diff --git a/packages/adapters/claude-local/src/server/execute.ts b/packages/adapters/claude-local/src/server/execute.ts
index be85439d..cdcb252f 100644
--- a/packages/adapters/claude-local/src/server/execute.ts
+++ b/packages/adapters/claude-local/src/server/execute.ts
@@ -341,13 +341,22 @@ export async function execute(ctx: AdapterExecutionContext): Promise<AdapterExec
   // When instructionsFilePath is configured, create a combined temp file that
   // includes both the file content and the path directive, so we only need
   // --append-system-prompt-file (Claude CLI forbids using both flags together).
-  let effectiveInstructionsFilePath = instructionsFilePath;
+  let effectiveInstructionsFilePath: string | undefined = instructionsFilePath;
   if (instructionsFilePath) {
-    const instructionsContent = await fs.readFile(instructionsFilePath, "utf-8");
-    const pathDirective = `\nThe above agent instructions were loaded from ${instructionsFilePath}. Resolve any relative file references from ${instructionsFileDir}.`;
-    const combinedPath = path.join(skillsDir, "agent-instructions.md");
-    await fs.writeFile(combinedPath, instructionsContent + pathDirective, "utf-8");
-    effectiveInstructionsFilePath = combinedPath;
+    try {
+      const instructionsContent = await fs.readFile(instructionsFilePath, "utf-8");
+      const pathDirective = `\nThe above agent instructions were loaded from ${instructionsFilePath}. Resolve any relative file references from ${instructionsFileDir}.`;
+      const combinedPath = path.join(skillsDir, "agent-instructions.md");
+      await fs.writeFile(combinedPath, instructionsContent + pathDirective, "utf-8");
+      effectiveInstructionsFilePath = combinedPath;
+    } catch (err) {
+      const reason = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
+      await onLog(
+        "stderr",
+        `[paperclip] Warning: could not read agent instructions file "${instructionsFilePath}": ${reason}\n`,
+      );
+      effectiveInstructionsFilePath = undefined;
+    }
   }
 
   const runtimeSessionParams = parseObject(runtime.sessionParams);