diff --git a/LESSONS.md b/LESSONS.md
index 265097a..d36be99 100644
--- a/LESSONS.md
+++ b/LESSONS.md
@@ -133,3 +133,7 @@ Widening a description-opener rule to also catch mid-sentence text looked like a
 ## 2026-08-16 — A rule reversed inside a retrofit leaves no trace unless someone writes it down
 
 A retrofit replaced "keep reference chains one level deep" with "two hops, never three" — the opposite rule, needed because the new dispatch pattern requires `SKILL.md` → `improve.md` → `retrofit.md`. The ADR never mentioned chain depth, so the reversal was carried entirely by the diff with no sign a contradicting rule ever existed. Fix: when a change inverts a standing rule, record the inversion where the rule's rationale lives, or it reads as forgotten rather than overturned.
+
+## 2026-09-15 — A rare flake in a pipefail suite is a race until proven otherwise
+
+The pre-push `run-tests` failed 2 of 3 full runs, on a different suite each time, and neither failure reproduced alone, so it was treated as noise. The cause was `echo "$OUT" | grep -q P` under `set -o pipefail`, at 116 sites. `grep -q` exits on its first match, `echo` takes SIGPIPE on its next write, and pipefail reports correct output as "no match". Unforced it failed about once in 670 runs; with a pause forced before the last line, 50 of 50. Fix: use `grep -q P <<< "$OUT"` (a here-string has no writer process to race), and add a static guard (`tests/test-no-pipefail-early-exit-grep.sh`) instead of relying on convention.
diff --git a/SIMPLIFICATION-AUDIT.md b/SIMPLIFICATION-AUDIT.md
index 056ede5..8148df9 100644
--- a/SIMPLIFICATION-AUDIT.md
+++ b/SIMPLIFICATION-AUDIT.md
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ Where the 276 s goes (each suite run alone, sequential):
 
 Five suites account for 215 s of 276 s. Three of those five (sync-plugin-content, vale-style-sync, adr0020-differential) test tooling that findings 2, 7, and 14 propose to delete or shrink, so the fastest path to a quick pre-push is removing the duplication those tests guard rather than optimising the tests.
 
-> **Also struck (2026-09-15):** `test-check-vale-style-sync.sh` (25 s) went with the `check-vale-style-sync` hook in finding 14's merge (ADR-0025). Measured at HEAD: `tests/` holds **19** `test-*.sh` suites and `tests/run-tests.sh` reports `19 passed, 0 skipped, 0 failed`. Same basis as the note below — arithmetic on the 2026-09-10 baseline minus the struck rows, not a fresh timing run.
+> **Also struck (2026-09-15):** `test-check-vale-style-sync.sh` (25 s) went with the `check-vale-style-sync` hook in finding 14's merge (ADR-0025). Measured at HEAD: `tests/` holds **19** `test-*.sh` suites and `tests/run-tests.sh` reports `19 passed, 0 skipped, 0 failed`. (Later the same day, the pipefail-race fix added `tests/test-no-pipefail-early-exit-grep.sh`, making it **20**. That suite is a static scan and runs in well under a second, so the timing arithmetic here is unaffected.) Same basis as the note below — arithmetic on the 2026-09-10 baseline minus the struck rows, not a fresh timing run.
 
 > **Done (2026-09-14):** see commit `718c79a` on `docs/simplification-audit`. The three struck-through rows are gone: `test-sync-plugin-content.sh` (83 s, 1,289 lines, 92 cases), `check-plugin-content-sync` (4.5 s) and `validate-plugins` (4.9 s). Expected, not re-measured: roughly 92 s comes off every push (83 + 4.5 + 4.9 = 92.4 s) (~83 s of it out of `run-tests`, which loses its single slowest suite), on the arithmetic of the 2026-09-10 figures alone. The remaining rows have not been re-timed since, so treat every number in this section as the 2026-09-10 baseline minus those three, not as a fresh measurement.
 
diff --git a/docs/spec/gates.md b/docs/spec/gates.md
index 1e69e2a..3c4ea36 100644
--- a/docs/spec/gates.md
+++ b/docs/spec/gates.md
@@ -862,6 +862,16 @@ vale-less PATH, with the skip list swallowed. Without vale, two suites skip —
 what to install. (It was three until `test-check-vale-style-sync.sh` was deleted with its hook; see
 [One copy, one config](#one-copy-one-config).)
 
+**Output assertions use a here-string, never a pipe.** Write `grep -q PATTERN <<< "$OUT"`, not
+`echo "$OUT" | grep -q PATTERN`. Under `set -o pipefail` the pipe form fails depending on timing:
+`grep -q` exits on its first match, `echo` takes SIGPIPE on its next write, and pipefail reports that
+as the pipeline failing, so output that matched reads as "no match". It showed up as a push gate that
+failed about once in 670 runs, on a different suite each time. `tests/test-no-pipefail-early-exit-grep.sh`
+scans every tracked shell file that sets pipefail and fails on the pipe form. It does this for `echo`
+or `printf` piped into `grep` with `-q`, `-m`, `-l`, `-L`, `--quiet` or `--silent`. It checks its own
+scanner against fixtures before trusting a clean result. Pipes from other commands are out of scope.
+In practice they either absorb the writer's exit status with `|| true` or write only once, at exit.
+
 `tests/run-bats.sh` derives the set of `.bats` files it expects from `git ls-files`, so a `.bats`
 file deleted from the worktree but still tracked in the index fails the run rather than silently
 shrinking the suite. Remove one with `git rm` (or stage the deletion) when intentional; an untracked
diff --git a/plugins/kyberforge/.apm/skills/agent-author/scripts/new-agent.sh b/plugins/kyberforge/.apm/skills/agent-author/scripts/new-agent.sh
index 83b6a2e..f7df41a 100755
--- a/plugins/kyberforge/.apm/skills/agent-author/scripts/new-agent.sh
+++ b/plugins/kyberforge/.apm/skills/agent-author/scripts/new-agent.sh
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ AGENT_NAME="$1"
 ROOT="$2"
 
 # Validate agent name format
-if ! echo "$AGENT_NAME" | grep -qE '^[a-z0-9]+(-[a-z0-9]+)*$'; then
+if ! grep -qE '^[a-z0-9]+(-[a-z0-9]+)*$' <<< "$AGENT_NAME"; then
   echo "Error: agent-name must use lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens only." >&2
   echo "       No leading, trailing, or consecutive hyphens." >&2
   echo "       Received: '$AGENT_NAME'" >&2
diff --git a/plugins/kyberforge/.apm/skills/skill-author/scripts/new-skill.sh b/plugins/kyberforge/.apm/skills/skill-author/scripts/new-skill.sh
index 1a39fe6..0d4c9c2 100755
--- a/plugins/kyberforge/.apm/skills/skill-author/scripts/new-skill.sh
+++ b/plugins/kyberforge/.apm/skills/skill-author/scripts/new-skill.sh
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ SKILL_NAME="$1"
 TARGET_INPUT="$2"
 
 # Validate skill name format
-if ! echo "$SKILL_NAME" | grep -qE '^[a-z0-9]+(-[a-z0-9]+)*$'; then
+if ! grep -qE '^[a-z0-9]+(-[a-z0-9]+)*$' <<< "$SKILL_NAME"; then
   echo "Error: skill-name must use lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens only." >&2
   echo "       No leading, trailing, or consecutive hyphens." >&2
   echo "       Received: '$SKILL_NAME'" >&2
diff --git a/scripts/check-executables-allow-sync.sh b/scripts/check-executables-allow-sync.sh
index 4c9daff..51f46c0 100755
--- a/scripts/check-executables-allow-sync.sh
+++ b/scripts/check-executables-allow-sync.sh
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ if [[ "$ALLOW_STATE" != "present" ]]; then
   exit 1
 fi
 
-if printf '%s\n' "$ALLOW_KEYS" | grep -qxF "$EXPECTED_KEY"; then
+if grep -qxF "$EXPECTED_KEY" <<< "$ALLOW_KEYS"; then
   exit 0
 fi
 
diff --git a/tests/test-apm-current-hook.sh b/tests/test-apm-current-hook.sh
index 631270d..8e1acb2 100755
--- a/tests/test-apm-current-hook.sh
+++ b/tests/test-apm-current-hook.sh
@@ -114,11 +114,11 @@ if echo "$out" | python3 -m json.tool > /dev/null 2>&1; then
     && pass "declares hookEventName SessionStart" || fail "wrong hookEventName"
   [[ "$(echo "$out" | json_field reloadSkills)" == "True" ]] \
     && pass "asks the host to reload skills after a successful refresh" || fail "reloadSkills should be true"
-  echo "$out" | json_field additionalContext | grep -q "6 package" \
+  grep -q "6 package" <<< "$(json_field additionalContext <<< "$out")" \
     && pass "reports the stale package count" || fail "should report the count"
   # The lockfile rewrite is the surprising part of auto-updating; the notice has
   # to say so or a dirty worktree looks like something else went wrong.
-  echo "$out" | json_field additionalContext | grep -q "apm.lock.yaml" \
+  grep -q "apm.lock.yaml" <<< "$(json_field additionalContext <<< "$out")" \
     && pass "warns that apm.lock.yaml was rewritten" || fail "should warn about the lockfile rewrite"
 else
   fail "emits valid JSON"
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ if echo "$out" | python3 -m json.tool > /dev/null 2>&1; then
   pass "emits valid JSON on failure"
   [[ "$(echo "$out" | json_field reloadSkills)" == "False" ]] \
     && pass "does not ask for a skill reload when nothing was deployed" || fail "reloadSkills should be false"
-  echo "$out" | json_field additionalContext | grep -q "apm update" \
+  grep -q "apm update" <<< "$(json_field additionalContext <<< "$out")" \
     && pass "tells the reader how to refresh by hand" || fail "should name the manual command"
 else
   fail "emits valid JSON on failure"
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ out="$(run_hook_in "$ELSEWHERE" "$WORK")"
 [[ "$(cat "$WORK/apm-cwd" 2>/dev/null)" == "$WORK" ]] \
   && pass "runs apm in the directory the guard checked, not the cwd" \
   || fail "apm ran in '$(cat "$WORK/apm-cwd" 2>/dev/null)' — must run in the resolved project directory"
-echo "$out" | json_field additionalContext | grep -q "6 package" \
+grep -q "6 package" <<< "$(json_field additionalContext <<< "$out")" \
   && pass "reports the count found via CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR" || fail "should report the count"
 
