diff --git a/scripts/hooks/run-with-flags-shell.sh b/scripts/hooks/run-with-flags-shell.sh
index 4b064c328..fc3b15c50 100755
--- a/scripts/hooks/run-with-flags-shell.sh
+++ b/scripts/hooks/run-with-flags-shell.sh
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@ PROFILES_CSV="${3:-standard,strict}"
 SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
 PLUGIN_ROOT="${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT:-$(cd "${SCRIPT_DIR}/../.." && pwd)}"
 
+SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+DEFAULT_PLUGIN_ROOT="$(cd "${SCRIPT_DIR}/../.." && pwd)"
+CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT="${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT:-${DEFAULT_PLUGIN_ROOT}}"
+
 # Preserve stdin for passthrough or script execution
 INPUT="$(cat)"
 
diff --git a/skills/continuous-learning-v2/hooks/observe.sh b/skills/continuous-learning-v2/hooks/observe.sh
index ea44386ba..f122f411c 100755
--- a/skills/continuous-learning-v2/hooks/observe.sh
+++ b/skills/continuous-learning-v2/hooks/observe.sh
@@ -12,6 +12,17 @@
 
 set -e
 
+# Pick an available Python executable (python3 preferred, python fallback)
+if command -v python3 >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  PYTHON_CMD="python3"
+elif command -v python >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  PYTHON_CMD="python"
+else
+  cat >/dev/null
+  echo "[observe] No python found, skipping observation" >&2
+  exit 0
+fi
+
 # Hook phase from CLI argument: "pre" (PreToolUse) or "post" (PostToolUse)
 HOOK_PHASE="${1:-post}"