diff --git a/claude_bottle/backend/smolmachines/backend.py b/claude_bottle/backend/smolmachines/backend.py
index eb57b02..094e9dd 100644
--- a/claude_bottle/backend/smolmachines/backend.py
+++ b/claude_bottle/backend/smolmachines/backend.py
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ from . import prepare as _prepare
 from .bottle import SmolmachinesBottle
 from .bottle_cleanup_plan import SmolmachinesBottleCleanupPlan
 from .bottle_plan import SmolmachinesBottlePlan
+from .provision import prompt as _prompt
+from .provision import skills as _skills
 
 
 class SmolmachinesBottleBackend(
@@ -32,26 +34,26 @@ class SmolmachinesBottleBackend(
     def launch(
         self, plan: SmolmachinesBottlePlan
     ) -> Generator[SmolmachinesBottle, None, None]:
-        with _launch.launch(plan) as bottle:
+        with _launch.launch(plan, provision=self.provision) as bottle:
             yield bottle
 
-    # The four `provision_*` methods land in chunk 4 alongside the
-    # `smolvm machine cp`-based copy-in flow. Stubs raise so any
-    # caller that reaches them before chunk 4 gets a clear pointer.
     def provision_prompt(
         self, plan: SmolmachinesBottlePlan, target: str
     ) -> str | None:
-        raise NotImplementedError("smolmachines provision_prompt → chunk 4")
+        return _prompt.provision_prompt(plan, target)
 
     def provision_skills(
         self, plan: SmolmachinesBottlePlan, target: str
     ) -> None:
-        raise NotImplementedError("smolmachines provision_skills → chunk 4")
+        _skills.provision_skills(plan, target)
 
     def provision_git(
         self, plan: SmolmachinesBottlePlan, target: str
     ) -> None:
-        raise NotImplementedError("smolmachines provision_git → chunk 4")
+        # Chunk 4 follow-on: needs the git-gate inner Plan (so the
+        # gitconfig insteadOf URL points at the gate's host) and
+        # the agent image must contain `git`. Stub for chunk 4a.
+        del plan, target
 
     def prepare_cleanup(self) -> SmolmachinesBottleCleanupPlan:
         return SmolmachinesBottleCleanupPlan()
diff --git a/claude_bottle/backend/smolmachines/bottle.py b/claude_bottle/backend/smolmachines/bottle.py
index e8ae2c5..efa0aa1 100644
--- a/claude_bottle/backend/smolmachines/bottle.py
+++ b/claude_bottle/backend/smolmachines/bottle.py
@@ -21,8 +21,12 @@ class SmolmachinesBottle(Bottle):
     on the launch ExitStack — this class only routes runtime
     operations to the right `smolvm machine ...` subcommand."""
 
-    def __init__(self, machine_name: str) -> None:
+    def __init__(self, machine_name: str, *, prompt_path: str | None = None) -> None:
         self.name = machine_name
+        # In-VM path to the agent's prompt file. None when the
+        # agent declared no prompt (file still exists; we just
+        # don't pass --append-system-prompt-file).
+        self._prompt_path = prompt_path
 
     def exec_claude(self, argv: list[str], *, tty: bool = True) -> int:
         """Run `claude` interactively inside the VM. Inherits the
@@ -37,7 +41,10 @@ class SmolmachinesBottle(Bottle):
         flags = ["smolvm", "machine", "exec", "--name", self.name]
         if tty:
             flags += ["-i", "-t"]
-        flags += ["--", "claude", *argv]
+        claude_argv = ["claude"]
+        if self._prompt_path:
+            claude_argv += ["--append-system-prompt-file", self._prompt_path]
+        flags += ["--", *claude_argv, *argv]
         result = subprocess.run(flags, check=False)
         return result.returncode
 
diff --git a/claude_bottle/backend/smolmachines/bottle_plan.py b/claude_bottle/backend/smolmachines/bottle_plan.py
index 943ab3c..1213553 100644
--- a/claude_bottle/backend/smolmachines/bottle_plan.py
+++ b/claude_bottle/backend/smolmachines/bottle_plan.py
@@ -52,6 +52,11 @@ class SmolmachinesBottlePlan(BottlePlan):
     # `--smolfile` is mutually exclusive with `--from`, and
     # `--from` is the path that avoids the registry-pull race).
     guest_env: dict[str, str]
+    # Path to the agent's prompt file on the host. Always written
+    # (mode 0o600) so the in-VM path always exists; the file is
+    # empty when the agent has no prompt — claude-code reads it
+    # via --append-system-prompt-file only when non-empty.
+    prompt_file: Path
 
