diff --git a/scripts/construct.mjs b/scripts/construct.mjs
index e38bc90..db4837b 100755
--- a/scripts/construct.mjs
+++ b/scripts/construct.mjs
@@ -3968,7 +3968,8 @@ function analyzeRun(runDir) {
   const brief = loadBrief(runDir);
   const evidence = loadEvidence3(runDir);
   const notes = loadMetaNotes(runDir);
-  const drill = (cmd, q) => `construct ${cmd} --out ${runDir} --q "${q.replace(/"/g, "'")}"`;
+  const shellQuote = (s) => `'${s.replace(/\r\n|[\r\n]/g, " ").replace(/'/g, `'"'"'`)}'`;
+  const drill = (cmd, q) => `construct ${cmd} --out ${runDir} --q ${shellQuote(q)}`;
   const bySource = {};
   for (const e of evidence) bySource[e.source] = (bySource[e.source] ?? 0) + 1;
   if (evidence.length === 0) {
@@ -4426,7 +4427,8 @@ function agentContracts(runAbs, engineAbs, idea) {
     runAbs,
     "Your ONE sanctioned write surface is your own isolated git worktree \u2014 app code and app tests only. The run folder (BUILD-PLAN.json, SRD.json, evidence/) stays the orchestrator's."
   );
-  const product = idea ? `\`${idea}\`` : "(no brief.json yet \u2014 the orchestrator will restate the one-liner in your prompt)";
+  const inlineIdea = idea.replace(/`/g, "'").replace(/\s*(?:\r\n|[\r\n])\s*/g, " ").trim();
+  const product = inlineIdea ? `\`${inlineIdea}\`` : "(no brief.json yet \u2014 the orchestrator will restate the one-liner in your prompt)";
   return {
     researcher: `# Contract: researcher
 
@@ -4446,7 +4448,7 @@ ${footer}`,
 
 You are an adversarial skeptic verifying that each SRD claim is actually SUPPORTED by the evidence it cites (references/orchestration.md Pattern 4). Assume the citation is decorative until the evidence proves otherwise.
 
-Worklist: \`${join15(runAbs, "VERIFY.todo.json")}\` (\`{ pairs: [...] }\`; each pair has \`claimId\`, \`kind\`, \`claim\`, \`evidenceId\`, \`source\`, \`digest\`). Handle ONLY the pairs whose \`claimId::evidenceId\` key is named in your prompt (\`PAIRS=<key,\u2026>\`).
+Worklist: \`${join15(runAbs, "VERIFY.todo.json")}\` (\`{ pairs: [...] }\`; each pair has \`claimId\`, \`kind\`, \`claim\`, \`evidenceId\`, \`source\`, \`digest\`). Handle ONLY the pairs whose \`claimId::evidenceId\` key is named in your prompt (\`PAIRS=<key,\u2026>\`). If a PAIRS key is no longer in the worklist, skip it and say so in your note.
 
 For EACH of your pairs:
 
@@ -4477,7 +4479,7 @@ Return (structured output): \`{ "lens", "score", "rationale" }\` \u2014 a 1\u201
 ${footer}`,
     builder: `# Contract: builder
 
-You build ONE task of \`${join15(runAbs, "BUILD-PLAN.json")}\`, test-first, in your OWN isolated git worktree (references/orchestration.md Pattern 5 + references/build-playbook.md). Your prompt names your task (\`TASK=<id>\`).
+You build ONE task of \`${join15(runAbs, "BUILD-PLAN.json")}\`, test-first, in your OWN isolated git worktree (references/orchestration.md Pattern 5 + references/build-playbook.md). Your prompt names your task (\`TASK=<id>\`). If your TASK id is no longer in the worklist, skip it and say so in your summary.
 
