diff --git a/packages/core/src/contracts/upgrade-contract.test.ts b/packages/core/src/contracts/upgrade-contract.test.ts
index 23192e10..4f4bc9d2 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/contracts/upgrade-contract.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/contracts/upgrade-contract.test.ts
@@ -141,6 +141,8 @@ describe("upgradeContractInPlace", () => {
     });
 
     expect(result.skipped).toBe(true);
+    // #85: the skip path must return the artifacts file path, not cwd.
+    expect(result.artifactPath).toBe(path.join(tmpDir, "caatinga.artifacts.json"));
     const uploadCalls = runCommand.mock.calls.filter(([, args]) => args[1] === "upload");
     const invokeCalls = runCommand.mock.calls.filter(([, args]) => args[1] === "invoke");
     expect(uploadCalls).toHaveLength(0);
diff --git a/packages/core/src/contracts/upgrade-contract.ts b/packages/core/src/contracts/upgrade-contract.ts
index 7bf0aea8..e97176c8 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/contracts/upgrade-contract.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/contracts/upgrade-contract.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import path from "node:path";
 import { withArtifactsLock } from "../artifacts/artifacts-lock.js";
 import { readArtifacts } from "../artifacts/read-artifacts.js";
 import { updateArtifact } from "../artifacts/update-artifact.js";
@@ -102,7 +103,9 @@ export async function upgradeContractInPlace(
       wasmHash: existing.wasmHash,
       network,
       skipped: true,
-      artifactPath: cwd,
+      // Match the non-skip path (and deploy-contract), which returns the
+      // artifacts file path — not the working directory.
+      artifactPath: path.resolve(cwd, "caatinga.artifacts.json"),
     };
   }