 # The fallback is not cosmetic: a host that installed this plugin natively sets
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ EOF
     chmod +x "$FAKE_BIN/apm"
     rm -f "$WORK/update-was-called"
     out="$(run_hook)"
-    if [[ -n "$out" ]] && echo "$out" | json_field additionalContext 2>/dev/null | grep -q "$want package"; then
+    if [[ -n "$out" ]] && grep -q "$want package" <<< "$(json_field additionalContext 2>/dev/null <<< "$out")"; then
       pass "detects staleness in real \`apm outdated\` output and counts $want package(s)"
     else
       fail "real apm reported $want outdated dependency/dependencies but the hook did not act on it — apm reworded its summary line. Real output: $(tr '\n' ' ' < "$PROBE/genuine-$want.txt" | tail -c 120)"
diff --git a/tests/test-check-release-needed.sh b/tests/test-check-release-needed.sh
index 6e1afb2..2a321c6 100755
--- a/tests/test-check-release-needed.sh
+++ b/tests/test-check-release-needed.sh
@@ -9,6 +9,13 @@ FAIL=0
 pass() { echo "  PASS: $1"; PASS=$((PASS + 1)); }
 fail() { echo "  FAIL: $1"; FAIL=$((FAIL + 1)); }
 
+# Output assertions are `grep -q PATTERN <<< "$OUT"`, never `echo "$OUT" | grep -q`.
+# Under pipefail the pipe form is scheduling-dependent: bash's echo writes a
+# multi-line value one line at a time, `grep -q` exits on its first match, and a
+# later line then hits a closed pipe. echo dies of SIGPIPE, pipefail reports the
+# pipeline as failed, and a correct output reads as a missing match. The
+# here-string has no writer process to race.
+
 # Both entry shapes the real .pre-commit-hooks.yaml ships: a bare script with no
 # bundled data, and a bare script whose sibling assets/ tree it self-locates at
 # runtime. Neither carries arguments — pre-commit only rewrites entry[0] to the
@@ -142,7 +149,7 @@ FIXTURE4="$(make_tagged_fixture)"; track "$FIXTURE4"
 echo "v2" > "$FIXTURE4/scripts/skill-size-check.sh"
 (cd "$FIXTURE4" && git add -A && git commit -q -m "update release-relevant script")
 OUT4=$(run_check "$FIXTURE4" "refs/heads/main" || true)
-if echo "$OUT4" | grep -q "skill-size-check.sh"; then
+if grep -q "skill-size-check.sh" <<< "$OUT4"; then
   pass "exits non-zero and names the changed file when a release-relevant path changed since the tag"
 else
   fail "did not flag the release-relevant file that changed since the tag"
@@ -167,7 +174,7 @@ FIXTURE6="$(make_tagged_fixture)"; track "$FIXTURE6"
 rm -f "$FIXTURE6/$HOOK_DIR/assets/vale/.vale.ini"
 (cd "$FIXTURE6" && git add -A && git commit -q -m "delete the bundled vale config")
 OUT6=$(run_check "$FIXTURE6" "refs/heads/main" || true)
-if echo "$OUT6" | grep -q "assets/vale/.vale.ini"; then
+if grep -q "assets/vale/.vale.ini" <<< "$OUT6"; then
   pass "flags a deleted release-relevant path instead of silently dropping it from the diff"
 else
   fail "did not flag deletion of a release-relevant path since the tag"
@@ -196,7 +203,7 @@ echo "checkpoint" > "$FIXTURE8/scripts/skill-size-check.sh"
 echo "v2" > "$FIXTURE8/scripts/skill-size-check.sh"
 (cd "$FIXTURE8" && git add -A && git commit -q -m "real release-relevant change")
 OUT8=$(run_check "$FIXTURE8" "refs/heads/main" || true)
-if echo "$OUT8" | grep -q "skill-size-check.sh"; then
+if grep -q "skill-size-check.sh" <<< "$OUT8"; then
   pass "still flags the release-relevant change since v1.0.0, ignoring the non-version checkpoint tag"
 else
   fail "an incidental non-version tag shifted the baseline and hid a real release-relevant change"
@@ -225,7 +232,7 @@ FIXTURE10="$(make_tagged_fixture)"; track "$FIXTURE10"
 echo "rule: v2" > "$FIXTURE10/$HOOK_DIR/assets/vale/styles/Kyberforge/DemoRule.yml"
 (cd "$FIXTURE10" && git add -A && git commit -q -m "tighten a vale rule")
 OUT10=$(run_check "$FIXTURE10" "refs/heads/main" || true)
-if echo "$OUT10" | grep -q "assets/vale/styles/Kyberforge/DemoRule.yml"; then
+if grep -q "assets/vale/styles/Kyberforge/DemoRule.yml" <<< "$OUT10"; then
   pass "flags a change confined to a hook's bundled assets/vale/styles/ tree"
 else
   fail "a bundled Vale style rule changed since the tag without demanding a release"
@@ -259,7 +266,7 @@ FIXTURE12="$(make_tagged_fixture)"; track "$FIXTURE12"
 rm -rf "${FIXTURE12:?}/$HOOK_DIR/assets"
 (cd "$FIXTURE12" && git add -A && git commit -q -m "delete the whole bundled assets tree")
 OUT12=$(run_check "$FIXTURE12" "refs/heads/main" || true)
-if echo "$OUT12" | grep -q "assets/vale/.vale.ini"; then
+if grep -q "assets/vale/.vale.ini" <<< "$OUT12"; then
   pass "flags a wholesale deletion of a hook's bundled assets/ tree"
 else
   fail "a hook's entire bundled assets/ tree vanished since the tag without demanding a release"
@@ -276,7 +283,7 @@ FIXTURE13="$(make_tagged_fixture)"; track "$FIXTURE13"
 rm -f "$FIXTURE13/$HOOK_DIR/scripts/vale-wrap.sh"
 (cd "$FIXTURE13" && git add -A && git commit -q -m "delete a hook script, keep its manifest entry")
 OUT13=$(run_check "$FIXTURE13" "refs/heads/main" || true)
-if echo "$OUT13" | grep -q "vale-wrap.sh"; then
+if grep -q "vale-wrap.sh" <<< "$OUT13"; then
   pass "flags a hook script deleted out from under a surviving manifest entry"
 else
   fail "a manifest entry's script vanished since the tag without demanding a release"
@@ -299,7 +306,7 @@ EOF
 rm -rf "${FIXTURE14:?}/$HOOK_DIR"
 (cd "$FIXTURE14" && git add -A && git commit -q -m "retire the vale hook entirely")
 OUT14=$(run_check "$FIXTURE14" "refs/heads/main" || true)
-if echo "$OUT14" | grep -q "vale-wrap.sh" && echo "$OUT14" | grep -q "assets/vale/.vale.ini"; then
+if grep -q "vale-wrap.sh" <<< "$OUT14" && grep -q "assets/vale/.vale.ini" <<< "$OUT14"; then
   pass "names the retired hook's script and bundled assets, not just the manifest edit"
 else
   fail "reported only the manifest change and hid which shipped paths the retirement removed"
@@ -320,9 +327,9 @@ FIXTURE15="$(make_malformed_fixture "bash scripts/skill-size-check.sh")"; track
 OUT15=$(run_check "$FIXTURE15" "refs/heads/main" || true)
 if run_check "$FIXTURE15" "refs/heads/main" > /dev/null; then
   fail "silently exited 0 on a multi-token entry, dropping that hook's paths from the gate"
-elif echo "$OUT15" | grep -q "fake-size-check" \
-  && echo "$OUT15" | grep -q "bash scripts/skill-size-check.sh" \
-  && echo "$OUT15" | grep -q "ADR-0014"; then
+elif grep -q "fake-size-check" <<< "$OUT15" \
+  && grep -q "bash scripts/skill-size-check.sh" <<< "$OUT15" \
+  && grep -q "ADR-0014" <<< "$OUT15"; then
   pass "rejects a multi-token entry, quoting it back and naming the hook and ADR-0014"
 else
   fail "rejected the multi-token entry without naming the hook, the entry, and ADR-0014"
@@ -339,7 +346,7 @@ FIXTURE16="$(make_malformed_fixture "vale")"; track "$FIXTURE16"
 OUT16=$(run_check "$FIXTURE16" "refs/heads/main" || true)
 if run_check "$FIXTURE16" "refs/heads/main" > /dev/null; then
   fail "silently exited 0 on an entry that names no shipped file"
-elif echo "$OUT16" | grep -q "fake-size-check" && echo "$OUT16" | grep -q "ADR-0014"; then
+elif grep -q "fake-size-check" <<< "$OUT16" && grep -q "ADR-0014" <<< "$OUT16"; then
   pass "rejects an entry that resolves to no file, naming the hook and the ADR-0014 constraint"
 else
   fail "rejected the unresolvable entry without naming the hook and the ADR-0014 constraint"
@@ -358,7 +365,7 @@ echo "v2" > "$FIXTURE17/scripts/skill-size-check.sh"
 (cd "$FIXTURE17" && git add -A && git commit -q -m "release-relevant change" \
   && git branch pushed-tip && git reset -q --hard v1.0.0)
 OUT17=$(run_check "$FIXTURE17" "refs/heads/main" "pushed-tip" || true)
-if echo "$OUT17" | grep -q "skill-size-check.sh"; then
+if grep -q "skill-size-check.sh" <<< "$OUT17"; then
   pass "gates the pushed ref's tip, not HEAD, when HEAD is behind it"
 else
   fail "diffed HEAD instead of PRE_COMMIT_TO_REF and missed a release-relevant change"
@@ -431,7 +438,7 @@ FIXTURE21="$(make_tagged_fixture)"; track "$FIXTURE21"
 echo "v2" > "$FIXTURE21/scripts/skill-size-check.sh"
 (cd "$FIXTURE21" && git add -A && git commit -q -m "real release-relevant change" && git tag v1.0.1-checkpoint)
 OUT21=$(run_check "$FIXTURE21" "refs/heads/main" || true)
-if echo "$OUT21" | grep -q "skill-size-check.sh"; then
+if grep -q "skill-size-check.sh" <<< "$OUT21"; then
   pass "still flags the release-relevant change since v1.0.0, ignoring the vX.Y.Z-checkpoint tag"
 else
   fail "a vX.Y.Z-checkpoint tag satisfied the glob and hid a real release-relevant change"
diff --git a/tests/test-no-pipefail-early-exit-grep.sh b/tests/test-no-pipefail-early-exit-grep.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..fe44666
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test-no-pipefail-early-exit-grep.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,221 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+# Static guard: no `echo|printf ... | grep -q` pipeline in a script that runs
+# under `set -o pipefail`.
+#
+# The defect. grep -q (and -m, -l, -L, --quiet, --silent) exits as soon as it
+# has an answer. If the writer on the left of the pipe still has output to
+# write, that next write hits a closed pipe and the writer dies of SIGPIPE.
+# Under pipefail the pipeline then reports the WRITER's failure, so output that
+# matched reads as "no match". Whether it happens depends on scheduling: bash's
+# echo can hand a multi-line value to the pipe a line at a time, and a reader
+# that matched on an early line exits before the later lines arrive. Forced with
+# a pause before the last line, the pipe form failed 50 of 50 runs; each of a
+# here-string, a match on the last line, and the same pipe without pipefail
+# passed 50 of 50. Unforced it surfaced about once per 670 suite runs, which is
+# why it read as a flaky gate rather than as a bug.
+#
+# The fix is `grep -q PATTERN <<< "$VAR"`: a here-string has no separate writer
+# process, so there is nothing to race. `printf '%s\n' "$X" | grep` and
+# `<<< "$X"` feed grep the same bytes; `printf '%s'` and `echo` differ only by a
+# trailing newline, which no -q verdict on a non-empty pattern depends on.
+#
+# Scope. Only echo/printf writers are flagged: they are the shell builtins that
+# can split a write, and they are always replaceable by a here-string. A
+# command writer (`run_wrap ... | grep -q`) is not flagged; those sites either
+# absorb the writer's status (`|| true`) or write once at exit. Files without
+# pipefail are not flagged, because without it the pipeline's status is grep's.
+# Comment-only lines are skipped so the pattern can be named in prose.
+#
+# Remit. This scanner models early-exiting GREP readers only — grep, egrep and
+# fgrep, however they are spelled (a path prefix, a `command` prefix, env-var
+# assignments), anywhere in the pipeline. They are not the only readers that
+# exit early: `head`, `sed -n 1p` and a bare `read` do too, and an echo/printf
+# writer feeding any of them is the same race. Those sites are guarded by
+# convention instead — absorb the writer's status with `|| true` (or take the
+# verdict from a here-string) — and deliberately not by this test, because most
+# legitimate uses of them in this tree are already absorbed and the scanner
+# cannot see the absorption from the pipeline text alone. Flagging them would be
+# noise; the grep readers are flagged because a here-string is always available.
+#
+# Known limitation: heredoc bodies are scanned as code, so a `cat <<'EOF'` body
+# containing a vulnerable-looking line reads as a real site. There are none in
+# the tree today.
+#
+# Case 1 proves the scanner can fail before case 2 trusts its clean verdict on
+# the live tree.
+
+REPO_ROOT="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/.." && pwd)"
+SELF="$REPO_ROOT/tests/$(basename "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")"
+PASS=0
+FAIL=0
+
+pass() { echo "  PASS: $1"; PASS=$((PASS + 1)); }
+fail() { echo "  FAIL: $1"; FAIL=$((FAIL + 1)); }
+
+RUN_TMP="$(mktemp -d)"
+trap 'rm -rf "$RUN_TMP"' EXIT
+
+# A pipeline-safe run of characters: anything but `|`, `;` or `&`, except that a
+# `&` immediately followed by a digit is kept so `2>&1` does not end a segment.
+# Excluding a bare `&` is what stops `echo ok && other | grep -q x` — a pipeline
+# whose writer is `other`, not the echo — from being read as one site.
+SAFE='([^|;&]|&[[:digit:]])'
+
+# Writer, then any number of intermediate stages, then an early-exiting grep.
+# The reader may be spelled `grep`, `egrep` or `fgrep`, behind a path prefix
+# (`/bin/grep`), a `command` prefix, or env-var assignments (`LC_ALL=C grep`).
+SITE_RE="(^|[^[:alnum:]_])(echo|printf)[[:space:]]${SAFE}*[|][[:space:]]*"
+SITE_RE+="([^|;&[:space:]]${SAFE}*[|][[:space:]]*)*"
+SITE_RE+="((command|[A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_]*=[^[:space:]]*)[[:space:]]+)*"
+SITE_RE+="([^[:space:];&|]*/)?(grep|egrep|fgrep)[[:space:]]"
+SITE_RE+="(${SAFE}*[[:space:]])?(-[[:alpha:]]*[qmlL][[:alnum:]]*|--quiet|--silent|--max-count|--files-with)"