 1. Read your task in the plan. Its \`acceptance\` entries POINT into \`${join15(runAbs, "SRD.json")}\` (\`functional[frId].acceptance[index]\`) \u2014 the SRD stays the single source of truth for what "done" means.
 2. Work ONLY inside your own git worktree (the workflow dispatches you with \`isolation: 'worktree'\`). TDD each acceptance criterion: failing test first, then make it pass \u2014 and **every test names its FR id** (e.g. \`describe("FR-001 \u2026")\`; that is what \`verify\` greps for).
diff --git a/skills/construct/scripts/construct.mjs b/skills/construct/scripts/construct.mjs
index e38bc90..db4837b 100755
--- a/skills/construct/scripts/construct.mjs
+++ b/skills/construct/scripts/construct.mjs
@@ -3968,7 +3968,8 @@ function analyzeRun(runDir) {
   const brief = loadBrief(runDir);
   const evidence = loadEvidence3(runDir);
   const notes = loadMetaNotes(runDir);
-  const drill = (cmd, q) => `construct ${cmd} --out ${runDir} --q "${q.replace(/"/g, "'")}"`;
+  const shellQuote = (s) => `'${s.replace(/\r\n|[\r\n]/g, " ").replace(/'/g, `'"'"'`)}'`;
+  const drill = (cmd, q) => `construct ${cmd} --out ${runDir} --q ${shellQuote(q)}`;
   const bySource = {};
   for (const e of evidence) bySource[e.source] = (bySource[e.source] ?? 0) + 1;
   if (evidence.length === 0) {
@@ -4426,7 +4427,8 @@ function agentContracts(runAbs, engineAbs, idea) {
     runAbs,
     "Your ONE sanctioned write surface is your own isolated git worktree \u2014 app code and app tests only. The run folder (BUILD-PLAN.json, SRD.json, evidence/) stays the orchestrator's."
   );
-  const product = idea ? `\`${idea}\`` : "(no brief.json yet \u2014 the orchestrator will restate the one-liner in your prompt)";
+  const inlineIdea = idea.replace(/`/g, "'").replace(/\s*(?:\r\n|[\r\n])\s*/g, " ").trim();
+  const product = inlineIdea ? `\`${inlineIdea}\`` : "(no brief.json yet \u2014 the orchestrator will restate the one-liner in your prompt)";
   return {
     researcher: `# Contract: researcher
 
@@ -4446,7 +4448,7 @@ ${footer}`,
 
 You are an adversarial skeptic verifying that each SRD claim is actually SUPPORTED by the evidence it cites (references/orchestration.md Pattern 4). Assume the citation is decorative until the evidence proves otherwise.
 
-Worklist: \`${join15(runAbs, "VERIFY.todo.json")}\` (\`{ pairs: [...] }\`; each pair has \`claimId\`, \`kind\`, \`claim\`, \`evidenceId\`, \`source\`, \`digest\`). Handle ONLY the pairs whose \`claimId::evidenceId\` key is named in your prompt (\`PAIRS=<key,\u2026>\`).
+Worklist: \`${join15(runAbs, "VERIFY.todo.json")}\` (\`{ pairs: [...] }\`; each pair has \`claimId\`, \`kind\`, \`claim\`, \`evidenceId\`, \`source\`, \`digest\`). Handle ONLY the pairs whose \`claimId::evidenceId\` key is named in your prompt (\`PAIRS=<key,\u2026>\`). If a PAIRS key is no longer in the worklist, skip it and say so in your note.
 
 For EACH of your pairs:
 
@@ -4477,7 +4479,7 @@ Return (structured output): \`{ "lens", "score", "rationale" }\` \u2014 a 1\u201
 ${footer}`,
     builder: `# Contract: builder
 
-You build ONE task of \`${join15(runAbs, "BUILD-PLAN.json")}\`, test-first, in your OWN isolated git worktree (references/orchestration.md Pattern 5 + references/build-playbook.md). Your prompt names your task (\`TASK=<id>\`).
+You build ONE task of \`${join15(runAbs, "BUILD-PLAN.json")}\`, test-first, in your OWN isolated git worktree (references/orchestration.md Pattern 5 + references/build-playbook.md). Your prompt names your task (\`TASK=<id>\`). If your TASK id is no longer in the worklist, skip it and say so in your summary.
 