     def print(self, *, remote_control: bool) -> None:
         """Compact y/N preflight. Same shape as the Docker
diff --git a/claude_bottle/backend/smolmachines/launch.py b/claude_bottle/backend/smolmachines/launch.py
index 8a2845d..c0aa550 100644
--- a/claude_bottle/backend/smolmachines/launch.py
+++ b/claude_bottle/backend/smolmachines/launch.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ install + the inner Plan plumbing land in chunk 4."""
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 from contextlib import ExitStack, contextmanager
-from typing import Generator
+from typing import Callable, Generator
 
 from . import smolvm as _smolvm
 from . import sidecar_bundle as _bundle
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ from .bottle_plan import SmolmachinesBottlePlan
 @contextmanager
 def launch(
     plan: SmolmachinesBottlePlan,
+    *,
+    provision: Callable[[SmolmachinesBottlePlan, str], str | None],
 ) -> Generator[SmolmachinesBottle, None, None]:
     """Build + run the bottle and yield a handle; tear everything
     down on exit. Errors during bringup unwind any partial state
@@ -76,7 +78,14 @@ def launch(
         _smolvm.machine_start(plan.machine_name)
         stack.callback(_smolvm.machine_stop, plan.machine_name)
 
-        # 3. Yield the handle.
-        yield SmolmachinesBottle(plan.machine_name)
+        # 3. Provision (CA / prompt / skills / git / supervise).
+        # The orchestrator runs each one in order; provision_*
+        # methods left as stubs (chunk 4 follow-ons) are no-ops.
+        prompt_path = provision(plan, plan.machine_name)
+
+        # 4. Yield the handle. The prompt_path drives whether
+        # exec_claude adds --append-system-prompt-file to claude's
+        # argv (None → no flag).
+        yield SmolmachinesBottle(plan.machine_name, prompt_path=prompt_path)
     finally:
         stack.close()
diff --git a/claude_bottle/backend/smolmachines/prepare.py b/claude_bottle/backend/smolmachines/prepare.py
index 92ab9c0..0aee9ba 100644
--- a/claude_bottle/backend/smolmachines/prepare.py
+++ b/claude_bottle/backend/smolmachines/prepare.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ from pathlib import Path
 from ...backend import BottleSpec
 from ...backend.docker.bottle_state import (
     BottleMetadata,
+    agent_state_dir,
     bottle_identity,
     write_metadata,
 )
@@ -85,8 +86,21 @@ def resolve_plan(
             f"http://{bundle_ip}:{_BUNDLE_SUPERVISE_PORT}"
         )
 
+    # Prompt file is always written (mode 0o600) so the in-VM
+    # path always exists. Content is the agent's `prompt`
+    # field (markdown body) — empty for agents with no prompt.
+    # claude-code reads it via --append-system-prompt-file only
+    # when non-empty, but the file must exist either way to
+    # match the docker backend's contract.
+    agent_dir = agent_state_dir(slug)
+    agent_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    prompt_file = agent_dir / "prompt.txt"
+    agent = manifest.agents[spec.agent_name]
+    prompt_file.write_text(agent.prompt or "")
+    prompt_file.chmod(0o600)
+
     machine_name = f"claude-bottle-{slug}"
-    # Chunk 2d placeholder until chunk 4's agent-image work lands.
+    # Chunk 2d placeholder until the agent-image work lands.
     # alpine pulls cleanly from docker.io via smolvm's crane
     # backend; the real claude-bottle image lives in the local
     # docker daemon and isn't reachable that way.
@@ -103,6 +117,7 @@ def resolve_plan(
         machine_name=machine_name,
         agent_from_path=agent_from_path,
         guest_env=guest_env,
+        prompt_file=prompt_file,
     )
 
