diff --git a/.github/workflows/gitnexus-skill-evolution.yml b/.github/workflows/gitnexus-skill-evolution.yml
index 7c9adda5a..c1b20965c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/gitnexus-skill-evolution.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/gitnexus-skill-evolution.yml
@@ -142,10 +142,17 @@ jobs:
       MODEL: ${{ inputs.model || 'claude-sonnet-5' }}
       PROPOSER_MODEL: ${{ inputs.proposer_model || 'claude-opus-4-8' }}
       INCLUDE_EXPENSIVE: ${{ inputs.include_expensive && '1' || '' }}
-      # Fixed, known before the sweep starts: the upload below must not depend
-      # on a step that may have been killed having reported an output.
-      OUT_ROOT: ${{ runner.temp }}/wfevolve
     steps:
+      - name: Pin the evidence path before anything can run
+        # The upload step must not take its path from the sweep step's outputs
+        # — that is the step whose death is the reason the upload matters. A
+        # job-level `env:` cannot hold it either (the `runner` context does not
+        # exist there), so publish it to GITHUB_ENV first: every later step
+        # sees it, including the `if: always()` upload after a killed sweep.
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          echo "OUT_ROOT=${RUNNER_TEMP}/wfevolve" >> "${GITHUB_ENV}"
+
       - name: Require the benchmark auth secret
         env:
           HAS_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITNEXUS_BENCH_AUTH_TOKEN != '' }}
diff --git a/gitnexus/test/unit/skill-evolution-workflow.test.ts b/gitnexus/test/unit/skill-evolution-workflow.test.ts
index 9549e3ec0..777aee4a2 100644
--- a/gitnexus/test/unit/skill-evolution-workflow.test.ts
+++ b/gitnexus/test/unit/skill-evolution-workflow.test.ts
@@ -152,6 +152,12 @@ describe('gitnexus skill-evolution workflow contract', () => {
   });
 
   it('uploads benchmark evidence unconditionally, on a path fixed before the sweep runs', () => {
+    // OUT_ROOT is published to GITHUB_ENV by the first step, not held in a
+    // job-level `env:` — the `runner` context does not exist there, so
+    // `${{ runner.temp }}/wfevolve` would silently resolve to `/wfevolve`.
+    const first = evolveJob?.steps?.[0];
+    expect(first?.name).toBe('Pin the evidence path before anything can run');
+    expect(first?.run).toContain('echo "OUT_ROOT=${RUNNER_TEMP}/wfevolve" >> "${GITHUB_ENV}"');
     const upload = evolveJob?.steps?.find(({ name }) => name === 'Upload benchmark evidence');
     // The sweep appends results.jsonl and transcripts as it goes, so a killed
     // generation still holds the evidence explaining why — and a path taken