diff --git a/harness/pstack/claude-code/skills/statechart/scripts/run.ts b/harness/pstack/claude-code/skills/statechart/scripts/run.ts
index 4efd368e5..4e6b4a0f4 100644
--- a/harness/pstack/claude-code/skills/statechart/scripts/run.ts
+++ b/harness/pstack/claude-code/skills/statechart/scripts/run.ts
@@ -192,7 +192,11 @@ const runToFiles = (
 
 async function findTlc(cwd: string) {
   const { TLA2TOOLS, JAVA } = process.env;
-  if (TLA2TOOLS) return { jar: TLA2TOOLS, java: JAVA || "java" };
+  const fromCaller = (value: string) =>
+    path.isAbsolute(value) ? value : path.resolve(process.cwd(), value);
+  const explicitJava =
+    JAVA && (path.isAbsolute(JAVA) || /[/\\]/.test(JAVA)) ? fromCaller(JAVA) : JAVA;
+  if (TLA2TOOLS) return { jar: fromCaller(TLA2TOOLS), java: explicitJava || "java" };
   const mise = (...args: string[]) =>
     runChild("mise", args, { cwd, env: { ...process.env, MISE_CEILING_PATHS: cwd } });
   const where = () =>
@@ -208,7 +212,7 @@ async function findTlc(cwd: string) {
   }
   return {
     jar: path.join(found[0].stdout.trim(), "tla2tools.jar"),
-    java: JAVA || found[1].stdout.trim(),
+    java: explicitJava || found[1].stdout.trim(),
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/harness/pstack/claude-code/skills/statechart/scripts/test/tool-paths.test.ts b/harness/pstack/claude-code/skills/statechart/scripts/test/tool-paths.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..97f38732d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/harness/pstack/claude-code/skills/statechart/scripts/test/tool-paths.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,141 @@
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { spawnSync } from "node:child_process";
+import fs from "node:fs";
+import os from "node:os";
+import path from "node:path";
+import { test } from "node:test";
+import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
+
+const here = path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
+const corpus = path.join(here, "corpus");
+const replayJava = path.join(here, "java.ts");
+const cli = path.join(here, "../statechart.ts");
+
+function writeFakeJava(file: string) {
+  fs.mkdirSync(path.dirname(file), { recursive: true });
+  fs.writeFileSync(
+    file,
+    `#!/usr/bin/env node
+import { spawnSync } from "node:child_process";
+import fs from "node:fs";
+
+const args = process.argv.slice(2);
+const cp = args[args.indexOf("-cp") + 1];
+if (cp !== process.env.STATECHART_EXPECTED_CP) {
+  console.error("unexpected classpath: " + cp);
+  process.exit(91);
+}
+if (process.cwd() === process.env.STATECHART_CALLER) {
+  console.error("Java must run in the isolated check directory");
+  process.exit(92);
+}
+fs.appendFileSync(
+  process.env.STATECHART_INVOCATIONS,
+  JSON.stringify({ cwd: process.cwd(), cp }) + "\\n",
+);
+const result = spawnSync(
+  process.execPath,
+  [process.env.STATECHART_REPLAY_JAVA, ...args],
+  { encoding: "utf8", env: process.env },
+);
+process.stdout.write(result.stdout ?? "");
+process.stderr.write(result.stderr ?? "");
+process.exit(result.status ?? 1);
+`,
+    { mode: 0o755 },
+  );
+}
+
+function writeFakeMise(file: string) {
+  fs.mkdirSync(path.dirname(file), { recursive: true });
+  fs.writeFileSync(
+    file,
+    `#!/bin/sh
+case "$1" in
+  where) printf '%s\\n' "$STATECHART_MISE_ROOT" ;;
+  which) printf '%s\\n' "$STATECHART_DISCOVERED_JAVA" ;;
+  *) exit 1 ;;
+esac
+`,
+    { mode: 0o755 },
+  );
+}
+
+function runCase(useExplicitTlc: boolean) {
+  const root = fs.realpathSync(fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "statechart-tool-paths-")));
+  try {
+    const fixture = path.join(root, "MediaPlayer");
+    fs.cpSync(path.join(corpus, "MediaPlayer"), fixture, { recursive: true });
+
+    const callerJar = path.join(root, "tools", "tla2tools.jar");
+    const miseRoot = path.join(root, "mise-tools");
+    const jar = useExplicitTlc ? callerJar : path.join(miseRoot, "tla2tools.jar");
+    fs.mkdirSync(path.dirname(jar), { recursive: true });
+    fs.writeFileSync(jar, "fake tla2tools jar");
+
+    const fakeJava = path.join(root, "jdk", "bin", "java");
+    const invocations = path.join(root, "java-invocations.jsonl");
