diff --git a/.changeset/rust-first-run-local-runtime.md b/.changeset/rust-first-run-local-runtime.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ab995d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/rust-first-run-local-runtime.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@operatorstack/yield": patch
+---
+
+Pin the installed runtime during Rust and Go workflow creation, and remove the obsolete private Cargo registry check from Rust diagnostics.
diff --git a/cmd/yskill/agents.go b/cmd/yskill/agents.go
index 533aa15..339805b 100644
--- a/cmd/yskill/agents.go
+++ b/cmd/yskill/agents.go
@@ -980,9 +980,6 @@ func languageDiagnostics(language, skillDir string) error {
 		if !commandExists("cargo") {
 			return fmt.Errorf("Rust workflow needs the cargo command")
 		}
-		if _, err := os.Stat(filepath.Join(skillDir, ".cargo", "config.toml")); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("Rust workflow needs .cargo/config.toml in the workflow directory: %w", err)
-		}
 		var missing []string
 		if !commandExists("rustfmt") {
 			missing = append(missing, "rustfmt")
diff --git a/cmd/yskill/main_test.go b/cmd/yskill/main_test.go
index 88b9cee..02f6e41 100644
--- a/cmd/yskill/main_test.go
+++ b/cmd/yskill/main_test.go
@@ -398,6 +398,54 @@ func TestLocalGoAndRustScaffoldsKeepTheInvokedRuntime(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestRustScaffoldPinsTheInvokedRuntimeWithoutPrivateRegistryConfig(t *testing.T) {
+	previousVersion := version
+	previousExecutable := currentExecutable
+	previousInspect := inspectRuntimeVersion
+	version = "0.1.37"
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		version = previousVersion
+		currentExecutable = previousExecutable
+		inspectRuntimeVersion = previousInspect
+	})
+
+	repo := t.TempDir()
+	writeTestFile(t, filepath.Join(repo, ".git"), "gitdir: fixture\n")
+	t.Chdir(repo)
+	sourceRoot := t.TempDir()
+	source := filepath.Join(sourceRoot, "yskill")
+	writeTestFile(t, source, "packaged runtime")
+	currentExecutable = func() (string, error) { return source, nil }
+	inspectRuntimeVersion = func(path string) (string, error) {
+		if path != source && path != localRuntimePath(repo) {
+			t.Fatalf("inspected unexpected runtime %s", path)
+		}
+		return "0.1.37", nil
+	}
+
+	dir := filepath.Join("skills", "safe-change")
+	if err := scaffoldSkill(dir, "rust", "", "Check a safe change before applying it."); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if got := readTestFile(t, localRuntimePath(repo)); got != "packaged runtime" {
+		t.Fatalf("pinned runtime = %q", got)
+	}
+	if got := readTestFile(t, filepath.Join(repo, ".yield", ".gitignore")); got != "*\n" {
+		t.Fatalf("local state ignore = %q", got)
+	}
+	if _, err := os.Stat(filepath.Join(repo, dir, ".cargo", "config.toml")); !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		t.Fatalf("Rust scaffold created private registry config: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := languageDiagnostics("rust", dir); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Rust diagnostics required private registry config: %v", err)
+	}
+	skill := readTestFile(t, filepath.Join(repo, dir, "SKILL.md"))
+	launcher := repositoryRuntimeLauncher(filepath.Join(".yield", "bin", filepath.Base(localRuntimePath(repo))), runtime.GOOS)
+	if !strings.Contains(skill, launcher+" run") {
+		t.Fatalf("SKILL.md does not use pinned runtime %q:\n%s", launcher, skill)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestPythonScaffoldUsesRelocatableInterpreter(t *testing.T) {
 	previousVersion := version
 	version = "0.1.9"
diff --git a/cmd/yskill/scaffold.go b/cmd/yskill/scaffold.go
index 6785ab9..d7f0aaf 100644
--- a/cmd/yskill/scaffold.go
+++ b/cmd/yskill/scaffold.go
@@ -51,7 +51,18 @@ func scaffoldCommand(language, dir string) (launcher, workflow string) {
 	}
 	root, ok := repositoryRootFromLocalRuntime()
 	if !ok {
-		return launcher, workflow
+		var err error
+		root, err = findRepoRoot(dir, "")
+		if err != nil {
+			return launcher, workflow
+		}
+		root, err = filepath.Abs(root)
+		if err != nil {
+			return launcher, workflow
+		}
+		if verifyLocalRuntime(localRuntimePath(root), runtimeVersion(), language) != nil {
+			return launcher, workflow
+		}
 	}
 	absDir, err := filepath.Abs(dir)
 	if err != nil || !within(root, absDir) {
@@ -93,6 +104,11 @@ func scaffoldSkill(dir, language, sdkPath, description string) error {
