diff --git a/.claude/tasks/2025-07-06-setup-improvements.md b/.claude/tasks/2025-07-06-setup-improvements.md
index 5a2635f0..cce3bac2 100644
--- a/.claude/tasks/2025-07-06-setup-improvements.md
+++ b/.claude/tasks/2025-07-06-setup-improvements.md
@@ -3,10 +3,10 @@
 ## Current Status (July 7, 2025)
 
 **Task**: Improve reliability and testability of dotfiles setup process through TDD approach
-**Total PRs Planned**: 10 PRs + 2 Infrastructure PRs
+**Total PRs Planned**: 10 PRs + 2 Infrastructure PRs + 1 Critical Fix
 **Completed**: 8 PRs (including SSH Installation Testing + Infrastructure PRs)
-**Current**: Bash migration experiment (see bash-migration task file)
-**Critical Issue Discovered**: setup.zsh references $DOTFILES files before repo is cloned - needs urgent fix
+**Current**: Critical setup.zsh bug fix (PR #14 in draft) + bash migration experiment
+**Critical Issue**: PR #14 fixes setup.zsh dependency ordering - sourcing files before repo clone
 
 ## Completed PRs
 
@@ -73,6 +73,15 @@
 - **Benefits**: Visible test status in PR UI, early issue detection, no manual test verification
 - **Status**: Workflow created, tested, and merged successfully
 
+## Critical Bug Fix
+
+### 🔄 PR #14: Fix Setup.zsh Dependency Ordering (Draft)
+- **Issue**: setup.zsh sourced `$DOTFILES` files before repository was cloned
+- **Impact**: Setup failed immediately on fresh installations - core functionality broken
+- **Solution**: Moved all `source "$DOTFILES/..."` commands after git clone (line 128+)
+- **Changes**: Basic git check before clone, enhanced initialization after clone
+- **Status**: Draft PR created, fixes fundamental setup process ordering
+
 ## Key Technical Decisions & Patterns
 
 ### Testing Philosophy
diff --git a/.claude/tasks/2025-07-07-bash-migration.md b/.claude/tasks/2025-07-07-bash-migration.md
index 02e1c1cb..e1904d0a 100644
--- a/.claude/tasks/2025-07-07-bash-migration.md
+++ b/.claude/tasks/2025-07-07-bash-migration.md
@@ -4,14 +4,14 @@
 
 **Task**: Migrate dotfiles installation scripts from custom zsh test framework to industry-standard bash + shellcheck + bats
 **Approach**: Complete 3-phase migration for better tooling, maintainability, and reliability
-**Current**: Phase 1 - PR #13 (GitHub Installation Testing) in draft review
+**Current**: Phase 1 complete (PR #13 merged), now addressing critical setup.zsh bug (PR #14)
 
 ## Migration Strategy
 
-### Phase 1: Demonstrate Complete Migration Pattern (In Progress)
+### Phase 1: Demonstrate Complete Migration Pattern (COMPLETED)
 **Goal**: Create one complete bash + bats example to establish the migration pattern
 
-#### 🔄 PR #13: GitHub Installation Testing (Draft)
+#### ✅ PR #13: GitHub Installation Testing (MERGED)
 - **Files Created**:
   - `lib/github-utils.bash` - GitHub SSH utilities (shellcheck clean)
   - `bin/install/github.bash` - Bash replacement for github.zsh
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
   - `experiment/bash-testing/` - Comparison docs and examples
 - **Test Results**: All 20 tests passing, shellcheck compliance verified
 - **Benefits Demonstrated**: Better error catching, industry-standard tooling, cleaner syntax
-- **Status**: Ready for review, includes CLAUDE.md improvements for PR workflow
+- **Status**: MERGED - established complete migration pattern with 20 passing tests
 
 ### Phase 2: Systematic Script Migration (Pending)
 **Goal**: Migrate remaining installation scripts one-by-one using established pattern
@@ -103,11 +103,12 @@ test/install/test-{component}-installation.bats  # Integration tests
 
 ## Discovered Issues
 
-### Critical Setup.zsh Bug
+### Critical Setup.zsh Bug (FIXED)
 **Issue**: `setup.zsh` references `$DOTFILES` files via `source` commands before the dotfiles repository is cloned
 **Impact**: Setup process fails on fresh installations
-**Priority**: High - affects core functionality
-**Next Steps**: Fix in separate PR after current bash migration PR is reviewed
+**Priority**: High - affects core functionality  
+**Status**: PR #14 created with fix - moved all sourcing after git clone (line 128+)
+**Solution**: Basic git check before clone, comprehensive utilities after clone
 