+    writeFakeJava(fakeJava);
+
+    const bin = path.join(root, "bin");
+    if (!useExplicitTlc) writeFakeMise(path.join(bin, "mise"));
+
+    const out = path.join(root, "out");
+    const env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = {
+      ...process.env,
+      JAVA: "./jdk/bin/java",
+      STATECHART_CALLER: root,
+      STATECHART_EXPECTED_CP: jar,
+      STATECHART_INVOCATIONS: invocations,
+      STATECHART_MISE_ROOT: miseRoot,
+      STATECHART_DISCOVERED_JAVA: "/path/from/mise/java",
+      STATECHART_REPLAY: fixture,
+      STATECHART_REPLAY_JAVA: replayJava,
+      PATH: useExplicitTlc
+        ? process.env.PATH ?? ""
+        : `${bin}${path.delimiter}${process.env.PATH ?? ""}`,
+    };
+    if (useExplicitTlc) env.TLA2TOOLS = path.relative(root, callerJar);
+    else delete env.TLA2TOOLS;
+
+    const result = spawnSync(
+      process.execPath,
+      [
+        cli,
+        path.join(fixture, "MediaPlayer.tla"),
+        "--view",
+        path.join(fixture, "view.mjs"),
+        "--out",
+        out,
+      ],
+      { cwd: root, encoding: "utf8", timeout: 60_000, env },
+    );
+
+    assert.equal(result.error, undefined, result.stderr);
+    assert.equal(result.status, 1, result.stderr);
+    assert.equal(result.stderr, "");
+    assert.equal(
+      fs.readFileSync(path.join(out, "chart.mmd"), "utf8"),
+      fs.readFileSync(path.join(fixture, "chart.mmd"), "utf8"),
+    );
+    const calls = fs
+      .readFileSync(invocations, "utf8")
+      .trim()
+      .split("\n")
+      .filter(Boolean)
+      .map((line) => JSON.parse(line) as { cwd: string; cp: string });
+    assert.ok(calls.length > 0, "the CLI did not spawn the configured Java");
+    assert.ok(calls.every(({ cp }) => cp === jar));
+    assert.ok(calls.every(({ cwd }) => cwd !== root));
+  } finally {
+    fs.rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  }
+}
+
+test("resolves relative TLC and Java paths from the caller with explicit TLA2TOOLS", () => {
+  runCase(true);
+});
+
+test("resolves an explicit Java path from the caller after mise discovery", () => {
+  runCase(false);
+});
diff --git a/pstack/skills/statechart/scripts/run.ts b/pstack/skills/statechart/scripts/run.ts
index 4efd368e5..4e6b4a0f4 100644
--- a/pstack/skills/statechart/scripts/run.ts
+++ b/pstack/skills/statechart/scripts/run.ts
@@ -192,7 +192,11 @@ const runToFiles = (
 
 async function findTlc(cwd: string) {
   const { TLA2TOOLS, JAVA } = process.env;
-  if (TLA2TOOLS) return { jar: TLA2TOOLS, java: JAVA || "java" };
+  const fromCaller = (value: string) =>
+    path.isAbsolute(value) ? value : path.resolve(process.cwd(), value);
+  const explicitJava =
+    JAVA && (path.isAbsolute(JAVA) || /[/\\]/.test(JAVA)) ? fromCaller(JAVA) : JAVA;
+  if (TLA2TOOLS) return { jar: fromCaller(TLA2TOOLS), java: explicitJava || "java" };
   const mise = (...args: string[]) =>
     runChild("mise", args, { cwd, env: { ...process.env, MISE_CEILING_PATHS: cwd } });
   const where = () =>
@@ -208,7 +212,7 @@ async function findTlc(cwd: string) {
   }
   return {
     jar: path.join(found[0].stdout.trim(), "tla2tools.jar"),
-    java: JAVA || found[1].stdout.trim(),
+    java: explicitJava || found[1].stdout.trim(),
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/pstack/skills/statechart/scripts/test/tool-paths.test.ts b/pstack/skills/statechart/scripts/test/tool-paths.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..97f38732d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pstack/skills/statechart/scripts/test/tool-paths.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,141 @@
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { spawnSync } from "node:child_process";
+import fs from "node:fs";
+import os from "node:os";
+import path from "node:path";
+import { test } from "node:test";
+import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
+
+const here = path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
+const corpus = path.join(here, "corpus");
+const replayJava = path.join(here, "java.ts");
+const cli = path.join(here, "../statechart.ts");
+
+function writeFakeJava(file: string) {