+
+# `pipefail` need not follow the first `-o`: `set -o errexit -o pipefail` and
+# `set -o posix -o pipefail` are the same setting. A file-level miss here skips
+# every site in the file, so this is deliberately loose — the cost of scanning a
+# file that does not set pipefail is nil, the cost of skipping one is total.
+PIPEFAIL_RE='(^|[^[:alnum:]_-])set[[:space:]]+-[^;#]*pipefail'
+
+# Prints `path:line: text` for every vulnerable pipeline in the given files.
+# Continued lines are joined first — both a trailing backslash and a trailing
+# `|`, which is equally legal as a line continuation in a pipeline — so a reader
+# on the next physical line is still seen; the reported line is where the
+# command starts.
+scan() {
+  local f
+  for f in "$@"; do
+    grep -Eq "$PIPEFAIL_RE" "$f" || continue
+    awk -v file="$f" -v re="$SITE_RE" '
+      function flush(  b) {
+        if (buf == "") return
+        if (buf !~ /^[[:space:]]*#/ && buf ~ re) print file ":" start ": " buf
+        buf = ""
+      }
+      {
+        if (buf == "") start = NR
+        line = $0
+        if (line ~ /\\$/) { buf = buf substr(line, 1, length(line) - 1) " "; next }
+        if (line ~ /[|][[:space:]]*$/) { buf = buf line " "; next }
+        buf = buf line
+        flush()
+      }
+      END { flush() }
+    ' "$f"
+  done
+}
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+echo "--- the scanner flags each vulnerable spelling and nothing else ---"
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+BAD="$RUN_TMP/bad.sh"
+cat > "$BAD" <<'EOF_BAD'
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+if echo "$OUT" | grep -q "needle"; then :; fi
+! printf '%s\n' "$OUT" | grep -qF "needle" && :
+if printf '%s' "$OUT" | grep -E -q "a|b"; then :; fi
+if printf '%s\n' "$OUT" \
+  | grep -m1 "needle"; then :; fi
+if echo "$OUT" | tr -d ' ' | grep -q "needle"; then :; fi
+echo "$OUT" |
+  grep -q "needle" && :
+if echo "$OUT" | egrep -q "needle"; then :; fi
+if printf '%s\n' "$OUT" | fgrep -q "needle"; then :; fi
+if echo "$OUT" | /bin/grep -q "needle"; then :; fi
+if echo "$OUT" | command grep -q "needle"; then :; fi
+if echo "$OUT" | LC_ALL=C grep -q "needle"; then :; fi
+if echo "$OUT" | sed -n '1,$p' | command /usr/bin/grep --quiet "needle"; then :; fi
+EOF_BAD
+ALTSET="$RUN_TMP/alt-pipefail.sh"
+cat > "$ALTSET" <<'EOF_ALT'
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -o errexit -o pipefail
+if echo "$OUT" | grep -q "needle"; then :; fi
+EOF_ALT
+GOOD="$RUN_TMP/good.sh"
+cat > "$GOOD" <<'EOF_GOOD'
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+# A comment naming the bad form: echo "$OUT" | grep -q needle
+if grep -q "needle" <<< "$OUT"; then :; fi
+COUNT="$(echo "$OUT" | grep -c "needle" || true)"
+echo "$OUT" || grep -q "needle" <<< "$OUT"
+run_wrap "$DIR" file.md | grep -q "needle" || :
+printf '%s\n' "$OUT" | grep -c "needle"
+echo "$OUT" | tail -n 1
+echo "$OUT" | tr -d ' ' | tail -n 1
+echo "$OUT" | mygrep -q "needle"
+echo "$OUT" | command tail -n 1
+echo "$OUT" | LC_ALL=C sort
+echo "$OUT" |
+  tail -n 1
+echo ok && run_wrap "$DIR" | grep -q "needle"
+EOF_GOOD
+NOPIPEFAIL="$RUN_TMP/no-pipefail.sh"
+cat > "$NOPIPEFAIL" <<'EOF_NOPF'
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -eu
+if echo "$OUT" | grep -q "needle"; then :; fi
+EOF_NOPF
+
+BAD_HITS="$(scan "$BAD")"
+BAD_COUNT="$(grep -c . <<< "$BAD_HITS" || true)"
+if [[ "$BAD_COUNT" -eq 12 ]]; then
+  pass "all 12 vulnerable spellings are flagged (echo, negated printf, split options, both continuations, an intermediate stage, egrep/fgrep, and path/command/env-assignment reader prefixes)"
+else
+  fail "expected 12 hits in the bad fixture, got $BAD_COUNT: $BAD_HITS"
+fi
+if grep -q "^$BAD:6: " <<< "$BAD_HITS"; then
+  pass "a backslash-continued pipe is reported at the line the command starts"
+else
+  fail "the backslash-continued site was not reported at line 6: $BAD_HITS"
+fi
+if grep -q "^$BAD:9: " <<< "$BAD_HITS"; then
+  pass "a pipeline wrapped after a trailing '|' is reported at the line the command starts"
+else
+  fail "the trailing-pipe continuation site was not reported at line 9: $BAD_HITS"
+fi
+ALT_HITS="$(scan "$ALTSET")"
+if [[ -n "$ALT_HITS" ]]; then
+  pass "pipefail set as 'set -o errexit -o pipefail' is recognised, so its sites are scanned"
+else
+  fail "a file setting pipefail after another -o option was skipped entirely"
+fi
+GOOD_HITS="$(scan "$GOOD")"
+if [[ -z "$GOOD_HITS" ]]; then
+  pass "here-strings, comments, grep -c, '||', '&&', command writers and non-grep readers are left alone"
+else
+  fail "the clean fixture was flagged: $GOOD_HITS"
+fi
+if [[ -z "$(scan "$NOPIPEFAIL")" ]]; then
+  pass "a file without pipefail is not flagged — grep's own status is the pipeline's"
+else
+  fail "a file without pipefail was flagged"
+fi
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+echo "--- no tracked shell script carries the race ---"
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+FILES=()
+while IFS= read -r rel; do
+  [[ "$REPO_ROOT/$rel" == "$SELF" ]] && continue
+  [[ -f "$REPO_ROOT/$rel" ]] && FILES+=("$REPO_ROOT/$rel")
+done < <(git -C "$REPO_ROOT" ls-files -- '*.sh' '*.bats' '*.bash')
+
+if [[ "${#FILES[@]}" -lt 20 ]]; then
+  fail "only ${#FILES[@]} tracked shell files found — the scan is looking in the wrong place"
+else
+  LIVE_HITS="$(scan ${FILES[@]+"${FILES[@]}"})"
+  if [[ -z "$LIVE_HITS" ]]; then
+    pass "none of ${#FILES[@]} tracked shell files pipes echo/printf into an early-exit grep under pipefail"
+  else
+    fail "use \`grep -q PATTERN <<< \"\$VAR\"\` instead at:"
+    echo "${LIVE_HITS//"$REPO_ROOT/"/      }"
+  fi
+fi
+
+echo ""
+echo "Results: $PASS passed, $FAIL failed"
+[[ "$FAIL" -eq 0 ]]
diff --git a/tests/test-run-bats.sh b/tests/test-run-bats.sh
index 0763023..a2c87ef 100644
--- a/tests/test-run-bats.sh
+++ b/tests/test-run-bats.sh
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ EOF
 run_fake "$DIR1"
 if [[ $FAKE_RC -eq 0 ]]; then
   fail "a bats emitting nothing exited 0 — a total harness failure reported as a pass"
-elif echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "no TAP output at all"; then
+elif grep -q "no TAP output at all" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   pass "an empty TAP stream fails the run and names the broken harness"
 else
   fail "the run failed but not with the broken-harness message: $FAKE_OUT"
@@ -134,9 +134,9 @@ EOF
 run_fake "$DIR2"
 if [[ $FAKE_RC -eq 0 ]]; then
   fail "every test declaring zero tests exited 0 — wholesale @test removal reported as a pass"
-elif echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "declared 0 tests"; then
+elif grep -q "declared 0 tests" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   pass "a plan-only TAP stream fails the run and names the removed tests"
-elif echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "no TAP output at all"; then
+elif grep -q "no TAP output at all" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   fail "a valid '1..0' plan was misreported as a broken harness — the two branches are not distinguished"
 else
   fail "the run failed but not with the no-tests-declared message: $FAKE_OUT"
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ EOF
 run_fake "$DIR3"
 if [[ $FAKE_RC -ne 0 ]]; then
   fail "a healthy TAP stream was failed by the zero-count guard: $FAKE_OUT"
-elif echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "^4 tests, 0 failures$"; then
+elif grep -q "^4 tests, 0 failures$" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   pass "two files reporting two passing tests each aggregate to 4 tests, 0 failures"
 else
   fail "a healthy TAP stream produced the wrong count: $FAKE_OUT"
@@ -187,9 +187,9 @@ else
   run_fake "$DIR4"
   if [[ $FAKE_RC -ne 0 ]]; then
     fail "an empty .bats file beside a real one failed the run: $FAKE_OUT"
-  elif ! echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "^1\.\.0$"; then
+  elif ! grep -q "^1\.\.0$" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
     fail "real bats did not emit '1..0' for an empty file, so the case-2 stub no longer matches it: $FAKE_OUT"
-  elif echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "^1 tests, 0 failures$"; then
+  elif grep -q "^1 tests, 0 failures$" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
     pass "an empty .bats file contributes a '1..0' plan and the suite still passes"
   else
     fail "the real-bats run passed with an unexpected count: $FAKE_OUT"
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ EOF
 run_fake "$DIR5"
 if [[ $FAKE_RC -eq 0 ]]; then
   fail "a 'not ok' TAP result exited 0 — a failing test reported as a pass because only the process status was consulted"
-elif echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "^2 tests, 2 failures$"; then
+elif grep -q "^2 tests, 2 failures$" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   pass "'not ok' lines fail the run even when every bats process exits 0"
 else
   fail "the run failed but with the wrong count: $FAKE_OUT"
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ EOF
 run_fake "$DIR6"
 if [[ $FAKE_RC -eq 0 ]]; then
   fail "a bats process exiting 1 was reported as a pass because only the TAP text was consulted"
-elif echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "^2 tests, 0 failures$"; then
+elif grep -q "^2 tests, 0 failures$" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   pass "a non-zero bats exit fails the run even with no 'not ok' line to find"
 else
   fail "the run failed but with the wrong count: $FAKE_OUT"
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ run_fake "$DIR7"
 # the stated reason: the TAP stream the stub emitted is healthy, so "1 tests, 0
 # failures" proves the zero-count guard did not fire and the empty status is the
 # only thing left that can have failed the run.
-if ! echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "^1 tests, 0 failures$"; then
+if ! grep -q "^1 tests, 0 failures$" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   fail "the killed job did not leave the healthy TAP stream the case needs: $FAKE_OUT"
 elif [[ $FAKE_RC -eq 0 ]]; then
   fail "an empty status file was counted as a clean exit — a killed job reported as a pass"
@@ -312,9 +312,9 @@ rm "$DIR8/tests/b.bats"
 run_fake "$DIR8"
 if [[ $FAKE_RC -eq 0 ]]; then
   fail "a tracked .bats file gone from the worktree passed — a deleted suite reads as green"
-elif ! echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "tracked .bats file(s) were not discovered"; then
+elif ! grep -q "tracked .bats file(s) were not discovered" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   fail "the run failed but not with the undiscovered-tracked-file message: $FAKE_OUT"
-elif echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "^  tests/b.bats$"; then
+elif grep -q "^  tests/b.bats$" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   pass "a tracked .bats file missing from the walk fails the run and names the file"
 else
   fail "the run failed without naming the missing file: $FAKE_OUT"
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@ git -C "$DIR8B" add tests/a.bats
 run_fake "$DIR8B"
 if [[ $FAKE_RC -ne 0 ]]; then
   fail "an untracked .bats file was reported as a finding: $FAKE_OUT"
-elif echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "^2 tests, 0 failures$"; then
+elif grep -q "^2 tests, 0 failures$" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   pass "an untracked .bats file is run without being demanded of the index"
 else
   fail "the untracked-file run passed with the wrong count: $FAKE_OUT"
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ rm "$DIR8B/tests/b.bats"
 run_fake "$DIR8B"
 if [[ $FAKE_RC -eq 0 ]]; then
   fail "the .bats file added to the index a moment ago was not demanded back: $FAKE_OUT"
-elif echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "^  tests/b.bats$"; then
+elif grep -q "^  tests/b.bats$" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   pass "a file added to the index joins the expected set with no floor to bump"
 else
   fail "the run failed but did not name the newly tracked file: $FAKE_OUT"
@@ -380,9 +380,9 @@ EOF
 run_fake "$DIR8D"
 if [[ $FAKE_RC -ne 0 ]]; then
   fail "a non-git tree failed the run: $FAKE_OUT"
-elif ! echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "not a git worktree root"; then
+elif ! grep -q "not a git worktree root" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   fail "a non-git tree silently skipped the derived expectation with no note: $FAKE_OUT"
-elif echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "^2 tests, 0 failures$"; then
+elif grep -q "^2 tests, 0 failures$" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   pass "a non-git tree runs the suite and says the expected set could not be derived"
 else
