diff --git a/.github/workflows/build_tests.yml b/.github/workflows/build_tests.yml
index 237096e4..44534d48 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build_tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build_tests.yml
@@ -13,3 +13,8 @@ jobs:
     with:
       test_path: 'test/unittests'
       install_extras: 'test'
+      # ovos-gui-api-client is not yet on PyPI (lives on its feat/packaging branch,
+      # PR OpenVoiceOS/ovos-gui-api-client#2). Install it from git so CI can resolve
+      # the new skill-side GUIInterface. Revert to the released version (or @dev) once
+      # that PR merges and an alpha is published.
+      pre_install_pip: 'git+https://github.com/OpenVoiceOS/ovos-gui-api-client@dev'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/coverage.yml b/.github/workflows/coverage.yml
index ba4fdddc..ef483ea4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/coverage.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/coverage.yml
@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@ jobs:
         sudo apt-get update
         sudo apt install python3-dev
         python -m pip install build wheel
+    - name: Install unreleased ovos-gui-api-client (until PyPI release)
+      # PR OpenVoiceOS/ovos-gui-api-client#2 — drop once published
+      run: |
+        pip install git+https://github.com/OpenVoiceOS/ovos-gui-api-client@dev
     - name: Install repo
       run: |
         pip install -e .
diff --git a/ovos_workshop/app.py b/ovos_workshop/app.py
index 65536e8c..2f3d1073 100644
--- a/ovos_workshop/app.py
+++ b/ovos_workshop/app.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 from ovos_config.locations import get_xdg_config_save_path
 from ovos_bus_client.util import get_mycroft_bus
 from ovos_utils.lang import standardize_lang_tag
-from ovos_bus_client.apis.gui import GUIInterface
+from ovos_gui_api_client import GUIInterface
 from ovos_bus_client.client.client import MessageBusClient
 from ovos_workshop.resource_files import locate_lang_directories
 from ovos_workshop.skills.ovos import OVOSSkill
diff --git a/ovos_workshop/skills/ovos.py b/ovos_workshop/skills/ovos.py
index 1236c636..c54b11f6 100644
--- a/ovos_workshop/skills/ovos.py
+++ b/ovos_workshop/skills/ovos.py
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 from ovos_bus_client import MessageBusClient
 from ovos_bus_client.apis.enclosure import EnclosureAPI
 from ovos_bus_client.apis.events import EventSchedulerInterface
-from ovos_bus_client.apis.gui import GUIInterface
+from ovos_gui_api_client import GUIInterface
 from ovos_bus_client.apis.ocp import OCPInterface
 from ovos_bus_client.handler import HandlerLifecycle
 from ovos_bus_client.message import Message, dig_for_message
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@
 from ovos_utils.dialog import MustacheDialogRenderer
 from ovos_utils.events import EventContainer, get_handler_name, create_wrapper
 from ovos_utils.file_utils import FileWatcher
-from ovos_utils.gui import get_ui_directories
 from ovos_utils.json_helper import merge_dict
 from ovos_utils.lang import standardize_lang_tag
 from ovos_utils.log import LOG
@@ -845,7 +844,6 @@ def _init_skill_gui(self):
         Set up the SkillGUI for this skill and connect relevant bus events.
         """
         self.gui = SkillGUI(self)
-        self.gui.setup_default_handlers()
 
     def register_homescreen_app(self, icon: str, name: str, event: str):
         """the icon file MUST be located under 'gui' subfolder"""
@@ -2547,15 +2545,13 @@ def __init__(self, skill: OVOSSkill):
         Initialize a SkillGUI that connects a skill to the GUI framework.
         
