diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index dd97878..2c5b080 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,6 +6,14 @@ to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Changed
+
+- **`forge sync` now adopts an existing project `CLAUDE.md` instead of skipping it.** Previously a
+  repo with its own `CLAUDE.md` was left untouched — which meant Forge's shared rules never
+  reached Claude Code there. Sync now prepends the one-line `@AGENTS.md` import (idempotent,
+  every original line preserved) and reports `adopted`. `AGENTS.md` keeps its back-up-then-write
+  behaviour; your skills and other tool files are untouched.
+
 ### Fixed
 
 - **Secret-refusal no longer guts auth-related work.** `SECRET_RE` matched the bare words
diff --git a/src/emit/claude.js b/src/emit/claude.js
index 762f980..e00893d 100644
--- a/src/emit/claude.js
+++ b/src/emit/claude.js
@@ -1,19 +1,33 @@
 // Claude Code reads CLAUDE.md, not AGENTS.md. Emit a thin CLAUDE.md that imports
-// the shared source via @AGENTS.md (first line, Windows-safe). Never clobber a
-// user's own unmanaged CLAUDE.md.
+// the shared source via @AGENTS.md (first line, Windows-safe). If the repo already has its OWN
+// CLAUDE.md, ADOPT it rather than skip: prepend the one-line @AGENTS.md import (idempotent) so
+// Forge's shared rules actually reach Claude Code, while preserving every line the user wrote.
+import { writeFileSync } from "node:fs";
 import { join } from "node:path";
 
+const IMPORTS_AGENTS = /^\s*@AGENTS\.md\b/m;
+
 export default {
   tool: "Claude Code",
   emit(ctx) {
     const path = join(ctx.targetRoot, "CLAUDE.md");
     const existing = ctx.shared.readIfExists(path);
+    // A user's own (unmanaged) CLAUDE.md: adopt it by wiring in the shared import, non-destructively.
     if (existing !== null && !ctx.shared.isManaged(existing)) {
+      if (IMPORTS_AGENTS.test(existing)) {
+        return {
+          tool: this.tool,
+          target: "CLAUDE.md",
+          action: "unchanged",
+          note: "your CLAUDE.md already imports @AGENTS.md",
+        };
+      }
+      writeFileSync(path, `@AGENTS.md\n\n${existing.replace(/^/, "")}`);
       return {
         tool: this.tool,
         target: "CLAUDE.md",
-        action: "skipped",
-        note: "existing unmanaged CLAUDE.md left as-is",
+        action: "adopted",
+        note: "prepended @AGENTS.md import to your existing CLAUDE.md (content preserved)",
       };
     }
     const content = [
diff --git a/test/sync.test.js b/test/sync.test.js
index c6c0f85..40b4db5 100644
--- a/test/sync.test.js
+++ b/test/sync.test.js
@@ -36,13 +36,20 @@ test("re-running is idempotent (nothing rewritten)", () => {
   assert.equal(written.length, 0, `second sync wrote ${written.map((r) => r.target)}`);
 });
 
-test("does not clobber an existing unmanaged CLAUDE.md", () => {
+test("adopts an existing unmanaged CLAUDE.md: prepends @AGENTS.md, preserves content, idempotent", () => {
   const root = fixture();
-  writeFileSync(join(root, "CLAUDE.md"), "# my own claude file\n");
+  writeFileSync(join(root, "CLAUDE.md"), "# my own claude file\nkeep me\n");
   const res = sync({ targetRoot: root });
   const row = res.report.find((r) => r.target === "CLAUDE.md");
-  assert.equal(row.action, "skipped");
-  assert.match(readFileSync(join(root, "CLAUDE.md"), "utf8"), /my own claude file/);
+  assert.equal(row.action, "adopted", "existing CLAUDE.md is adopted, not skipped or clobbered");
+  const after = readFileSync(join(root, "CLAUDE.md"), "utf8");
+  assert.match(after, /^@AGENTS\.md/m, "shared import wired in");
+  assert.match(after, /my own claude file/, "original content preserved");
+  assert.match(after, /keep me/);
+  // Re-running does not re-prepend or rewrite.
+  const again = sync({ targetRoot: root });
+  assert.equal(again.report.find((r) => r.target === "CLAUDE.md").action, "unchanged");
+  assert.equal((after.match(/@AGENTS\.md/g) || []).length, 1, "import appears exactly once");
 });
 
 test("warns when a legacy .cursorrules would shadow AGENTS.md", () => {