diff --git a/agents/hotfixer.md b/agents/hotfixer.md
index c531917..89843fe 100644
--- a/agents/hotfixer.md
+++ b/agents/hotfixer.md
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ the edit applied + self-verified, not the report grammar).
 ```
 HOTFIX-EXEC REPORT
 STATUS  : DONE | BLOCKED
-FILE(S) : <changed files>
+FILE(S) : <changed files — suffix files you CREATED with " (new)">
 FIX     : <one-line description>
 SMOKE   : <test/build result, verbatim line>
 NOTES   : <BLOCKED: the blocker; DONE: none>
diff --git a/skills/hotfix/SKILL.md b/skills/hotfix/SKILL.md
index 04d7553..60783a6 100644
--- a/skills/hotfix/SKILL.md
+++ b/skills/hotfix/SKILL.md
@@ -231,9 +231,10 @@ trivial hotfix still produces a `chore(memory): journal — …` commit (Frame 2
   decision round-trips; a blocked or failed attempt reverts and escalates
   to `/bugfix`, it does not retry).
 - Design gate only if CSS/style signals detected. See STEP 1.5.
-- **Revert-not-loop preserved**: smoke FAIL or security BLOCK → `git
-  restore .` to the pre-flight SHA + STOP + escalate to `/bugfix`; hotfix
-  never loops. No verifier is dispatched at hotfix weight.
+- **Revert-not-loop preserved**: smoke FAIL or security BLOCK →
+  file-scoped revert from `$PRE` (STEP 4's protocol — never `git
+  restore .`) + STOP + escalate to `/bugfix`; hotfix never loops. No
+  verifier is dispatched at hotfix weight.
 - If root cause is unclear → escalate to `/bugfix` (STEP 1).
 - If fix touches >5 lines of logic → reconsider if this is
   truly a hotfix.