diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index d81c9263..e4909848 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ tests/fm-grok-harness.test.sh             # grok adapter spawn hook, token guard
 tests/fm-fleet-sync.test.sh               # project clone refresh: safe detached recovery, STUCK drift reports, benign skips, and bootstrap relay
 tests/fm-x-mode.test.sh                   # X-mode poll, inbox context round-trip, reply threading, dismiss, dry-run preview, and .env-presence activation tests
 tests/fm-tangle-guard.test.sh             # primary-checkout tangle detection, read-only remediation suppression, and spawn/brief isolation tests
+tests/fm-brief.test.sh                    # fm-brief.sh parse hygiene (bash -n), no-mistakes DOD guidance line with literal backticks and no parse-breaking apostrophe, and intact scout/secondmate scaffolding
 tests/fm-spawn-batch.test.sh              # batch dispatch and FM_HOME project-path scoping tests
 tests/fm-spawn-dispatch-profile.test.sh   # concrete dispatch profile flags: active-profile backstop, harness/model/effort meta, launch templates, batch forwarding, and secondmate exemption
 tests/fm-update.test.sh                   # fast-forward-only self-update, reread, nudge, dedup, and skip-safety tests
diff --git a/bin/fm-pr-merge.sh b/bin/fm-pr-merge.sh
index 8ffb32cc..5c988cab 100755
--- a/bin/fm-pr-merge.sh
+++ b/bin/fm-pr-merge.sh
@@ -87,4 +87,4 @@ if ! caller_has_merge_method "$@"; then
   merge_args=(--squash)
 fi
 
-gh-axi pr merge "$PR_NUMBER" --repo "$PR_OWNER/$PR_REPO" "${merge_args[@]}" "$@"
+gh-axi pr merge "$PR_NUMBER" --repo "$PR_OWNER/$PR_REPO" "${merge_args[@]+"${merge_args[@]}"}" "$@"
diff --git a/bin/fm-spawn.sh b/bin/fm-spawn.sh
index 130ad852..e212b8fc 100755
--- a/bin/fm-spawn.sh
+++ b/bin/fm-spawn.sh
@@ -180,9 +180,9 @@ if [ "${#POS[@]}" -gt 0 ] && [ "${POS[0]}" != "$idpart" ] && case "$idpart" in *
       rc=2
       continue
     elif [ "$KIND" = scout ]; then
-      if FM_SPAWN_NO_GUARD=1 "$FM_ROOT/bin/fm-spawn.sh" "${pair%%=*}" "${pair#*=}" "${shared_args[@]}" --scout; then :; else echo "batch: FAILED to spawn ${pair%%=*} (${pair#*=})" >&2; rc=1; fi
+      if FM_SPAWN_NO_GUARD=1 "$FM_ROOT/bin/fm-spawn.sh" "${pair%%=*}" "${pair#*=}" "${shared_args[@]+"${shared_args[@]}"}" --scout; then :; else echo "batch: FAILED to spawn ${pair%%=*} (${pair#*=})" >&2; rc=1; fi
     else
-      if FM_SPAWN_NO_GUARD=1 "$FM_ROOT/bin/fm-spawn.sh" "${pair%%=*}" "${pair#*=}" "${shared_args[@]}"; then :; else echo "batch: FAILED to spawn ${pair%%=*} (${pair#*=})" >&2; rc=1; fi
+      if FM_SPAWN_NO_GUARD=1 "$FM_ROOT/bin/fm-spawn.sh" "${pair%%=*}" "${pair#*=}" "${shared_args[@]+"${shared_args[@]}"}"; then :; else echo "batch: FAILED to spawn ${pair%%=*} (${pair#*=})" >&2; rc=1; fi
     fi
   done
   exit "$rc"
diff --git a/tests/fm-brief.test.sh b/tests/fm-brief.test.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..1282fa0e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fm-brief.test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Regression tests for bin/fm-brief.sh parse hygiene and scaffolding.