+  fs.mkdirSync(path.dirname(file), { recursive: true });
+  fs.writeFileSync(
+    file,
+    `#!/usr/bin/env node
+import { spawnSync } from "node:child_process";
+import fs from "node:fs";
+
+const args = process.argv.slice(2);
+const cp = args[args.indexOf("-cp") + 1];
+if (cp !== process.env.STATECHART_EXPECTED_CP) {
+  console.error("unexpected classpath: " + cp);
+  process.exit(91);
+}
+if (process.cwd() === process.env.STATECHART_CALLER) {
+  console.error("Java must run in the isolated check directory");
+  process.exit(92);
+}
+fs.appendFileSync(
+  process.env.STATECHART_INVOCATIONS,
+  JSON.stringify({ cwd: process.cwd(), cp }) + "\\n",
+);
+const result = spawnSync(
+  process.execPath,
+  [process.env.STATECHART_REPLAY_JAVA, ...args],
+  { encoding: "utf8", env: process.env },
+);
+process.stdout.write(result.stdout ?? "");
+process.stderr.write(result.stderr ?? "");
+process.exit(result.status ?? 1);
+`,
+    { mode: 0o755 },
+  );
+}
+
+function writeFakeMise(file: string) {
+  fs.mkdirSync(path.dirname(file), { recursive: true });
+  fs.writeFileSync(
+    file,
+    `#!/bin/sh
+case "$1" in
+  where) printf '%s\\n' "$STATECHART_MISE_ROOT" ;;
+  which) printf '%s\\n' "$STATECHART_DISCOVERED_JAVA" ;;
+  *) exit 1 ;;
+esac
+`,
+    { mode: 0o755 },
+  );
+}
+
+function runCase(useExplicitTlc: boolean) {
+  const root = fs.realpathSync(fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "statechart-tool-paths-")));
+  try {
+    const fixture = path.join(root, "MediaPlayer");
+    fs.cpSync(path.join(corpus, "MediaPlayer"), fixture, { recursive: true });
+
+    const callerJar = path.join(root, "tools", "tla2tools.jar");
+    const miseRoot = path.join(root, "mise-tools");
+    const jar = useExplicitTlc ? callerJar : path.join(miseRoot, "tla2tools.jar");
+    fs.mkdirSync(path.dirname(jar), { recursive: true });
+    fs.writeFileSync(jar, "fake tla2tools jar");
+
+    const fakeJava = path.join(root, "jdk", "bin", "java");
+    const invocations = path.join(root, "java-invocations.jsonl");
+    writeFakeJava(fakeJava);
+
+    const bin = path.join(root, "bin");
+    if (!useExplicitTlc) writeFakeMise(path.join(bin, "mise"));
+
+    const out = path.join(root, "out");
+    const env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = {
+      ...process.env,
+      JAVA: "./jdk/bin/java",
+      STATECHART_CALLER: root,
+      STATECHART_EXPECTED_CP: jar,
+      STATECHART_INVOCATIONS: invocations,
+      STATECHART_MISE_ROOT: miseRoot,
+      STATECHART_DISCOVERED_JAVA: "/path/from/mise/java",
+      STATECHART_REPLAY: fixture,
+      STATECHART_REPLAY_JAVA: replayJava,
+      PATH: useExplicitTlc
+        ? process.env.PATH ?? ""
+        : `${bin}${path.delimiter}${process.env.PATH ?? ""}`,
+    };
+    if (useExplicitTlc) env.TLA2TOOLS = path.relative(root, callerJar);
+    else delete env.TLA2TOOLS;
+
+    const result = spawnSync(
+      process.execPath,
+      [
+        cli,
+        path.join(fixture, "MediaPlayer.tla"),
+        "--view",
+        path.join(fixture, "view.mjs"),
+        "--out",
+        out,
+      ],
+      { cwd: root, encoding: "utf8", timeout: 60_000, env },
+    );
+
+    assert.equal(result.error, undefined, result.stderr);
+    assert.equal(result.status, 1, result.stderr);
+    assert.equal(result.stderr, "");
+    assert.equal(
+      fs.readFileSync(path.join(out, "chart.mmd"), "utf8"),
+      fs.readFileSync(path.join(fixture, "chart.mmd"), "utf8"),
+    );
+    const calls = fs
+      .readFileSync(invocations, "utf8")
+      .trim()
+      .split("\n")
+      .filter(Boolean)
+      .map((line) => JSON.parse(line) as { cwd: string; cp: string });
+    assert.ok(calls.length > 0, "the CLI did not spawn the configured Java");
+    assert.ok(calls.every(({ cp }) => cp === jar));
+    assert.ok(calls.every(({ cwd }) => cwd !== root));
+  } finally {
+    fs.rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  }
+}
+
+test("resolves relative TLC and Java paths from the caller with explicit TLA2TOOLS", () => {
+  runCase(true);
+});
+
+test("resolves an explicit Java path from the caller after mise discovery", () => {
+  runCase(false);
+});