 
diff --git a/claude_bottle/backend/smolmachines/provision/__init__.py b/claude_bottle/backend/smolmachines/provision/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cc202c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/claude_bottle/backend/smolmachines/provision/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+"""Provisioning helpers for the smolmachines backend (PRD 0023
+chunk 4).
+
+Each method maps onto one of `BottleBackend`'s `provision_*`
+overrides. They run after the VM is up + the bundle is reachable
+and copy host-side state (prompt, skills, .git, CA cert,
+supervise MCP config) into the guest via `smolvm machine cp` /
+`smolvm machine exec`.
+
+Chunk 4a ships `provision_prompt` and `provision_skills` — the
+two that don't depend on agent-image tooling (claude-code,
+update-ca-certificates) beyond `cp` and `mkdir`. provision_ca /
+provision_git / provision_supervise land once the agent-image
+gap is solved."""
diff --git a/claude_bottle/backend/smolmachines/provision/prompt.py b/claude_bottle/backend/smolmachines/provision/prompt.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..62dc22b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/claude_bottle/backend/smolmachines/provision/prompt.py
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+"""Copy the agent prompt into a running smolmachines bottle.
+
+The prompt file is always copied (so the in-guest path always
+exists) but `--append-system-prompt-file` only fires when the
+agent actually has a prompt — the return value signals which
+case, mirroring the docker backend's contract."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from .. import smolvm as _smolvm
+from ..bottle_plan import SmolmachinesBottlePlan
+
+
+# In-guest path for the prompt. Smolvm's default agent image
+# (alpine for now; the real claude-bottle image later) runs as
+# root with $HOME=/root. The path is also surfaced as the return
+# value so the caller can pass it via --append-system-prompt-file.
+_IN_GUEST_PROMPT_PATH = "/root/.claude-bottle-prompt.txt"
+
+
+def provision_prompt(plan: SmolmachinesBottlePlan, target: str) -> str | None:
+    """Copy the prompt file into the running smolvm guest. Returns
+    the in-guest path if the agent has a non-empty prompt (drives
+    --append-system-prompt-file), else None. The file is copied
+    either way so the path always exists — mirrors the docker
+    backend's behavior."""
+    _smolvm.machine_cp(
+        str(plan.prompt_file),
+        f"{target}:{_IN_GUEST_PROMPT_PATH}",
+    )
+    agent = plan.spec.manifest.agents[plan.spec.agent_name]
+    return _IN_GUEST_PROMPT_PATH if agent.prompt else None
diff --git a/claude_bottle/backend/smolmachines/provision/skills.py b/claude_bottle/backend/smolmachines/provision/skills.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bd9404c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/claude_bottle/backend/smolmachines/provision/skills.py
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+"""Copy host-side skill directories into a running smolmachines
+bottle.
+
+Skills are validated on the host before launch by
+`BottleBackend._validate_skills`; this module assumes that
+validation has already run. A skill that disappears between
+validation and copy still dies loudly rather than silently
+producing a partial guest."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import os
+
+from ....log import die, info
+from ...util import host_skill_dir
+from .. import smolvm as _smolvm
+from ..bottle_plan import SmolmachinesBottlePlan
+
+
+# In-guest path mirrors the docker backend's claude-skills
+# convention (~/.claude/skills/<name>/). For smolmachines the
+# agent is root by default; chunk 5+ may swap to a node user
+# in the real claude-bottle image, at which point this path
+# follows /home/node/ — the env knob below provides the override.
+_DEFAULT_SKILLS_DIR = "/root/.claude/skills"
+
+
+def provision_skills(plan: SmolmachinesBottlePlan, target: str) -> None:
+    """Copy each of the agent's named skills from the host's
+    ~/.claude/skills/<name>/ into the guest's equivalent path.
+    For each skill: `mkdir -p` the destination, then
+    `smolvm machine cp` the host source dir over. No-op when the
+    agent has no skills.
+
+    smolvm machine cp on a directory copies recursively (same
+    semantics as `cp -r`); unlike docker cp's trailing-slash
+    convention, smolvm doesn't need the `/.` suffix dance."""
+    agent = plan.spec.manifest.agents[plan.spec.agent_name]
+    if not agent.skills:
+        return
+
+    skills_dir = os.environ.get(
+        "CLAUDE_BOTTLE_GUEST_SKILLS_DIR", _DEFAULT_SKILLS_DIR,
+    )
+
+    _smolvm.machine_exec(target, ["mkdir", "-p", skills_dir])
+
+    for name in agent.skills:
+        src = host_skill_dir(name)
+        if not os.path.isdir(src):
+            die(
+                f"skill {name!r} disappeared from host between "
+                f"validation and copy at {src}."
+            )
+        dst = f"{skills_dir}/{name}"
+        info(f"copying skill {name} into {target}:{dst}")
+        # Wipe any prior copy so re-runs don't accumulate.
+        _smolvm.machine_exec(target, ["rm", "-rf", dst])
+        _smolvm.machine_cp(src, f"{target}:{dst}")
diff --git a/tests/integration/test_smolmachines_launch.py b/tests/integration/test_smolmachines_launch.py
index 6bd00bb..7c9dd35 100644
--- a/tests/integration/test_smolmachines_launch.py
+++ b/tests/integration/test_smolmachines_launch.py
@@ -38,11 +38,18 @@ from claude_bottle.manifest import Manifest
 from tests._docker import skip_unless_docker
 