   fail "the non-git run passed with the wrong count: $FAKE_OUT"
@@ -404,7 +404,7 @@ EOF
 run_fake "$DIR9"
 if [[ $FAKE_RC -eq 0 ]]; then
   fail "finding no .bats files at all exited 0 — the whole suite can vanish and the run stays green"
-elif echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "found 0 .bats file"; then
+elif grep -q "found 0 .bats file" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   pass "finding no .bats files fails the run and says so"
 else
   fail "the run failed but not with the zero-files message: $FAKE_OUT"
diff --git a/tests/test-run-tests.sh b/tests/test-run-tests.sh
index 1131f6b..7d84cbd 100644
--- a/tests/test-run-tests.sh
+++ b/tests/test-run-tests.sh
@@ -115,9 +115,9 @@ EOF
 run_fake "$DIR1"
 if [[ $FAKE_RC -ne 0 ]]; then
   fail "a healthy fixture failed: $FAKE_OUT"
-elif ! echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "^=== bats ===$"; then
+elif ! grep -q "^=== bats ===$" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   fail "a healthy run never announced the bats leg: $FAKE_OUT"
-elif echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "^=== Summary: 1 passed, 0 skipped, 0 failed ===$"; then
+elif grep -q "^=== Summary: 1 passed, 0 skipped, 0 failed ===$" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   pass "a passing case script and a healthy bats runner report 1 passed, 0 failed"
 else
   fail "a healthy run produced the wrong summary: $FAKE_OUT"
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ EOF
 run_fake "$DIR2"
 if [[ $FAKE_RC -eq 0 ]]; then
   fail "a non-executable run-bats.sh exited 0 — the whole bats suite can vanish silently"
-elif echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "bats runner not found or not executable"; then
+elif grep -q "bats runner not found or not executable" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   pass "a non-executable run-bats.sh fails the run and names what is missing"
 else
   fail "the run failed but not with the missing-runner message: $FAKE_OUT"
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ EOF
 run_fake "$DIR3"
 if [[ $FAKE_RC -eq 0 ]]; then
   fail "a missing run-bats.sh exited 0 — a rename deletes the bats suite from the run with no diagnostic"
-elif echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "bats runner not found or not executable"; then
+elif grep -q "bats runner not found or not executable" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   pass "a missing run-bats.sh fails the run and names what is missing"
 else
   fail "the run failed but not with the missing-runner message: $FAKE_OUT"
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ EOF
 run_fake "$DIR4" --bats-only
 if [[ $FAKE_RC -eq 0 ]]; then
   fail "--bats-only with no runner exited 0 having printed nothing — a total no-op reported as a pass"
-elif echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "bats runner not found or not executable"; then
+elif grep -q "bats runner not found or not executable" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   pass "--bats-only fails when the runner is missing rather than doing nothing quietly"
 else
   fail "--bats-only failed but not with the missing-runner message: $FAKE_OUT"
@@ -232,11 +232,11 @@ add_case "$DIR5B" test-ok.sh <<'EOF'
 echo "fine"
 EOF
 run_fake "$DIR5B"
-if echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "^=== Summary: 1 passed, 0 skipped, 0 failed ===$"; then
+if grep -q "^=== Summary: 1 passed, 0 skipped, 0 failed ===$" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   fail "an empty run-bats.sh produced a green summary — the bats suite vanished with no diagnostic"
 elif [[ $FAKE_RC -eq 0 ]]; then
   fail "an empty run-bats.sh exited 0: $FAKE_OUT"
-elif echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "without reporting an 'N tests, M failures' summary"; then
+elif grep -q "without reporting an 'N tests, M failures' summary" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   pass "an empty run-bats.sh fails the run and says the bats suite was never verified"
 else
   fail "the run failed but not with the no-summary message: $FAKE_OUT"
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ EOF
 run_fake "$DIR5C"
 if [[ $FAKE_RC -eq 0 ]]; then
   fail "a bats runner reporting 0 tests exited 0 — a suite that executed nothing read as green: $FAKE_OUT"
-elif echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "reported 0 tests"; then
+elif grep -q "reported 0 tests" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   pass "a bats runner reporting 0 tests fails the run and says the suite executed nothing"
 else
   fail "the run failed but not with the zero-tests message: $FAKE_OUT"
@@ -298,11 +298,11 @@ kill -9 $PPID
 sleep 5
 EOF
 run_fake "$DIR6"
-if echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "^=== Summary: 1 passed, 0 skipped, 0 failed ===$"; then
+if grep -q "^=== Summary: 1 passed, 0 skipped, 0 failed ===$" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   fail "an empty status file counted as a pass — a killed job reads as green"
 elif [[ $FAKE_RC -eq 0 ]]; then
   fail "an empty status file did not fail the run: $FAKE_OUT"
-elif echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "^=== Summary: 0 passed, 0 skipped, 1 failed ===$"; then
+elif grep -q "^=== Summary: 0 passed, 0 skipped, 1 failed ===$" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   pass "an empty status file is counted as FAILED"
 else
   fail "an empty status file failed the run with the wrong summary: $FAKE_OUT"
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ EOF
 run_fake "$DIR7"
 if [[ $FAKE_RC -eq 0 ]]; then
   fail "a SIGKILLed job did not fail the run: $FAKE_OUT"
-elif echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "^=== Summary: 0 passed, 0 skipped, 1 failed ===$"; then
+elif grep -q "^=== Summary: 0 passed, 0 skipped, 1 failed ===$" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   pass "a job killed with no status file written is counted as FAILED"
 else
   fail "a SIGKILLed job failed the run with the wrong summary: $FAKE_OUT"
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ EOF
 run_fake "$DIR8"
 if [[ $FAKE_RC -eq 0 ]]; then
   fail "a case script with a syntax error did not fail the run: $FAKE_OUT"
-elif echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "^=== Summary: 0 passed, 0 skipped, 1 failed ===$"; then
+elif grep -q "^=== Summary: 0 passed, 0 skipped, 1 failed ===$" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   pass "a case script that fails to parse is counted as FAILED"
 else
   fail "a syntax error failed the run with the wrong summary: $FAKE_OUT"
@@ -380,11 +380,11 @@ EOF
 run_fake "$DIR9"
 if [[ $FAKE_RC -eq 0 ]]; then
   fail "a case script exiting 1 did not fail the run: $FAKE_OUT"
-elif ! echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "^=== Summary: 1 passed, 1 skipped, 1 failed ===$"; then
+elif ! grep -q "^=== Summary: 1 passed, 1 skipped, 1 failed ===$" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   fail "the pass/skip/fail split was miscounted: $FAKE_OUT"
-elif ! echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "^  test-b-skips.sh$"; then
+elif ! grep -q "^  test-b-skips.sh$" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   fail "the skipped script was not named in the skip list: $FAKE_OUT"
-elif echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "^  test-a-fails.sh$"; then
+elif grep -q "^  test-a-fails.sh$" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   pass "exit 1 is FAILED, exit 77 is SKIPPED, and both are named in their lists"
 else
   fail "the failed script was not named in the failure list: $FAKE_OUT"
@@ -422,11 +422,11 @@ EOF
 run_fake "$DIR10" --strict
 if [[ $FAKE_RC -eq 0 ]]; then
   fail "--strict passed with a skipped suite — the gate reports green having verified less than it ran: $FAKE_OUT"
-elif ! echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "a skip is a SETUP ERROR"; then
+elif ! grep -q "a skip is a SETUP ERROR" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   fail "--strict failed but never said a skip is a setup error: $FAKE_OUT"
-elif ! echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "test-needs-a-binary.sh"; then
+elif ! grep -q "test-needs-a-binary.sh" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   fail "--strict failed without naming the skipped suite: $FAKE_OUT"
-elif echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "^      SKIP: frobnicator is not installed"; then
+elif grep -q "^      SKIP: frobnicator is not installed" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   pass "--strict fails on a skip, names the suite, and carries through the reason it printed"
 else
   fail "--strict named the suite but swallowed its skip reason: $FAKE_OUT"
@@ -445,7 +445,7 @@ STRICT_ENV_OUT="$(TMPDIR="$STRICT_ENV_PRIV" TEST_DIR="$DIR10/cases" RUN_TESTS_ST
   bash "$DIR10/tests/run-tests.sh" 2>&1)" || STRICT_ENV_RC=$?
 if [[ $STRICT_ENV_RC -eq 0 ]]; then
   fail "RUN_TESTS_STRICT=1 passed with a skipped suite: $STRICT_ENV_OUT"
-elif echo "$STRICT_ENV_OUT" | grep -q "a skip is a SETUP ERROR"; then
+elif grep -q "a skip is a SETUP ERROR" <<< "$STRICT_ENV_OUT"; then
   pass "RUN_TESTS_STRICT=1 is the same gate as --strict"
 else
   fail "RUN_TESTS_STRICT=1 failed for some other reason: $STRICT_ENV_OUT"
@@ -460,9 +460,9 @@ echo "--- the same skipped suite passes, still SKIPPED, without strict ---"
 run_fake "$DIR10"
 if [[ $FAKE_RC -ne 0 ]]; then
   fail "a skipped suite failed a non-strict run — graceful skipping is gone: $FAKE_OUT"
-elif ! echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "^=== Summary: 1 passed, 1 skipped, 0 failed ===$"; then
+elif ! grep -q "^=== Summary: 1 passed, 1 skipped, 0 failed ===$" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   fail "a non-strict run miscounted the skip: $FAKE_OUT"
-elif echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "^      SKIP: frobnicator is not installed"; then
+elif grep -q "^      SKIP: frobnicator is not installed" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   pass "without strict the suite is SKIPPED, the run passes, and the reason is still reported"
 else
   fail "a non-strict run passed but dropped the skip reason: $FAKE_OUT"
@@ -484,7 +484,7 @@ EOF
 run_fake "$DIR10D" --strict
 if [[ $FAKE_RC -ne 0 ]]; then
   fail "--strict failed a run with nothing skipped — it fails unconditionally: $FAKE_OUT"
-elif echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "^=== Summary: 1 passed, 0 skipped, 0 failed ===$"; then
+elif grep -q "^=== Summary: 1 passed, 0 skipped, 0 failed ===$" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   pass "--strict leaves a run with no skips green"
 else
   fail "--strict passed with the wrong summary: $FAKE_OUT"
@@ -506,7 +506,7 @@ EOF
 run_fake "$DIR10E" --strickt
 if [[ $FAKE_RC -eq 0 ]]; then
   fail "a misspelled flag was ignored and the run passed — a typo silently disarms the gate: $FAKE_OUT"
-elif echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "Usage: .*--bats-only.*--strict"; then
+elif grep -q "Usage: .*--bats-only.*--strict" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   pass "an unrecognised flag fails the run with usage"
 else
   fail "an unrecognised flag failed but not with usage: $FAKE_OUT"
@@ -532,7 +532,7 @@ EOF
 run_fake "$DIR10F" --strict
 if [[ $FAKE_RC -eq 0 ]]; then
   fail "--strict passed on a suite that skipped via stderr: $FAKE_OUT"
-elif echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "^      widgetizer not installed -- skipping"; then
+elif grep -q "^      widgetizer not installed -- skipping" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   pass "a skip reason printed to stderr without a SKIP: prefix is still carried into the failure"
 else
   fail "--strict failed but lost the stderr skip reason: $FAKE_OUT"
@@ -570,9 +570,9 @@ run_fake "$DIR10"
 unset RUN_TESTS_STRICT
 if [[ $FAKE_RC -ne 0 ]]; then
   fail "an inherited RUN_TESTS_STRICT=1 turned a non-strict fixture strict — this suite's own result depends on how it was launched: $FAKE_OUT"
-elif echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "a skip is a SETUP ERROR"; then
+elif grep -q "a skip is a SETUP ERROR" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   fail "the fixture ran strict despite not asking for it: $FAKE_OUT"
-elif echo "$FAKE_OUT" | grep -q "^=== Summary: 1 passed, 1 skipped, 0 failed ===$"; then
+elif grep -q "^=== Summary: 1 passed, 1 skipped, 0 failed ===$" <<< "$FAKE_OUT"; then
   pass "an ambient RUN_TESTS_STRICT=1 is scrubbed from fixtures that did not ask for strict"
 else
   fail "the scrubbed run produced the wrong summary: $FAKE_OUT"
diff --git a/tests/test-statusline.sh b/tests/test-statusline.sh
index c5cd332..91e9a09 100755
--- a/tests/test-statusline.sh
+++ b/tests/test-statusline.sh
@@ -22,32 +22,32 @@ echo "--- assembly ---"
 
