diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/check.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/check.test.ts
index 73f548ef88..f23c1dfa93 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/check.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/check.test.ts
@@ -908,6 +908,7 @@ function reportWithFindings(overrides: Partial<CheckReport> = {}): CheckReport {
   return {
     ok: true,
     strict: false,
+    browserSkipped: false,
     lint: { ...emptySection(), filesScanned: 0 },
     runtime: emptySection(),
     layout: {
@@ -1005,6 +1006,7 @@ describe("check pipeline", () => {
     const envelope = JSON.parse(output);
     expect(envelope).toMatchObject({
       ok: true,
+      browserSkipped: false,
       lint: { ok: true },
       runtime: { ok: true },
       layout: { ok: true },
@@ -1015,7 +1017,7 @@ describe("check pipeline", () => {
     });
   });
 
-  it("short-circuits on lint errors without launching a browser", async () => {
+  it("short-circuits on lint errors without launching a browser, and flags the skipped sections", async () => {
     const lint = lintWith(
       "error",
       "root_missing_composition_id",
@@ -1027,6 +1029,32 @@ describe("check pipeline", () => {
     expect(checkExitCode(report)).toBe(1);
     expect(report.lint.findings).toHaveLength(1);
     expect(browser).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    // PRINFRA-700: runtime/layout/motion/contrast report the same ok:true/
+    // zero-findings shape whether the browser ran clean or never launched at
+    // all — browserSkipped is the only thing that tells the two apart.
+    expect(report.browserSkipped).toBe(true);
+    expect(report.runtime).toMatchObject({ ok: true, errorCount: 0, findings: [] });
+    expect(report.layout).toMatchObject({ ok: true, errorCount: 0, findings: [], duration: 0 });
+    expect(report.motion).toMatchObject({ ok: true, errorCount: 0, findings: [] });
+    expect(report.contrast).toMatchObject({ ok: true, errorCount: 0, findings: [] });
+  });
+
+  it("marks browserSkipped false once a browser session actually runs", async () => {
+    const { report } = await runScenario(fakeDriver());
+    expect(report.browserSkipped).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("marks browserSkipped true when the browser session throws before producing results", async () => {
+    const { deps } = dependencies(fakeDriver());
+    deps.runBrowserCheck = vi.fn(async () => {
+      throw new Error("Chrome launch failed");
+    });
+    const report = await runCheckPipeline(PROJECT, DEFAULT_CHECK_OPTIONS, deps);
+
+    expect(report.ok).toBe(false);
+    expect(report.browserSkipped).toBe(true);
+    expect(report.runtime.findings).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(report.layout).toMatchObject({ ok: true, errorCount: 0, findings: [] });
   });
 
   it("gates AA contrast failures and --no-contrast skips the pass", async () => {
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/check.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/check.ts
index f90b494398..787b221c5d 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/check.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/check.ts
@@ -405,6 +405,12 @@ function nonNegativeNumber(value: unknown, fallback: number): number {
 
 function printHumanReport(report: CheckReport): void {
   printSection("Lint", report.lint);
+  if (report.browserSkipped) {
+    console.log();
+    console.log(
+      `  ${c.warn("⚠")} Browser session never ran — layout, motion, and contrast below are empty placeholders, not a clean pass.`,
+    );
+  }
   printSection("Runtime", report.runtime);
   printLayoutSection("Layout", report.layout);
   printSection("Motion", report.motion);
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/utils/checkPipeline.ts b/packages/cli/src/utils/checkPipeline.ts
index d80f7f9707..ac342989a3 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/utils/checkPipeline.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/utils/checkPipeline.ts
@@ -1120,6 +1120,7 @@ export async function runAuditGrid(
     contrastPassed: contrast.passed,
     screenshots: collected.screenshots,
     timings: { launchSettleMs: 0, seekLoopMs, contrastMs: collected.contrastMs },
+    skipped: false,
   };
 }
 