 1. Read your task in the plan. Its \`acceptance\` entries POINT into \`${join15(runAbs, "SRD.json")}\` (\`functional[frId].acceptance[index]\`) \u2014 the SRD stays the single source of truth for what "done" means.
 2. Work ONLY inside your own git worktree (the workflow dispatches you with \`isolation: 'worktree'\`). TDD each acceptance criterion: failing test first, then make it pass \u2014 and **every test names its FR id** (e.g. \`describe("FR-001 \u2026")\`; that is what \`verify\` greps for).
diff --git a/src/analyze.ts b/src/analyze.ts
index 34f6d9d..afbae7e 100644
--- a/src/analyze.ts
+++ b/src/analyze.ts
@@ -45,7 +45,12 @@ export function analyzeRun(runDir: string): GapReport {
   const brief = loadBrief(runDir);
   const evidence = loadEvidence(runDir);
   const notes = loadMetaNotes(runDir);
-  const drill = (cmd: string, q: string) => `construct ${cmd} --out ${runDir} --q "${q.replace(/"/g, "'")}"`;
+  // Drill commands embed brief free-text into a copy-paste / subagent-executed
+  // shell line: single-quote the query (the only shell-inert quoting — backticks
+  // and $() never expand inside single quotes), escape an embedded ' as '"'"'
+  // and flatten newlines, so a hostile brief field cannot inject.
+  const shellQuote = (s: string) => `'${s.replace(/\r\n|[\r\n]/g, " ").replace(/'/g, `'"'"'`)}'`;
+  const drill = (cmd: string, q: string) => `construct ${cmd} --out ${runDir} --q ${shellQuote(q)}`;
 
   const bySource: Record<string, number> = {};
   for (const e of evidence) bySource[e.source] = (bySource[e.source] ?? 0) + 1;
diff --git a/src/orchestrate-templates.ts b/src/orchestrate-templates.ts
index 0aad699..f86c4ff 100644
--- a/src/orchestrate-templates.ts
+++ b/src/orchestrate-templates.ts
@@ -242,7 +242,14 @@ export function agentContracts(runAbs: string, engineAbs: string, idea: string):
     runAbs,
     "Your ONE sanctioned write surface is your own isolated git worktree — app code and app tests only. The run folder (BUILD-PLAN.json, SRD.json, evidence/) stays the orchestrator's.",
   );
-  const product = idea ? `\`${idea}\`` : "(no brief.json yet — the orchestrator will restate the one-liner in your prompt)";
+  // The idea is interpolated into a Markdown inline-code span: an interior
+  // backtick would close the span early (and read as executable in copy-paste
+  // contexts) — strip backticks to apostrophes and flatten newlines.
+  const inlineIdea = idea
+    .replace(/`/g, "'")
+    .replace(/\s*(?:\r\n|[\r\n])\s*/g, " ")
+    .trim();
+  const product = inlineIdea ? `\`${inlineIdea}\`` : "(no brief.json yet — the orchestrator will restate the one-liner in your prompt)";
   return {
     researcher: `# Contract: researcher
 
@@ -262,7 +269,7 @@ ${footer}`,
 
 You are an adversarial skeptic verifying that each SRD claim is actually SUPPORTED by the evidence it cites (references/orchestration.md Pattern 4). Assume the citation is decorative until the evidence proves otherwise.
 
-Worklist: \`${join(runAbs, "VERIFY.todo.json")}\` (\`{ pairs: [...] }\`; each pair has \`claimId\`, \`kind\`, \`claim\`, \`evidenceId\`, \`source\`, \`digest\`). Handle ONLY the pairs whose \`claimId::evidenceId\` key is named in your prompt (\`PAIRS=<key,…>\`).
+Worklist: \`${join(runAbs, "VERIFY.todo.json")}\` (\`{ pairs: [...] }\`; each pair has \`claimId\`, \`kind\`, \`claim\`, \`evidenceId\`, \`source\`, \`digest\`). Handle ONLY the pairs whose \`claimId::evidenceId\` key is named in your prompt (\`PAIRS=<key,…>\`). If a PAIRS key is no longer in the worklist, skip it and say so in your note.
 
 For EACH of your pairs:
 
@@ -293,7 +300,7 @@ Return (structured output): \`{ "lens", "score", "rationale" }\` — a 1–5 int
 ${footer}`,
     builder: `# Contract: builder
 
-You build ONE task of \`${join(runAbs, "BUILD-PLAN.json")}\`, test-first, in your OWN isolated git worktree (references/orchestration.md Pattern 5 + references/build-playbook.md). Your prompt names your task (\`TASK=<id>\`).
+You build ONE task of \`${join(runAbs, "BUILD-PLAN.json")}\`, test-first, in your OWN isolated git worktree (references/orchestration.md Pattern 5 + references/build-playbook.md). Your prompt names your task (\`TASK=<id>\`). If your TASK id is no longer in the worklist, skip it and say so in your summary.
 