 out=$(run "$FULL")
 
-echo "$out" | grep -q "myproject"                  && pass "shows basename of working directory"      || fail "dir missing — got: $out"
-echo "$out" | grep -q " · "                        && pass "segments joined with ' · '"               || fail "separator missing — got: $out"
-echo "$out" | grep -q "Sonnet 4.6"                 && pass "shows model name"                         || fail "model name missing — got: $out"
-echo "$out" | grep -q "context 20%"                && pass "shows context % with 'context' label"     || fail "context label wrong — got: $out"
+grep -q "myproject" <<< "$out"                  && pass "shows basename of working directory"      || fail "dir missing — got: $out"
+grep -q " · " <<< "$out"                        && pass "segments joined with ' · '"               || fail "separator missing — got: $out"
+grep -q "Sonnet 4.6" <<< "$out"                 && pass "shows model name"                         || fail "model name missing — got: $out"
+grep -q "context 20%" <<< "$out"                && pass "shows context % with 'context' label"     || fail "context label wrong — got: $out"
 
 echo ""
 echo "--- token formatting ---"
 
 # 15k + 5k = 20k → shown as "20k tokens"
-echo "$out" | grep -q "20k tokens"                 && pass "formats total tokens as Xk when >= 1000"  || fail "Xk format wrong — got: $out"
+grep -q "20k tokens" <<< "$out"                 && pass "formats total tokens as Xk when >= 1000"  || fail "Xk format wrong — got: $out"
 
 # Sub-1000 total: 500 + 300 = 800 → shown as "800 tokens"
 LOW='{"workspace":{"current_dir":"/x"},"context_window":{"total_input_tokens":500,"total_output_tokens":300}}'
 out_low=$(run "$LOW")
-echo "$out_low" | grep -q "800 tokens"             && pass "shows raw count when total tokens < 1000" || fail "sub-1000 format wrong — got: $out_low"
+grep -q "800 tokens" <<< "$out_low"             && pass "shows raw count when total tokens < 1000" || fail "sub-1000 format wrong — got: $out_low"
 
 echo ""
 echo "--- cost formatting ---"
 
