diff --git a/docs/superpowers/evidence/shell-extract-tool-2026-08-17.json b/docs/superpowers/evidence/shell-extract-tool-2026-08-17.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b010b6ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/superpowers/evidence/shell-extract-tool-2026-08-17.json
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+{
+  "intent": "Generalise the fresh-install/main.sh split method into a reusable script, so the remaining shell splits do not repeat the line-range mistake that broke the first attempt.",
+  "scope": [
+    "New: meta/scripts/extract_shell_functions.py",
+    "Non-goal: any split; this commit only adds the tool"
+  ],
+  "changes": [
+    "extract_shell_functions.py walks the script brace-by-brace, lifts only top-level function blocks (with the comment directly above each), and leaves every other line in place - so interleaved top-level commands cannot be swept into the library.",
+    "It inserts the source directive after the `set -e`/`set -euo pipefail` line, with a `# shellcheck source=` comment relative to the script's own directory, matching the repo convention for new sourced libs.",
+    "--functions moves a named subset, for scripts where only part of the body should leave.",
+    "It exits non-zero if a named function does not exist, or if there is no `set -e` line to anchor the source directive, rather than producing a subtly wrong file."
+  ],
+  "verification": [
+    {
+      "command": "Re-derive the already-verified fresh-install/main.sh split in a throwaway worktree at HEAD~1, then diff against the committed result",
+      "result": "pass",
+      "evidence": "main.sh: IDENTICAL. lib/packages.sh: IDENTICAL. The tool reproduces byte-for-byte a split that was verified by hand with the shfmt harness, a structural flow comparison, and a source-time side-effect check."
+    },
+    {
+      "command": "python3 meta/scripts/extract_shell_functions.py --help",
+      "result": "pass",
+      "evidence": "Prints usage for script, library, --functions and --header."
+    },
+    {
+      "command": "pre-commit run --files meta/scripts/extract_shell_functions.py",
+      "result": "pass",
+      "evidence": "All hooks pass. A T201 print warning was fixed by writing to sys.stdout rather than suppressed."
+    }
+  ],
+  "risks": [
+    "The brace counter treats { and } inside strings and heredocs as structural. A function containing an unbalanced brace in a string would be mis-delimited; verify_shell_split.sh reports the function count, so this shows up as a wrong count rather than silently.",
+    "It assumes the `name() {` form on one line. A script using `function name {` or a brace on the next line would have those functions ignored - again visible as a lower count in the verifier."
+  ],
+  "rollback": [
+    "git revert the commit; the tool disappears and the already-committed splits are unaffected, since it only generates files.",
+    "No follow-up validation needed after rollback."
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/meta/scripts/extract_shell_functions.py b/meta/scripts/extract_shell_functions.py
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..a822692c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/meta/scripts/extract_shell_functions.py
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Move a shell script's top-level functions into a sourced library, verbatim.
+
+Line-range slicing is the obvious approach and it is wrong: these scripts
+interleave top-level commands between their function definitions, so a range
+slice sweeps those commands into the library, where they run at source time
+and in the wrong order. This walks the file brace-by-brace instead, lifts only
+the function blocks (with the comment directly above each), and leaves every
+other line exactly where it was.
+
+Verify the result with meta/scripts/verify_shell_split.sh.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import argparse
+from pathlib import Path
+import re
+import sys
+
+_FUNC_RE = re.compile(r"^[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*\(\)\s*\{")
+
+
+def find_function_blocks(lines: list[str]) -> list[tuple[int, int, str]]:
+    """Return (start, end, name) for each top-level function, brace-matched."""
+    blocks: list[tuple[int, int, str]] = []
+    index = 0
+    while index < len(lines):
+        if _FUNC_RE.match(lines[index]):
+            start, depth = index, 0
+            while index < len(lines):
+                depth += lines[index].count("{") - lines[index].count("}")
+                if depth <= 0 and index > start:
+                    break
+                index += 1
+            blocks.append((start, index, lines[start].split("(")[0]))
+        index += 1
+    return blocks
+
+
+def split_script(
+    path: Path, lib_path: Path, names: list[str] | None, header: str
+) -> tuple[int, int]:
+    """Move the named functions (or all of them) into *lib_path*."""
+    lines = path.read_text().split("\n")
+    blocks = find_function_blocks(lines)
+    if names:
+        blocks = [b for b in blocks if b[2] in names]
+        missing = set(names) - {b[2] for b in blocks}
+        if missing:
+            sys.exit(f"no such top-level function(s): {', '.join(sorted(missing))}")
+
+    parts: list[str] = []
+    drop: set[int] = set()
+    for start, end, _name in blocks:
+        head = start
+        while head - 1 >= 0 and lines[head - 1].lstrip().startswith("#"):
+            head -= 1
+        parts.append("\n".join(lines[head : end + 1]))
+        drop.update(range(head, end + 1))
+
+    lib_path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    lib_path.write_text(header.rstrip() + "\n\n" + "\n\n".join(parts) + "\n")
+
+    kept = [ln for n, ln in enumerate(lines) if n not in drop]
+    rel = lib_path.relative_to(path.parent)
+    source_line = '. "$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)/' + str(rel) + '"'
+    out: list[str] = []
+    inserted = False
+    for line in kept:
+        out.append(line)
+        if not inserted and line.strip() in ("set -e", "set -eu", "set -euo pipefail"):
+            out += ["", f"# shellcheck source={rel}", source_line]
+            inserted = True
+    if not inserted:
+        sys.exit("no `set -e` line found to anchor the source directive")
+    path.write_text("\n".join(out))
+    return len(out), len(lib_path.read_text().split("\n"))
+
+
+def main() -> None:
+    """Extract functions from a script into a library beside it."""
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=__doc__)
+    parser.add_argument("script", type=Path)
+    parser.add_argument("library", type=Path)
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--functions",
+        help="comma-separated function names to move (default: all)",
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--header",
+        default="#!/usr/bin/env bash\n# Helpers sourced by the entry script.",
+        help="header comment for the generated library",
+    )
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+    names = args.functions.split(",") if args.functions else None
+    entry_len, lib_len = split_script(args.script, args.library, names, args.header)
+    sys.stdout.write(
+        f"{args.script}: {entry_len} lines\n{args.library}: {lib_len} lines\n"
+    )
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()