         Parameters:
-        	skill (OVOSSkill): The skill instance whose GUI should be managed. The constructor initializes the underlying GUIInterface using the skill's id, message bus, GUI configuration, and UI directories.
+        	skill (OVOSSkill): The skill instance whose GUI should be managed. The constructor initializes the underlying GUIInterface using the skill's id, message bus, and GUI configuration.
         """
         self._skill = skill
         skill_id = skill.skill_id
         bus = skill.bus
         config = skill.config_core.get('gui')
-        ui_directories = get_ui_directories(skill.root_dir)
-        GUIInterface.__init__(self, skill_id=skill_id, bus=bus, config=config,
-                              ui_directories=ui_directories)
+        GUIInterface.__init__(self, skill_id=skill_id, bus=bus, config=config)
 
 
 
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index a08cfcae..042dd3f1 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ requires-python = ">=3.9"
 dependencies = [
     "ovos-utils>= 0.13.3a2,<1.0.0",  # FakeBus folds before handlers (ovos-utils#396) — keeps in-place add_context mutations alive so intent-layer gating works
     "ovos_bus_client>=2.6.2a2,<3.0.0",  # HandlerLifecycle done-signal util (#246) + singleton-registry SessionManager (2.6.2a2)
+    "ovos-gui-api-client>=0.0.1,<1.0.0",
     "ovos-config>=0.0.12,<3.0.0",
     "ovos-spec-tools>=1.2.3a1",  # canonical SessionManager registry + OVOS-INTENT-4 intent-definition primitives
     "ovos-yes-no-plugin>=0.3.0,<1.0.0",
diff --git a/test/unittests/test_gui_rebind.py b/test/unittests/test_gui_rebind.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8e27caa5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unittests/test_gui_rebind.py
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+"""Tests for binding OVOSSkill.gui to the standalone ovos-gui-api-client.
+
+The skill-side GUIInterface now lives in `ovos_gui_api_client` (extracted from
+ovos-bus-client). SkillGUI must subclass it and construct without the obsolete
+`ui_directories` argument (skills no longer ship QML).
+"""
+import unittest
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock
+
+from ovos_utils.fakebus import FakeBus
+
+
+class TestGUIRebind(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_skillgui_subclasses_api_client_interface(self):
+        from ovos_gui_api_client import GUIInterface
+        from ovos_workshop.skills.ovos import SkillGUI, GUIInterface as wGUI
+        # workshop must import the api-client interface, not the legacy one
+        self.assertIs(wGUI, GUIInterface)
+        self.assertTrue(issubclass(SkillGUI, GUIInterface))
+
+    def test_app_imports_api_client_interface(self):
+        from ovos_gui_api_client import GUIInterface
+        import ovos_workshop.app as app
+        self.assertIs(app.GUIInterface, GUIInterface)
+
+    def _make_skillgui(self, bus):
+        from ovos_workshop.skills.ovos import SkillGUI
+        skill = MagicMock()
+        skill.skill_id = "test.skill"
+        skill.bus = bus
+        skill.config_core = {"gui": {}}
+        return SkillGUI(skill)
+
+    def test_skillgui_constructs_without_ui_directories(self):
+        # regression: new GUIInterface ctor has no ui_directories param
+        gui = self._make_skillgui(FakeBus())
+        self.assertEqual(gui.skill_id, "test.skill")
+
+    def test_show_template_emits_page_show(self):
+        bus = FakeBus()
+        seen = []
+        bus.on("gui.page.show", lambda m: seen.append(m))
+        gui = self._make_skillgui(bus)
+        gui.show_text("hello world", "a title")
+        self.assertTrue(seen, "show_text should emit gui.page.show")
+        page_names = seen[-1].data.get("page_names") or seen[-1].data.get("page")
+        self.assertIn("SYSTEM_text", str(page_names))
+
+    def test_show_without_bus_raises(self):
+        # contract: a skill always has a bus; calling a template with no bus
+        # set is a misconfiguration and surfaces a clear error (it is NOT a
+        # silent no-op — the headless/no-adapter no-op guarantee lives in the
+        # ovos-gui service + adapter layer, not the skill-side interface).
+        from ovos_workshop.skills.ovos import SkillGUI
+        skill = MagicMock()
+        skill.skill_id = "test.skill"
+        skill.bus = None
+        skill.config_core = {"gui": {}}
+        gui = SkillGUI(skill)
+        with self.assertRaises(RuntimeError):
+            gui.show_text("needs a bus")
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main()