-for-publish")
+
+	err := skillgetmanager.PublishSkill(context.Background(), []byte(`{}`), []byte("fake"))
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected error")
+	}
+	s := err.Error()
+	if !strings.Contains(s, "401") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected status in error, got: %s", s)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(s, "SKILLGET_REGISTRY_READ_TOKEN") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 401 registry hint, got: %s", s)
+	}
+}