diff --git a/skills/brainstorming/scripts/start-server.sh b/skills/brainstorming/scripts/start-server.sh
index 5ef391b17c..8eebe61e33 100755
--- a/skills/brainstorming/scripts/start-server.sh
+++ b/skills/brainstorming/scripts/start-server.sh
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ if [[ -f "$PID_FILE" ]]; then
   rm -f "$PID_FILE"
 fi
 
-cd "$SCRIPT_DIR"
+cd "$SCRIPT_DIR" || exit
 
 # Resolve the harness PID (grandparent of this script).
 # $PPID is the ephemeral shell the harness spawned to run us — it dies
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ disown "$SERVER_PID" 2>/dev/null
 echo "$SERVER_PID" > "$PID_FILE"
 
 # Wait for server-started message (check log file)
-for i in {1..50}; do
+for _ in {1..50}; do
   if grep -q "server-started" "$LOG_FILE" 2>/dev/null; then
     # Verify server is still alive after a short window (catches process reapers)
     alive="true"
diff --git a/skills/brainstorming/scripts/stop-server.sh b/skills/brainstorming/scripts/stop-server.sh
index a6b94e6532..6fa687fbd6 100755
--- a/skills/brainstorming/scripts/stop-server.sh
+++ b/skills/brainstorming/scripts/stop-server.sh
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ if [[ -f "$PID_FILE" ]]; then
   kill "$pid" 2>/dev/null || true
 
   # Wait for graceful shutdown (up to ~2s)
-  for i in {1..20}; do
+  for _ in {1..20}; do
     if ! kill -0 "$pid" 2>/dev/null; then
       break
     fi
diff --git a/tests/claude-code/test-helpers.sh b/tests/claude-code/test-helpers.sh
index 1b5ead3b44..ef1315a748 100755
--- a/tests/claude-code/test-helpers.sh
+++ b/tests/claude-code/test-helpers.sh
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ run_claude() {
     local prompt="$1"
     local timeout="${2:-60}"
     local allowed_tools="${3:-}"
-    local output_file=$(mktemp)
+    local output_file
+    output_file="$(mktemp)"
 
     # Build command as an argv array so timeout wraps claude directly.
     local cmd=(claude -p "$prompt")
@@ -74,7 +75,8 @@ assert_count() {
     local expected="$3"
     local test_name="${4:-test}"
 
-    local actual=$(echo "$output" | grep -c "$pattern" || echo "0")
+    local actual
+    actual="$(echo "$output" | grep -c "$pattern" || true)"
 
     if [ "$actual" -eq "$expected" ]; then
         echo "  [PASS] $test_name (found $actual instances)"
@@ -98,8 +100,10 @@ assert_order() {
     local test_name="${4:-test}"
 
     # Get line numbers where patterns appear
-    local line_a=$(echo "$output" | grep -n "$pattern_a" | head -1 | cut -d: -f1)
-    local line_b=$(echo "$output" | grep -n "$pattern_b" | head -1 | cut -d: -f1)
+    local line_a
+    local line_b
+    line_a="$(echo "$output" | grep -n "$pattern_a" | head -1 | cut -d: -f1 || true)"
+    line_b="$(echo "$output" | grep -n "$pattern_b" | head -1 | cut -d: -f1 || true)"
 
     if [ -z "$line_a" ]; then
         echo "  [FAIL] $test_name: pattern A not found: $pattern_a"
@@ -125,7 +129,8 @@ assert_order() {
 # Create a temporary test project directory
 # Usage: test_project=$(create_test_project)
 create_test_project() {
-    local test_dir=$(mktemp -d)
+    local test_dir
+    test_dir="$(mktemp -d)"
     echo "$test_dir"
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/claude-code/test-subagent-driven-development-integration.sh b/tests/claude-code/test-subagent-driven-development-integration.sh
index a783648314..d226b66ffd 100755
--- a/tests/claude-code/test-subagent-driven-development-integration.sh
+++ b/tests/claude-code/test-subagent-driven-development-integration.sh
@@ -37,7 +37,10 @@ TEST_PROJECT=$(create_test_project)
 echo "Test project: $TEST_PROJECT"
 