 
+_AGENT_PROMPT = "You are demo. Be brief."
+
+
 def _minimal_manifest() -> Manifest:
     return Manifest.from_json_obj({
         "bottles": {"dev": {}},
         "agents": {
-            "demo": {"skills": [], "prompt": "", "bottle": "dev"},
+            "demo": {
+                "skills": [],
+                "prompt": _AGENT_PROMPT,
+                "bottle": "dev",
+            },
         },
     })
 
@@ -117,6 +124,15 @@ class TestSmolmachinesLaunch(unittest.TestCase):
             f"expected a connect-refusal message; got: {r.stdout!r}",
         )
 
+    def test_prompt_file_lands_in_guest(self):
+        # provision_prompt copies the host-side prompt.txt into the
+        # guest at /root/.claude-bottle-prompt.txt. The content
+        # must match what the manifest declared so claude-code's
+        # --append-system-prompt-file reads the right text.
+        r = self.bottle.exec("cat /root/.claude-bottle-prompt.txt")
+        self.assertEqual(0, r.returncode, msg=r.stderr)
+        self.assertEqual(_AGENT_PROMPT, r.stdout.rstrip("\n"))
+
     def test_egress_port_bypass_probe(self):
         # Agent dials <bundle-ip>:9099 (egress's port). TSI
         # permits the IP, but egress will bind 127.0.0.1:9099
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_smolmachines_provision.py b/tests/unit/test_smolmachines_provision.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..49e02e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/test_smolmachines_provision.py
@@ -0,0 +1,180 @@
+"""Unit: smolmachines provisioning helpers (PRD 0023 chunk 4a).
+
+Tests mock `smolvm.machine_cp` / `smolvm.machine_exec` and assert
+on the dispatched call shape. The real round-trip lives in the
+chunk-4 integration smoke."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import unittest
+from pathlib import Path
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+from claude_bottle.backend import BottleSpec
+from claude_bottle.backend.smolmachines.bottle_plan import (
+    SmolmachinesBottlePlan,
+)
+from claude_bottle.backend.smolmachines.provision import (
+    prompt as _prompt,
+    skills as _skills,
+)
+from claude_bottle.manifest import Manifest
+
+
+def _plan(
+    *,
+    agent_prompt: str = "",
+    skills: list[str] | None = None,
+) -> SmolmachinesBottlePlan:
+    manifest = Manifest.from_json_obj({
+        "bottles": {"dev": {}},
+        "agents": {
+            "demo": {
+                "skills": list(skills or []),
+                "prompt": agent_prompt,
+                "bottle": "dev",
+            },
+        },
+    })
+    spec = BottleSpec(
+        manifest=manifest,
+        agent_name="demo",
+        copy_cwd=False,
+        user_cwd="/tmp/x",
+    )
+    return SmolmachinesBottlePlan(
+        spec=spec,
+        stage_dir=Path("/tmp/stage"),
+        slug="demo-abc12",
+        bundle_subnet="192.168.50.0/24",
+        bundle_gateway="192.168.50.1",
+        bundle_ip="192.168.50.2",
+        machine_name="claude-bottle-demo-abc12",
+        agent_from_path=Path("/tmp/agent.smolmachine"),
+        guest_env={},
+        prompt_file=Path("/tmp/state/demo-abc12/agent/prompt.txt"),
+    )
+
+
+class TestProvisionPrompt(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_cp_uses_smolvm_machine_cp_with_machine_path_syntax(self):
+        with patch(
+            "claude_bottle.backend.smolmachines.provision.prompt._smolvm.machine_cp"
+        ) as cp:
+            _prompt.provision_prompt(_plan(), "claude-bottle-demo-abc12")
+        cp.assert_called_once_with(
+            "/tmp/state/demo-abc12/agent/prompt.txt",
+            "claude-bottle-demo-abc12:/root/.claude-bottle-prompt.txt",
+        )
+
+    def test_returns_path_when_agent_has_prompt(self):
+        with patch(
+            "claude_bottle.backend.smolmachines.provision.prompt._smolvm.machine_cp"
+        ):
+            r = _prompt.provision_prompt(
+                _plan(agent_prompt="You are a helpful assistant."),
+                "claude-bottle-demo-abc12",
+            )
+        self.assertEqual("/root/.claude-bottle-prompt.txt", r)
+
+    def test_returns_none_when_agent_has_no_prompt(self):
+        # The file is still copied (path-must-exist contract);
