diff --git a/doc/changes/unreleased.md b/doc/changes/unreleased.md
index 7e971f989..e350a4dd2 100644
--- a/doc/changes/unreleased.md
+++ b/doc/changes/unreleased.md
@@ -7,3 +7,4 @@
 * #942: Added api-contract-audit skill for identifying mismatches between type annotations, docstrings, and runtime
   behavior
 * #963: Extended packaged skill checks and installation to support multiple skills.
+* #967: Refactored skill installation into reusable filesystem helpers.
diff --git a/exasol/toolbox/util/skills.py b/exasol/toolbox/util/skills.py
index 6eae1ff0d..febfc83ba 100644
--- a/exasol/toolbox/util/skills.py
+++ b/exasol/toolbox/util/skills.py
@@ -71,19 +71,14 @@ def _has_symlink_in_parents(path: Path) -> bool:
     return any(candidate.is_symlink() for candidate in (path, *path.parents))
 
 
-def install_skill(
-    skill_name: str = PTB_SKILL_NAME,
-    target_directory: Path | None = None,
-) -> Path:
-    """Install a packaged skill into a project-local agent skill directory."""
+def _validate_skill_name(skill_name: str) -> None:
+    """Reject skill names that could escape the skill installation directory."""
     if Path(skill_name).name != skill_name:
         raise ValueError(f"invalid skill name: {skill_name}")
 
-    source_files = get_skill_files(skill_name)
-    if not source_files:
-        raise ValueError(f"packaged skill does not exist: {skill_name}")
 
-    target_directory = target_directory or Path.cwd() / ".agents" / "skills"
+def _prepare_installation_directory(target_directory: Path, skill_name: str) -> Path:
+    """Validate and recreate the destination directory for one skill."""
     target_skill = target_directory / skill_name
     if _has_symlink_in_parents(target_directory):
         raise ValueError(
@@ -97,10 +92,30 @@ def install_skill(
     if target_skill.exists():
         shutil.rmtree(target_skill)
     target_skill.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    return target_skill
+
+
+def _copy_skill_files(source_files: Mapping[str, Traversable], target: Path) -> None:
+    """Copy packaged skill files below an already validated target directory."""
     for relative_path, source in source_files.items():
-        destination = target_skill / relative_path
+        destination = target / relative_path
         destination.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
         destination.write_bytes(source.read_bytes())
+
+
+def install_skill(
+    skill_name: str = PTB_SKILL_NAME,
+    target_directory: Path | None = None,
+) -> Path:
+    """Install a packaged skill into a project-local agent skill directory."""
+    _validate_skill_name(skill_name)
+    source_files = get_skill_files(skill_name)
+    if not source_files:
+        raise ValueError(f"packaged skill does not exist: {skill_name}")
+
+    target_directory = target_directory or Path.cwd() / ".agents" / "skills"
+    target_skill = _prepare_installation_directory(target_directory, skill_name)
+    _copy_skill_files(source_files, target_skill)
     return target_skill
 
 
diff --git a/test/unit/util/skill_test.py b/test/unit/util/skill_test.py
index d96f254ba..c6c0b761e 100644
--- a/test/unit/util/skill_test.py
+++ b/test/unit/util/skill_test.py
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 import pytest
 
 from exasol.toolbox.util import skills
+from exasol.toolbox.util.skills import (
+    _copy_skill_files,
+    _prepare_installation_directory,
+    _validate_skill_name,
+)
 
 
 def test_validate_skill_accepts_packaged_ptb_skill():
@@ -115,6 +120,34 @@ def test_install_skill_rejects_path_traversal(tmp_path):
         skills.install_skill("../outside", tmp_path)
 
 
+def test_validate_skill_name_rejects_path_traversal():
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="invalid skill name"):
+        _validate_skill_name("nested/example")
+
+
+def test_prepare_installation_directory_replaces_existing_directory(tmp_path):
+    target_directory = tmp_path / ".agents" / "skills"
+    target_skill = target_directory / "example"
+    target_skill.mkdir(parents=True)
+    (target_skill / "stale.md").write_text("stale", encoding="utf-8")
+
+    prepared = _prepare_installation_directory(target_directory, "example")
+
+    assert prepared == target_skill
+    assert not (target_skill / "stale.md").exists()
+
+
+def test_copy_skill_files_copies_nested_files(tmp_path):
+    source = tmp_path / "source.md"
+    source.write_text("content", encoding="utf-8")
+    target = tmp_path / "target"
+    target.mkdir()
+
+    _copy_skill_files({"references/source.md": source}, target)
+
+    assert (target / "references/source.md").read_text(encoding="utf-8") == "content"
+
+
 def test_install_skill_rejects_missing_skill(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
     monkeypatch.setattr(skills, "get_skill_files", lambda _: {})