 	} else if err != nil && !os.IsNotExist(err) {
 		return err
 	}
+	if language == "go" || language == "rust" {
+		if err := pinCurrentRuntime(dir); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
 	writeIfAbsent := func(rel, content string) error {
 		path := filepath.Join(dir, filepath.FromSlash(rel))
 		if _, err := os.Stat(path); err == nil {
@@ -137,6 +153,76 @@ func scaffoldSkill(dir, language, sdkPath, description string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func pinCurrentRuntime(dir string) error {
+	root, err := findRepoRoot(dir, "")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	source := strings.TrimSpace(os.Getenv("YIELD_LAUNCHER_PATH"))
+	if source == "" {
+		source, err = currentExecutable()
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("locate current Yield runtime: %w", err)
+		}
+	}
+	source, err = filepath.Abs(source)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("resolve current Yield runtime: %w", err)
+	}
+	name := strings.ToLower(filepath.Base(source))
+	if name != "yskill" && name != "yskill.exe" {
+		return nil
+	}
+	destination := localRuntimePath(root)
+	if filepath.Clean(source) == filepath.Clean(destination) {
+		return ensureLocalStateIgnored(root)
+	}
+	got, err := inspectRuntimeVersion(source)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("verify current Yield runtime: %w", err)
+	}
+	if expected := runtimeVersion(); got != expected {
+		return fmt.Errorf("current Yield launcher version is %s, but the runtime is %s", got, expected)
+	}
+	contents, err := os.ReadFile(source)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("read current Yield runtime: %w", err)
+	}
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(destination), 0o755); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	temporary, err := os.CreateTemp(filepath.Dir(destination), ".yskill-pin-*")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	temporaryPath := temporary.Name()
+	defer os.Remove(temporaryPath)
+	if _, err := temporary.Write(contents); err != nil {
+		temporary.Close()
+		return err
+	}
+	if err := temporary.Chmod(0o755); err != nil {
+		temporary.Close()
+		return err
+	}
+	if err := temporary.Close(); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+		if err := os.Remove(destination); err != nil && !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+	if err := os.Rename(temporaryPath, destination); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("pin repository-local Yield runtime: %w", err)
+	}
+	if err := ensureLocalStateIgnored(root); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	fmt.Printf("init: pinned Yield %s at %s\n", got, filepath.ToSlash(destination))
+	return nil
+}
+
 func scaffoldFiles(name, language, sdkPath string) map[string]string {
 	v := packageVersion()
 	switch language {
@@ -159,9 +245,9 @@ func scaffoldFiles(name, language, sdkPath string) map[string]string {
 		}
 	case "rust":
 		return map[string]string{
-			"Cargo.toml":         fmt.Sprintf("[package]\nname = %q\nversion = \"0.1.0\"\nedition = \"2021\"\n\n[dependencies]\nyieldskill = { version = \"=%s\" }\nserde_json = \"1\"\n", name, v),
-			"src/main.rs":        mainRust,
-			"skill.json":         fmt.Sprintf("{\"version\":1,\"language\":\"rust\",\"run\":[\"cargo\",\"run\",\"--quiet\",\"--bin\",%q]}\n", name),
+			"Cargo.toml":  fmt.Sprintf("[package]\nname = %q\nversion = \"0.1.0\"\nedition = \"2021\"\n\n[dependencies]\nyieldskill = { version = \"=%s\" }\nserde_json = \"1\"\n", name, v),
+			"src/main.rs": mainRust,
+			"skill.json":  fmt.Sprintf("{\"version\":1,\"language\":\"rust\",\"run\":[\"cargo\",\"run\",\"--quiet\",\"--bin\",%q]}\n", name),
 		}
 	default:
 		gomod := fmt.Sprintf("module %s\n\ngo 1.26.5\n\nrequire github.com/operatorstack/yield v%s\n", name, v)
diff --git a/evals/results/latest.json b/evals/results/latest.json
index 6fe888b..f0bf2f0 100644
--- a/evals/results/latest.json
+++ b/evals/results/latest.json
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 {
   "schema_version": 2,
   "methodology_version": "1.1",
-  "generated_at": "2026-08-07T21:46:28.142Z",
-  "source_digest": "e70b0de3a9db5924311609a33e3ce91b539da02a6822acbf57d00471d8f6b63a",
+  "generated_at": "2026-08-07T22:52:34.977Z",
+  "source_digest": "b5c66a96530cc9d100c388a4df9bbbc8d0aea6e78ef0fe2cfa0009b8aa1da778",
   "status": "passed",
   "workflow_conformance": {
     "passed": 40,