 # 0.25 → 25¢
-echo "$out" | grep -q "25¢"                        && pass "formats sub-dollar cost as cents (¢)"     || fail "cents format wrong — got: $out"
+grep -q "25¢" <<< "$out"                        && pass "formats sub-dollar cost as cents (¢)"     || fail "cents format wrong — got: $out"
 
 # 1.71 → $1.71
 DOLLAR='{"workspace":{"current_dir":"/x"},"cost":{"total_cost_usd":1.71},"context_window":{"total_input_tokens":0,"total_output_tokens":0}}'
 out_dollar=$(run "$DOLLAR")
-echo "$out_dollar" | grep -qF '$1.71'              && pass "formats dollar-plus cost as \$X.XX"       || fail "dollar format wrong — got: $out_dollar"
+grep -qF '$1.71' <<< "$out_dollar"              && pass "formats dollar-plus cost as \$X.XX"       || fail "dollar format wrong — got: $out_dollar"
 
 echo ""
 echo "--- missing fields omitted ---"
@@ -55,12 +55,12 @@ echo "--- missing fields omitted ---"
 # No cost field → no ¢ or $ in output
 NO_COST='{"workspace":{"current_dir":"/x"},"context_window":{"total_input_tokens":0,"total_output_tokens":0}}'
 out_nocost=$(run "$NO_COST")
-! echo "$out_nocost" | grep -qE '[¢$]'             && pass "omits cost segment when cost absent"      || fail "cost shown unexpectedly — got: $out_nocost"
+! grep -qE '[¢$]' <<< "$out_nocost"             && pass "omits cost segment when cost absent"      || fail "cost shown unexpectedly — got: $out_nocost"
 
 # Zero tokens → no token segment
 ZERO_TOK='{"workspace":{"current_dir":"/x"},"context_window":{"total_input_tokens":0,"total_output_tokens":0}}'
 out_zerotok=$(run "$ZERO_TOK")
-! echo "$out_zerotok" | grep -q "tokens"           && pass "omits token segment when total is zero"   || fail "token segment shown unexpectedly — got: $out_zerotok"
+! grep -q "tokens" <<< "$out_zerotok"           && pass "omits token segment when total is zero"   || fail "token segment shown unexpectedly — got: $out_zerotok"
 