 ### Dead Code Prevention
 **Pattern**: Every function/utility must have demonstrated usage in the same PR
diff --git a/home/.claude/CLAUDE.md b/home/.claude/CLAUDE.md
index 9fe782b0..56101223 100644
--- a/home/.claude/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/home/.claude/CLAUDE.md
@@ -271,7 +271,19 @@ EOF
 - 🤔 Why: Problem solved, business value, timing rationale  
 - 👀 Usage: How to use new functionality (optional for user-facing changes)
 - 👩‍🔬 How to validate: Manual steps for reviewers to confirm changes work
-- 🔗 Related links: Context that helps reviewers (docs, issues, PRs, Slack threads)
+- 🔗 Related links: External context that helps reviewers understand background
+
+**Related links guidelines:**
+- **ONLY include links that provide valuable context NOT already in the PR**
+- **External references**: Documentation, Stack Overflow, RFCs, design docs, external issues
+- **Background PRs**: Previous/related PRs that provide important context
+- **DO NOT include**:
+  - Files in the current PR (reviewers can already see them)
+  - Generic/empty pages (issues page with no relevant issues)
+  - Links that duplicate information already in PR description
+  - Internal project files unless they provide critical background context
+- **If no useful links exist, omit the entire Related links section** - no section is better than empty section
+- **Quality over quantity** - 1-2 highly relevant links better than 5 marginally useful ones
 
 **When to apply:**
 - Creating PRs in repos without templates
diff --git a/home/.claude/settings.json b/home/.claude/settings.json
index 09098eea..c530ec20 100644
--- a/home/.claude/settings.json
+++ b/home/.claude/settings.json
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
       "Bash(find:*)",
       "Bash(gh pr create:*)",
       "Bash(gh pr edit:*)",
+      "Bash(gh pr ready:*)",
       "Bash(gh pr view:*)",
       "Bash(git add:*)",
       "Bash(git branch:*)",
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@
       "Bash(git merge origin/trunk)",
       "Bash(git pull:*)",
       "Bash(git push:*)",
+      "Bash(git stash:*)",
       "Bash(grep:*)",
       "Bash(ls:*)",
       "Bash(mkdir:*)",
diff --git a/setup.zsh b/setup.zsh
index 408159a2..b663580e 100755
--- a/setup.zsh
+++ b/setup.zsh
@@ -2,17 +2,7 @@
 
 export DOTFILES="$HOME/Repos/ooloth/dotfiles"
 
-# Initialize dynamic machine detection
-source "$DOTFILES/bin/lib/machine-detection.zsh"
-init_machine_detection
-
-# Initialize dry-run mode utilities
-source "$DOTFILES/bin/lib/dry-run-utils.zsh"
-parse_dry_run_flags "$@"
-
-# Initialize error handling utilities
-source "$DOTFILES/bin/lib/error-handling.zsh"
-
+# Basic error handling - will be enhanced after dotfiles are available
 handle_error() {
   local exit_code="$1"
   local line_number="$2"
@@ -73,11 +63,20 @@ fi
 
 printf "This is a Mac. But you knew that already.\n\n"
 
-# Run comprehensive prerequisite validation
-printf "Running comprehensive prerequisite validation...\n\n"
+# Basic prerequisite validation (comprehensive validation after clone)
+printf "Running basic prerequisite validation...\n\n"
 
-source "$DOTFILES/bin/lib/prerequisite-validation.zsh"
-if ! run_prerequisite_validation; then
+# Command Line Tools check (critical for git clone)
+if ! command -v git >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  printf "❌ Git is not installed. Please install Command Line Developer Tools first.\n"
+  printf "Run: xcode-select --install\n"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+printf "✅ Git is available for cloning dotfiles.\n\n"
+
+# Skip comprehensive validation for now - will run after clone
+if false; then
   printf "\n❌ Prerequisite validation failed. Please address the issues above and try again.\n"
   exit 1
 fi
@@ -129,7 +128,32 @@ else
   git clone "https://github.com/ooloth/dotfiles.git" "$DOTFILES"
 fi
 
-# # Add all the helpers the install scripts below will reference
+# Initialize dotfiles utilities now that repository is available
+printf "🔧 Initializing dotfiles utilities...\n\n"
+
+# Initialize dynamic machine detection
+source "$DOTFILES/bin/lib/machine-detection.zsh"
+init_machine_detection
+
+# Initialize dry-run mode utilities
+source "$DOTFILES/bin/lib/dry-run-utils.zsh"
+parse_dry_run_flags "$@"
+
+# Initialize enhanced error handling utilities
+source "$DOTFILES/bin/lib/error-handling.zsh"
+
+# Run comprehensive prerequisite validation now that utilities are available
+printf "Running comprehensive prerequisite validation...\n\n"
+
+source "$DOTFILES/bin/lib/prerequisite-validation.zsh"
+if ! run_prerequisite_validation; then
+  printf "\n❌ Prerequisite validation failed. Please address the issues above and try again.\n"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+printf "✅ All prerequisites validated successfully.\n\n"
+
+# Add all the helpers the install scripts below will reference
 # source "$DOTFILES/config/zsh/aliases.zsh"
 # source "$DOTFILES/config/zsh/utils.zsh"