diff --git a/bin/install.js b/bin/install.js
index 5c7f82ea4..fef57a808 100755
--- a/bin/install.js
+++ b/bin/install.js
@@ -3650,9 +3650,26 @@ function uninstall(isGlobal, runtime = 'claude') {
     // Gemini: still uses commands/gsd/
     const gsdCommandsDir = path.join(targetDir, 'commands', 'gsd');
     if (fs.existsSync(gsdCommandsDir)) {
+      // Preserve user-generated files before wipe (#1423)
+      // Note: if more user files are added, consider a naming convention (e.g., USER-*.md)
+      // and preserve all matching files instead of listing each one individually.
+      const devPrefsPath = path.join(gsdCommandsDir, 'dev-preferences.md');
+      const preservedDevPrefs = fs.existsSync(devPrefsPath) ? fs.readFileSync(devPrefsPath, 'utf-8') : null;
+
       fs.rmSync(gsdCommandsDir, { recursive: true });
       removedCount++;
       console.log(`  ${green}✓${reset} Removed commands/gsd/`);
+
+      // Restore user-generated files
+      if (preservedDevPrefs) {
+        try {
+          fs.mkdirSync(gsdCommandsDir, { recursive: true });
+          fs.writeFileSync(devPrefsPath, preservedDevPrefs);
+          console.log(`  ${green}✓${reset} Preserved commands/gsd/dev-preferences.md`);
+        } catch (err) {
+          console.error(`  ${red}✗${reset} Failed to restore dev-preferences.md: ${err.message}`);
+        }
+      }
     }
   } else {
     // Claude Code: remove skills/gsd-*/ directories
@@ -3675,18 +3692,47 @@ function uninstall(isGlobal, runtime = 'claude') {
     // Also clean up legacy commands/gsd/ from older installs
     const legacyCommandsDir = path.join(targetDir, 'commands', 'gsd');
     if (fs.existsSync(legacyCommandsDir)) {
+      // Preserve user-generated files before legacy wipe (#1423)
+      const devPrefsPath = path.join(legacyCommandsDir, 'dev-preferences.md');
+      const preservedDevPrefs = fs.existsSync(devPrefsPath) ? fs.readFileSync(devPrefsPath, 'utf-8') : null;
+
       fs.rmSync(legacyCommandsDir, { recursive: true });
       removedCount++;
       console.log(`  ${green}✓${reset} Removed legacy commands/gsd/`);
+
+      if (preservedDevPrefs) {
+        try {
+          fs.mkdirSync(legacyCommandsDir, { recursive: true });
+          fs.writeFileSync(devPrefsPath, preservedDevPrefs);
+          console.log(`  ${green}✓${reset} Preserved commands/gsd/dev-preferences.md`);
+        } catch (err) {
+          console.error(`  ${red}✗${reset} Failed to restore dev-preferences.md: ${err.message}`);
+        }
+      }
     }
   }
 
   // 2. Remove get-shit-done directory
   const gsdDir = path.join(targetDir, 'get-shit-done');
   if (fs.existsSync(gsdDir)) {
+    // Preserve user-generated files before wipe (#1423)
+    const userProfilePath = path.join(gsdDir, 'USER-PROFILE.md');
+    const preservedProfile = fs.existsSync(userProfilePath) ? fs.readFileSync(userProfilePath, 'utf-8') : null;
+
     fs.rmSync(gsdDir, { recursive: true });
     removedCount++;
     console.log(`  ${green}✓${reset} Removed get-shit-done/`);
+
+    // Restore user-generated files
+    if (preservedProfile) {
+      try {
+        fs.mkdirSync(gsdDir, { recursive: true });
+        fs.writeFileSync(userProfilePath, preservedProfile);
+        console.log(`  ${green}✓${reset} Preserved get-shit-done/USER-PROFILE.md`);
+      } catch (err) {
+        console.error(`  ${red}✗${reset} Failed to restore USER-PROFILE.md: ${err.message}`);
+      }
+    }
   }
 
   // 3. Remove GSD agents (gsd-*.md files only)
diff --git a/tests/copilot-install.test.cjs b/tests/copilot-install.test.cjs