 1. Read your task in the plan. Its \`acceptance\` entries POINT into \`${join(runAbs, "SRD.json")}\` (\`functional[frId].acceptance[index]\`) — the SRD stays the single source of truth for what "done" means.
 2. Work ONLY inside your own git worktree (the workflow dispatches you with \`isolation: 'worktree'\`). TDD each acceptance criterion: failing test first, then make it pass — and **every test names its FR id** (e.g. \`describe("FR-001 …")\`; that is what \`verify\` greps for).
diff --git a/tests/__snapshots__/orchestrate.test.ts.snap b/tests/__snapshots__/orchestrate.test.ts.snap
index 36e422a..c28e13d 100644
--- a/tests/__snapshots__/orchestrate.test.ts.snap
+++ b/tests/__snapshots__/orchestrate.test.ts.snap
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ exports[`orchestrate — contracts & runbook > golden shape (paths normalized) >
 
 You are an adversarial skeptic verifying that each SRD claim is actually SUPPORTED by the evidence it cites (references/orchestration.md Pattern 4). Assume the citation is decorative until the evidence proves otherwise.
 
-Worklist: \`<RUN>/VERIFY.todo.json\` (\`{ pairs: [...] }\`; each pair has \`claimId\`, \`kind\`, \`claim\`, \`evidenceId\`, \`source\`, \`digest\`). Handle ONLY the pairs whose \`claimId::evidenceId\` key is named in your prompt (\`PAIRS=<key,…>\`).
+Worklist: \`<RUN>/VERIFY.todo.json\` (\`{ pairs: [...] }\`; each pair has \`claimId\`, \`kind\`, \`claim\`, \`evidenceId\`, \`source\`, \`digest\`). Handle ONLY the pairs whose \`claimId::evidenceId\` key is named in your prompt (\`PAIRS=<key,…>\`). If a PAIRS key is no longer in the worklist, skip it and say so in your note.
 
 For EACH of your pairs:
 
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ const RUN = "<RUN>"
 const ENGINE = "<ENGINE>"
 const WORKLIST = "<RUN>/evidence/evidence.json"
 const AGENTS = RUN + '/orchestration/agents'
-const BATCHES = [["feature (should): \\"Tag and organize saved articles\\" has no matchable evidence → drill: node <ENGINE> web --out <RUN> --q \\"Tag and organize saved articles\\"","feature (should): \\"Import an existing Pocket or Instapaper export\\" has no matchable evidence → drill: node <ENGINE> web --out <RUN> --q \\"Import an existing Pocket or Instapaper export\\"","feature (could): \\"Read articles offline on mobile\\" has no matchable evidence → drill: node <ENGINE> web --out <RUN> --q \\"Read articles offline on mobile\\"","tech: \\"PostgreSQL\\" has no docs/StackOverflow grounding → drill: node <ENGINE> tech --out <RUN> --q \\"PostgreSQL\\"","tech: \\"Next.js\\" has no docs/StackOverflow grounding → drill: node <ENGINE> tech --out <RUN> --q \\"Next.js\\"","oss seed: https://github.com/wallabag/wallabag yielded no mined evidence → drill: node <ENGINE> oss --out <RUN> --seeds https://github.com/wallabag/wallabag"]]
+const BATCHES = [["feature (should): \\"Tag and organize saved articles\\" has no matchable evidence → drill: node <ENGINE> web --out <RUN> --q 'Tag and organize saved articles'","feature (should): \\"Import an existing Pocket or Instapaper export\\" has no matchable evidence → drill: node <ENGINE> web --out <RUN> --q 'Import an existing Pocket or Instapaper export'","feature (could): \\"Read articles offline on mobile\\" has no matchable evidence → drill: node <ENGINE> web --out <RUN> --q 'Read articles offline on mobile'","tech: \\"PostgreSQL\\" has no docs/StackOverflow grounding → drill: node <ENGINE> tech --out <RUN> --q 'PostgreSQL'","tech: \\"Next.js\\" has no docs/StackOverflow grounding → drill: node <ENGINE> tech --out <RUN> --q 'Next.js'","oss seed: https://github.com/wallabag/wallabag yielded no mined evidence → drill: node <ENGINE> oss --out <RUN> --seeds https://github.com/wallabag/wallabag"]]
 const SCHEMA = {"type":"object","required":["findings"],"properties":{"findings":{"type":"array","items":{"type":"object","required":["gap","summary","urls"],"properties":{"gap":{"type":"string","description":"the gap label, verbatim from your prompt"},"summary":{"type":"string","description":"<=5 lines: what was found and why it matters to this product"},"urls":{"type":"array","items":{"type":"string"},"description":"URLs worth grounding, best first"}}}}}}
 