 echo ""
 echo "--- executable bit ---"
diff --git a/tests/test-vale-wrap.sh b/tests/test-vale-wrap.sh
index 7fd36fc..6a19f3f 100755
--- a/tests/test-vale-wrap.sh
+++ b/tests/test-vale-wrap.sh
@@ -246,12 +246,12 @@ EOF
 trap 'rm -rf "$FIXTURE1" "$FIXTURE2" "$FIXTURE3" "$FIXTURE4" "$FIXTURE5"' EXIT
 OUT5=$(run_wrap "$FIXTURE5" --config "$VALE_CONFIG" \
   plugins/testplugin/skills/zzzskill/SKILL.md)
-if echo "$OUT5" | grep -q "VagueWording"; then
+if grep -q "VagueWording" <<< "$OUT5"; then
   pass "flags vague wording when the description contains an apostrophe"
 else
   fail "silently missed vague wording in a description containing an apostrophe"
 fi
-if echo "$OUT5" | grep -qi "yaml:"; then
+if grep -qi "yaml:" <<< "$OUT5"; then
   fail "flattened copy with an apostrophe produced a YAML parse error"
 else
   pass "flattened copy with an apostrophe is valid YAML (no parse error)"
@@ -297,9 +297,9 @@ EOF
 trap 'rm -rf "$FIXTURE1" "$FIXTURE2" "$FIXTURE3" "$FIXTURE4" "$FIXTURE5" "$FIXTURE6" "$FIXTURE7"' EXIT
 OUT7=$(run_wrap "$FIXTURE7" --config "$VALE_CONFIG" \
   plugins/testplugin/skills/zzzskill/SKILL.md)
-if echo "$OUT7" | grep -q "Traceback"; then
+if grep -q "Traceback" <<< "$OUT7"; then
   fail "crashed while flattening a description with a blank line between paragraphs"
-elif echo "$OUT7" | grep -q "VagueWording"; then
+elif grep -q "VagueWording" <<< "$OUT7"; then
   pass "still flags vague wording in the second paragraph after a blank line"
 else
   fail "silently missed vague wording in the second paragraph after a blank line — the bug this test guards against"
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ REL_CFG8="../../../../.vale.ini"
 REL_FILE8="SKILL.md"
 OUT_EQ=$(run_wrap "$SUBDIR8" "--config=$REL_CFG8" "$REL_FILE8")
 OUT_TWO=$(run_wrap "$SUBDIR8" --config "$REL_CFG8" "$REL_FILE8")
-if echo "$OUT_EQ" | grep -q "VagueWording" && [[ "$OUT_EQ" == "$OUT_TWO" ]]; then
+if grep -q "VagueWording" <<< "$OUT_EQ" && [[ "$OUT_EQ" == "$OUT_TWO" ]]; then
   pass "cwd-relative --config resolves from a subdirectory in both argv forms"
 else
   fail "cwd-relative --config did not resolve from a subdirectory (equals form vs two-argv form)"
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ RC_REL_CFG=$?
 OUT_ABS_CFG=$(cd "$SUBDIR8" && bash "$SCRIPT" --config "$FIXTURE8/.vale.ini" "$REL_FILE8" 2>&1)
 RC_ABS_CFG=$?
 set -e
-if echo "$OUT_REL_CFG" | grep -qi "does not exist"; then
+if grep -qi "does not exist" <<< "$OUT_REL_CFG"; then
   fail "cwd-relative --config hard-errored ('does not exist') — the bug this test guards against"
 elif [[ "$OUT_REL_CFG" == "$OUT_ABS_CFG" && "$RC_REL_CFG" -eq "$RC_ABS_CFG" ]]; then
   pass "cwd-relative --config matches the absolute-path invocation (output and exit code)"
@@ -373,9 +373,9 @@ echo ""
 echo "--- flattens a cwd-relative file argument passed from a subdirectory ---"
 WRAPPED_REL=$(run_wrap "$SUBDIR8" --config "$FIXTURE8/.vale.ini" "$REL_FILE8")
 BARE_REL=$(cd "$SUBDIR8" && vale --config "$FIXTURE8/.vale.ini" "$REL_FILE8" 2>&1 || true)
-if ! echo "$WRAPPED_REL" | grep -q "VagueWording"; then
+if ! grep -q "VagueWording" <<< "$WRAPPED_REL"; then
   fail "cwd-relative file argument produced no alert — flattening was silently skipped, the bug this test guards against"
-elif echo "$BARE_REL" | grep -q "VagueWording"; then
+elif grep -q "VagueWording" <<< "$BARE_REL"; then
   fail "bare vale already flags this fixture, so the test can't detect a silently-skipped flattening"
 else
   pass "cwd-relative file argument is flattened and flagged where bare vale reports nothing"
@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@ trap 'rm -rf "$FIXTURE1" "$FIXTURE2" "$FIXTURE3" "$FIXTURE4" "$FIXTURE5" "$FIXTU
 REL11="plugins/testplugin/skills/zzzskill/SKILL.md"
 WRAPPED_OUT=$(run_wrap "$FIXTURE11" --config "$VALE_CONFIG" "$REL11")
 BARE_OUT=$(cd "$FIXTURE11" && vale --config "$VALE_CONFIG" "$REL11" 2>&1 || true)
-if ! echo "$BARE_OUT" | grep -q "VagueWording"; then
+if ! grep -q "VagueWording" <<< "$BARE_OUT"; then
   fail "bare vale reports nothing for a literal (|) block scalar — the 'literal blocks are not broken' premise is wrong"
 elif [[ "$WRAPPED_OUT" == "$BARE_OUT" ]]; then
   pass "literal (|) block scalar output matches bare vale exactly — untouched by flattening"
@@ -461,7 +461,7 @@ echo "--- defaults --config to the wrapper's own sibling assets/vale/.vale.ini -
 FIXTURE12="$(make_fixture 2)"
 trap 'rm -rf "$FIXTURE1" "$FIXTURE2" "$FIXTURE3" "$FIXTURE4" "$FIXTURE5" "$FIXTURE6" "$FIXTURE7" "$FIXTURE8" "$FIXTURE10" "$FIXTURE11" "$FIXTURE12"' EXIT
 OUT12=$(run_wrap "$FIXTURE12" plugins/testplugin/skills/zzzskill/SKILL.md)
-if echo "$OUT12" | grep -q "VagueWording"; then
+if grep -q "VagueWording" <<< "$OUT12"; then
   pass "a --config-less invocation uses the wrapper's bundled config"
 else
   fail "a --config-less invocation found no config — external pre-commit consumers get E100, the bug this test guards against"
@@ -490,9 +490,9 @@ EOF
 chmod +x "$STUB13/realpath"
 OUT13=$(cd "$FIXTURE12" && PATH="$STUB13:$PATH" bash "$SCRIPT" --config "$VALE_CONFIG" \
   plugins/testplugin/skills/zzzskill/SKILL.md 2>&1 || true)
-if echo "$OUT13" | grep -q "illegal option"; then
+if grep -q "illegal option" <<< "$OUT13"; then
   fail "invoked realpath -m — fails on macOS's BSD realpath, the bug this test guards against"
-elif echo "$OUT13" | grep -q "VagueWording"; then
+elif grep -q "VagueWording" <<< "$OUT13"; then
   pass "flattens and flags with no GNU realpath available"
 else
   fail "produced no alert under a BSD-style realpath: $OUT13"
@@ -509,9 +509,9 @@ FIXTURE14="$(make_fixture 2)"
 trap 'rm -rf "$FIXTURE1" "$FIXTURE2" "$FIXTURE3" "$FIXTURE4" "$FIXTURE5" "$FIXTURE6" "$FIXTURE7" "$FIXTURE8" "$FIXTURE10" "$FIXTURE11" "$FIXTURE12" "$STUB13" "$FIXTURE14"' EXIT
 WRAPPED_DIR=$(run_wrap "$FIXTURE14" --config "$VALE_CONFIG" plugins)
 BARE_DIR=$(cd "$FIXTURE14" && vale --config "$VALE_CONFIG" plugins 2>&1 || true)
-if ! echo "$WRAPPED_DIR" | grep -q "VagueWording"; then
+if ! grep -q "VagueWording" <<< "$WRAPPED_DIR"; then
   fail "a directory argument produced no alert — flattening was silently skipped, the bug this test guards against"
-elif echo "$BARE_DIR" | grep -q "VagueWording"; then
+elif grep -q "VagueWording" <<< "$BARE_DIR"; then
   fail "bare vale already flags this fixture, so the test can't detect a silently-skipped flattening"
 else
   pass "a directory argument is walked and its files flattened"
@@ -525,7 +525,7 @@ mkdir -p "$SPACED15"
 cp "$FIXTURE14/plugins/testplugin/skills/zzzskill/SKILL.md" "$SPACED15/SKILL.md"
 rm -rf "$FIXTURE14/plugins/testplugin/skills/zzzskill"
 OUT15=$(run_wrap "$FIXTURE14" --config "$VALE_CONFIG" plugins/testplugin/skills)
-if echo "$OUT15" | grep -q "zzz skill" && echo "$OUT15" | grep -q "VagueWording"; then
+if grep -q "zzz skill" <<< "$OUT15" && grep -q "VagueWording" <<< "$OUT15"; then
   pass "a file under a directory whose name contains a space is walked and flattened"
 else
   fail "a path with a space was dropped from the directory walk"
@@ -626,7 +626,7 @@ unguarded_expansions() {
   done < <(sourced_files "$file")
   while IFS= read -r hit; do
     name="$(printf '%s\n' "$hit" \
-      | grep -oE '\$\{[A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_]*\[@\]\}' | head -1 \
+      | { grep -oE '\$\{[A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_]*\[@\]\}' || true; } | head -1 \
       | sed -E 's/^\$\{//; s/\[@\]\}$//')"
     # Shell-maintained arrays are never seeded by a `NAME=(...)` line, so the
     # seeding exemption below can never clear them: without this case they are
@@ -653,8 +653,7 @@ unguarded_expansions() {
       PIPESTATUS|BASH_SOURCE|BASH_LINENO|BASH_VERSINFO|GROUPS|DIRSTACK) continue ;;
     esac
     # Same-line emptiness short-circuit: the expansion cannot be reached empty.
-    if printf '%s\n' "$hit" \
-      | grep -qE "\\\$\{#$name\[@\]\}[[:space:]]*-(eq|lt)[[:space:]]*[01][^|]*\|\|"; then
+    if grep -qE "\\\$\{#$name\[@\]\}[[:space:]]*-(eq|lt)[[:space:]]*[01][^|]*\|\|" <<< "$hit"; then
       continue
     fi
     for seed_file in ${seed_files[@]+"${seed_files[@]}"}; do
@@ -809,7 +808,7 @@ for ARGS17 in "" "--config $VALE_CONFIG" "--config $VALE_CONFIG emptydir"; do
   # shellcheck disable=SC2086 # deliberate word splitting of the argv fixture
   OUT17+="$( (cd "$FIXTURE17" && "$OLD_BASH" "$SCRIPT" $ARGS17 </dev/null 2>&1) || true)"
 done
-if echo "$OUT17" | grep -q "unbound variable"; then
+if grep -q "unbound variable" <<< "$OUT17"; then
   fail "aborted with 'unbound variable' on bash $OLD_BASH_VER — the bug this test guards against"
 else
   pass "degenerate invocations run clean under bash $OLD_BASH_VER ($OLD_BASH)"
@@ -828,7 +827,7 @@ SPACED18="$FIXTURE18/plugins/testplugin/skills/zzz skill dir"
 mkdir -p "$SPACED18"
 mv "$FIXTURE18/plugins/testplugin/skills/zzzskill/SKILL.md" "$SPACED18/SKILL.md"
 OUT18=$(run_wrap "$FIXTURE18" --config "$VALE_CONFIG" "plugins/testplugin/skills/zzz skill dir/SKILL.md")
-if echo "$OUT18" | grep -q "zzz skill dir/SKILL.md" && echo "$OUT18" | grep -q "VagueWording"; then
+if grep -q "zzz skill dir/SKILL.md" <<< "$OUT18" && grep -q "VagueWording" <<< "$OUT18"; then
   pass "a path argument with a space is passed to vale as one word"
 else
   fail "a path argument with a space was split by the array expansion: $OUT18"
@@ -934,7 +933,7 @@ else
     new_fixture "$DIR19"
     BARE19="$(cd "$DIR19" && vale --config "$VALE_CONFIG" "$REL_SKILL19" 2>&1 || true)"
     GOT19="$(alert_text "$(run_wrap "$DIR19" --config "$VALE_CONFIG" "$REL_SKILL19")")"
-    if echo "$BARE19" | grep -q "VagueWording"; then
+    if grep -q "VagueWording" <<< "$BARE19"; then
       fail "bare vale already flags the $FORM19 form, so this case can't detect a silently-skipped flattening"
     elif [[ "$GOT19" == "$BASELINE19" ]]; then
       pass "a $FORM19 multi-line description reports the same alerts as its single-line form"
@@ -1044,7 +1043,7 @@ done
 echo ""
 echo "--- the |- literal-block fallback lints normally and preserves line numbers ---"
 OUT20B=$(run_wrap "$FIXTURE20_BLOCK" --config "$VALE_CONFIG" "$REL_SKILL19")
-if echo "$OUT20B" | grep -q "VagueWording"; then
+if grep -q "VagueWording" <<< "$OUT20B"; then
   pass "a description needing quotes with both an apostrophe and a double quote is still linted"
 else
   fail "a description needing quotes with both an apostrophe and a double quote produced no alerts"
@@ -1053,7 +1052,7 @@ WANT20B_LINE="$(grep -n 'flattening marker phrase' "$FIXTURE20_BLOCK/$REL_SKILL1
 # `--output line` prints `file:line:col:Rule:message`, so the line number reads
 # back without any wrapping or colour to strip.
 GOT20B_LINE="$(run_wrap "$FIXTURE20_BLOCK" --config "$APOS_STYLE/.vale.ini" --output line "$REL_SKILL19" \
-  | grep 'Apostrophe.Body' | head -1 | cut -d: -f2)"
+  | { grep 'Apostrophe.Body' || true; } | head -1 | cut -d: -f2)"
 if [[ "$GOT20B_LINE" == "$WANT20B_LINE" ]]; then
   pass "a body line after a |- flattened description keeps its original line number ($WANT20B_LINE)"
 else
@@ -1079,7 +1078,10 @@ if [[ "$BARE21_FILES" != "in 1 file" ]]; then
   fail "bare vale did not lint the symlinked file ($BARE21_FILES), so this case can't detect the walk dropping it"
 elif [[ "$WRAPPED21_FILES" != "$BARE21_FILES" ]]; then
   fail "the directory walk dropped a symlinked file: wrapper saw '$WRAPPED21_FILES', bare vale '$BARE21_FILES'"
-elif echo "$WRAPPED21" | grep -q "VagueWording"; then
+# A here-string, not `echo "$WRAPPED21" | grep -q`: the match sits on line 3 of
+# 8, and under pipefail grep -q exiting early can SIGPIPE echo mid-write and
+# fail this branch on correct output (see tests/test-check-release-needed.sh).
