diff --git a/scripts/ab-corpus/__tests__/build-prompt.test.ts b/scripts/ab-corpus/__tests__/build-prompt.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..32b774f48
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/ab-corpus/__tests__/build-prompt.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+import { buildSystemPrompt } from '../build-prompt';
+
+// These tests work entirely from the prompt builder's observable output —
+// length deltas + marker strings — so they don't need to import the
+// internal pen-ai-skills registry (which doesn't resolve cleanly under
+// vitest from a path outside apps/web). The relative cookbook size is
+// large enough that structural assertions catch any regression where
+// the diet silently no-ops.
+
+const T_PRIMARY_MARKER = 'PRIMARY: when your intent matches an add_*_v0 element tool above';
+const B_BATCH_MARKER =
+  '<op_tool>{"name": "batch_design", "arguments": {"operations": "<DSL_STRING>"}}</op_tool>';
+
+describe('buildSystemPrompt', () => {
+  it('T + composite returns the largest prompt (cookbook present)', () => {
+    const composite = buildSystemPrompt('T', { difficulty: 'composite' });
+    const obvious = buildSystemPrompt('T', { difficulty: 'obvious' });
+    expect(composite.system.length).toBeGreaterThan(obvious.system.length);
+  });
+
+  it('T + undefined difficulty matches the composite size (safe default)', () => {
+    const undef = buildSystemPrompt('T');
+    const composite = buildSystemPrompt('T', { difficulty: 'composite' });
+    expect(undef.system.length).toBe(composite.system.length);
+  });
+
+  it("T + difficulty='optional' matches the composite size", () => {
+    const optional = buildSystemPrompt('T', { difficulty: 'optional' });
+    const composite = buildSystemPrompt('T', { difficulty: 'composite' });
+    expect(optional.system.length).toBe(composite.system.length);
+  });
+
+  it("T + difficulty='obvious' shaves at least 10kb off the prompt", () => {
+    const obvious = buildSystemPrompt('T', { difficulty: 'obvious' }).system.length;
+    const composite = buildSystemPrompt('T', { difficulty: 'composite' }).system.length;
+    // Cookbook is ~18kb; expect at least 10kb savings to guard against
+    // accidental regressions where the strip silently no-ops.
+    expect(composite - obvious).toBeGreaterThan(10_000);
+  });
+
+  it('B prompt is smaller than every T variant (both skills stripped)', () => {
+    const b = buildSystemPrompt('B').system.length;
+    const tComposite = buildSystemPrompt('T', { difficulty: 'composite' }).system.length;
+    const tObvious = buildSystemPrompt('T', { difficulty: 'obvious' }).system.length;
+    expect(b).toBeLessThan(tObvious);
+    expect(b).toBeLessThan(tComposite);
+  });
+
+  it('B is the same regardless of difficulty (variant comparison stays clean)', () => {
+    const sizes = (['obvious', 'optional', 'composite', undefined] as const).map((d) => {
+      const built = buildSystemPrompt('B', d ? { difficulty: d } : {});
+      return built.system.length;
+    });
+    const distinct = new Set(sizes);
+    expect(distinct.size).toBe(1);
+  });
+
+  it('every T variant carries the PRIMARY/FALLBACK output-format marker', () => {
+    for (const difficulty of ['obvious', 'optional', 'composite'] as const) {
+      const built = buildSystemPrompt('T', { difficulty });
+      expect(built.system).toContain(T_PRIMARY_MARKER);
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('B variant carries the batch_design marker but not the PRIMARY split', () => {
+    const built = buildSystemPrompt('B');
+    expect(built.system).toContain(B_BATCH_MARKER);
+    expect(built.system).not.toContain(T_PRIMARY_MARKER);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/scripts/ab-corpus/build-prompt.ts b/scripts/ab-corpus/build-prompt.ts
index 9198b23de..992a93115 100644
--- a/scripts/ab-corpus/build-prompt.ts
+++ b/scripts/ab-corpus/build-prompt.ts
@@ -63,13 +63,52 @@ export interface BuiltPrompt {
   variant: 'B' | 'T';
 }
 
-export function buildSystemPrompt(variant: 'B' | 'T'): BuiltPrompt {
+export interface BuildPromptOpts {
+  /**
+   * Prompt difficulty signal. When variant=T, controls whether the
+   * elements-cookbook (~18kb of arg-shape examples) is included.
+   *
+   * - 'composite', 'optional', or undefined → keep cookbook
+   *   (multi-tool briefs need the chained recipes; safe default for
+   *   free-form callers).
+   * - 'obvious' → strip cookbook. Decision tree + PREFER list still
+   *   teach tool selection; the per-tool minimal-usage examples are
+   *   the cost we trade for ~80% smaller T prompts on single-tool
+   *   prompts. Validated by ab-v4 sweep (Phase 2 of token-diet plan).
+   *
+   * Variant=B is unaffected — baseline always strips both skills so
+   * the A/B comparison still isolates "tools vs no-tools".
+   */
+  difficulty?: 'obvious' | 'optional' | 'composite';
+}
+
+export function buildSystemPrompt(variant: 'B' | 'T', opts: BuildPromptOpts = {}): BuiltPrompt {
   // buildDesignPrompt() already concatenates every section the harness
   // needs — schema, style, examples, DESIGN_TYPE_DETECTION, roles,
   // layout, text rules, guidelines, variables, auto-replace,
   // post-processing, AND elements (appended last session).
   const full = buildDesignPrompt();
   if (variant === 'T') {
+    if (opts.difficulty === 'obvious') {
+      // Save ~18kb by stripping the cookbook on single-tool prompts.
+      // Models still see the decision tree + PREFER list (which is
+      // enough to route to the right tool); they just lose the
+      // copy-paste arg-shape examples. Risk: small dip in arg
+      // compliance on weaker models — measured in ab-v4.
+      const cookbookSkill = getSkillByName('elements-cookbook');
+      if (!cookbookSkill) {
+        throw new Error(
+          'elements-cookbook skill not found in registry — cannot apply obvious-difficulty diet without it',
+        );
+      }
+      const stripped = full.replace(cookbookSkill.content, '');
+      if (stripped === full) {
+        throw new Error(
+          'elements-cookbook content was not present in the full prompt — buildDesignPrompt() may have been refactored; update build-prompt.ts to match',
+        );
+      }
+      return { system: stripped.trim() + '\n\n' + T_TOOL_CALL_INSTRUCTIONS, variant };
+    }
     return { system: full + '\n\n' + T_TOOL_CALL_INSTRUCTIONS, variant };
   }
   // Baseline: strip BOTH elements skills (decision-tree + cookbook).
diff --git a/scripts/ab-corpus/real-model.ts b/scripts/ab-corpus/real-model.ts
index 63145a0aa..c4b2e24fb 100644
--- a/scripts/ab-corpus/real-model.ts
+++ b/scripts/ab-corpus/real-model.ts
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ import type { ModelCall } from './stub-model';
  * that's the path we're actively promoting.
  */
 export async function realModelCall(call: ModelCall): Promise<ChatCallResult> {
-  const built = buildSystemPrompt(call.variant);
+  const built = buildSystemPrompt(call.variant, { difficulty: call.prompt.difficulty });
   const user = call.prompt.prompt;
   const model = call.model;