diff --git a/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/chart-renderer.tsx b/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/chart-renderer.tsx
index 2edb83c1..7ecc217a 100644
--- a/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/chart-renderer.tsx
+++ b/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/chart-renderer.tsx
@@ -33,15 +33,38 @@ export function ChartRenderer({ source }: ChartRendererProps) {
   const gridStroke = resolvedTheme === 'dark' ? '#3a3a38' : '#e4e4e0'
   const textColor = resolvedTheme === 'dark' ? '#c3c2b7' : '#52514e'
 
-  const config = useMemo(() => {
+  const { config, invalid } = useMemo(() => {
+    let parsed: unknown
     try {
-      return blocks.ChartBlockSchema.parse(JSON.parse(source))
+      parsed = JSON.parse(source)
     } catch {
-      return null
+      // Incomplete JSON — the fence body is still streaming in.
+      return { config: null, invalid: false }
     }
+    // Models occasionally reach for pie-flavored field names despite the
+    // skill's schema; map the predictable aliases before validating.
+    if (parsed && typeof parsed === 'object' && !Array.isArray(parsed)) {
+      const obj = parsed as Record<string, unknown>
+      if (obj.x === undefined && typeof obj.label === 'string') obj.x = obj.label
+      if (obj.y === undefined && typeof obj.value === 'string') obj.y = obj.value
+    }
+    const result = blocks.ChartBlockSchema.safeParse(parsed)
+    return result.success
+      ? { config: result.data, invalid: false }
+      : { config: null, invalid: true }
   }, [source])
 
-  if (!config || !config.data || config.data.length === 0) {
+  // Complete JSON that fails the schema is a real error — say so instead of
+  // showing the streaming placeholder forever.
+  if (invalid || (config && (!config.data || config.data.length === 0))) {
+    return (
+      <div className="my-2 flex h-24 items-center justify-center gap-2 rounded-md border border-border bg-muted/30 text-xs text-muted-foreground">
+        <BarChart3 className="size-3.5" />
+        {invalid ? 'Chart config invalid — ask me to redraw it' : 'Chart has no data'}
+      </div>
+    )
+  }
+  if (!config) {
     return (
       <div className="my-2 flex h-24 items-center justify-center gap-2 rounded-md border border-border bg-muted/30 text-xs text-muted-foreground">
         <BarChart3 className="size-3.5" />
@@ -50,7 +73,7 @@ export function ChartRenderer({ source }: ChartRendererProps) {
     )
   }
 
-  const data = config.data
+  const data = config.data ?? []
   const series = blocks.chartSeries(config)
   const axisProps = {
     stroke: textColor,
diff --git a/apps/x/packages/core/src/runtime/assembly/skills/charts/skill.ts b/apps/x/packages/core/src/runtime/assembly/skills/charts/skill.ts
index 4e071609..71ac3110 100644
--- a/apps/x/packages/core/src/runtime/assembly/skills/charts/skill.ts
+++ b/apps/x/packages/core/src/runtime/assembly/skills/charts/skill.ts
@@ -15,12 +15,19 @@ Emit a fenced code block with language \`chart\` anywhere in your reply. The app
 
 ## Config schema
 
+The ONLY fields are \`chart\`, \`data\`, \`x\`, \`y\`, \`title\` — nothing else exists (no \`label\`, \`value\`, \`series\`, \`color\`, etc.). Unknown fields are ignored; a missing \`x\` or \`y\` breaks the chart.
+
 - **\`chart\`** (required): \`"line"\` | \`"bar"\` | \`"pie"\`
 - **\`data\`** (required): array of flat objects — the rows to plot. Put REAL values you gathered this turn here; never invent numbers.
-- **\`x\`** (required): key of the label/category field in each row
-- **\`y\`** (required): key of the value field — a string for one series, or an array of keys for several series on one chart
+- **\`x\`** (required): key of the label/category field in each row. For pie: the slice-name key.
+- **\`y\`** (required): key of the value field — a string for one series, or an array of keys for several series on one chart. For pie: the slice-value key.
 - **\`title\`** (optional): short heading shown above the chart
 
+**Data must be wide-format**: one row per x value, one key per series. Never long/tidy format (a row per series-point with a series-name column) — multiple series means multiple keys in the SAME row:
+
+WRONG: \`[{ "day": "Mon", "index": "S&P", "pct": 0.1 }, { "day": "Mon", "index": "Dow", "pct": 0.2 }]\`
+RIGHT: \`[{ "day": "Mon", "S&P": 0.1, "Dow": 0.2 }]\` with \`"y": ["S&P", "Dow"]\`
+
 ## Picking the form
 
 - **line** — change over time (prices, counts by date). X is the time field.
@@ -62,6 +69,22 @@ Single-series bar:
 }
 \`\`\`
 
+Pie (x names the slice, y is its value — same keys as every other chart):
+
+\`\`\`chart
+{
+  "chart": "pie",
+  "title": "Time spent by project",
+  "x": "project",
+  "y": "hours",
+  "data": [
+    { "project": "Alpha", "hours": 14 },
+    { "project": "Beta", "hours": 6 },
+    { "project": "Internal", "hours": 3 }
+  ]
+}
+\`\`\`
+
 ## Rules
 
 - Data must come from what you actually fetched or computed this turn — never fabricate points to make a chart possible. Too little real data? Say so instead of charting.