+#
+# fm-brief.sh builds each mode-specific Definition-of-done block inside a
+# DOD=$(cat <<EOF ... EOF) command substitution. A lone single quote inside
+# such a block breaks bash's $() scanner: it hunts past the closing EOF) for
+# the matching quote, so `bash -n` fails and no brief can be scaffolded at
+# all. The fix removed an apostrophe from the no-mistakes DOD; these cases pin
+# the parse, the no-mistakes DOD render, and the untouched scout/secondmate
+# paths so the quoting class cannot silently regress again.
+set -u
+
+# shellcheck source=tests/lib.sh
+. "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/lib.sh"
+
+TMP_ROOT=$(fm_test_tmproot fm-brief)
+BRIEF_HOME="$TMP_ROOT/home"
+mkdir -p "$BRIEF_HOME/data"
+
+# --- parse hygiene -----------------------------------------------------------
+
+test_brief_parses_cleanly() {
+  local out rc
+  out=$(bash -n "$ROOT/bin/fm-brief.sh" 2>&1); rc=$?
+  expect_code 0 "$rc" "bash -n bin/fm-brief.sh must parse cleanly (got: $out)"
+  [ -z "$out" ] || fail "bash -n bin/fm-brief.sh emitted unexpected output: $out"
+  pass "fm-brief: bash -n parses with no syntax errors"
+}
+
+# --- ship (no-mistakes) DOD renders the guidance line with literal backticks --
+
+test_ship_brief_no_mistakes_dod() {
+  local brief
+  FM_HOME="$BRIEF_HOME" "$ROOT/bin/fm-brief.sh" brief-ship-q6 alpha >/dev/null 2>&1 \
+    || fail "fm-brief.sh ship scaffold exited non-zero"
+  brief="$BRIEF_HOME/data/brief-ship-q6/brief.md"
+  assert_present "$brief" "ship brief was not scaffolded"
+  assert_grep "Follow the no-mistakes guidance for the mechanics" "$brief" \
+    "no-mistakes DOD lost its guidance line"
+  # shellcheck disable=SC2016  # single quotes are deliberate: the backticks must stay literal
+  assert_grep '`no-mistakes axi run --help`' "$brief" \
+    "no-mistakes DOD must render literal backticks around the help command"
+  # shellcheck disable=SC2016  # single quotes are deliberate: the backticks must stay literal
+  assert_grep '`help`' "$brief" \
+    "no-mistakes DOD must render literal backticks around help"
+  assert_no_grep "no-mistakes' own guidance" "$brief" \
+    "no-mistakes DOD must not carry the apostrophe that broke parsing"
+  pass "fm-brief: ship (no-mistakes) DOD renders guidance with literal backticks"
+}
+
+# --- scout and secondmate paths still scaffold --------------------------------
+
+test_scout_and_secondmate_scaffold() {
+  local brief
+  FM_HOME="$BRIEF_HOME" "$ROOT/bin/fm-brief.sh" brief-scout-q6 alpha --scout >/dev/null 2>&1 \
+    || fail "fm-brief.sh scout scaffold exited non-zero"
+  brief="$BRIEF_HOME/data/brief-scout-q6/brief.md"
+  assert_present "$brief" "scout brief was not scaffolded"
+  assert_grep "SCOUT task" "$brief" "scout brief must declare itself a scout task"
+  assert_grep "report.md" "$brief" "scout brief must point at the report deliverable"
+
+  FM_SECONDMATE_CHARTER='Supervise the alpha domain.' \
+    FM_HOME="$BRIEF_HOME" "$ROOT/bin/fm-brief.sh" brief-sm-q6 --secondmate alpha >/dev/null 2>&1 \
+    || fail "fm-brief.sh secondmate scaffold exited non-zero"
+  brief="$BRIEF_HOME/data/brief-sm-q6/brief.md"
+  assert_present "$brief" "secondmate charter was not scaffolded"
+  assert_grep "persistent domain supervisor" "$brief" \
+    "secondmate charter must declare its role"
+  pass "fm-brief: scout and secondmate code paths still scaffold well-formed briefs"
+}
+
+test_brief_parses_cleanly
+test_ship_brief_no_mistakes_dod
+test_scout_and_secondmate_scaffold