diff --git a/src/api/services/profile-lifecycle-service.ts b/src/api/services/profile-lifecycle-service.ts
index 0265e614..815d253e 100644
--- a/src/api/services/profile-lifecycle-service.ts
+++ b/src/api/services/profile-lifecycle-service.ts
@@ -216,7 +216,9 @@ export function registerApiProfileOrphans(options?: {
     }
 
     try {
-      ensureProfileHooksOrThrow(orphan.name);
+      if (orphan.validation.valid) {
+        ensureProfileHooksOrThrow(orphan.name);
+      }
       registerApiProfileInConfig(orphan.name, options?.target || 'claude', options?.force || false);
       result.registered.push(orphan.name);
     } catch (error) {
diff --git a/src/utils/websearch/hook-installer.ts b/src/utils/websearch/hook-installer.ts
index 51eff272..a2c7149a 100644
--- a/src/utils/websearch/hook-installer.ts
+++ b/src/utils/websearch/hook-installer.ts
@@ -25,8 +25,17 @@ function hasMatchingHookContents(sourcePath: string, destinationPath: string): b
   }
 
   const source = fs.readFileSync(sourcePath);
-  const destination = fs.readFileSync(destinationPath);
-  return source.equals(destination);
+  try {
+    const destination = fs.readFileSync(destinationPath);
+    return source.equals(destination);
+  } catch (error) {
+    if (process.env.CCS_DEBUG) {
+      console.error(
+        warn(`Existing WebSearch hook is unreadable; reinstalling: ${(error as Error).message}`)
+      );
+    }
+    return false;
+  }
 }
 
 function getTempHookPath(hookPath: string): string {
diff --git a/tests/unit/api/profile-lifecycle-service.test.ts b/tests/unit/api/profile-lifecycle-service.test.ts
index 3ed07c6e..758c9aec 100644
--- a/tests/unit/api/profile-lifecycle-service.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/api/profile-lifecycle-service.test.ts
@@ -182,6 +182,26 @@ describe('profile lifecycle service', () => {
     expect(result.skipped).toEqual([]);
   });
 
+  it('registers malformed orphan settings when force bypasses validation', async () => {
+    const ccsDir = path.join(tempHome, '.ccs');
+    fs.mkdirSync(ccsDir, { recursive: true });
+
+    const malformedPath = path.join(ccsDir, 'bad.settings.json');
+    fs.writeFileSync(malformedPath, '{ invalid json', 'utf8');
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(ccsDir, 'config.json'), JSON.stringify({ profiles: {} }, null, 2) + '\n');
+
+    const result = await runInScopedCcsDir(() =>
+      registerApiProfileOrphans({ names: ['bad'], force: true })
+    );
+    const config = await runInScopedCcsDir(() => loadConfigSafe());
+
+    expect(result.registered).toEqual(['bad']);
+    expect(result.skipped).toEqual([]);
+    expect(config.profiles.bad).toBe('~/.ccs/bad.settings.json');
+    expect(fs.existsSync(path.join(ccsDir, 'hooks', 'websearch-transformer.cjs'))).toBe(false);
+    expect(fs.readFileSync(malformedPath, 'utf8')).toBe('{ invalid json');
+  });
+
   it('redacts all sensitive env values during export when includeSecrets=false', async () => {
     const ccsDir = path.join(tempHome, '.ccs');
     fs.mkdirSync(ccsDir, { recursive: true });
diff --git a/tests/unit/utils/websearch/profile-hook-injector.test.ts b/tests/unit/utils/websearch/profile-hook-injector.test.ts
index 2ab1faa1..3268d6c6 100644
--- a/tests/unit/utils/websearch/profile-hook-injector.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/utils/websearch/profile-hook-injector.test.ts
@@ -119,6 +119,33 @@ describe('ensureProfileHooks', () => {
     expect(installedHook).toContain('CCS WebSearch Hook');
   });
 
+  it('repairs an unreadable existing hook binary instead of failing the profile setup', () => {
+    if (process.platform === 'win32') return;
+
+    setupTempHome();
+
+    const hookPath = getHookPath();
+    fs.mkdirSync(path.dirname(hookPath), { recursive: true });
+    fs.writeFileSync(hookPath, '// unreadable stale hook', 'utf8');
+    fs.chmodSync(hookPath, 0o200);
+
+    try {
+      const ensured = ensureProfileHooks('glm');
+      const settingsPath = path.join(getCcsDir(), 'glm.settings.json');
+      const settings = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(settingsPath, 'utf8'));
+      const installedHook = fs.readFileSync(hookPath, 'utf8');
+
+      expect(ensured).toBe(true);
+      expect(installedHook).not.toBe('// unreadable stale hook');
+      expect(installedHook).toContain('CCS WebSearch Hook');
+      expect(settings.hooks.PreToolUse[0].hooks[0].command).toBe(`node "${hookPath}"`);
+    } finally {
+      if (fs.existsSync(hookPath)) {
+        fs.chmodSync(hookPath, 0o644);
+      }
+    }
+  });
+
   it('succeeds when another process installs the hook during a failed local install', () => {
     setupTempHome();