index 8f123b42b..59766a3d8 100644
--- a/tests/copilot-install.test.cjs
+++ b/tests/copilot-install.test.cjs
@@ -1341,3 +1341,89 @@ describe('E2E: Copilot uninstall verification', () => {
     });
   });
 });
+
+// ─── Claude uninstall: user file preservation (#1423) ─────────────────────────
+
+function runClaudeInstall(cwd) {
+  const env = { ...process.env };
+  delete env.GSD_TEST_MODE;
+  return execFileSync(process.execPath, [INSTALL_PATH, '--claude', '--local'], {
+    cwd,
+    encoding: 'utf-8',
+    stdio: ['pipe', 'pipe', 'pipe'],
+    env,
+  });
+}
+
+function runClaudeUninstall(cwd) {
+  const env = { ...process.env };
+  delete env.GSD_TEST_MODE;
+  return execFileSync(process.execPath, [INSTALL_PATH, '--claude', '--local', '--uninstall'], {
+    cwd,
+    encoding: 'utf-8',
+    stdio: ['pipe', 'pipe', 'pipe'],
+    env,
+  });
+}
+
+describe('Claude uninstall preserves user-generated files (#1423)', () => {
+  let tmpDir;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    tmpDir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'gsd-preserve-'));
+    runClaudeInstall(tmpDir);
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    fs.rmSync(tmpDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  });
+
+  test('preserves USER-PROFILE.md across uninstall', () => {
+    const profilePath = path.join(tmpDir, '.claude', 'get-shit-done', 'USER-PROFILE.md');
+    const content = '# Developer Profile\n\nAutonomy: High\nGenerated: 2026-03-29\n';
+    fs.writeFileSync(profilePath, content);
+
+    runClaudeUninstall(tmpDir);
+
+    assert.ok(fs.existsSync(profilePath), 'USER-PROFILE.md should survive uninstall');
+    assert.strictEqual(fs.readFileSync(profilePath, 'utf-8'), content, 'content should be identical');
+  });
+
+  test('preserves dev-preferences.md across uninstall', () => {
+    const prefsDir = path.join(tmpDir, '.claude', 'commands', 'gsd');
+    fs.mkdirSync(prefsDir, { recursive: true });
+    const prefsPath = path.join(prefsDir, 'dev-preferences.md');
+    const content = '---\nname: dev-preferences\n---\n# Preferences\nUse TypeScript strict.\n';
+    fs.writeFileSync(prefsPath, content);
+
+    runClaudeUninstall(tmpDir);
+
+    assert.ok(fs.existsSync(prefsPath), 'dev-preferences.md should survive uninstall');
+    assert.strictEqual(fs.readFileSync(prefsPath, 'utf-8'), content, 'content should be identical');
+  });
+
+  test('still removes GSD engine files during uninstall', () => {
+    const profilePath = path.join(tmpDir, '.claude', 'get-shit-done', 'USER-PROFILE.md');
+    fs.writeFileSync(profilePath, '# Profile\n');
+
+    // Verify engine files exist before uninstall
+    const binDir = path.join(tmpDir, '.claude', 'get-shit-done', 'bin');
+    assert.ok(fs.existsSync(binDir), 'bin/ should exist before uninstall');
+
+    runClaudeUninstall(tmpDir);
+
+    // Engine files gone, user file preserved
+    assert.ok(!fs.existsSync(binDir), 'bin/ should be removed after uninstall');
+    assert.ok(fs.existsSync(profilePath), 'USER-PROFILE.md should survive');
+  });
+
+  test('clean uninstall when no user files exist', () => {
+    runClaudeUninstall(tmpDir);
+
+    const gsdDir = path.join(tmpDir, '.claude', 'get-shit-done');
+    const cmdDir = path.join(tmpDir, '.claude', 'commands', 'gsd');
+    // Directories should be fully removed when no user files to preserve
+    assert.ok(!fs.existsSync(gsdDir), 'get-shit-done/ should not exist after clean uninstall');
+    assert.ok(!fs.existsSync(cmdDir), 'commands/gsd/ should not exist after clean uninstall');
+  });
+});