@@ -1375,6 +1376,7 @@ function buildReport(
   const report: CheckReport = {
     ok: errorCount === 0 && (!options.strict || warningCount === 0),
     strict: options.strict,
+    browserSkipped: browser.skipped,
     lint,
     runtime,
     layout,
@@ -1499,6 +1501,7 @@ function emptyBrowserResult(): CheckBrowserResult {
     contrastPassed: 0,
     screenshots: [],
     timings: { launchSettleMs: 0, seekLoopMs: 0, contrastMs: 0 },
+    skipped: true,
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/utils/checkTypes.ts b/packages/cli/src/utils/checkTypes.ts
index 1a3199abeb..b617bc0c6d 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/utils/checkTypes.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/utils/checkTypes.ts
@@ -244,6 +244,13 @@ export interface CheckBrowserResult {
   contrastPassed: number;
   screenshots: CheckScreenshot[];
   timings: CheckTimings;
+  /** True when no browser session produced these results — lint blocked the
+   * run, the lint step itself crashed, or the browser check threw — as opposed
+   * to a session that ran and simply found nothing. Without this, `layout`/
+   * `motion`/`contrast` report the exact same `ok:true`/zero-findings shape
+   * either way (`runtime` may instead carry a diagnostic finding for the
+   * crash/throw triggers — it isn't always empty). */
+  skipped: boolean;
 }
 
 /** The seek-grid audit loop, injected into checkBrowser so it never imports checkPipeline back. */
@@ -264,6 +271,10 @@ export interface CheckSection<T extends CheckFinding = CheckFinding> {
 export interface CheckReport {
   ok: boolean;
   strict: boolean;
+  /** Mirrors `CheckBrowserResult.skipped` — true when `runtime`/`layout`/
+   * `motion`/`contrast` below reflect no browser session having run, not a
+   * session that ran and found nothing. */
+  browserSkipped: boolean;
   lint: CheckSection & { filesScanned: number };
   runtime: CheckSection;
   layout: CheckSection<AnchoredLayoutIssue> & {
diff --git a/skills-manifest.json b/skills-manifest.json
index 85164c4e5b..3325790c8c 100644
--- a/skills-manifest.json
+++ b/skills-manifest.json
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
       "files": 7
     },
     "hyperframes-cli": {
-      "hash": "06b31056db460774",
+      "hash": "6f3b574d0efe76d1",
       "files": 11
     },
     "hyperframes-core": {
diff --git a/skills/hyperframes-cli/references/lint-validate-inspect.md b/skills/hyperframes-cli/references/lint-validate-inspect.md
index 2cb92660f1..7caafae343 100644
--- a/skills/hyperframes-cli/references/lint-validate-inspect.md
+++ b/skills/hyperframes-cli/references/lint-validate-inspect.md
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ Lints `index.html` and all files in `compositions/`. Reports errors (must fix),
 ```bash
 npx hyperframes check                    # current directory: the full browser gate
 npx hyperframes check ./my-project       # specific project
-npx hyperframes check --json             # agent-readable envelope {ok, lint, runtime, layout, motion, contrast, snapshots}
+npx hyperframes check --json             # agent-readable envelope {ok, browserSkipped, lint, runtime, layout, motion, contrast, snapshots}
 npx hyperframes check --snapshots        # also write overview frames (annotated) + per-finding crops
 npx hyperframes check --samples 15       # denser timeline sweep (default 9)
 npx hyperframes check --at 1.5,4,7.25    # explicit hero-frame timestamps
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ npx hyperframes check --no-contrast      # skip the WCAG audit while iterating
 npx hyperframes check --strict           # exit non-zero on warnings too (default: only errors)
 ```
 
-One command, one Chrome boot. `check` runs the linter first and skips the browser entirely when lint reports errors. Then it loads the bundled composition once, wires runtime listeners before navigation, and sweeps one seek grid running every audit per sample:
+One command, one Chrome boot. `check` runs the linter first and skips the browser entirely when lint reports errors. When that happens (or the browser session fails to launch), `layout`/`motion`/`contrast` report the same clean `ok:true`/zero-findings shape a genuinely passing session would (`runtime` may too, unless the failure itself left a diagnostic finding there) — check the top-level `browserSkipped` field, not just those sections, before trusting a "clean" result. Otherwise it loads the bundled composition once, wires runtime listeners before navigation, and sweeps one seek grid running every audit per sample:
 
 - **Runtime**: JavaScript console errors, unhandled exceptions, failed network requests (media-file `ERR_ABORTED` filtered out), HTTP 4xx/5xx.
 - **Layout**: text extending outside its container or the canvas, text clipped by its own box, held text overlaps and occlusion (with an approximate covered fraction), children escaping clipping containers.