 # Trap to cleanup
-trap "cleanup_test_project $TEST_PROJECT" EXIT
+cleanup_integration_test_project() {
+    cleanup_test_project "$TEST_PROJECT"
+}
+trap cleanup_integration_test_project EXIT
 
 # Set up minimal Node.js project
 cd "$TEST_PROJECT"
@@ -164,12 +167,19 @@ PLUGIN_DIR=$(cd "$SCRIPT_DIR/../.." && pwd)
 # other concurrent claude sessions.
 echo "Running Claude (plugin-dir: $PLUGIN_DIR, cwd: $TEST_PROJECT)..."
 echo "================================================================================"
-cd "$TEST_PROJECT" && timeout 1800 claude -p "$PROMPT" --plugin-dir "$PLUGIN_DIR" --allowed-tools=all --permission-mode bypassPermissions 2>&1 | tee "$OUTPUT_FILE" || {
+set +e
+(
+    cd "$TEST_PROJECT" &&
+        timeout 1800 claude -p "$PROMPT" --plugin-dir "$PLUGIN_DIR" --allowed-tools=all --permission-mode bypassPermissions
+) 2>&1 | tee "$OUTPUT_FILE"
+execution_status=$?
+set -e
+if [[ "$execution_status" -ne 0 ]]; then
     echo ""
     echo "================================================================================"
-    echo "EXECUTION FAILED (exit code: $?)"
+    echo "EXECUTION FAILED (exit code: $execution_status)"
     exit 1
-}
+fi
 echo "================================================================================"
 
 echo ""
diff --git a/tests/claude-code/test-worktree-path-policy.sh b/tests/claude-code/test-worktree-path-policy.sh
index 58caad7a09..c9a3320fbc 100755
--- a/tests/claude-code/test-worktree-path-policy.sh
+++ b/tests/claude-code/test-worktree-path-policy.sh
@@ -47,16 +47,20 @@ assert_not_contains() {
 echo "=== Worktree Path Policy Test ==="
 echo ""
 
-assert_not_contains "$USING_SKILL" "~/.config/superpowers/worktrees" "using-git-worktrees does not mention old global path"
+# Intentionally search for the literal legacy path, not the current user's home.
+# shellcheck disable=SC2088
+legacy_global_worktree_path="~/.config/superpowers/worktrees"
+
+assert_not_contains "$USING_SKILL" "$legacy_global_worktree_path" "using-git-worktrees does not mention old global path"
 assert_not_contains "$USING_SKILL" "global legacy" "using-git-worktrees does not use unclear global legacy shorthand"
 assert_not_contains "$USING_SKILL" "Global path" "using-git-worktrees has no global path quick-reference row"
 assert_contains "$USING_SKILL" 'default to `.worktrees/` at the project root' "using-git-worktrees defaults new manual worktrees to .worktrees/"
 
-assert_not_contains "$FINISHING_SKILL" "~/.config/superpowers/worktrees" "finishing-a-development-branch does not treat old global path as owned"
+assert_not_contains "$FINISHING_SKILL" "$legacy_global_worktree_path" "finishing-a-development-branch does not treat old global path as owned"
 assert_contains "$FINISHING_SKILL" '`.worktrees/` or `worktrees/`' "finishing-a-development-branch keeps project-local cleanup ownership"
 
-assert_not_contains "$ROTOTILL_SPEC" "~/.config/superpowers/worktrees" "rototill spec does not preserve old global path policy"
-assert_not_contains "$ROTOTILL_PLAN" "~/.config/superpowers/worktrees" "rototill plan does not preserve old global path policy"
+assert_not_contains "$ROTOTILL_SPEC" "$legacy_global_worktree_path" "rototill spec does not preserve old global path policy"
+assert_not_contains "$ROTOTILL_PLAN" "$legacy_global_worktree_path" "rototill plan does not preserve old global path policy"
 assert_not_contains "$ROTOTILL_PLAN" "legacy path compat" "rototill plan does not advertise legacy path compatibility"
 
 echo ""