 function contract(name, extra) {
diff --git a/tests/analyze.test.ts b/tests/analyze.test.ts
index 59632ad..23bcbd9 100644
--- a/tests/analyze.test.ts
+++ b/tests/analyze.test.ts
@@ -75,7 +75,18 @@ describe("analyzeRun — the post-research gap signal", () => {
   it("reports a gap for a competitor the research never surfaced", () => {
     const r = analyzeRun(makeRun({ briefOverride: { competitors: [...brief.competitors, "Zzyzx"] } }));
     expect(r.unmatchedCompetitors).toEqual(["Zzyzx"]);
-    expect(r.suggestions.join("\n")).toMatch(/construct web --out .* --q "Zzyzx"/);
+    expect(r.suggestions.join("\n")).toMatch(/construct web --out .* --q 'Zzyzx'/);
+  });
+
+  it("single-quotes drill queries so shell metacharacters in brief free-text stay inert", () => {
+    const hostile = "pwn `whoami` $(id) and it's\nmultiline";
+    const out = makeRun({ briefOverride: { competitors: [...brief.competitors, hostile] } });
+    const r = analyzeRun(out);
+    const s = r.suggestions.find((x) => x.includes("pwn"));
+    expect(s).toBeDefined();
+    // Single-quoted for the shell: backticks and $() cannot expand, the embedded
+    // apostrophe is escaped as '"'"' and the newline is flattened to a space.
+    expect(s).toBe(`construct web --out ${out} --q 'pwn \`whoami\` $(id) and it'"'"'s multiline'`);
   });
 
   it("surfaces dossier notes (angle failures) from meta.json", () => {
diff --git a/tests/orchestrate.test.ts b/tests/orchestrate.test.ts
index 74a7418..4c1c474 100644
--- a/tests/orchestrate.test.ts
+++ b/tests/orchestrate.test.ts
@@ -332,6 +332,27 @@ describe("orchestrate — contracts & runbook", () => {
     expect(builder).toContain("BUILD-PLAN.json");
   });
 
+  it("sanitizes backticks out of the idea so the contract's inline-code span survives", () => {
+    const run = makeRun({ review: true });
+    const raw = JSON.parse(readFileSync(join(run, "brief.json"), "utf8"));
+    raw.idea = "a `save-for-later` app\nwith `backticks`";
+    writeFileSync(join(run, "brief.json"), JSON.stringify(raw));
+    orchestrateRun(run, ENGINE);
+    const researcher = readFileSync(join(run, "orchestration", "agents", "researcher.md"), "utf8");
+    const line = researcher.split("\n").find((l) => l.startsWith("Product one-liner:"));
+    // The interpolated idea stays ONE inline-code span: no interior backtick may
+    // close it early, and the newline flattens to a space.
+    expect(line).toBe("Product one-liner: `a 'save-for-later' app with 'backticks'`");
+  });
+
+  it("worklist-driven contracts carry the family stale-id rule", () => {
+    const run = makeRun({ review: true, frontier: true });
+    orchestrateRun(run, ENGINE);
+    const read = (role: string) => readFileSync(join(run, "orchestration", "agents", `${role}.md`), "utf8");
+    expect(read("claim-reviewer")).toContain("If a PAIRS key is no longer in the worklist, skip it and say so in your note");
+    expect(read("builder")).toContain("If your TASK id is no longer in the worklist, skip it and say so in your summary");
+  });
+
   it("the runbook covers every phase with concrete paths and the phase status", () => {
     const run = makeRun({ review: true, frontier: true });
     orchestrateRun(run, ENGINE);