diff --git a/commands/gsd/ns-project.md b/commands/gsd/ns-project.md
index 3deb4943f..ae6e1748a 100644
--- a/commands/gsd/ns-project.md
+++ b/commands/gsd/ns-project.md
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ argument-hint: ""
 allowed-tools:
   - Read
   - Skill
-requires: [new-project, new-milestone, complete-milestone, audit-milestone, milestone-summary, import, ingest-docs, profile-user, review-backlog]
+requires: [new-project, onboard, new-milestone, complete-milestone, audit-milestone, milestone-summary, import, ingest-docs, profile-user, review-backlog]
 ---
 
 Route to the appropriate project / milestone skill based on the user's intent.
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ inline as part of `gsd-audit-milestone`'s output.
 | User wants | Invoke |
 |---|---|
 | Start a new project | gsd-new-project |
+| Onboard an existing codebase | gsd-onboard |
 | Create a new milestone | gsd-new-milestone |
 | Complete the current milestone | gsd-complete-milestone |
 | Audit a milestone for issues | gsd-audit-milestone |
diff --git a/gsd-core/workflows/onboard.md b/gsd-core/workflows/onboard.md
index 7200a99f4..be4ffd00c 100644
--- a/gsd-core/workflows/onboard.md
+++ b/gsd-core/workflows/onboard.md
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ Parse JSON fields: `planning_exists`, `project_exists`, `requirements_exists`,
 
 Set `TEXT_MODE=true` if `--text` is present OR `text_mode` from INIT is true.
 
+**Text mode (`workflow.text_mode: true` in config or `--text` flag):** When `TEXT_MODE` is active, replace every `AskUserQuestion` call in this workflow with a plain-text numbered list and ask the user to type their choice number. This is required for non-Claude runtimes (OpenAI Codex, Gemini CLI, etc.) where `AskUserQuestion` is not available and would otherwise render as an inert code block.
+
 ## 2. Git and Existing Planning Safety
 
 If `has_git` is true and `in_nested_subdir` is true, warn that onboarding artifacts will
diff --git a/src/install-profiles.cts b/src/install-profiles.cts
index 5db870050..2251d0e84 100644
--- a/src/install-profiles.cts
+++ b/src/install-profiles.cts
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ const {
 const PROFILES = Object.freeze({
   core: Object.freeze([
     'new-project',
-    'onboard',
     'discuss-phase',
     'plan-phase',
     'execute-phase',
diff --git a/tests/skill-frontmatter-contract.test.cjs b/tests/skill-frontmatter-contract.test.cjs
index 7e8151c87..7aa9a0458 100644
--- a/tests/skill-frontmatter-contract.test.cjs
+++ b/tests/skill-frontmatter-contract.test.cjs
@@ -476,6 +476,8 @@ const KNOWN_SKILLS = new Set([
   'mvp-phase.md',
   'new-milestone.md',
   'new-project.md',
+  // #1990 brownfield onboarding entry command; sibling of new-project, routed under ns-project.
+  'onboard.md',
   // `next.md` was legitimately reclaimed (#1787): the old workflow-advance
   // command stays absorbed into `progress.md --next`, while the current
   // `/gsd:next` is a different state-aware smart-entry launcher.