+elif grep -q "VagueWording" <<< "$WRAPPED21"; then
   pass "a symlinked file under a directory argument is mirrored, flattened and flagged"
 else
   fail "a symlinked file was mirrored but not flattened — no alert came back"
@@ -1117,9 +1119,9 @@ RC23=$?
 set -e
 if [[ $RC23 -eq 0 ]]; then
   fail "a typo'd path exited 0 — indistinguishable from a clean run, the bug this test guards against"
-elif echo "$OUT23" | grep -q "in stdin"; then
+elif grep -q "in stdin" <<< "$OUT23"; then
   fail "a typo'd path fell back to reading stdin and reported 'in stdin' instead of erroring"
-elif echo "$OUT23" | grep -q "SKILLL.md"; then
+elif grep -q "SKILLL.md" <<< "$OUT23"; then
   pass "a typo'd path exits nonzero with a message naming the path"
 else
   fail "a typo'd path exited $RC23 but the message does not name it: $OUT23"
@@ -1141,9 +1143,9 @@ mkdir -p "$FIXTURE24/line"
 for FORM24 in "--output line" "--output=line" "--output JSON" "--output=JSON"; do
   # shellcheck disable=SC2086 # deliberate word splitting of the argv fixture
   OUT24="$(run_wrap "$FIXTURE24" --config "$VALE_CONFIG" $FORM24 "$REL_SKILL19")"
-  if echo "$OUT24" | grep -q "E100"; then
+  if grep -q "E100" <<< "$OUT24"; then
     fail "'$FORM24' was rewritten to a cwd path and vale flipped into template mode — the bug this test guards against"
-  elif echo "$OUT24" | grep -q "VagueWording"; then
+  elif grep -q "VagueWording" <<< "$OUT24"; then
     pass "'$FORM24' is passed through as a built-in style name"
   else
     fail "'$FORM24' produced no alert: $OUT24"
@@ -1215,12 +1217,12 @@ FOUND26="$(unguarded_expansions "$FIXTURE26/probe.sh")"
 MISSING26=""
 LEAKED26=""
 for ARR26 in $EXEMPT26; do
-  if echo "$FOUND26" | grep -q "{$ARR26\[@\]}"; then
+  if grep -q "{$ARR26\[@\]}" <<< "$FOUND26"; then
     LEAKED26+="$ARR26 "
   fi
 done
 for ARR26 in $FLAGGED26; do
-  if ! echo "$FOUND26" | grep -q "{$ARR26\[@\]}"; then
+  if ! grep -q "{$ARR26\[@\]}" <<< "$FOUND26"; then
     MISSING26+="$ARR26 "
   fi
 done
@@ -1465,7 +1467,7 @@ matches_any_regex28() {
   [[ -n "$regexes" ]] || return 1
   while IFS= read -r re; do
     [[ -n "$re" ]] || continue
-    if printf '%s\n' "$rel" | grep -Eq "$re"; then
+    if grep -Eq "$re" <<< "$rel"; then
       return 0
     fi
   done <<EOF_RE28
@@ -1499,7 +1501,7 @@ elif [[ -z "$SECTIONS28" ]]; then
 else
   while IFS= read -r SEC28; do
     [[ -n "$SEC28" ]] || continue
-    if ! printf '%s\n' "$PROBE_TABLE28" | grep -qF "|$SEC28|isolating"; then
+    if ! grep -qF "|$SEC28|isolating" <<< "$PROBE_TABLE28"; then
       UNPROBED28+="$SEC28 "
     fi
   done <<EOF_SEC28
@@ -1508,7 +1510,7 @@ EOF_SEC28
   STALE_SECTIONS28=""
   while IFS= read -r TSEC28; do
     [[ -n "$TSEC28" ]] || continue
-    printf '%s\n' "$SECTIONS28" | grep -qF -- "$TSEC28" || STALE_SECTIONS28+="$TSEC28 "
+    grep -qF -- "$TSEC28" <<< "$SECTIONS28" || STALE_SECTIONS28+="$TSEC28 "
   done <<EOF_TSEC28
 $TABLE_SECTIONS28
 EOF_TSEC28
@@ -1548,7 +1550,7 @@ probe_coverage28() {
       echo "FAIL|$rel|vale printed no summary line for $rel, so it is not known whether anything was scanned: ${report:-<empty>}"
     elif [[ "$count" -eq 0 ]]; then
       echo "FAIL|$rel|$sec scanned 0 files for $rel — the section's glob covers no path of that shape, so vale exits 0 and every gate reads it as a pass"
-    elif ! printf '%s\n' "$report" | grep -qF "Kyberforge.VagueWording"; then
+    elif ! grep -qF "Kyberforge.VagueWording" <<< "$report"; then
       echo "FAIL|$rel|$sec scanned $rel but raised no Kyberforge alert — the glob matches but the style is not loaded, which lints the file and reports nothing"
     else
       echo "PASS|$rel|$sec scans $rel ($count file) and raises a Kyberforge alert"
@@ -1622,7 +1624,7 @@ if [[ "$VALE_READY" == true && "$PART_A_CLEAN28" == true ]]; then
       [[ -n "$REL28" && "$ISO28" == "isolating" ]] || continue
       LINE28="$(printf '%s\n' "$RESULTS28" | { grep -F "|$REL28|" || true; } | head -1)"
       if [[ "$ROWSEC28" == "$MSEC28" ]]; then
-        printf '%s\n' "$LINE28" | grep -qF "but raised no Kyberforge alert" \
+        grep -qF "but raised no Kyberforge alert" <<< "$LINE28" \
           || STYLE_MUT_FAILS28+="[$MSEC28 lost Kyberforge but $REL28 did not fail as style-not-loaded: ${LINE28:-<no result>}] "
       else
         [[ "$LINE28" == PASS\|* ]] \
@@ -1719,7 +1721,7 @@ copilot_scope_failures30() {
     [[ -n "$rel" ]] || continue
     report="$(vale_report28 "$cfg" "$TREE28" "$rel")"
     has=false
-    if printf '%s\n' "$report" | grep -qF "KyberforgeCopilot.ProactivePhrase"; then has=true; fi
+    if grep -qF "KyberforgeCopilot.ProactivePhrase" <<< "$report"; then has=true; fi
     case "$rel" in
       *.agent.md)
         [[ "$has" == true ]] || bad+="[$rel is an agent file but raised no ProactivePhrase alert — the Copilot style is shipped but never loaded for it, so its rules lint nothing] "
@@ -1728,7 +1730,7 @@ copilot_scope_failures30() {
         # Non-vacuity guard: `absent` only means `scoped out` if the file was
         # scanned at all. Without the Kyberforge half, a glob that stopped
         # matching this path entirely would read as correct scoping.
-        if ! printf '%s\n' "$report" | grep -qF "Kyberforge.VagueWording"; then
+        if ! grep -qF "Kyberforge.VagueWording" <<< "$report"; then
           bad+="[$rel raised no Kyberforge alert either, so its missing ProactivePhrase proves nothing about scoping] "
         elif [[ "$has" == true ]]; then
           bad+="[$rel is not an .agent.md file but raised a ProactivePhrase alert — the Copilot style has leaked past the scope ADR-0013 fixes it to] "
@@ -1789,9 +1791,9 @@ UNLOAD_FAILS30="$(copilot_scope_failures30 "$UNLOAD30/.vale.ini")"
 LEAK_FAILS30="$(copilot_scope_failures30 "$LEAK30/.vale.ini")"
 if cmp -s "$VALE_ASSETS28/.vale.ini" "$UNLOAD30/.vale.ini" || cmp -s "$VALE_ASSETS28/.vale.ini" "$LEAK30/.vale.ini"; then
   fail "a Copilot-scope mutation left the copied config unchanged, so Part B mutated nothing and proves nothing about Part A"
-elif ! printf '%s' "$UNLOAD_FAILS30" | grep -qF "[copilot/demo.agent.md is an agent file but raised no ProactivePhrase alert"; then
+elif ! grep -qF "[copilot/demo.agent.md is an agent file but raised no ProactivePhrase alert" <<< "$UNLOAD_FAILS30"; then
   fail "dropping KyberforgeCopilot from [**/*.agent.md] did not fail Part A, so an unloaded Copilot style would pass silently again: ${UNLOAD_FAILS30:-<no failure>}"
-elif ! printf '%s' "$LEAK_FAILS30" | grep -qF "[plugins/demo/.apm/skills/demo/SKILL.md is not an .agent.md file but raised a ProactivePhrase alert"; then
+elif ! grep -qF "[plugins/demo/.apm/skills/demo/SKILL.md is not an .agent.md file but raised a ProactivePhrase alert" <<< "$LEAK_FAILS30"; then
   fail "adding KyberforgeCopilot to [**/SKILL.md] did not fail Part A, so the style could leak past ADR-0013's scope unnoticed: ${LEAK_FAILS30:-<no failure>}"
 else
   pass "unloading KyberforgeCopilot from .agent.md files and leaking it onto SKILL.md files are each caught by Part A"
@@ -1972,7 +1974,7 @@ SILENCED31="$(vale_report28 "$OVERRIDE_DIR31/.vale.ini" "$TREE28" "copilot/demo.
 SILENCED_COUNT31="$(files_scanned28 "$SILENCED31")"
 if [[ -z "$SILENCED_COUNT31" || "$SILENCED_COUNT31" -eq 0 ]]; then
   fail "the override fixture scanned no file at all, so the disappearance of the VagueWording alert proves nothing about overrides"
-elif printf '%s\n' "$SILENCED31" | grep -qF "Kyberforge.VagueWording"; then
+elif grep -qF "Kyberforge.VagueWording" <<< "$SILENCED31"; then
   # Reported as a FAIL, not a pass. It is not a defect in the config, but it
   # means Parts A and B are guarding a failure mode this vale build no longer
   # has — and a guard that guards nothing while reporting PASS is the same
@@ -2115,13 +2117,13 @@ awk '/^[ \t]*files:/ { sub(/\^/, "^zzz-no-such-path/") } { print }' \
   "$PC_CONFIG32" > "$MUT32/.pre-commit-config.yaml"
 MUT_RECORDS32="$(hook_records28 "$MUT32/.pre-commit-config.yaml")"
 MUT_FAILS32="$(prefilter_scope_failures32 "$MUT32/.pre-commit-config.yaml" "$REPO_FILES32")"
-if ! printf '%s\n' "$MUT_RECORDS32" | grep -q 'zzz-no-such-path'; then
+if ! grep -q 'zzz-no-such-path' <<< "$MUT_RECORDS32"; then
   fail "the narrowed regexes never reached the copied config, so Part B narrowed nothing and proves nothing about Part A"
 elif [[ "$(printf '%s\n' "$MUT_RECORDS32" | grep -c .)" -ne 2 ]]; then
   fail "the mutated config did not parse back as two prefilter hooks, so any failure below would come from the parser, not from the narrowing"
-elif ! printf '%s' "$MUT_FAILS32" | grep -qF "vale-audit-prefilter-skill: 'files: ^zzz-no-such-path/"; then
+elif ! grep -qF "vale-audit-prefilter-skill: 'files: ^zzz-no-such-path/" <<< "$MUT_FAILS32"; then
   fail "narrowing the skill hook's regex to match zero files did not fail this check, so Part A cannot detect a prefilter that has been silently switched off for SKILL.md files"
-elif ! printf '%s' "$MUT_FAILS32" | grep -qF "vale-audit-prefilter-agent: 'files: ^zzz-no-such-path/"; then
+elif ! grep -qF "vale-audit-prefilter-agent: 'files: ^zzz-no-such-path/" <<< "$MUT_FAILS32"; then
   fail "narrowing the agent hook's regex to match zero files did not fail this check, so Part A cannot detect a prefilter that has been silently switched off for agent files"
 else
   pass "narrowing either hook's 'files:' regex to match zero files is caught by Part A, which is what makes its pass mean something"
@@ -2314,15 +2316,15 @@ if ! grep -qF '^plugins/kyberforge/\.apm/skills/' "$MUT33/skill.yaml" \
   || ! grep -qF '^plugins/kyberforge/\.apm/agents/' "$MUT33/agent.yaml" \
   || ! grep -qF 'vale-audit-prefilter-skill-renamed' "$MUT33/id.yaml"; then
   fail "a mutation never reached its copied config, so Part B mutated nothing and proves nothing about Part A"
-elif ! printf '%s' "$SKILL_FAILS33" | grep -qF "[plugins/demo/.apm/skills/demo/SKILL.md is in scope of kyberforge-vale-audit-skill"; then
+elif ! grep -qF "[plugins/demo/.apm/skills/demo/SKILL.md is in scope of kyberforge-vale-audit-skill" <<< "$SKILL_FAILS33"; then
   fail "narrowing the local skill hook to ^plugins/kyberforge/ did not fail Part A, so the prefilter can drop every other plugin's skills with every gate green: ${SKILL_FAILS33:-<no failure>}"
-elif [[ -z "$AGREE_FAILS33" ]] && printf '%s' "$SKILL_FAILS33" | grep -qF "kyberforge-vale-audit-agent"; then
+elif [[ -z "$AGREE_FAILS33" ]] && grep -qF "kyberforge-vale-audit-agent" <<< "$SKILL_FAILS33"; then
   # Only meaningful against a clean base: when Part A already failed, the copy
   # inherits that defect, and reporting it again here would be one defect twice.
   fail "narrowing only the skill hook also reported an agent-class defect, so the comparison is not confined to its class: $SKILL_FAILS33"
-elif ! printf '%s' "$AGENT_FAILS33" | grep -qF "[plugins/demo/.apm/agents/demo.agent.md is in scope of kyberforge-vale-audit-agent"; then
+elif ! grep -qF "[plugins/demo/.apm/agents/demo.agent.md is in scope of kyberforge-vale-audit-agent" <<< "$AGENT_FAILS33"; then
   fail "narrowing the local agent hook to ^plugins/kyberforge/ did not fail Part A: ${AGENT_FAILS33:-<no failure>}"
-elif ! printf '%s' "$ID_FAILS33" | grep -qF "[no hook with id 'vale-audit-prefilter-skill' and a files: regex in id.yaml"; then
+elif ! grep -qF "[no hook with id 'vale-audit-prefilter-skill' and a files: regex in id.yaml" <<< "$ID_FAILS33"; then
   fail "renaming the local skill hook's id did not fail Part A by name, so the skill class could fall out of the comparison silently: ${ID_FAILS33:-<no failure>}"
 else
   pass "narrowing either local hook to one plugin, or renaming one, is caught by Part A"