+        # only the return value differs.
+        with patch(
+            "claude_bottle.backend.smolmachines.provision.prompt._smolvm.machine_cp"
+        ) as cp:
+            r = _prompt.provision_prompt(_plan(agent_prompt=""), "claude-bottle-demo-abc12")
+        self.assertIsNone(r)
+        cp.assert_called_once()
+
+
+class TestProvisionSkills(unittest.TestCase):
+    def _patch_host_skill_dir(self, returns: dict[str, str]):
+        return patch(
+            "claude_bottle.backend.smolmachines.provision.skills.host_skill_dir",
+            side_effect=lambda n: returns.get(n, f"/nope/{n}"),
+        )
+
+    def test_no_op_when_agent_has_no_skills(self):
+        with patch(
+            "claude_bottle.backend.smolmachines.provision.skills._smolvm.machine_cp"
+        ) as cp, patch(
+            "claude_bottle.backend.smolmachines.provision.skills._smolvm.machine_exec"
+        ) as ex:
+            _skills.provision_skills(_plan(skills=[]), "claude-bottle-demo-abc12")
+        self.assertEqual(0, cp.call_count)
+        self.assertEqual(0, ex.call_count)
+
+    def test_mkdir_plus_cp_per_skill(self):
+        with self._patch_host_skill_dir({
+            "init-prd": "/host/skills/init-prd",
+            "verify": "/host/skills/verify",
+        }), patch(
+            "claude_bottle.backend.smolmachines.provision.skills.os.path.isdir",
+            return_value=True,
+        ), patch(
+            "claude_bottle.backend.smolmachines.provision.skills._smolvm.machine_cp"
+        ) as cp, patch(
+            "claude_bottle.backend.smolmachines.provision.skills._smolvm.machine_exec"
+        ) as ex:
+            _skills.provision_skills(
+                _plan(skills=["init-prd", "verify"]),
+                "claude-bottle-demo-abc12",
+            )
+
+        # mkdir -p the skills dir once + rm -rf per skill = 3 exec calls.
+        self.assertEqual(3, ex.call_count)
+        mkdir_call = ex.call_args_list[0]
+        self.assertEqual(
+            ("claude-bottle-demo-abc12", ["mkdir", "-p", "/root/.claude/skills"]),
+            mkdir_call.args,
+        )
+        # Two cp calls, one per skill, into the per-skill subdir.
+        self.assertEqual(2, cp.call_count)
+        cp_targets = {call.args[1] for call in cp.call_args_list}
+        self.assertEqual(
+            {
+                "claude-bottle-demo-abc12:/root/.claude/skills/init-prd",
+                "claude-bottle-demo-abc12:/root/.claude/skills/verify",
+            },
+            cp_targets,
+        )
+
+    def test_skills_dir_overridable_via_env(self):
+        import os
+        with self._patch_host_skill_dir({"init-prd": "/host/skills/init-prd"}), \
+             patch(
+                 "claude_bottle.backend.smolmachines.provision.skills.os.path.isdir",
+                 return_value=True,
+             ), \
+             patch.dict(os.environ, {"CLAUDE_BOTTLE_GUEST_SKILLS_DIR": "/home/node/.claude/skills"}), \
+             patch(
+                 "claude_bottle.backend.smolmachines.provision.skills._smolvm.machine_cp"
+             ) as cp, \
+             patch(
+                 "claude_bottle.backend.smolmachines.provision.skills._smolvm.machine_exec"
+             ):
+            _skills.provision_skills(_plan(skills=["init-prd"]), "claude-bottle-demo-abc12")
+        self.assertEqual(
+            "claude-bottle-demo-abc12:/home/node/.claude/skills/init-prd",
+            cp.call_args.args[1],
+        )
+
+    def test_missing_skill_dies(self):
+        with self._patch_host_skill_dir({"init-prd": "/host/skills/init-prd"}), \
+             patch(
+                 "claude_bottle.backend.smolmachines.provision.skills.os.path.isdir",
+                 return_value=False,
+             ), \
+             patch(
+                 "claude_bottle.backend.smolmachines.provision.skills._smolvm.machine_cp"
+             ), \
+             patch(
+                 "claude_bottle.backend.smolmachines.provision.skills._smolvm.machine_exec"
+             ):
+            with self.assertRaises(SystemExit):
+                _skills.provision_skills(_plan(skills=["init-prd"]), "claude-bottle-demo-abc12")
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main()