diff --git a/runtime/skills/chop-logs.js b/runtime/skills/chop-logs.js
index 4f2be7d..271c515 100644
--- a/runtime/skills/chop-logs.js
+++ b/runtime/skills/chop-logs.js
@@ -25,6 +25,14 @@ function withTimeout(promise, ms, label) {
 	return Promise.race([promise, timeout]).finally(() => clearTimeout(timer));
 }
 
+const UNSAFE_HOSTILE_DISTANCE = 8;
+function nearbyUnsafeHostile(snapshot) {
+	const hostile = snapshot?.closestHostile;
+	const distance = Number(hostile?.distance);
+	if (!Number.isFinite(distance) || distance > UNSAFE_HOSTILE_DISTANCE) return null;
+	return { name: hostile?.name ?? "hostile", distance };
+}
+
 export const skill = Object.freeze({
 	id: "gather.logs",
 	title: "Gather logs",
@@ -34,6 +42,17 @@ export const skill = Object.freeze({
 	timeoutMs: 90_000,
 	preconditions(ctx) {
 		if (!ctx?.bot) return { ok: false, code: "no_bot", detail: "bot missing" };
+		const unsafeHostile = nearbyUnsafeHostile(ctx.snapshot);
+		if (unsafeHostile) {
+			// When defend/flee is cooling down, don't let collectBlock spend its
+			// whole 60s timeout chopping beside a mob. no_target reuses the
+			// scheduler's existing short backoff for gather skills.
+			return {
+				ok: false,
+				code: "no_target",
+				detail: `unsafe to gather logs: ${unsafeHostile.name} ${unsafeHostile.distance.toFixed(1)} blocks away`,
+			};
+		}
 		const known = logBlocks(ctx.bot);
 		if (known.size === 0) {
 			return { ok: false, code: "unsupported_version", detail: "no log blocks in registry" };
diff --git a/runtime/skills/contract.test.js b/runtime/skills/contract.test.js
index 0891b1e..566e010 100644
--- a/runtime/skills/contract.test.js
+++ b/runtime/skills/contract.test.js
@@ -37,6 +37,17 @@ test("preconditions gate execution", async () => {
 	}
 });
 
+test("gather.logs precondition refuses nearby hostiles", async () => {
+	const bot = { registry: { blocksByName: { oak_log: { id: 1 } } } };
+	const res = await runSkill("gather.logs", {
+		bot,
+		snapshot: { closestHostile: { name: "drowned", distance: 6.1 } },
+	});
+	assert.equal(res.ok, false);
+	assert.equal(res.code, "no_target");
+	assert.match(res.detail, /unsafe to gather logs: drowned 6\.1 blocks away/);
+});
+
 test("preconditions that throw produce precondition_failed", async () => {
 	const teardown = _registerForTest({
 		id: "test.precondition-throw",